issues with some of these sellers sites

[James912]

---I don't in anyway mean to be rude, or offensive. Just stating problems
Some of the sites have serious issues. 1: Pirate cycles don't have crap for description. Also some of their pics are useless. 1 pic per item. No help at all. I want to see how well those studs are on the tank. HELLO!!!!! Sick bike parts has so few bike parts, they should change their name. I mean come on people, we are in 2011. Type a nice full description.
Piston bikes doesn't tell what some of their products are made of. Alloy? Metal? Steel, hello? kickstand for 26in bikes. REALLY!?
If your going to have pics, they need to be worth it!!!! Show all the detains, side views of parts, not just one side that doesn't show anything important.

Have a full description please. You make us go from one site to another!!!!
I want to know everything about what i am looking at buying.

 

[Fulltimer]

Very good points!

Terry

 

[Crazy Horse]

Very good points!

Terry

I agree, he has some good points such as more pic's and more detailed product descriptions.

I must say that motorized bicycling still has a long way to go, that is when people en mass start riding motorized bicycles the business will improve, motorized bicycling in some ways is in my opinion still in its infancy when it comes to alternative transportation for the masses.

C.H.

 

[Fulltimer]

True but they need to start using good business practices. I sent Pirate Cycles an e-mail a couple of days ago and still haven't heard back from them yet. Not a good thing to do.

Terry

 

[kallsop]

I agree, and think it is a reflection of the very small size of the market. It's probably not very profitable, and I know I wouldn't want to sell low quality China Girl junk, too many headaches. The higher quality stuff is an even smaller market. There just isn't enough cash flow to justify slick time consuming web sites and support staff. I think a lot of these online companies are more or less one man bands and if they get sick or their kid has softball practice, you won't get a speedy response.

Now, if gas prices keep increasing and either the China Girl is improved or something else at a low price point has simplicity and bulletproof reliability, then I can see what is now mostly a hobby market becoming more mainstream. I've been riding China Girl for about 2 years now, in cities and urban areas, and in all that time I have only ever seen 2 other motorized bikes. I get lots of looks and questions and positive comments which tells me the market has a lot of growth potential.

 

[DuctTapedGoat]

Well, if you know the product you're purchasing, you don't really need to see multiple pics. Any of the reputable retailers (SBP included) have reviews on their site, and will provide great customer service if you do have problems with any products. If there's no reviews on a certain site, come out to the forums and ask around out here. For every product that's out there, it's been milled over in the forums at least a dozen times. If there's a new product - there's a thread on it before anyone has it yet.

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

Speaking as the owner of just such a site... (a site that only has one pic of each item).
The program used to make these web sites only allows for one pic of each item.

 

[DaveC]

What you don't understand is that these small dealers like Sick Bike Parts offer things you can not get anywhere else. NOBODY BUT SBP has what they sell to the point that other small dealers buy SBP exhausts and other parts and sell them. Want a set of Hi Grade bolts? Nowhere else. High quality head studs? Nowhere else. Iridium NGK plugs? Nowhere else for that price. I got my plug from NGK because I needed a colder plug than SBP carries and I paid $4 more...

For most of the dealers the profit margin is so low they can't justify the cost of an enhanced web site to satisfy a small segment that want a Life magazine layout of photos on each item.

One more thing about Sick Bike Parts, nobody updates their list of goods like SBP does. If something new comes in it's right on the list. If something sells out it comes off. I check back on them quite often for new things that I might want.

In fact I ordered just this morning a set of M6 1.00 head studs from SBP for my new motor coming in from BGF. I order from BGF even though my first motor from them was bum, I talked to Ricky Shi several times. I was impressed enough to continue buying from him and will again.

 

[James912]

I was hoping others would agree with me. I kinda felt alone about this issue cuz no one posted about it. Thanks for agreeing and saying your comments. Greatly appreciated. Some of these sites don't have reviews for most of their items. I've been looking for fenders, kickstands, lights and can find very little about them. I've seen a few people go around on motorized bikes, and it is still indeed in its infancy. TO THE FUTURE OF MOTORIZED BICYCLES!!!! WOOP!

 

[tomahawk]

If your going to run a business do it right!!! Give the customer what they want. I mean come on...really? You wanna stay in business and only reap the high profit margine and leave the customer hangin on to nothing??? Give me a break.

 

[tomahawk]

Relative to issues with sellers i ordered a turn signal kit from Kings motorbikes way back in Dec. 3rd. Ive been trying to recoop my money or the part ever since. Now i promise i will get satisfaction cuz its all principal now. I have no patience for businesses that try to take advantage of people i dont care if they make money or lose it.

 

[bairdco]

james912, if you're looking for fenders, kickstands and lights, you're better off looking at bike shops, either online or in your town.

those are normal bicycle items, and a small, motor-bike shop normally wouldn't stock that, or if they did, it'd be a limited selection.

and Tomahawk, "high profit margin?" pffft. give me a break.

 

[James912]

AMEN!!!!

 

[tomahawk]

You know what im talking about. I dont stand for businesses that take advantage of people if only for a nickle or dollar or 500 dollars. So why stick up for them when you know im right. Ive got a big surprise waiting for those businesses.

 

[tomahawk]

and furthermore that light kit was only a portion of my order and if that company was wanting my business well...pfffft lotsa luck.

 

[bairdco]

i'm not sticking up for whatever company you got burned by, just sayin' that most of the forum sponsors here are small businesses run by one or two guys, and they ain't exactly swimming in money, scrooge mcDuck style. most of the prices i've seen are lower than everywhere else, so their profit margin is pretty low.

 

[James912]

I guessed that, but if they can afford their own site, which call for their own domain and a static ip, then they can make their site a little more descriptive. As I send in the very first post about this topic up at the very top, I am not trying to be offend anybody. I haven't even ordered anything from these sites, except for my kit and expansion chamber from daemon bikes which doesn't even deserve capital letters cuz their manufacturer doesn't know how to put an engine together w/o stripping all the screws, and only ships crappy bolts that strip in 5 seconds.

 

[moonshiner]

no offense meant ,but there are only a hand full of vendors i have scoped out myself that i would feel comfortable doing business with until i am told different , please all feel free to correct me ..

thats dax
blow by u
pirate cycles
kings sales and service
staton

 

[Fulltimer]

I have to agree about the profit margins. Think about it. If there was a high profit margin there would be a LOT more people selling this stuff.

Terry

 

[chainmaker]

LOL this is too funny.