Do you feel you are being ripped off every time you need to buy a part for your motorcycle? Are the manufacturers inflating the prices because they can?
Motorcycle parts are expensive mainly due to transport costs and low manufacturing numbers, which increases the cost of the component. A high percentage of motorcycles come from Japan, so do the spares. Logically Japan is not on anyone’s doorstep once you move outside of SouthEast Asia.
Why are motorcycle parts expensive?
Many factors will make your motorcycle parts expensive. The location of the manufacturing facility the small-batch runs do not allow the supplier to decrease his costs.
Delivery costs are subject to change in a market where fuel prices fluctuate frequently. Regarding fluctuations, currencies go up and down with an unstable US economy.
The dreaded VAT and import duty when the products hit the shores of your country. Ok VAT and import duty are stable numbers, but all of these factors need to be baked into the cake, which affects the price at which parts are sold.
None of the factors mentioned taking into account any profit the company may need to make to stay in business.
Overheads such as building and machinery are normally amortised over many years to allow reasonable pricing policies, or the costs of parts would be even higher.
So, no, you are not being ripped off when you buy motorcycle spares.
Why are motorcycle plastics so expensive?
Low production runs and the technical aspects of the plastic component. The plastic component may look innocuous, but the truth is the tooling for that component possibly costs 100’s of thousands of dollars, and the payback for the investments is over many years.
Shipping currency changes driven by market forces add to the cost, import duties, VAT, profits from the retailer. When all is said and done, the parts seem to be quite cheap!
Is repairing a motorcycle expensive?
If it’s accident damage, it can be costly, and the motorcycle can become uneconomical to repair, meaning the repairs outweigh the motorcycle’s value.
Wear and tear, such as engine repairs, are not excessive unless you are riding a high-performance motorcycle that requires specialist training to undertake the repairs.
If you set aside 800 pounds each year for repairs, then you will be in the right ballpark.
Is it more expensive to own a motorcycle?
Is it more expensive to own a motorcycle than a car? No, motorcycles are cheaper in most cases than a new car. Cars, on average, use more fuel and cost more to service.
The average cost of a car tyre for a decent car is around 100 pounds. You have four that need to be replaced, or certainly two every ten thousand miles or so.
Motorcycles tend to do fewer miles than cars for many reasons, including weather.
Don’t be fooled; if you use your motorcycle daily and ignore service intervals, then you can end up with a huge repair bill.