SuperHunky .com Interview - Project Two 50

[admiral]

John you make a good point about parts availability with your TM/Yamaha comparison. but, and there's always a but. the big Jap companys have a well established parts distibution network. if the dealer dosen't have it, the part will arrive in the std. amount of time , 3-5 days. so if you break down on the weekend and order the parts on monday you can ride the next weekend as long as nothing is on backorder. i've worked at shops that sold Euro bikes like Ducati, Husky, MV Augusta, pre '98 KTM, etc. and parts delivery can be sometimes spotty at best. Husky (pre BMW) used to have years they brought no bikes or parts into the country. you needed Ducati body work? it will be in-next year! i'm not kidding. my last years of really competing in local MX were racing a '99 KTM 380SX from '99-'05. i destroyed two rear shocks in that time. the first one took 9 months for the part to become available. i just bought another used shock after waiting a month. i really have been eyeing those new Macio's especially if they come out with a 360-380cc model but i am gunshy about parts and what kind of prices and pain they will be to get.

[JohnN]

John you make a good point about parts availability with your TM/Yamaha comparison. but, and there's always a but. the big Jap companys have a well established parts distibution network. if the dealer dosen't have it, the part will arrive in the std. amount of time , 3-5 days. so if you break down on the weekend and order the parts on monday you can ride the next weekend as long as nothing is on backorder. i've worked at shops that sold Euro bikes like Ducati, Husky, MV Augusta, pre '98 KTM, etc. and parts delivery can be sometimes spotty at best. Husky (pre BMW) used to have years they brought no bikes or parts into the country. you needed Ducati body work? it will be in-next year! i'm not kidding. my last years of really competing in local MX were racing a '99 KTM 380SX from '99-'05. i destroyed two rear shocks in that time. the first one took 9 months for the part to become available. i just bought another used shock after waiting a month. i really have been eyeing those new Macio's especially if they come out with a 360-380cc model but i am gunshy about parts and what kind of prices and pain they will be to get.

Crikey! Over 9 months to a year to wait for parts? No way!!

So far, there has only been one part that was not in stock here in North America on the TM. It was ordered from Italy and took two weeks to get. It is now in stock!!

From my understanding Maico will be doing a very similar thing.

These companies understand what it means to be a rider and want to be out on your bike. They want to make sure that you will have access to the parts that will keep you out there riding and happy.

Now nothing is perfect...

Here is anther scenario though... if you know a few folks that would be interested in buying a few bikes, see if a local shop (even a small successful accessory shop) in your area would consider becoming a dealer. That you would buy the bike and your parts from them. They would probably show an interest in carrying the bikes. Just a thought.

Again you bring up a catch 22 situation. Few are interested in becoming dealers because they might not sell any machines and buyers are not interested in buying machines unless there is a dealer.

To take that process a step further, how many of you have been frustrated with a dealer because they didn't carry something in stock and you had to wait a week or more to get it. Then it cost you 20 to 30% more than a mail order place where you would have had the parts in your hand sooner?

Lot's of things to consider.

[TMKIWI]

I think people worry too much about parts availability.
Modern bikes are so reliable that you shouldnt be worrying about parts.
Sure things can go wrong but it's not that common.
I think people perceive the euro bikes as not as reliable as the jap bikes because there are less around.
I can get most TM parts off the shelf. Levers/sprockets/clutch/air filter/chain guide etc.
The only thing that would worry me is if i smashed a case.
But it would still take 3 weeks to get a jap one anyway.

Hey John: does your 125 have the CR clutch in it ?

[JETZcorp]

Parts availability is a weird thing.  I mean, aside from super-rare things like 40-year-old Kawasaki pistons, I just don't worry about it.  Like Kiwi said, most everything you need is going to be standard and easy to find even at non-motorcycle places.  Like, when my Husky tried to disintegrate on the last ride, half of everything we needed was already in the workshop (bolts, loc-tite, etc.) and the rest was fairly easy to find.  The only real "bike part" we're dealing with is an axle, and we're only doing that because we happen to know a guy who has a spare one laying around.  If we needed one, and if we didn't have one, there are websites to find something like that, made new and wrapped in plastic.  I hear tell that a huge number of parts for old Maicos can be had by literally calling up Maico and ordering the thing, and it ain't going to take no nine months to get it.  I really can't imagine that a 2010 bike could be harder to get parts for today than a 1978 bike is.  It just can't, unless someone just disbands their customer service department entirely.

So yeah, I'm with Kiwi I don't think it's a big deal.  However, everyone worries about it, and that's enough to seriously put a dent in sales.

[Hondacrrider]

John,
So is this yz250 in a 2010 yz250f frame thing a good possibility for this season, or would it be next? Also, would Service Honda be doing it for you guys? Also, does anyone know if the new 250f frame even handles any better than the old two stroke frame? Is it any better, it sure looks sweet, but when I sat on one, it sure felt heavy, although, it had a 450 engine tucked away underneath it.

[JohnN]

John,
So is this yz250 in a 2010 yz250f frame thing a good possibility for this season, or would it be next? Also, would Service Honda be doing it for you guys? Also, does anyone know if the new 250f frame even handles any better than the old two stroke frame? Is it any better, it sure looks sweet, but when I sat on one, it sure felt heavy, although, it had a 450 engine tucked away underneath it.

NO... we will not being doing the 2010 F frame with a two-stroke motor. All I said was that I "spoke" to Aj and they will be building some this spring.

As for which one handles better, the only way to know would be to test them side by side. While the newer machine "looks" better it is designed for a four-stroke engine, I'm no engineer, but the placement of the engine in the frame will affect the handling of the machine. The fact that the two-stroke engine is lighter would affect the handling....

While it would look better than the 2005 and up YZ250, until they are tested and compared, it's impossible to make a judgment call on it.

To answer the question about what bikes we will be racing in 2011, that is an unknown.

I do know that I would almost prefer NOT to use a machine from the Big 4... not for any "sinister" reasons, but just so we stick out that much more!! In this case that's a good thing.

[opfermanmotors]

eyeing those new Macio's especially if they come out with a 360-380cc model but i am gunshy about parts and what kind of prices and pain they will be to get.

Maico parts are surprisingly easy to get.  A lot of the parts for the engine have been and are the same since the 80s.  Prices are little more expensive I guess, not near KTM prices.  A new shifting fork is $77, a new piston is $200, to put some numbers out there. 

[SachsGS]

The trick to getting parts for small manufacturers like TM and Maico is to know what parts cross reference to other manufacturers.You can then get these parts through aftermarket suppliers and the bikes become surprisingly easy and inexpensive to maintain.

[TMKIWI]

Exactly sachs.

Cross reference parts for 07 TM300
Clutch plates : CR250
Air filter : CR250
Front disc pads : KTM
Rear disc pads : RMZ
Radiators : KTM
Pegs : Gas Gas

When the Maicos come out you will find alot of parts will cross over.