Buying Bits on Ebay

[BJ]

Hey all,

Not sure how many of you twin shock owners already are getting your bits in from the UK???? But the dollar is strong (or was last time I looked) and bits like Betor Shockers and replica mudguards and the like are good value. Even sprockets for late model trials and enduro bikes are often cheaper through UK ebay sellers than you can get here. Having just bought shocks for a Monty, sprockets for a late model bike and sprockets for a new KTM I can steer you to a couple of people that are OK to deal with and things turn up as fast as buying here!

Sorry if the local guys can't match the prices (I know I can't) so rather than try and make a few cents on a sale I'd rather just pass on details of reliable people to buy off.

If you want any info just PM me, Cheers,

Mototrials Vic

[motocentral]

Good to see you supporting local industry, you know the Aussie guys that take spare parts & accessories to each trial for your convenience & australian based shops/online stores.

don
motocentral

[BJ]

Not so easy in Mexico any more Don with only one importer represented since Mal retired and he was the only one here that carried a large stock. As a dealer myself it's gets hard to justify keeping stock or taking stock to events when you have to undercut your suppliers prices online

One of the main reasons I didn't bother last year!

I could spend all day debating this but the fact is some non EOM parts can be bought cheaper at the moment than they can locally due to import duties, GST and double or triple postage costs and strong dollar. I haven't seen anyone advertising Betor twin shock shockers for $260 delivered of after market front guards for less than $20. Fact is we all have to compete for market share and the market here is so small we all struggle. The key is to grow Australian trials into a much bigger sport, but I don't see that happening just yet

[motocentral]

I understand regarding the old twin shock stuff but when a local "dealer' suggests to customers to buy sprockets etc for modern bikes from o'seas than that doesnt stack up.

[Neo]

This is another one of those awkward threads that no one wants to continue with.....So please forgive me for expressing some concerns.

For those of you that think you know me it may come as a surprise that I was once a very successful salesman. I sold equipment in Australia for 14 years and prior to this I was a salesman in the UK for 4 years. Each time I moved companies I always I busted target in my second an consecutive years. At the peak of my career I drove around in a Lexus GS300, which I personally, owned from new and flew only club business class around Australia and Asia. I'm not boasting I'm just trying to explain that I had the relationship sales knowledge and the skills necessary to be successful and I still understand what it takes to build a successful business for the long term.

In the Trials market the master of the sales game was Mal Loone ......ever wondered why he had such a big following for so many years?
I remember the day that I bought my daughters bike. I was actually at the Womens Cup but brought it from another (great guy) dealer. I felt bad because I had also been talking to Mal about a bike and he was a great guy too. So I decided to tell Mal that I had bought a another bike and to thank him for his time and advice....Without hesitation he said to me "these good deals don't come very often so you did the right thing".....I was so shocked at how understanding he was that after that I was determined to find a good reason to buy a bike (any bike!) off of Mal!

This is a simple but classic example of relationship selling. And this is the stuff that builds long term businesses. Criticising your customer base or any individual customer (to others in and out of your company) will only bite you in the bum later. Bad news travels fast and I know there's a lot of it (from customer and dealers) about ALL the current dealers. At the end of the day a dealer has to try and understand a customers point of view and why they have that point of view and take a long term approach on things. No one wants to buy from the UK really. But something motivates them to do so. It's really up to the dealer to have the relationship to know why that is. And bring out his true value to the point where a customer wouldn't even consider buying elsewhere.

On another note...I'm budgeting for a brand new bike for my 50th Birthday.....but only the dealer that knows me well enough will know when that will be

Best of balance.
Neo
PS I sincerely wish not to offend anyone....I'm just trying help the customers in the trials market and the dealers that serve them.

[David Lahey]

Well said Neo.
You reminded me of why for the many years I rode modern enduro bikes, I bought everything I needed from only one of our three local motorcycle shops. The business owner always gave me good advice, even when it was to the short term detriment of his business. There is no way I would even think of going to another shop. When the enduro riding stopped and twinshock trials riding became something of an obsession, I found that my favourite motorcycle shop only rarely could supply what I wanted, but when it is something they can do, like a rebore, or bead blasting, or a piston kit, I still reliably go there, and because I know that they will always charge me a fair price, I don't ask the price before arranging the job, or the part!
David

[BOGWHEEL]

Just purchased some engine parts locally but got quotes elswhere-

Ex USA 4 day delivery - A$235

Ex UK 5/6 day delivery - A$230

Locally - A$370

WTF?????

[Stu]

I try to stay local if I can when purchasing parts for my TY250. But it has come now that I need new rear shocks and Betor seem the best out there for the TY. Unless someone can tell me different as the trail shocks have just cacked themselves after the Trials Demo! I have had no trouble getting most parts from the local Yamaha Dealer in Wollongong, I was surprised to see the numbers still listed..

[BJ]

Just purchased some engine parts locally but got quotes elswhere-

Ex USA 4 day delivery - A$235

Ex UK 5/6 day delivery - A$230

Locally - A$370

WTF?????

Bogwheel,

The problem is not that we are getting ripped off by local dealers. Keep in mind they have to pay import duties on things and GST. The problem is Trials as a sport in this country is too small to support quantity buying to get decent wholesale prices. And don't forget Trials riders compared to say MX and Enduro don't like spending a lot of money on bling or anything more than just keeping the bike running. Let's face it, most of us get 3yrs out of rear tyre!!!! Hardly enough expenditure to support a thriving retail industry is it???

The fact is, if you are not paying import duties and GST on stuff and you are buying for much the same price as local retailers buy for you are in front while the dollar is good. When the dollar drops you will most likely still be paying the same price locally but the alternatives on the internet may become the dearer option. If australian importers/retailers had a larger share of the recreational market they would have more buying power and be more competetive. From my experiances it is just not going to happen when the time people get actually riding a trials bike is so little compared to the amount of enjoyment you can get spending the same money on a rego'd bike that can be ridden in the scrub every weekend. We need dedicated facilities that we can access regularly, like Oakleigh MCC in Melbourne and the ones at Sydney (Pacific Park) and Perth but we need more of them. Sorry to say I can't see that happening and other than a thinning number of stalwarts that keep finding places to hold competition events the future doesn't look it will see a leap in popularity.

Like I said, it's not the retailers' fault, they're not making money out of I can assure you.