Honda Stealers

[hobs]

  Went to my local Honda dealer the other day with a mission and a pocket full of coins to order and purchase a set of rotors for my nearly ready-to-roll steed. Placed my request with the smiley assistant with confidence knowing that I was prepared to part with a reasonable roll of hard earned green stuff.
Much page turning, keyboard tapping and knowing glances my way, the smiley (much bigger by now) assistant stated "that will be $1400". Struth mate, you miss understand me, I don't want the wheels as well.
"that's the price for the 3 rotors only" he stated somewhat agressively .

I looked at him, he looked at me, I looked at the other customers, they looked at me, I looked at him again, He's still looking at me, the customers are looking at me, felt like a pork chop at a jewish circumcision. You know that awkward feeling when everyone is looking at you waiting for you to say something. "that's awfully expensive, don't you think", I stammered out weakly and totally deflated. "why are they so expensive" I barely audibly retorted. "Cause they are OEM parts" shot back the now not so smiley assistant. "I can look up the after-market spares if you like." Obviously summing me up to being another secret member of the 'stingy buyers' brigade. "Yes, lets do that," I returned a little bolder, the waiting customers long loosing interest in my dealings and being served by the other 'professional assistants'.

The now, not smiley at all assistant took twice as long as before to turn pages, tap the keyboard, look at pages again, more tapping, more page turning, ask for asssistance from more professionals. Maybe they thought I would slink away and never come back and dare to ask for 'after-market' parts ever again.

The assistant's assistant had taken over serving the 'stingy old guy' (me), when he suddenly said $190 for the rear rotor and about $130 for each of the front rotors. That's $1000 cheaper than OEM parts. "How can this be. Is their an all expence trip to bankok, tea at the lodge with 'Juliar'. "No mate, that's just what they cost" stated the assistant's assistant. "do you want me to order them." "Yesssss please", now I was the one that was smiley. Got the rear rotor last Friday and installed it same day, waiting for the other 2 rotors later this month.

Just sat and looked at that rotor all weekend. Now there's a bargin! 

Hobs,
Still smiley!! 

[Whizz]

Don't you just love it when you prove that they actually DON'T have you by the short and curlies??!! 

[Biggles]

Even if the Copies only last half as long as the OEMs, you're ahead.

Sadly, there's very little spare metal on the rotors, and I cannot see why they aren't 1 lousy mm thicker which would make them last for hundreds of thou kays.

Except, of course, it may be "planned obsolescence", that clever device that keeps our economy healthy  by providing employment for Spare Parts pickpockets, transport companies and manufacturers.

[Bikebear]

How many k's had the bike done? I've got 65000ks up and rotors haven't got any major wear on them and I tend to brake fairly hard particularly on the ranges here. If I ever have to replace rotors I think I'll get some from Metalgear on EBay, I bought pads off them and I'm very happy with the product. Certainly couldn't look at OEM.. I have enough trouble paying off the mortgage without being extorted for brake discs.

[alans1100]

How many k's had the bike done? I've got 65000ks up and rotors haven't got any major wear on them and I tend to brake fairly hard particularly on the ranges here.

I was curious about the kms done on the bike as well.
Mine shows no sign of brake disc wear at 148500kms on any of the rotors and I'm also on my 3rd set of pads as 30,000kms ago.

A couple months ago I checked OEM rotor prices at David Silver Spares at around $150 each for the front and $185 for the rear, so all three plus postage looks cheaper than just one from over here.

[saaz]

Using sintered pads that create higher friction (and better braking) tends to wear out both pads and rotors. I used to go through pads every 20,000kms or so while enjoying the extra performance of the pads. The rotors needed doing at about 100,000kms. Since then using the metal gear pads that came with the rotors, pads are still ok and rotors show no wear in 78,000kms.

[hobs]

The bike has done 82,000 Ks and the rear rotor was 1mm under minimum wear thickness. The front rotors are on wear thickness and as I have put new brake shoes on will change the rotors.