Bad news for OEM plastics.

[Burns310r]

I have recently been informed by a friend that works for Honda in the plastic injection mold department, that honda will no longer be able to make the OEM fenders for the TRX 250R.

I was bugging my buddy about finding the molds and getting some sets of plastics made. Once he thought about it for a bit he told me that the molds would have been destroyed for being over 20 years old.

Just thought i would pass the ugly news on.

[J.B.]

Time to uninstall my oem reds before i crack one... :(

[DoonRider]

That's too bad.
I was wondering, if all of the newer plastics are destined to get the spiderwebbing/dry checking too? Is it preventable?

[danhung11]

That's kind of odd, ~7 years ago you could buy NIB plastics. I've read somewhere once the demand goes so high, you might see some manufactured. I know All250R might chime in here... Also, I'm sure there is more than one mold for all those sets made, who knows. I call occasionally through my dealership back home. One day, I'll buy up every set available. Haha!

[spintly]

Originally posted by J.B.
Time to uninstall my oem reds before i crack one... :(

Me too :(

[Burns310r]

Did you read the thread even? They have been discontinued for a long time.

But every time a OEM plastic thread pops up, someone always states that once honda gets enough orders they may make a run.

Well that wont happen. As honda destroys all molds over 20 years ago. So that means in 2009 the molds where destroyed.

No more OEM plastics from honda in other words.

[mx91a]

ATC250R radiator shrouds are still available through Honda. Does this mean they are left overs from the last production run in 2006 when the molds were destroyed? Hmm I better snatch some up then....

[JM317]

Originally posted by Burns310r
I have recently been informed by a friend that works for Honda in the plastic injection mold department, that honda will no longer be able to make the OEM fenders for the TRX 250R.

What plant is your friend located at?

[Burns310r]

Ohio,

But he recently made a trip to the mexico faciliity where the atv plastics are supposedly made.



I would say any plastic injected parts would become hard to get after 20 years. I guess its a company thing that they dont support things over 20 years old.

[deathman53]

honda has been discontinuing 250r parts for 10 years now. It started with small parts, moved to gas tank hardware(I tried to get them in 01), then chassis parts, in 06 only cases available were 86/87, tranny parts started falling, 85/86 cranks have been gone for awhile, now 88/89 cranks, shift forks are really low, the tranny shafts are slowing. honda is slowly killing anything left of the 250r, by not reproducing the parts and tossing the specs for the parts. I am surprised 250r parts are still around to this day, as of 03 you could build a 250r motor of any year new from honda. They only have to keep the parts availbale for 10 years. Why would honda still keep making 250r parts if they want to sell their new models? and also want to completely forget that they even had 2 strokes. I look like a alien spaceship when I show up to mx tracks on a 250r. I get dumb statements like, "I have never seen that atv, did you take a banshee motor and put it into honda 450r?" These kids have no idea what a 250r is and that is exactly what the big 4 want.

[250R]

Originally posted by deathman53
honda has been discontinuing 250r parts for 10 years now. It started with small parts, moved to gas tank hardware(I tried to get them in 01), then chassis parts, in 06 only cases available were 86/87, tranny parts started falling, 85/86 cranks have been gone for awhile, now 88/89 cranks, shift forks are really low, the tranny shafts are slowing. honda is slowly killing anything left of the 250r, by not reproducing the parts and tossing the specs for the parts. I am surprised 250r parts are still around to this day, as of 03 you could build a 250r motor of any year new from honda. They only have to keep the parts availbale for 10 years. Why would honda still keep making 250r parts if they want to sell their new models? and also want to completely forget that they even had 2 strokes. I look like a alien spaceship when I show up to mx tracks on a 250r. I get dumb statements like, "I have never seen that atv, did you take a banshee motor and put it into honda 450r?" These kids have no idea what a 250r is and that is exactly what the big 4 want.

Exactly, I ended up selling my 88 that I had owned for since it was about a year old. Got to the point you could not ride and maintain it. What the hell is the use of having it if you can't ride it like it was made to be ridden? The last time I went riding at Durhamtown in GA, three younger guys (kids) walked up as I was unloading and said "wow - I have only seen one of those in magazines".....

[destey]

My guess is anything that's not an off the shelf part, or a part used on another current or newer wheeler, will be discontinued when supplies deplete. Honda doesn't seem to have an intention to revive fabricated parts.

I work for an OEM that builds outdoor power equipment. We inventory parts for 7 years, after that, its hit or miss. Sometimes there will be still be inventory after the 7 years (we dont throw parts out). If our inventory is depleted after that, it will not be reordered.

So for Honda to be maintaining parts for the 86-89 machines, is pretty respectable IMO.

[All250R]

Originally posted by Burns310r
Ohio,

But he recently made a trip to the mexico faciliity where the atv plastics are supposedly made.



I would say any plastic injected parts would become hard to get after 20 years. I guess its a company thing that they dont support things over 20 years old.
I don't have intimate details, but my rep at Service Honda told me many of the parts Honda makes are not made by Honda. They are made by outsourced companies to Honda's quality tolerances. What happens after 10 years actually is when parts orders decline, Honda will review their plans about continuing the relationship with the manufacturer to make a part. If Honda decides to not continue the part, or in the case of a sagging economy the business goes out of business, Honda may not pursue the part. Making matters worse, it costs Honda a relatively high investment to get a new manufacturer up to speed with the production process, spec, and the quality control, (who knows what else), so that looks less likely as a model ages. However, he also said that Honda monitors actual placed orders for parts, and if those orders are high enough, and it makes sense in their overal scheme, they may put forth the effort to continue production.

Anyway, I understand that it's a 10 year mark that Honda starts this discontinuation review process and the fact that the TRX has lasted as long as it has is a testament to how successful that quad has been... but not successful enough, sadly.

[All250R]

Originally posted by Burns310r
Ohio,

But he recently made a trip to the mexico faciliity where the atv plastics are supposedly made.



I would say any plastic injected parts would become hard to get after 20 years. I guess its a company thing that they dont support things over 20 years old.
I don't have intimate details, but my rep at Service Honda told me many of the parts Honda makes are not made by Honda. They are made by outsourced companies to Honda's quality tolerances. What happens after 10 years actually is when parts orders decline, Honda will review their plans about continuing the relationship with the manufacturer to make a part. If Honda decides to not continue the part, or in the case of a sagging economy the business goes out of business, Honda may not pursue the part. Making matters worse, it costs Honda a relatively high investment to get a new manufacturer up to speed with the production process, spec, and the quality control, (who knows what else), so that looks less likely as a model ages. However, he also said that Honda monitors actual placed orders for parts, and if those orders are high enough, and it makes sense in their overal scheme, they may put forth the effort to continue production.

Anyway, I understand that it's a 10 year mark that Honda starts this discontinuation review process and the fact that the TRX has lasted as long as it has is a testament to how successful that quad has been... but not successful enough, sadly.

[Langbolt]

Burns310r,

Ask your friend if he can find out WHERE the 250R plastics were produced ? If they were done in house or outsourced ?

If they were outsourced and we contact the company that did them....we could order a minimum run of them and make a lot of 250R owners very happy!

I'm sure there are enough members on here that would buy a BRAND new set of 250R plastics given the chance.

:devil:

[pilotpete]

it is ture that honda outsources alot of there parts .... but the plastics were molded in the honda factory in the US last run was 2003 ......don't think there be anymore...my guy in honda told me they were scrapped in 03 along with all ATC fender moulds.....

[Burns310r]

Yup my buddy told me today that they originally where molded in North Carolina, but then got moved to mexico with the rest of the service honda parts.

But the molds have since been destroyed do to being over 20 years old.

[250Renvy]

I was told a few years ago that the molds had to be polished after each run and 20 years of process and polishing wore them down so much that they cracked and were no good anymore.

The cost apparently is around $250K+ per mold and if there are 3 molds then that's a lot of OEM fenders that need to be sold.

If only there was a network that would send out a message to ALL 250R owners whether they be die-hards or guys just trying them out to let them know to order parts or that there will be one last run, stock up if there is enough interest and the price were low enough we could get everybody to buy some.

I guess I better get my HRE build finished so I can just use 400ex stuff. Hopefully that doesn't get discontinued to early too.