Can you read the OEM Kawasaki label?

i do powersports repair out of my home shop in my spare time, the local dealer i get my parts at most of the time i receive the "good guy" discount all the time, but in reality the dealer is making a killing on parts,so don't let them tell you otherwise. I have a good friend who is the parts counter guy at the dealership always lets me know their actual cost,for instance this week i needed an ecm for an 06 polaris ranger xp 700 efi. the part lists for just over 275.00, my cost was just under 248.00 (good guy discount) their actual cost was 161-162.00. the down side is they made almost 80.00 off me for the part but at the same time when i install the part and charge the customer for the parts and labor for my work, i don't make any money off the parts,just the labor. i only charge 30.00/hr for labor and i'm swamped with work because the dealer that i buy my parts from charges over 90.00/hr for their shop rate.I used to work at that dealer a few years ago as a technician,but their flat rate pay system is a joke, i make more money each week on my own part time,than i did for them full time

Thanks for this tip Larry... Here's the beauty of this knowledge....

Whoa, just tried this over at Babbitts and here's how it came out...

92049-016
KZ1000-E1 Shaft (1979)
Assembly: CAMSHAFTS/VALVES
OIL SEAL,RV37129.5 (SKU: 92049-016) 8 eac Req. $8.96

So, in understanding these codes better, this would be a be a hell of a deal @ $8.96 each....

Note to others for Larry and I have discussed this...
My local shop here, I print out a part/pricing from Babbitts or Z1 or whatever and take with me.... Also include the URL address....

I get there and they want close to $40 extra over what I can get off the web... I show them the print out, they look it up and they give it to me at the same price as the web $$$...

Sweet!

larrycavan wrote:

I know. The valve cover gaskets are one of the worst for price hike.

I bought 2 filters at local Kaw dealer recently. I had one in my hand reading the label while the kid did up my invoice. Looked at the invoice and it showed I got a discount. All said and done, discount applied, price was still higher than the label price. That's one of the main reasons I did this post. I've had enought of people getting overcharged.

:laugh:

Some "discount"......

kzz1p wrote:

This might sound, simple minded!

Maybe we should start a list of the cheapest dealers around?

Being ripped off for $$$ doesn't really bother me, that's what they do..... there is no honor among thieves. But, my blood boiled over when I went back to Bike World Kawasaki (Mountain View, calif) where I BOUGHT THE BIKE NEW many years ago to beg for a couple of 32mm valve shims I needed because nobody sells them. The mechanic told me they had shims, but the owner wouldn't allow them to swap or sell. I stood there and asked the DF that sold me the bike new so many years ago, offered $$$ on top of the swap, explained I had no other way to get the engine runing again and he told me to pound sand.

That DF went out of business last year and it was pure Karma.

I did manage to get a shim at the other kawi dealer: the service manager refused to sell me a shim, but I stopped by at lunchtime and a young guy swapped me for the size I needed. Wouldn't even take the $10 I slid at him, no charge.

karma does get it's way in the end.

Old Man Rock wrote:

I get there and they want close to $40 extra over what I can get off the web... I show them the print out, they look it up and they give it to me at the same price as the web $$$...
Sweet!

I'd pay money just for the pleasure of watching that happen....:laugh: Our dealers would just laugh in your face and tell you the "net" parts aren't any good.

Old Man Rock wrote:

Thanks for this tip Larry... Here's the beauty of this knowledge....

Whoa, just tried this over at Babbitts and here's how it came out...

92049-016
KZ1000-E1 Shaft (1979)
Assembly: CAMSHAFTS/VALVES
OIL SEAL,RV37129.5 (SKU: 92049-016) 8 eac Req. $8.96

So, in understanding these codes better, this would be a be a hell of a deal @ $8.96 each....

I have found babbitts usually gives about 20 - 30% off the list price. They actually order them from Kawi, then sell them to you at a lower markup than the dealer charges. Babbitts is the lowest I have ever seen for ordering OEM parts. Z1 might be as good, I didn't try to order OEM parts through them.