Last night I bought three things from http://flatoutmotorcycles.com

Cylinder Cover gasket $17
Misc screw $1.50
Suzuki Emblem for crank case $9

Today I called my dealer (They are NEVER cheaper) to see what they would offer me.

Gasket: $32
Screw $3
Emblem $18
Valve Shims: $15/ea (yes, fifteen)

WTF?! 100% Markup!!! Are they f!@#$ng insane? I stopped doing business with them over 2 years ago and they haven't changed a bit.

I beleave thats why they are all refered to as stealerships.  I order everything i get off the net for that reason, and the fact that the local/closest dealer is over an hr away.

and to think that I was just going to ask where to by a gasket from..   

Quote from: tussey on February 13, 2009, 09:26:59 AM
Last night I bought three things from http://flatoutmotorcycles.com

Cylinder Cover gasket $17
Misc screw $1.50
Suzuki Emblem for crank case $9

Today I called my dealer (They are NEVER cheaper) to see what they would offer me.

Gasket: $32
Screw $3
Emblem $18
Valve Shims: $15/ea (yes, fifteen)

WTF?! 100% Markup!!! Are they f!@#$ng insane? I stopped doing business with them over 2 years ago and they haven't changed a bit.

What did you pay in shipping to order the stuff online? Not to say I support that kind of markup, but if you include shipping in the cost of the parts, I bet the dealer's prices don't look quite as bad, especially if you include expensive shipping like overnight or next day...

well for me i think the most ive paid for shipping is what i just spend on my tires and it was 25 bucks, and they will be here in 2 days.  I never pay to get something next day because its not that important to me if the bike sat a day or 2.  Most work for me can be done during the winter down time.  I do buy a few parts like oil and oil filters from the local auto parts store but they where same price on that as i could order off the net and they got them next day with no cost to me.

Its simply put - racketeering. The short answer.
The long answer is -
They have huge over head. They now have to support this overhead no matter what. That makes all the work seriously expensive. That drives everyone with an older bike to not want to take it in for work. Then if the stealers haven't sold too many new bikes it really becomes a situation where parts are what will have to sustain them.
If we get into a period where the manufacturers make worthless bikes that the stealers cannot give away like valkyrie Ruin, or the SV1000 or the M109 (I heard those are real turkeys and no surprise - that thing has one fugly ass front end) and soon to be POS clap trap Gladius, the dealers just get shafted.
I often see POS for sale on dealers shelves at 3-4-5 times what you can fleabay it for. Like remember when wileyco's were clearanced by dennis krook for 50 for regular, 60 for Ti and CF - the stealers were trying to sell on shelf stuff for 150 - 200. Clueless clowns. They get shafted and try to pass on the shaft to you their local favorite customer. Mail order is the way for those who dont have a dealer who wont listen to reason.
Cool.
Buddha.

Quote from: fred on February 13, 2009, 10:49:47 AM

Quote from: tussey on February 13, 2009, 09:26:59 AM
Last night I bought three things from http://flatoutmotorcycles.com

Cylinder Cover gasket $17
Misc screw $1.50
Suzuki Emblem for crank case $9

Today I called my dealer (They are NEVER cheaper) to see what they would offer me.

Gasket: $32
Screw $3
Emblem $18
Valve Shims: $15/ea (yes, fifteen)

WTF?! 100% Markup!!! Are they f!@#$ng insane? I stopped doing business with them over 2 years ago and they haven't changed a bit.

What did you pay in shipping to order the stuff online? Not to say I support that kind of markup, but if you include shipping in the cost of the parts, I bet the dealer's prices don't look quite as bad, especially if you include expensive shipping like overnight or next day...

100 bucks and up orders many online sellers will ship free. The small items I threaten my dealer with printout's from ronayers and usually get within a whisker - remember sales tax for local purchase, usually will total up more than shipping from another state especially with a larger purchase. This 60+ sale will be break even shipping vs tax.
Cool.
Buddha.

you are surprised lol?

Lol Bikebandit!!! (They're closing out some cool looking helmets...)

BTW only a fool tries to sell a product without checking what similar items are selling for both online and in walk in stores. Ebay always is a lottery, sometimes it can be cheap, or very $$$ ... random crap. I have bought kat fork legs for 1 cent as well as this POS -

This genius for example is trying to get 300 bucks for this POS that sold new for 50 ~3-4 years ago, and will not fit the bike its intended for without me making a flange. The bike prolly had a flange of some kind either mine or other home made which she prolly sold off as part of the header. I have told her and she's too stupid to listen. Its been on fleabay for 3 years or so.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2004-Suzuki-GS-500-WileyCo-Muffler-USED_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ270166238782QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Cool.
Buddha.

Quote from: loki7714 on February 13, 2009, 05:21:06 PM
Lol Bikebandit!!! (They're closing out some cool looking helmets...)

I don't know, I've been more and more annoyed by bikebandit lately. Like my dealer, they don't seem to have stuff in stock, so the wait for it to come in stock, then mail it. I've been waiting a week now for some new intake tubes, and biikebandit doesn't even claim to have shipped them yet. Also, since I'm in California, I pay sales tax and shipping which pretty much negates any savings from using them. The only reason to order from them is avoiding the 10 minutes of driving it would take me to get to the dealer, but if they are slower than the dealer, that advantage is less and less meaningful...

Ronayers - I actually always had terrible luck with Bandit. My dealer will get close to ronayers prices, like in a $30 purchase, they wont be more than 2-3 bucks off. I ahve a super duper buddha discount as well, but it took years of beatings for them to be trained like that.
Cool.
Buddha.

Idk. Ordered from bb once with great results... Was standard stuff though. Air filter, fuel filter, and oil filter (used 2/3 and love em).

What's funny is that flatoutmotorcycles.com is a dealership.  As a matter of fact, I'm going there tomorrow to check out this



and this

Ask the dealer for a discount... I know I get 25% at most every dealer in the area... you just have to ask for it  You might not get 25% to start, maybee 10.. but the next few times you come in, keep asking to get it raised up... Or find someone w/ an account w/ a GOOD discount and buy it under their name 

Most every larger dealer uses PSN POS systems, the discount is built right into the name.

Get the SV 1K.
You dont want to know why ...
Trust me ... SV1K ...
BTW those lowers are missing a bracket and a large carrier plate. Get those, else the lowers gonna fly off on your way home.
Cool.
Buddha.

I work at a dealership and for the most part were close on little factory parts under $25 and its a crapshoot sometimes more or less on more expensive stuff. After market like tires forget about it. Typically cheaper than dealership cost no joke. I typically would try to come close depending on the price but I needed proof of price but with new ownership were not aloud to discount anything so I tell them to buy online

First you have to understand one thing about dealerships...they have a tremendous overhead.  I used to do a lot of dealer bashing until I learned a few things about their expenses...especially around here.  One of the biggest is insurance.  They pay a shaZam! load of it.  Then there's trained mechanics and tools and property expenses.

You know who is really expensive?  I am.  Dealers charge around $100/hr labor and 100% markups, but they have tremendous overhead.  I charge $35/hr (I don't buy parts) and have absolutely no overhead...I mean, I don't put your bike back together with the speedo drive in a bind to the point that it snaps the cable, but still..

OT...bought the SV    ...get the point?

/ot

Quote from: makenzie71 on February 14, 2009, 10:50:47 PM
First you have to understand one thing about dealerships...they have a tremendous overhead.  I used to do a lot of dealer bashing until I learned a few things about their expenses...especially around here.  One of the biggest is insurance.  They pay a oh my goodness load of it.  Then there's trained mechanics and tools and property expenses.

You know who is really expensive?  I am.  Dealers charge around $100/hr labor and 100% markups, but they have tremendous overhead.  I charge $35/hr (I don't buy parts) and have absolutely no overhead...I mean, I don't put your bike back together with the speedo drive in a bind to the point that it snaps the cable, but still..

Bwaaa ... me too ... however I flat rate some stuff like oil changes, and I tell people ... screw their overhead It dont help you 1 bit cos you aint learning nothing. I will teach people to do it often when I am doing it.
Cool.
Buddha.