This has probably come up before but can anyone give me a sensible reason why parts are so expensive here? EVERYTHING costs a bloody fortune! Most recent example - bought a K&N high flow air filter on the web yesterday for less than $80 including delivery from the UK. Same part here - $154.00. I wanted a particular HD jacket not long back - price here $1200 - bought from the US for $600 including delivery. I could go on and on. What I want to know is, who's making the money?? No way would I EVER buy anything here unless I absolutely had to. And I know all about the "support your local dealer" bullshit - but I haven't seen my dealer coming around to my place to hand me $600 bucks out of the kindness of his heart, so why should I do the same for him??

Dealers have to pay import duties, distribution from the warehouse in the east, wages for their stores people and then take over 100% profit margin.  So it will always work out cheaper for you and me to import from the USA as long as the $ remains above 50c for 1 US $.  1 other thing to be aware of is to keep your orders under $1000 to avoid paying import duties.

Why? Because anyone with 1/2 a brain and access to the internet box does'nt buy them from the dealer so the dealer has to mark up freight, GST, and then the fact that he's got a limited base of clients that have some fear or warranty or something.

And we're talking american parts her and huge chains so don't give me the Buy Australia speil.

Yeah - fair enough. But it doesn't answer my question - who is it who's making a shitload of money? Remember, when we pay HALF PRICE for something from o/s, we're still paying the RETAIL price there. So all the arguments about "paying staff" and "profit margin" and "distributers" still holds for the o/s retailer. ALL the variables that go into a markup are the same for a retailer in the US or the UK or here except for import duties which aren't that much (5% to about 17.5% depending) and GST (10%). The $AUS is almost at parity with $US at the moment. The unit cost for bulk freight is a hell of a lot less than I pay on a per item base with USPS so that part of the cost should actually be cheaper. Nah - still doesn't add up to twice the cost. Which gets back to my original question - somebody, somewhere is making a shitload of money.

Ever seen the flash car your dealer or his missus drives?

Lot of good points, but i feel that brother Skull has hit the point...i'm not a business man and never will be but it would take a huge chunk of your money to set up and keep a business running...IMO ...anyway who cares if we still get it cheper by doing a bit of work does it matter...

The dealers deserve a markup, thats a key principle in business. But they blindly outprice themselves out of the market, they're strategy sees them so overpriced, individual access ebay and the web and import themselves. If they actually dropped their prices to be more competitive, they'd pick up more business and volume etc.

Ideally, Harleys would be best off sold like printers - cheap as can be for the actual bike, and have them try make money out of the accessories.

I got a price for a sundowner solo seat for a R K, from harley heaven in dandy their price was
$573 plus gst. got the same seat from ST PAULS HD in USA for 248 plus 25 buck postage
it got here in 5 days. I will never ever buy from HH again, why be ripped off, when you can get great deals on line.

 

Welcome to Frasers Motorcycles - or any big dealer.

If you have a yarn with them offline they will always have laugh about the bike price, and wave the 1,000 page accessory catalogue in your face and tell ya THIS is where to money comes from. And let's not even discuss the fashion/clothing side.

 

In USA, you know exactly how much tax you are paying when you buy something. here who know's what we pay, like overthere you see the price then at the cash register you see the tax also some states have there own tax normaly 7% , but out of state sale's don't pay that state tax.

but if they read this they will wake up and add there own online tax for aussie's ( possible )

It's always been the same even before internet you could go over buy parts or bikes come back pay for a good trip selling it here, if you went to Mexico Harley's and parts were even cheaper. was good back in the 80's our $ was $1.15 US.

Reading this could get aussie's a nick like winging Pom's

cheers

yeah i just got a Kuryakyn Pro R Hypercharger & a Lepera Bare Bones seat from the US for $597.00 incl delivery, in aus most shops want 600 just for the hypercharger, went through Rob's Cycle Supply on ebay.com, would never buy from Aus if i could help it

Convenience. It's there on the shelf, if you want it now, pick it up and pay the inflated price. Depends on how bad you want it! I was quoted $135 for a leather tank pouch for my Deluxe. Got it from St Pauls in about seven days for $100 delivered!! I am tired of paying too much! I also dislike the arrogant sales people at a particular Harley Dealership in Sydney. Stuff them!!! In two years when I trade up, I'll be doing it privately (again).
BTW what are the guys at Sys' like. Initial contact was good, and did'nt quote $110 per hour for their services. (rich bitches)>>>>>>>>

Trivett is now running at $125.00 per hour.

I have now had couple of services with them, does'nt matter what they do it seems to come up to $500! You know your in trouble when your credit card statement say "Trivett Bentley" Servicing. JESUS.

WOW!!! $125 per hour. This passion of ours is getting expensive. All the more reason to do your own minor services, and take it to "a pro" for any major work.

As they say, put the labor$  up, get same $ for less work.

another thing to think about is nothing seems to be made in USA these day's.

 

 

Now sit down all the brothers that know me on this forum, know that I don’t know a left handed screwdriver form a right handed screwdriver…. anyway, you ready…. I changed all the fluids on the Springer the other day…and the best bit was I had no parts left over…thank you, thank you….no need for HD service prices...

Ok, ok, the pressure is too great, my brother did it, but I watched….

I was at Frasers Sydney yesterday to pick up a gasket and was talking to a guy there getting his RK serviced, he said labour charge was $154/hr - f*&%$# rip off's.

I've been restoring an old sporty (1974 XLCH) over the past couple of years and have brought 99% of my parts from J&P cycles in the states one example of the price difference I got a quote for a couple of slip on mufflers from the local dealer $750.00 I brought a set of Santee shot guns complete (headers adn all) for about $350.00 landed in the country. original speedo and tacho for around $80-$90 each. I've spent about $3,000 grand on the restoration so far but I'd hate to think how much it would have cost me buying local.