Someone is buying ALL Honda's CBX parts?

[Terry]

Someone on TIMS Bulletin Board posted that a friend of his is buying (all) of Honda's X parts. He added that he is not a part of this (deal) but if anyone wants parts, we can tell him and he'll pass it on...I have a bad feeling about this. Aren't the parts expensive enough now??? What other reason would there be to purchase all of Honda's CBX parts, except to hike the price? Unless he is some sort of X benefactor for the rest of us

[EMS]

Terry:

The "Parts Shark" subject has been discussed many times on this board and will probably become more of an issue as time goes by
Unfortunately, even the ICOA members are pretty divided when it comes to this matter. :) Those who needed a part and have been able to aquire one from one of these "merchants" praise their existence, while others despise them for chopping up bikes or hoarding parts for future profits. Free enterprise fosters this situation. Some people view the CBX "hobby" as a great opportunity to make a profit. Preservation of the CBX is secondary to them. As long as there are so many people out there who need stuff, there is the potential to make a quick buck. This will only change when most of the remaining CBXes are in the hands of true enthusiasts or collectors who know each other and help each other and who have a code of conduct as far as pricing spare parts is concerned. There are many examples for this inside the VJMC among the people who focus on certain models. CBX ownership is still too diversified to produce this. The bike is not rare enough yet. My philosphy is, we have four typical CBX owners:
1- The CBX afficionado. The guy who just loves the bike for its uniqueness and performance. He may or may not have another bike. He rides his CBX religiously.
2- The "Bike Nut". Owns a CBX or more because it is one of the bikes he always wanted to have and dreamed of when he couldn't have them. Rides the CBX now and then. :)
3- The serious, serious collector. Has anywhere from at least one CBX to at least one CBX from each model year, maybe other bikes, maybe not. All in spotless condition. Wants to preserve history and hardly ever rides them.
4- The parts dealer. Can be any one of the above three and uses this as an excuse to be part of the community around the CBX and sell parts. Priority is to use the hobby to make money. (The American Dream!) Categories 1-3 need parts and compete for them and 4 takes advantage of it.

As soon as the population of bikes actually ridden drops significantly, the demand for parts goes down and the wheelers and dealers lose interest, because it is not fast and easy business anymore.
I have bought parts from a variety of sources. For small NOS parts I have turned to Honda, Western Hill, CMS and David Silver. I have also sold stuff. Mostly items I have left over from a project or something I have picked up at a swap meet and have lying around. I am not dealing in parts, so I don't have to watch my bottom line. I try to stick a fair price on something I let go and somebody else needs. A couple of other guys out there do the same. Rick Bentley who runs his own CBX web-site is one of them.
Sure, Honda's lack of support and their high prices are the "source of all evil". But that is not unique in the industry when you deal with a vehicle that has been out of production for over 20 years. We have to live with this. If we can't, we have to buy a "Rune", ride it for two years and trade it in for whatever monstrosity they have come up with then.
Keep the spirit, Terry. If you hang in long enough it will get better.
Boy, did I ramble on I guess it is time for me to shut up and go outside and fertilize my lawn. Whether is perfect for it.

[cbxchris]

Terry its sad but some people`s love of the cbx is how much money they can make off it. There are several around....I can think of at least half a dozen.

[sr71cbx]

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[Passx]

EMS,,,AMEN!!

I just tried to buy a used LH mirror for my 81 from one of the well known parts dealers and the guy wanted $175 for a part that I can get from the Big H new for $73 which I thought was to much, now in all fairness I probably pulled this gentleman's chain a little by cracking some jokes about some of the grief that he had caught over hacking up supposedly good bikes for parts and he may not have taken it the way it was meant or he may have just been trying to stick it to me, I don't know but ultimately when it comes down to it you can always just walk away like I did and let them eat the part, sooner or later they'll get hungry and do something else.

By the way Mr. Miller, it was 45 today and I got to take the 81 for a 70 mile ride up by the big Lake Mich. And I can honestly say that I froze my nizzets off but I was smiling. Also got the 80 out of the family room but couldn't get it started because of a low battery, so hopefully tomorrow that one will run and it's supposed to be 80 by Monday if it don't snow again.
Steve P.

[sr71cbx]

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[cbxchris]

Wonder how many people just say the hell with cbx`s because of these vendor`s trying to rob people for a part. It will eventually come to a head. Personally I`l l park mine before I`ll be robbed. Got to many other bikes to ride and to much out there to buy. I love my cbx but admitedly I have other bikes that I enjoy as much for different reasons.

[LOUIS]

Terry, I was told last summer that Honda has already tried selling all there CBX parts for cost and know one responded from ICOA. That deal is no longer there and again I was told they will just destroy the parts and just right it off due to know one wanting them. Yes there is parts we all want but thats not what they have left. They told me they due this quite often due to the lack of people buying the parts and running out of space to store the parts. I have a list on CD of all the parts that were avaliable for the CBX and other bikes as well. The parts where mostly motor parts. If a person could buy the parts and if they were there still too buy that would be great. It would take a couple hundred thousand $$$ to buy it. I have so many people ask for parts that I can not get because there not there no more. But I tell allot of people to call Honda because they just think it not available no more. Just 6 months ago I could not get the stock mirrors for the 79/80 and now You can buy them from Honda so people just need to check. Honda still has the 81/82 mirrors and the last time I checked the were around $175.00 each. I also found a new red front fender from David Spares a couple of months back. You need to check from time to time. But some people just cant afford to pay those new prices and dont mind buying used. I just bought a used 80/81/82 air gauge that I needed to complete one of my show bikes and I paid $90.00 for it,Yes thats crazy but if you want it and need it you do what you feel best for you. What I think thats gone totaly crazy is NOS pipes and Sport kits. If you check and see what the average person that owns one of these great bikes they are at the age that they had one and now they want one again and most of them have the money to spend on them. Its still a lot cheaper to have fun with a CBX then restoring a car and it takes up a lot less space. And as for what EMS said I am a 1 and 3 and as for the 4 this is how I can afford to have the bikes that i do. And best of all my Wife does not mind a bit about my hobby and that makes it better. I have plenty of room for my bikes and I do not think I will ever try to put any of them in the living room, Plus it would be hard to bring up the stairs. Hope to see some of you at the April 19th bike show in Port Charlotte. LOUIS

[EMS]

The CD was the Honda "Parts Extravaganza". It offered special pricing to dealers to get rid of excess stock of "slow movers", parts for almost ALL bikes. It was NOT a sell-off of ALL CBX parts they have. Many CBX parts like seats, switches etc that are still available, were not included.

[LOUIS]

It was mostly all parts for the CBX minus a few Items that sold from time to time. It was about 100% of all motor parts. No painted items due to they were all gone anyway. I bought as much as I could afford and all that I bought is gone now. The people that I do business with called Honda for me and got allot of items that where not on there list like speddos,tachs, side covers, Carbs and now they are not there anymore as we all know. There is some seats left I think the last time I bought some there were about 26 there still for the 79/80 and plenty for the 81/82 . LOUIS

[EMS]

I am not getting into a p....ing contest about a moot point, but if you think it was "mostly CBX" parts, you just did not have all the information. Actually, there were more 750 "300", "341" and "405" parts on it than anything else.

[LOUIS]

I know it was not just the CBX model there where lot other models as well that was on the cd. LOUIS

[team222]

hi all

this is interesting and i thank you for your posts

i am thinking icoa should look at and/or form a team to get information for the club and the board to review/vote

i am wonderiing if this is worldwide cbx parts or just honda usa cbx parts because if it is worldwide parts then we could also involve our global xpress team/jp grasmuch and all his contacts with the other cbx clubs worldwide

any volunteers or info....e or call me. 800-869-5763 then 1, then x4331

[EMS]

I just can't keep quiet on this. I have to come back to my earlier post and my personal opinion about the different kinds of CBXers:
So, if someone goes to a Honda dealer and buys a CBX seat for a list price of $351 and change (and maybe gets 15% discount) and then puts it on ebay to sell it to another fellow CBXer (who else would buy it) for $450.00 , is this taking advantage of somebody or not.
Sure, its all free enterprise and the guys who buy the seat are gullible enough to believe it is a rare item and its their own fault not to check with Honda. Still, in my book, the seller is a "category 4" no matter what he thinks he is.

[LOUIS]

So do you think when I remodel someones house and I get a set of Cab. for someones kitchen and I pay $10,000.00 I should sell it for the same price that I paid. Now if the person wants to search it out and try to find the same ones and buy them himself thats great. He is not allowing for his time for handling, phone calls and bringing to to his house which I would have to charge for. Now if he calls his local lumber yard and the sales person is not having a great day he ask for that certain cab. and he says we cant get those no more there to old, Then he goes where he can to get it. THAT BAD SALES PERSON IS YOUR AVERAGE HONDA DEALER BECAUSE HE WILL NOT TAKE THE TIME TO FIND THE INFO ABOUT YOUR ITEM BECAUSE HE IS 19 YEARS OLD AND HE DON'T CARE AND HE NEVER HEARD OF A CBX BEFORE EITHER. I called in the past year at least 35 -60 Honda dealer speaking to owners or gen managers to find lost parts in there inventory and finding lots of stuff that you can not find. Should I get on the CBX web site and sell them for what I paid for them? Yes theres seats still at honda. But like I said I will not sell them for what I paid for them. Now when I call a fellow CBXer and he has a brand new set of pipes and he wants $2,000.00 for them I think I know what he paid for them, But if I want them I will buy them and bite the bullet . But they are no longer at Honda as we all think. But making all those calls and spending lots of hours and about $100.00 in Long distance calls I found 2 sets and I got them for about $800.00 a set. Now I should get on the CBX chat line or Ebay and hit the Buy it now key and sell them for $800.00. Sorry we all do not look at things in the same way. But I can get any part in time that someone wants!!! And believe it or not sometimes I do not charge people for little parts they need for fellow CBXers to get there bike going. But with out money I can not by more parts. I know most of you understand. THANKS LOUIS at usedcbxparts@hotmail.com