Are we being rinsed?

[agricola]

Just finished replacing front brake pads and discs, and rear pads on the Peugeot 206. Total cost £91.


Got me thinking, how come similar parts for bikes are so damn expensive?


Example: FZ6 S2 2009: front brake pads, £25 per caliper, £50 total
Front brake discs: £153 each, £306 total


206: front pads, £17 for a full set
front discs £25 each, £50 total


and the 206 parts are more substantial in mass

[BBROWN1664]

For the wifes Fiat Piece of S*** disks are about £50 each and £80 for pads so £180
For my Audi, if I buy the cheapest disks I can get them for about £70 each but typically they cost about £150 each. Pads are over £100 too so about £400

Bike parts are expensive but not that expensive when you consider the equivelent car prices (you should only compare a 125 with the wifes Fiat based on performance etc) and performance.

[coffee]

Maybe, but in general bike parts are stupid money,and what about tyres? you can get a decent set of Michelins for my car for around £80 a corner and get 20,000+ miles no sweat even decent sports /tourers for a bike are around double that and you'll be replacing a rear in 5000 if you're lucky !

[fazersharp]

and what about tyres? you can get a decent set of Michelins for my car for around £80 a corner and get 20,000+ miles no sweat even decent sports /tourers for a bike are around double that and you'll be replacing a rear in 5000 if you're lucky !

I used to think like that until one day whilst filtering I felt a bump from the back wheel, when past the blockage and normal riding I could still feel something but it went away, I then got on the motorway for the quickest way home, got off and found a long nail somehow had gone in the tread and out the side wall  . I had just gone down the motorway with that. The disparaging bumps were the nail folding over. I was still just about able to ride it to the tyre shop the next day.So since then I have never winced about the cost of my bike tyres   

[BBROWN1664]

tyres - another great comparison.

Bikes do appear to perform badly there. £250 for a set, or lets say £375 for a pair of rear and a front which will last about 10,000 miles. Not great I agree. Compare that to a similar performance car though. £100-£150 a corner and may last 20,000 miles. So £2-300/10,000 miles averaged out. Makes the bike seem a little more expensive but not excessively so.
If you want to compare the Pug 205/Fiesta/generic shopping trolley car you need to compare it to a suitable 125/250cc commuter bike.

[fazersharp]

If you want to compare the Pug 205/Fiesta/generic shopping trolley car you need to compare it to a suitable 125/250cc commuter bike.

That's a good point also I suppose floating disks on a bike add ££ 

[YamFazFan]

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[mtread]

Don't think you can compare tyres. Completely different sizes, profiles and dynamics.
But discs and pads, certainly. However, the thing with cars is the volume of production makes everything cheaper. I know, I've got a Ford
 
However as we all know, whatever it is, put 'motorcycle' in front of the title, and charge whatever you like. People will pay   

[YamFazFan]

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[Grahamm]

Got me thinking, how come similar parts for bikes are so damn expensive?

Economies of scale, most likely.

How many 206's are there in the world? Compare that to the world's best selling bike.

They are probably churning out car brake pads by the millions.

[Grahamm]

what about tyres? you can get a decent set of Michelins for my car for around £80 a corner and get 20,000+ miles no sweat even decent sports /tourers for a bike are around double that and you'll be replacing a rear in 5000 if you're lucky !

Apart from the aforementioned economies of scale, bike tyre technology (especially dual compound) is a lot more complicated than that for your average cage.

Also consider how a bike tyre is used, you've got a smaller contact patch, plus it's designed to lean over, which will probably result in more wear.

and you'll be replacing a rear in 5000 if you're lucky

That rather depends on how you ride.
I've just replaced a rear at 12,000 miles (Bridgstone T31) although I'd probably gone a bit further on that than was necessarily wise.

Generally I replace rears at around 9-10k miles and fronts at around 18k, but, whilst I may do some "spirited" riding, I'm not hooning it around and pushing the tyres to the limit.

[VNA - BMW Wank]

 Car discs and pads, with the exception of the stuff fitted to high end motors, are pretty crude compared to what we have fitted to our bikes.

I've just replaced a rear at 12,000 miles (Bridgstone T31) although I'd probably gone a bit further on that than was necessarily wise.

Well the Beemer is tucked up in the garage for the winter.  When it comes oot in the spring one of my first rides will be off to get new tyres.  After only 3800 miles the rear is shot, and the front doesn’t look too clever either – Metz Z8.  Both Continental and Bridgestone have new sports touring rubber coming out, so maybe I’ll try either or.


I usually get 5500 to 6000 miles from a rear on the thou.
 

[Oldgit]

Believe it or not a motorcycle is considered a luxury item, so therefore the stealers and parts people will certainly try and rip your arse off price wise if they think the market can stand it, so queue up to get F***** over boys and girls.