Prices sure are coming down! Anyone want to try one in your M20?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/204151515456?hash=item2f8860e940:g:wfQAAOSwNKxjcQa6&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwHc%2Fyu6g5fwt02LhAskLvhdrWzELWtNvD1HAssXCNqlb5LVZ4YT3Lt0Z%2FTuD5OB4AB8M11oYAUua4B1DaV%2FBMf59AUqCxkmG5EBd4QIa2fiwxJP1hM8bMvrs00qs4doYRza8xf5%2BbaFkxqnYNdtJ%2FUmsAyWHMefkTu6CXGO2G%2FjgSQi5UlybM7p1lLIyfYCk8e3kFyMC9g6d1KTSxMfjvwCFRDwz0JFXxmMH%2B3LU64inicWvsydiF1RgkmJuLFHjRQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9iMuu-1Yg
I find this very worrying...
Of course I would never fit such a thing to my own bike but others will and it is highly likely that I, or someone else could by a bike with one of these already fitted...The potential for a catastrophic engine failure (at speed) with the resultant possibility of death or serious injury is obvious taking Indian quality control, material specifications and manufacturing methods into account...
IMO this is gambling taken to an unwise extreme to save a bit of money and there are a few good quality alternatives.....It's always best to regard quality and provenance, not price, as the main criteria, particularly so when buying stressed components....
For years I've always started off with a basket case or bike requiring a rebuild and I always completely rebuild the engine throughout so I don't personally anticipate ever using one of these...
If you come across one I'd recommend throwing it into a convenient ditch or keeping it as a paperweight but don't be dumb enough to fit one in an engine.....Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Let's see.
Big end is $68.
They are paying shipping, so to me in the USA that is probably $20
Which means they get $48
I would assume they are marking it up by 100% or there is no profit.
So it costs them $24 to make the bearing including labor?
The cost of materials, machining, heat treating, grinding and honing has to exceed this even in India. And that is without any overhead from rent, electricity, insurance, administrative costs, taxes and paying their employees.
How do they stay in business on a $24 profit unless they are making and selling thousands of these a day?
I have no intention of ever purchasing one but it would be nice to have one in my hand to see what you get for $68.
Interesting points but you can never be sure whether Indian standards will produce (consistently) a part that's fit for purpose or not..For example I have found some of their petrol tanks to be fine and a good purchase for the price...Others have been awful though...
However, whilst a gamble on the fit and function of a petrol tank or rear carrier probably won't be a problem if it doesn't work out the same cannot be said of a crankpin/bearing assembly...
The risk in that case is really far too great....
I agree that knowing just what they are producing would be interesting but I think the key point must still be made that using them with the current state of knowledge of the product would at least be unwise....
An unknown quality big end revolving at 4000 rpm (67 times a second) whilst under huge mechanical loads?....No thanks...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
To quote an old British parts shop owner
" there is no part so badly made, ill fitting of dubious quality & unfit sor service that a BSA owner will not buy it if the price is low enough "
They will sell thousands of them because if I am rebuilding a wrech to sell at a profit I do not care if the bottom end falls apart as being a private sale there is no enforceable warranty .
You're right Trevor...but they won't just be fitted to bikes that are being sold. I automatically assess everything from the standpoint of my engineering background but many aren't lucky enough to have that viewpoint....Parts are just bought and used entirely at face value on the false assumption they are fit for purpose...
Regarding price this has always interested me...Some people are genuinely on a tight budget but if that means buying parts that really aren't any good a cheaper hobby might be the answer...Some people have the money but don't want to spend it..That puzzles me when they go to club night and rave about their particular bike, wear the T shirt and have this passtime as their main hobby...That being the case why don't they want to spend anything on it?...When I worked in a bike shop and there were two parts on offer, one good and one cheap the cheaper one would always outsell the good one many times over....I guess that's why so many parts are rubbish...It's where you end up when you buy based on price...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Price doesn't always dictate quality Ian, for example.
And we even offer a fitting service, from a bare conrod to a complete crank.
Even balanced if they so wish.
https://pesltd.uk/?product=66-0483A
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
True, not always, the middle man sees to that...However, there is an obvious link in many examples I could quote....Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com