View Full Version : Aftermarket ATV parts way over priced? your opinion?
EricB
10-22-2002, 07:09 PM
why in the **** are atv shocks so expensive? ok i guess an axis rear long travel is what about 700 bones? does anyone elese here think that a dual rate atv shock with 9 or so inches of travel (don't quote me on travel) is worth that much? how much money do you guys think it actually takes to produce the final product?
no i realize there are other costs such as R&D testing marketing...other things like taking care of customers and eating product. sure its a lot of money, but does anyone else think we're being riped off?
the fad of extreme sports has kind of all butt f'd us with prices. anyone remeber when you were younger and stuff for you BMX bike wasn't to spendy? i'm talking like early 90s late 80s. now stuff is insane. same with quads and dirt bikes. an for christ sakes silencers? how much does a 3 inch 40 serries 2 chamber flowmaster cost? 60 dollars plus shipping and handling...how much is a yosh slipon? 260ish? serriously, whats up with that? the cost of production might be a little higher since they probably don't make as many as flowmaster does. i guess the cost of materials maybe higher, polished parts or aluminum. i personaly think that its all a crock of crap. what do you guys think, are we all getting raked across the coals while the manufactures soak up all our hard earned money? it just frustrates me that i can't go spend 100 dollars on my quad and get more than jets and an air filter, or something small like that. i meen more than 250 dollars for a single cylinder silencer? makes me sick personaly.
now as far as the shocks go i really don't know, i don't have much of a case on those. but the silencers...
Sportrax10
10-22-2002, 07:11 PM
i agree! but what are ya gonna do :mad:
trx400ex
10-22-2002, 07:12 PM
yep, WE ARE GETTING THE SHAFT
Pappy
10-22-2002, 07:17 PM
oh my.....you fellas old enough to have some business classes yet? no flame here.....but chit costs money. thats how people make a living. if you cant afford a part...ya just cant afford it. i agree...some of this stuff seems aweful expensive...but what ya gonna do? open a factory.....equip it and staff it.....and make your own?;)
Atreyu
10-22-2002, 07:28 PM
Yeah i agree with 400ex127. They have to make some sort of profit. And the ATV industry is not as big as some of the other industries (but its growing) they need to raise the price a little bit more.
EricB
10-22-2002, 07:49 PM
no i've taken a few business classes and a lot of people in my family are business owners. as i made my point with the exhaust, if you can't really mass produce it and move the units like the larger companys you need to get more money per product. your margins do indeed need to be larger. but where can you draw the line? i'd just be curious to see some of the margins people are making on this stuff.
i know that you do powder coating, i have no idea what you paid for your gear and how much your materials are. but i know that for sure it is tideous (sp?) work an you probably don't charge to much for labor. but you also enjoy doing it and it is a hoby so it would be hard to relate it to this.
but i meen there is always a point to where you are riping people off and making enough profit to make it worth your while. i know that chriswaters kind of stoped doing powder coating for that reason. well didn't stop just does it more exsculsively. he just wasn't making enough money doing it, and didn't feel right about charging people through the nose for things.
its really a personal call on a lot of stuff. i'm about to say something that is a personal opion, so take it for what its worth. an for no means am i just saying this either. but i know for damn sure that if i was an engine builder, or say a manufacture of aftermarket parts i would try to make prices a little more fair. there are a few differn't ways to make money when selling stuff in a shop, you can rely on quantity or the actuall margin of the parts. but that is where it turns from wholesale to retail ect.
it's not that i can't afford the parts it's just that i think its kinda wrong to be taking advantage of people like this, if they really are. we really have no idea though, you know how hard it would be to get margins from people? if people found out that they were making 40 or so percent off each product the whole industry would go crazy. not for selling things but people would as a whole be pissed off i think. no one wants to spend they're hard earned wages or other forms of money like that. there is no reason to throw down that much money for some tubing that is bent with some ball joints (a-arms). a-arms are simply not that tough to manufacture, serriously. you could goto a metal fab shop and have some made for less. but fab shops don't work that way. now if you were to have a lot of pairs made you'd get a good deal. but you'd have to have all the specks and basicly the plans for them to make them.
i don't know i might just be getting mad for no reason but i geniunly think as a whole we are all getting riped off, and its not fair. an guess what? we can't do jack about it. if you have the money and man power to start up your own operation, why lower prices when you can make a lot of dough. the average person would take money over doing a good deed any day of the week. especily when its so easy to do.
Pappy
10-22-2002, 08:02 PM
well....i know a lil about this type of business. and when you have several hands in the cookie jar the peices are small. so lets say a set of a arms costs a company(manufacture) $200 to produce including all expenses. then ...the product goes to the actual owner of that product that is produced by that manufacture for them. they have a set margin...normally 30%. then....the ditributor gets apeice of this ever building pie.....say 20% then we have a company like the quad shop or marcums who actually sell the product and they need to operate on a 50 % mark up just to stay open. so we are close to the retail price of $500 or so for them a arms. now my numbers arent spot on...but you can see how this adds up. its not just quad parts...its all parts. and since a arms arent replaced every year like say tires and or handle bars...the margin is padded a bit . just normal business.
Pappy
10-22-2002, 08:06 PM
oh ...btw....pc is a hobby ...but my bread and butter is managing a company with 6 employees that does over 4 million $$ in sales a year. so please dont base my business knowledge on the pc. when i took over the company in 98 they were sitting at 1.7 million in sales....and we operate on basically the exact same principals i have described above.
yeah i think we are getting ripped somewhat. i want to get a trail tech speedometer. $115 all said and done. that's too much. i just want to see my speed. i want a graphics kit with a custom seat. the graphic kit itself without the seat is $120. for stickers. i can get stickers at pharmor for 20 cents. lol. they went out of business but realy. 120 for some stickers. come on.
trx400ex
10-22-2002, 09:32 PM
some of the stuffs prices i can understand, but if you think that roll design has to charge 1300$ for a set of aarms to stay in buisness..or axis needs to charge 1300$ for a pair of shocks, and yeah on the exhuast, headers cost 250+ to make..yeah right
Pappy
10-22-2002, 09:34 PM
Originally posted by trx400ex
some of the stuffs prices i can understand, but if you think that roll design has to charge 1300$ for a set of aarms to stay in buisness..or axis needs to charge 1300$ for a pair of shocks, and yeah on the exhuast, headers cost 250+ to make..yeah right
so when are you starting your company? can i expect the quailty from you that i get from roll? and at a much lower cost? lol:p
EricB
10-23-2002, 01:59 AM
no 400ex127 i wasn't questioning your business skills one bit, i knew that you had an ace in the hole. i'm sure that you know a lot more about business econmics a lot better than me. but graphics kits are another example. i suppose the main ones for me are shocks exhaust and stickers. those are just prime examples of what i'm talking about.
Pappy
10-23-2002, 05:55 AM
yeah...a good friend of mine owns a graphic design company....they do work for bud weiser..wwf ....coors etc. they just purchased a new layer machine to replace and old one....$60,000.:eek: but i hear what your tryin to say....little hint?.....if ya cant beat them...join them:devil
I'll leave this topic alone,,some of you already know my thoughts on this subject..:grr
EricB
10-23-2002, 10:17 AM
c'mon rico let us know, i just wanted to know if i was alone in feeling that things were way over priced. well some things.
I think vaseline should come with 3/4 of the aftermarket products for quads..:( Now I guess you see what my thoughts are..:eek:
lil400exman
10-23-2002, 01:02 PM
GIVE THE OWNERS A ENEMA?:eek: :huh KOOL I WANNA GIVE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ATV ONE....THEY TRIED TO RIP ME OFF BAD!..... STICK SOME 24 INCH BLACKWATER UP THERE BUTTS....:p
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