Japanese motorcycle companies

Japanese motorcycle companies had better change their business model SOON!

The idea that you can just make new models of motorcycles and discontinue selling parts for older models
will ruin their company.

Now that the economy of the world has been ruined by the greedy, people do not have the money to buy these expensive motorcycles. The HONDA 1800 has been discontinued, the Suzuki 1400 v twin was discontinued this year for the first time in 15 years!! Times are bad.

The motorcycle dealerships NEVER have simple tune up parts in stock. EVERYTHING has to be ordered.
The HONDA dealership owners charge a lot but the problem is that even if I would pay a high price for a part they NEVER have it in stock. Even common items.

That is why a company like Harley Davidson is going to prosper in the coming years. They are making their bikes better and more modern designs and you can get parts. You can get almost any part for H-D going back to 1936!!! Also there are many motorcycle parts for HD that are manufactured by aftermarket companies.

Harley Davidson even offers to sell engines just for chopper builders. Or for replacement.
Does Honda offer a remanufactured or new engine for your bike if you needed it? NO.
Even for classic models? NO.


Just my opinion.

 

Local dealership here had the rubber wellnuts in stock, but had to order the plastic fairing fasteners. It's not a huge dealership though. I don't think they have much room for parts inventory.

 

All my family members ride Harleys, you forget one very big issue. You pay twice as much for a comparable harley. I would rather have to wait for parts to come in on a Jap bike then pay double up front on a Harley. For the price, I will buy two jap bikes so when one is down (waiting on parts) I can ride the other.

 

Fortunately because of the internet now motorcycle owners can go online and join a web forum dedicated to their model and brand of motorcycle.
Because of that we can get used parts so we do not always have to wait to order a new part. Or sell the parts or a whole used motorcycle because the parts are no longer available.

HD parts are expensive, but fortunately they are very high quality and last for many years.

Look at the side cases on the new HONDA Fury. They are chromed plastic!!
So you know an aftermarket company will start making replacement side covers for HONDA Fury that are real metal.
The bean counters are always a Pain.
Kawasaki made the 1500 V twin up till 1999 with a PLASTIC oil pump gear. Many engines were destroyed.
So the 2000 and later model Kawasaki 1500's had steel oil pump gears. It should NEVER have been allowed to have such an important part be made of plastic.

The "COWBOY" economy will not survive.

 

I think there is a reason that Harley nmotor parts are readily avaialbe...cause they haven't changed....... and the need for them is great....Still would never own a harley...I would rather search the earth over to find parts than own one....but thats just my opinion

 

I felt that way most of my life because I started working on motorcycles at a HONDA dealership and always had japanese motorcycles.
Then i built a couple choppers and learned about the HD stuff. I started to like it more and more. Now I know the differences.
They both have their good points. But the HD,s are really built.
The Honda's had the first color coded wiring systems. That was significant.

 

Very few, if any, businesses keep an inventory of parts on hand any more. It's too expensive to do so, and makes them less competititive. If HD dealers all have lots of parts in stock, maybe that's one of the factors contributing to their financial problems.

And speaking of greed, have you compared the price of a Harley to what you actually get for that money?

And, yes, you can get a part for any HD going back to 1936, but that's because they haven't changed since then. (Just kidding! Really, I kid. Just couldn't help myself.)

 

It's not that I'd never own a Harley, I'd never own a curiser; American or Metric. I'm just not a "cruiser guy", though minimalistic Harley's are nice to look at. If H-D made a sport / sport tourer I'd definately give them a look. I liked some of the Buell stuff, though I didn't own one.

It's not what you ride, it's that you ride.

 

Some good points here by all. When Mr.Honda was alive you could still get parts for just about any bike but things have changed drastically since his death.
I applaud Harley for running an engine exchange program probably the only one in motorcycling but very common just about everywhere else: cars, trucks, golf carts lawnmowers etc but last time I checked they were pretty expensive.
I'm not a fan of Harleys purely because they are the most gouging, greedy builders of all time. They weren't allways this way though - when your company is run by Wall Street types....well you know the rest. I am glad they still make bikes though, Kudo's to ANYONE still in business right now.

 

I hear you Donald about the parts not being in stock. I support my local dealer because I am a small businessman myself and care about businesses succeeding in my town. However it is getting VERY frustrating that EVERY time I want a part for my Viffer or my Vulcan, it has to be ordered. No matter what it is. I understand that he can't stock a huge amount of parts, but I don't think they stock ANYTHING for the public. I think they stock parts for their own mechanics and that's it. So, earlier this week when I acted like a complete squid and dropped my baby in the parking lot and broke off the right mirror, guess what? I knew that to get the part it would need to be ordered and instead of getting in my car and going down to the dealer ( I did call but got put on long term hold) I pulled up Bikebandit.com and ordered a mirror for me and a clutch lever for my gf's new to her 650R (no she didn't drop it like me, it came with a busted one). Moral, my level of support for my dealer is fading because he is not supporting me.

 

I consider the V-ROD to be a sport cruiser. 115 hp. 60º V twin.

 

Yes I felt that way when I could not even get plug wires or oil filter for my HONDA without waiting for a week.

I do not think it is the dealers fault completely.
This American system of JIT (just in time ) parts is baloney.
A computer can instantly tell you they don't have it. What good is that?
The manufacturer needs to support the dealer better.

 

Its relatively easy to stock parts for bikes that have changed very little since 1936. Tractor parts are still available too.

 

Thanks, but I'm sure they could really give two shits about some guy that doesn't buy new bikes and takes their legacy model and turns it into a chopper. My guess is that they do these things for a reason...it isn't emotional, it's business.

 

Bear... About your new avatar, aren't they a bit young to be handling such large cocks? (I'm going straight to hell for this. And I hope to hell they aren't relatives of yours.)

 

Yeah HD are well built now that they are made in Korea!!!

 

Those are clearly hens!!!

 

I have a good HD story for you. When I was 16 I would hang out at a local motorcycle shop and got to be friends with a mechanic who was older.
One day he said he might be gettin a new Harley Davidson. I was so brand brainwashed I said, "If you do, I won't associate with you anymore." (kidding of coarse.)
His said, "You won't BE ABLE to associate with me anymore."

 

Thats right!

 

I think their LEGACY model was the HONDA 750. Plenty of 750 Honda choppers around too.
I think the first true Honda sport bike was the 400 FOUR with six speed gear box in 1972. I bought one the first week.