Dispelling the japanese dealer network myth | Page 4 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Dispelling the japanese dealer network myth

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bigpoppa said:
or you've been putting too much faith in internet myths
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Or you're looking far enough afield.
There is nothing special about fork seals. They're a regular non descript 2 lip, lowspeed seal... available at any hydraulic house... even in Mexico.
... but you have to know that
... and you can ride a bike without fork seals. It'll be bouncy, but it beats sitting in Plata del NOWHERE.
You want parts availability?
You can buy any and every part for a '68 Camaro, except for the VIN plate, in the aftermarket... and Mustangs, and G bodies....
If there is enough of a market, someone will make and sell it.

Me? I have never heard the myth that the Japanese part stream was infallible and I wouldn't believe you if you tried to tell me it was.
 
bigpoppa said:
not that readily repairable as it turns out 🤷‍♂️

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I think there are a couple of things to consider, design and a riders technical knowledge.

On the design side, I don't thing there are too many that would say Japanese bikes are more likely to go further without breakdowns - the reliability engineering is fundamentally different between jap and Euro producers.

Next is rider knowledge. Go looking for a set of GEN 1 forkseals at a KLR in in Mecico city might be tough. Go to a bearing supplier house anywhere in the world and ask for a 38/50/11 oil seal and you'll likely walk out with pair for a few bucks. Lots of chains, sprockets, seals, bearings, hoses, gaskets etc can be cross referenced, sourced or fabricated in a pinch - you just need to be resourceful.
 
mimico_polak said:
I’d say the examples used to start this thread aren’t exactly representative of people’s experience…

Bikes breaking down in far and away lands from the nearest shops is going to be bad no matter what you’re riding.

If people want readily repairable bikes on a whim with sticks and stones…buy a KLR.

I worked for a parts department for cars and there’s zero chance we would stock every single part. Zero.

Oh you’re driving a 1995 Jaguar XJ6? Guess we’ll wait for the UK to ship us one of those pieces.

Oh you’ve got a 2005 X-Type that needs a new gas tank? Here you go!

Inventory costs a lot of money, the square footage to keep that inventory is even more.

Honda, Kawasaki, Triumph, or BMW…get stuck in a far away spot with a part that doesn’t typically fail….I hope you’ve got a place to stay and wait.
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The government sees inventory as money sitting on a shelf. It can't be used to offset profits to reduce taxes.

If a company zeros its profits by stocking up on inventory they either have to sell off stuff or they have to borrow the tax money. And yeah pay for storage, hoping for demand. Parts markups are high. I also don't think banks like KLR brake pads as security so rates will be high.

I assume a parts only store is particularly vulnerable.
 
Mad Mike said:
I think there are a couple of things to consider, design and a riders technical knowledge.

On the design side, I don't thing there are too many that would say Japanese bikes are more likely to go further without breakdowns - the reliability engineering is fundamentally different between jap and Euro producers.

Next is rider knowledge. Go looking for a set of GEN 1 forkseals at a KLR in in Mecico city might be tough. Go to a bearing supplier house anywhere in the world and ask for a 38/50/11 oil seal and you'll likely walk out with pair for a few bucks. Lots of chains, sprockets, seals, bearings, hoses, gaskets etc can be cross referenced, sourced or fabricated in a pinch - you just need to be resourceful.
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Not sure about this , you would be hard pressed to find any oils seals in stock in Ontario now. All the bearing place no longer carry anything it is all from a DC in 1 to 2 days.

Sent from the future
 
After my trip to Argentina & Antarctica I have a new perspective on this thread.

While plodding around Ushuaia and Buenos Aires I saw lots of small displacement Japanese and Chinese bikes unavailable here. I saw dealers for 3 of the Japanese companies and the floor was full of models I've never seen.

I also saw a Triumph & Royal Enfield dealer/coffee shop in Ushuaia that was full of models I recognized, including a well used 650V-strom. In Ushuaia and Buenos Aires I saw numerous BMW's (exclusively parallel twins) , KTM's and Triumphs and a KTM dealer stocked with familiar models in Buenos Aires.

Since those companies are smaller and sell the same models in lots of different markets I think it figures that common wear parts for those bikes might be more readily available abroad than the similar Japanese made bike that's primarily sold in Europe or North America.
 
xrljoel said:
After my trip to Argentina & Antarctica I have a new perspective on this thread.

While plodding around Ushuaia and Buenos Aires I saw lots of small displacement Japanese and Chinese bikes unavailable here. I saw dealers for 3 of the Japanese companies and the floor was full of models I've never seen.

I also saw a Triumph & Royal Enfield dealer/coffee shop in Ushuaia that was full of models I recognized, including a well used 650V-strom. In Ushuaia and Buenos Aires I saw numerous BMW's (exclusively parallel twins) , KTM's and Triumphs and a KTM dealer stocked with familiar models in Buenos Aires.

Since those companies are smaller and sell the same models in lots of different markets I think it figures that common wear parts for those bikes might be more readily available abroad than the similar Japanese made bike that's primarily sold in Europe or North America.
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There are nearly 213 million people in Brazil, most of them at the lower end of the economic scale, kinda like India.
There's money to be made there in small displacement affordable transportation. Good luck with your Gold Wing.
 
Scuba Steve said:
Not sure about this , you would be hard pressed to find any oils seals in stock in Ontario now. All the bearing place no longer carry anything it is all from a DC in 1 to 2 days.

Sent from the future
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We use bearings and seals by the ton at our shop - for stuff we dont keep on hand I rarely need to go further than RAM or CB to get bearings or seals for next day.

I buy almost all my motorcycle bearings and seals from bearing houses. Last week I bought crank and shifter seals for a PW50, DT175 and TC125 by their spec, got them all in 2 days. I paid about $30 for the lot of 9 seals and an o-ring.

The point is lots of wear and routine parts are generic - you dont need the OE if you know how to spec a universal part.
 
Like @bitzz said, what kind of klr riding pussy would be stranded by a fork seal. My buddy blew his rear shock before we reached the end of the Trans Taiga. Didn't stop him from completing the trip. Bouncy as eff but not a show stopper.
 
Mad Mike said:
We use bearings and seals by the ton at our shop - for stuff we dont keep on hand I rarely need to go further than RAM or CB to get bearings or seals for next day.

I buy almost all my motorcycle bearings and seals from bearing houses. Last week I bought crank and shifter seals for a PW50, DT175 and TC125 by their spec, got them all in 2 days. I paid about $30 for the lot of 9 seals and an o-ring.

The point is lots of wear and routine parts are generic - you dont need the OE if you know how to spec a universal part.
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Any chance you can tell us how? Is it simply a matter of accurately measuring ID OD and thickness?
 
adri said:
Still waiting on OP to let us know what his realistic (or not) expectations are.
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not having to wait a week for a brake lever on a popular model would be nice, maybe my standards are just too high

Otherwise if you have to wait anyway, might as well get an aprilia or duc
 
TK4 said:
And then be prepared to wait a lot longer.
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mr never owned a euro bike but internet expert has spoken.
 
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