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WHY SHOP HERE? PRICE AND VARIETY THE ANSWER COMES FROM BEING IN THE MOTORCYCLE BUSINESS SINCE 1976. THE OWNER, HAYES HATCHER, STARTED HAGERSTOWN KAWASAKI IN HAGERSTOWN MARYLAND. HE STAYED WITH IT FOR 14 YEARS. WHILE THERE HE CAPTURED A LARGER SHARE OF THE MARKET BECAUSE OF A FEW CHANGES IN BUSINESS BEHAVIOR. THEY ARE SUMMARIZED HERE. THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF HIS SUCCESS WAS PRICE AND AVAILABILITY. OEM'S (ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS) GET THE GREATER PART OF THEIR PARTS FROM THEIR OEM SUPPLIER. HAYES GOT HIS FROM KAWASAKI MOTORS. THE PROCESS SUFFERS ON TWO ACCOUNTS. NUMBER ONE, THE PRICE. PRICE IS SET FROM THE COSTS FROM THE MOTHER OEM MANUFACTURER. THIS OEM PRICE IS GENERALLY VERY EXPENSIVE AND IS NOT CONTROLLED BY THE DEALER. THE SECOND IS THE PARTS THEMSELVES. THERE IS LITTLE OR NO CHOICE. THE SECOND IS LACK OF CHOICE OF THE PART NOR THE PRICE. HAYES BEGAN TO SOURCE HIS PARTS FROM NON-OEM COMPANIES. THESE COMPANIES MADE A PART THAT MEETS OR EXCEEDS OEM STANDARDS AND THEY DO THIS WITH VARIETY AND WITH REDUCED PRICES. SOMETIMES THE PART WAS SUSPECTED TO BE MANUFACTURED BY THE SAME COMPANY IN JAPAN. THE PRICE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER. THIS WAS A "HIT" WITH THE CUSTOMERS. WHEN A CUSTOMER GOES TO AN OEM DEALER FOR A PART OR AN APPLIANCE---THE FIRST THING--- MOST PARTS COUNTERS GO TO---- IS THE OEM MICROFICHE. IF THE CUSTOMER IS LOOKING FOR A MANUALLY ADJUSTED CAM CHAIN ADJUSTER---HE WONT FIND IT ON THE FICHE. HE DOES NOT GENERALLY SOURCE ANYTHING BEYOND THE FICHE. THE PARTS PERSON GETS USED TO THE FICHE AND DOES NOT "NEED" TO SOURCE ANYTHING ELSE. CLOSED SYSTEM OEMS ARE GENERALLY CLOSED TO ANYTHING BEYOND WHAT IS THEIR SUPPLIER (HONDA, KAWASAKI, SUZUKI, YAMAHA). THEIR ASSUMPTION IS THAT YOU CANT GET A REPLACEMENT FROM ANYONE OTHER THAN THEIR DEALERSHIP. THEY SPEAK OF OTHER PARTS AS "AFTERMARKET" AND CREATE AN IMPRESSION THAT ANYTHING OTHER THAN OEM--IS INFERIOR. GENERALLY, MOST "AFTERMARKET" PARTS ARE A VAST IMPROVEMENT OVER AN OEM PART. THE OTHER ASPECT OF THIS SITES OFFERINGS---IS SELECTION. WE SOURCE SEVERAL DISTRIBUTORS TO FIND PRICES THAT ARE PRESENTED TO THE CUSTOMER AS CHOICES. SOME ARE THE SAME PART. IT TOOK OVER 6-YEARS TO BUILD THIS SITE. WHILE IT MAY APPEAR TO BE DISORGANIZED, IT BEATS SEARCHING THRU SEVERAL DISTRIBUTORS TO FIND WHAT YOU NEED. YOU BECOME THE PARTS PERSON AND WE HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME HELPING YOU TO FIND WHAT YOU NEED. PRICES ARE GOING UP ALMOST DAILY AND WE CANNOT CONSTANTLY "REFRESH" THE SITE TO REFLECT THIS UPWARD SPIRAL. WE MAKE CHANGES DAILY BUT THE THE OIL CRISIS AFFECTS EVERYTHING, INCLUDING OUR PRICES. CONVENIENCE: MANY DEALERS DO NOT STOCK ALL THE STUFF YOU WILL NEED. GO TO THEM AND YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR MOST OF YOUR STUFF. YOU WILL BE ASKED TO PAY UP-FRONT---INCLUDING THE FREIGHT. YOU WILL NEED TO COME AGAIN TO PICK IT UP. CONSIDER THE COST OF DRIVING 15 MILES EACH WAY AND IT CAN COST CLOSE TO $20 FOR THE TWO TRIPS.
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