Why does Honda hate their customers so much?

[Frank Lee]

What a failure... I mean, meet my new fuel economy mod! I'll ride that $&%(@^ without one front caliper, thus reducing drag!

[adam728]

Welcome to the world of older motorcycles. Parts for those bikes are always sky high, whether it's Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, whatever.

Sometimes the newer bike parts are just as rediculas. Local Yamaha dealer wants MSRP of $24 for a base gasket for my 2005. I can go with a quality brand and get all the top end gaskets and orings for just a few bucks more. Or I can go with a cheap brand, and get everything for $18. Unfortunately my custom build requires 2 base gaskets (one on each side of a spacer plate), and no one wants to sell me just a base gasket, besides Yamaha. I've got 4 extras sitting in the garage right now, luckily I found em for $16 a piece online.

There are a couple of problems, one is volume. Think about how many cars are out there vs street bikes, plus how many of those cars share parts. I read some where once (good, solid fact, huh?) that motorcycles make up less than 3% of all registered vehicles in the US. There might have been 150,000 brake calipers produced that will fit your bike. There might be 50,000 million produced that will fit, say, a F150.

The other problem is markup on these lower volume, recreational parts. I've seen service parts that cost ~$2.50 to produce, are sold to the customer for ~$4, and then sold thru dealers for over $80! That's an extreme example, but true.

[1337]

Originally Posted by adam728

Sometimes the newer bike parts are just as rediculas. Local Yamaha dealer wants MSRP of $24 for a base gasket for my 2005.

I paid the Honda dealer $24 for a single O-ring that seals the float bowl to the carburetor body. The dealer tried charging me $37, but I quoted the $24.95 price from babbittsonline.com, and the dealer beat Babbit's. Still, what a complete ripoff.

Before shelling out the $24, I tried using silicone and even tried making my own rubber gasket, but both of those sucked. I'm sure the O-ring cost a couple cents to manufacture.

[Frank Lee]

Motorcycle boneyards are your friend.

[1337]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Motorcycle boneyards are your friend.

Yeah, definitely true. Unfortunately, when it comes to buying gaskets and other rubber bits, the junkyard parts are just as age-worn as mine are.

If I ever need a whole carb or head, the junkyard will be my first stop.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by 1337

Yeah, definitely true. Unfortunately, when it comes to buying gaskets and other rubber bits, the junkyard parts are just as age-worn as mine are.

If I ever need a whole carb or head, the junkyard will be my first stop.

Just went through this with a Tecumseh 12 HP engine on my dad's garden tractor. We ended up getting a water neck gasket for some random vehicle, and cutting the edges down after bolting the bowl back together with it on.

Next time, I think I'll just cut a gasket out of a piece of cardboard beer box or something.

[Frank Lee]

I'm pretty much at one extreme end of the cheapness spectrum... but I do keep a few sheets of gasket paper (various thicknesses, some rubberized, etc.) on hand.

[Christ]

I have a few sheets of rubber, a few sheets of silicone stuff, some paper, cardboard (my dad drinks beer) and some cork, as well.

If I can't make a gasket for it, you shouldn't be using it. :P

[kerosene]

I am a new member but not spamming despite the link.

honda-sm.com -in Marina del rey is a great honda dealer. Maybe those parts are indeed insanely priced but I agree with earlier poster that in general honda's parts are in the reasonable range.

[bgd73]

japanese characteristic in general..they make proprietary changes for wealth. they do not care what is at the other end scratching thier heads in disbelief from one year to the next. It is in everything thay have ever shipped to the world. Old ford menatility is still churning in its grave...
The oldest subaru still has me stumped in disbelief in all aspects of every part of every change in newer subes. Absolutley unnecessary and bizarre to go through so many changes they hang themself in cost. it all comes back around. It is an old CRIME actually..
When you find fantastic workamanship selling for 500 bucks froma given company, in todays cost exceeding the current product quality by hundreds of thousands of dollars in reality.. the current product s worth the old cost of the old one..and less quality to boot...selling for 3 times as much... It is the "secret" business revealing itself. Stay alert, learn facts. It is indeed part of this centuries biggest world historied crime.
My go with that honda would be find a mainstream bike to hack into it. even japan has some 80s years staying with one successful think for a deacde at a time or so (about as long as I have found one run of anyhting by japan in the motorized vehicle category). As I said, really stay dynamical and search around.
The frustration with all this, is that american collapsed on itself following this disease as if it needed to be respected. All so predictable, many years ago. Think of ford and the swapability that disappeared, it cuts down on greedy billionarism.