Mark up can be tolerated (to an extent!) if the service is there! The trouble can be that some dealers (not just bike related) act as if we are doing them a favour spending our hard earned at their place.

Personally, I'll pay more for parts to help keep a good retailer operating as long as they're not taking the pi55 (easy to check!) and the back up service is there. "It's the freight, mate." can only push a friendship so far...

It'd suck if, one day, we could only buy parts online without riding into a shop and talking to a real person about what we want.

 

It's quite easy to bag the local retailers but let's be fair it's not that easy out there anymore.

My good lady wife is an assistant manager at a local hardware store, Yes they put a mark up on product that they buy in, but if they didn't they wouldn't be employing 60 locals in full time employment.

And also when you need something on a Sunday afternoon they can probably supply it rather than waiting till next week if you order it off the internet.

Make your choices, grab the bargains when you can, but support your local too, one of those guys that works there might just employ you to do whatever it is that you're good at.

End of rant , normal transmission would be resumed shortly.

 

This is the same shop that took $2300 off me a little while back for my top end rebuild, good people that looked after me, luckily he said he will still do work for me from home, I used to buy most stuff from him but he let me supply some parts that were too cheap on the internet, he currently has my bike at the shop to re-jet and tune to suit the Wiseco big bore kit, hopefully it will be heaps smoother when done.