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Old 07-31-2009, 05:37 PM   #34 (permalink)
beatr911
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 516

B2300 - '96 Mazda B2300 SE

Focus - '05 Ford Focus ST

The red car - '00 Honda Insight
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Well, there's always the possibility of using calipers from another model and/or brand. May take some fiddling or some light machining but I'll bet you could find a close fit. With luck you can find an interchangeable part. I'm sure you've queried the experienced minds on historic Gold Wing sites. Aftermarket or enthusiast groups are the way to go for used original parts, many thanks to the internet.

Parts sales has got to be a significant part of the profit model for motorcycle dealers as unit sales are seasonal and the lights have to stay on somehow. My local shops are incompetent, rude and overpriced. For the few new parts I've needed I've used ronayersmotorsports.com, seem to have relatively good prices.

One can only hope that more manufacturers begin subscribing to long model runs. My old Kawasaki was made from 1986 to 2006 with only one minor update. It was profitable for Kawasaki even toward the end when sales were very low as the development costs had long since been amortized. There are a few other models out there like the Suzuki GS500, Kawasaki EX500 and Honda Rebel and others I'm forgetting. They are all very competent bikes for thier intended purpose but don't draw the wow factor and the showroom traffic like the ones that are re-designed every 2 years. The long model run bikes are the "step-down" ones in the corner of the showroom after the buyer decides they don't want to spend so much on thier new ride.

BTW how many years has the chebby 350 been in production? How many billion sold?
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