Where do you get your parts?

[firffighter]

I've been a long time proponent of buying my motorcycle parts from my local shop. For the past 5 years I've used a local shop whose service has slowly but surely erroded. Not only is the customer service extemely poor now with a "what do you want now" attitude, but their in store inventory is virtually gone now. A simple universal clutch lever or a set of barkbusters have to be ordered now where a couple of years ago I could have just stopped by and picked these items up easily. Today a guy asked for a common pilot jet for a CR250 and was told to go to another shop because they didnt carry jets anymore

2 weeks ago I ordered some simple items like Acerbis mini hanguards for the boy's bike, a axle spacer for my KX conversion and a clutch lever for the other boy's bike and was told yesterday that the parts were finally in. I make a 40 min. trip in to pick them up and low and behold the axle spacer was not there and they could not find it and couldnt even tell me if it had been shipped. When I asked why I was then called and told that everything was in, I actually got attitude from the 20 something behind the counter.

I spoke to one of the shops managers and was told that they were just "in transition" and that they expected to provide better service shortly

I hate to use on-line distributors, since I always want to support my local business, but I think I am going to go that route. I have ordered OEM parts, gear and aftermarket items from motosport and have always had great results with everything I needed in stock and shipped to my home within 2 days and usually with free shipping.

I hate to say it, but the days of "the customer is always right" seem to be over for many businesses.

[Indawoods]

OEM = Ron Ayers or Bike Bandit
Aftermarket = Rocky Mountain, Monkey Butt Parts

Walk into a shop... get additude = me walking out and never seeing me again. That has been all of them in my area. I am suprised they are even in business. The only business I can see them getting is new bike sales ,warranty repairs and first time bike owners who do not know anything about the bike they just purchased.

Here is a link to my Links page that has all the suppliers that most on this site use...

http://kdxrider.net/forums/links.php

[MXOldtimer]

I always tried to use local shops but that ended a few years ago. I drove to the shop and even had the part #. Paid in advance and was told the part would be in the next week. Two weeks later "I call" to see if my part was in which seemed to be a bother for them to check on and was told it was. Drove back to the shop and the part was wrong. Week later get a call the part was in. Drove back to shop and "lightly" vented. The response was no big deal from the parts people. I made 3 trips to and from to get my part and that was the very last day I bought a part from a local dealer, other than mix.

99% of my stuff comes from Rocky Mountain. Place my order and with-in the week it's sitting on my porch.

[ThePearl]

If from Canada, Gnarly Parts is a good source.

[porterdog]

OEM: Service Honda almost exclusively. A lot of people don't know it, but if you're ordering something small they'll ship via USPS and you can avoid the $9 min shipping fee. Every so often the ThumperTalk OEM store will have a better price.

Aftermarket: ThumperTalk, RockyMountainATV, and MotorcycleSuperstore.

My story: Last year I needed new head bearings for my XR400. List is ~$23 each. Wanting to do the right thing I called every dealer within a 20 minute drive-time radius from my house (I live in the city; there are several). Prices ranged from $23-$29 (!) and every store would have had to order them. Service Honda? $17 apiece. Screw the local guys- they can piss and moan to their heart's content about losing business to the online retailers. As they're unwilling to compete for my biz, I'll go with what I consider to be the best value.

[4x4fab]

http://www.cheapcycleparts.com for oem stuff. I haven't searched around too much, but they have always been cheaper than bikebandit and a couple others.

[firffighter]

Well, I have tried to give the local shops/dealers business, but you are right, if they dont want to compete, then what do they expect!

The other great thing about places like Thumpertalk, Motosport and others is that they seem to offer good customer service. If you have a question, they are quick and courteous and if they dont know, they find out and call you back. My local shop has parts "dudes" who wont give you the time of day unless you are riding with the Metal Mulisha crew or race a killer 250f.

I am totally done with my local shop and will only go online from now on.

[canyncarvr]

My $.02 worth....

Yeah. ...wait that was only a pennies worth...

Yeah!!

There's TWO!


I've been what I consider quite temperate of local shops and dealers. I'll pay 20% over 'on-line' without much question. I know they have a 'brick&mortar' situation to pay for, and it's important to me to support local business and all that stuff.

But, the same sorts of things are going on in this area. I can't get through on the phone..can't leave a VM because the 'mailbox is full'. Driving across town to talk to them is a pain..and when I order SealSavers by name and make a point of saying that's what I want, a call that says my stuff is in followed by me looking at a set of MSR wanna-be replacements irks me.

Ha! One local shop has had a front wheel of mine for going on three years now. Intent was to make a '92 fit a '99 setup. Involves some machine work to the hub. It wasn't MY idea..it was the shop owner's. I called so many times and got the 'I'll get right on it...' that I gave up. It wasn't worth my time to fuss with it anymore...got another wheel.

One dealer in town has a parts counter attitude I'd maybe expect if I'd pooped in the guy's hat or something...but I'm just spending $6qt. for oil..and I'm buying a CASE of it!!

So..as long as I'm spending $100 (free shipping) I'll use RMMC for aftermarket stuff, RonAyers for MaKaw stuff. It's delivered to my door in a couple of days...I'm all set.

Tires? WHY spend 30% more for my Honda BattleAx tires at a shop...and THEN let them charge me $30 to mount the thing? I buy my tires on-line..and by the time I've bought two of 'em, I've paid for my HarborFreight tire changer...and have a down payment on a balancer.


BTW..re: 'unless you are riding with the Metal Mulisha crew...'

Is that a good thing?

Gee...the things I miss out on!!

[KarlP]

I thought I posted to this. Seems I didn't.

I buy most of my stuff at a local shop. There are four locally, but I only use one of them.

Unlike any other kind of retail business out there, it seems like a fella has to spend a few years developing a relationship with a motorcycle shop.

I buy a fair bit on line as well. I haven't found my local shop to be much more price wise and they generally get the right stuff.

I've been through the Metal Mulisha crap and the "KDX trail bike" crap with other shops. The shop I currently use doesn't mind in the least that I stuck a Kawy motor in a CR frame.

[KarlP]

I prefer to go to my local shop. They have been good to me and I have established a good relationship with them over the years.

I've also bought quite a bit of stuff on line and have had mixed results on cost, delivery, and accuracy of orders.

I've also been to a few of the other local shops and found customer service to be lacking.

Not all shops are lousy. For some reason it seems like a customer at a motorcycle shop has to put up with sh&t for a couple of years first.

[OLHILLBILLY]

I've always felt extremely fortunate to have the great local part/service shop about 1/4 mile from my house, and these sort of posts make me feel even more fortunate.
They have a good selection of aftermarket dirt and street parts, and a fair collection of OEM stuff. I also fully realize they can't stock everything for everything, so ordering stuff goes with the territory. I just try to plan and order far enough ahead of time so my stuff is there when I need it.
I've dealt with them for years now and they bend over backwards to get what I want/need, give me a great price, and are never too busy to just shoot the bull a bit. The service department (the owner) is also second to none. I do all my work on the dirt bikes, but the electronic, fuel injected, 4 cylinder monster goes there for it's TB syncs, valve adjusts, etc.., flawlessly performed every time.
Always been a great place to do business with.

Now some parts manufacturers are a different story. I can go on a backorder rant for a full page. But that's another topic.

[ThePearl]

We have only 3 local shops. One is completely useless and it's the Kawi shop.

Another is good to some and horrible to others. They were really bad with me at first but after two or three years they came around to a point where I could shop there without buyers remorse when I left.

The third is a Honda car dealership that dabbles in bikes. They suck at the bike selling part of the business, but their parts and service guys are second to none. The first time I went in there, I felt like I had been a customer for 10 years. No money down on orders, no questions, just ordered and actually got a call when it came in. They're awesome.

[2FAST]

I've always ordered from rockymountainatv or bike bandit and have ordered boo~koo parts from both of them and never have had a problem!!! oem mainly from bike bandit and for my aftermarket desires I turn to rockymountainatv or denniskirk..