http://www.chaparral-racing.com Cheaper than bike bandit...

[crzydood17]

Just letting you guys know about this place, bike bandit gets talked up quite a bit but this place seems pretty similar as far as parts and it seems considerably cheaper as well. YMMV.

[twocool]

Just about EVERYBODY on the Internet is cheaper than Bike Bandit.....(maybe that is why they call themselves "bandit?)


Cookie

[Big Rich]

+1

Bikebandit occasionally has some items that are cheaper than other places, but it's always worth looking around.

Boulevard Suzuki is pretty good for OEM stuff.

[jestercinti]

Had to order some stuff from bike bandit the other day. A rear axel washer thing and some fairing push pins.

It was expensive, that's for sure.

[applecrew]

I do not trust Bike Bandit to find the parts I need to fit my ride. A while ago I was looking for a stock replacement for the front sprocket for my 07. Newer 500's (can't remember the year for the newer - think it's 1998???) require the sprocket with the spacing shoulder to fit correctly. Well, when I used their part look-up, I was given a part that I thought might be for the earlier years, so I was not getting a warm fuzzy.  I did the same look-up for the earlier model and found the same part number.

OK, so I did what most would do - I contacted customer service and advised them of the issue. I even gave them lookups from a sprocket manufacturer to back-up my claims. After a little back-and-forth, BB's response was pretty much: "Go ahead and buy it, if it isn't right you can return it". They did absolutely zero to really investigate the matter and address the customer's needs. I would have been out-of-pocket for shipping both ways - crappy deal for me!

In comparison, another vendor  - Jake Wilson - handled the same matter in a completely different manner. After I questioned their parts look-up, I got a very nice response that said that the parts look-up was indeed incorrect, apologized for the inconvenience, and corrected the issue.

Moral of the story: everyone makes mistakes. I don't fault them for that, but I do hold them to how they handle therm.

For the record, I purchased the sprocket from a third vendor - and only because JW did not stock the 16-tooth sprocket.

I do not rule out BB for future purchases, but I do take a much harder look at their offerings. If I can get what I need for a comparable price from another vendor, I do.

By the way, Boulevard Suzuki is the least expensive place I've found for OEM parts. Shipping is slow, but I take that into account when I order. It takes about two weeks from order-to-door. Not the place if you are in a hurry for a part, however. Speed and convenience always costs more! Reasonable shipping fees.