Price of Car Accessories v Bike Accessories !!

[JohnnyBoxer]

Why are bike accessories so expensive!!
Following on from the Company Car thread, I've decided to go for the GOLF GTi TD150.
I was amazed about how reasonable the VW Factory fit accessories were.
Eg.
1.VW Golf Winter Pack - Heated Seats,Washer Jets and Headlamp Washers - £275
BMW GS Heated Grips - £180 - for 2 leads,a switch and an uprated alternator !!!
2. VW Golf Cruise Control - Electric £180
Wunderlich - mechanical about £75
3.VW Golf Towbar and Electrics about £225 Fitted
BMW GS Engine Bars for your GS about £150-200 and you have to fit them yourselves or pay extra. That's from BMW or aftermarket.
4. 2 driving lights for your GS ADV from BMW - £380 - extortionate !!!
Talk about taking the P*** !!
Or is it because less bikes are sold or because it's a leisure thing mainly - they can charge higher profit levels.

 

[Timbo]

Air conditioning for a Honda Accord - £500

Air conditioning for a GS - absolutely free

It's not all one way

 

[luke scott]

Hey Johnny,
The sunroof on my GS is stuck open.....any advice on how to free it ?

 

[THE PICT]

Its to do with the leisure persuit thing.Bikes are classed as a hobby thing these days and cars still a neccecity.People will pay more for a hobby/something they enjoy rather than something they need.
Years ago bikes were just a cheap mode of tranport and cars more expensive.People couldnt afford expensive parts so they werent expensive.Nowadays youve got lawyers,doctors,accountants,etc who as a generalisation can pay these prices.
In other words the prices reflect what people will pay.
As someone whos salary is just scraping by the five figure mark,its bloody hard sometimes.

 

[farout]

hey johnney

what about the 4x4 on the gti, don't know if bmw do 4x4 gs

 

[RussellAisbitt]

There are always exceptions:

BMW SatNav for GS - about 1200
BMW SatNav for car (5 Series) - about 3000
19" Wheel for GS - Standard
19" Wheels for car - extortionate

If BMW sold as many bikes as VW sold cars, the bikes would be 1/4 the price they are now.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Hey Timbo and Luke,

The AirCon & Sunroof on the GS must be broken ??

In Summer when it's 90F, I still sweat my rocks off in my biking gear and don't get a stream of chilled air from the dash/clocks,
as I do with my car's climate control.

Similarly when it's raining the Sunroof seems a little hard to close-must be a sticking catch - what do you think ?

Funny that - must take it back for a warrranty check - is their a recall for these problems ?

 

[Lord Snooty]

Golf GTI

Johnny, would like to know how you get on with the car as I will be in a similar situation in Spring. Need to make a decision on whether to dump the company car and buy, or stay with the company car but opt for something less taxing (pun intended!). Volskwagons are on our list and the GTI would interest me, it seems fast enough but will have the economy as well.

ta mate.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Snooty - send me a pm nearer the time.
Tried the GTi 150 TDi today and it's bloody quick - still accelerating at 90 mph in 6th on a country 'c' road . Goes like stink -very impressive and so was the '20 something' sales girl in the passenger seat. However she didn't deem impressed by the GS though - mores the pity !

 

[Lord Snooty]

Ok mate

Cheers Johnny will do.

 

[(RIP) Mark Dilloway]

Diesel acceleration

Good call Johnny - I think there is some truth in the fact that today's diesel cars have a similar acceleration to the original Golf GTi. You'll have a whale of a time with your Golf --- and have the economy, no service costs (exhausts don't rot) etc.

 

[BBB61]

Mark,

You said exhausts on diesels don't rot. Why is that? is it because they don't produce condensation when cold like petrol engined cars?

Bob

 

[judge]

Originally posted by JohnnyBoxer ... - very impressive and so was the '20 something' sales girl in the passenger seat.

Eyes front Johnny, eyes front!!! That is one mean power-plant you've got your right foot dangling over.

 

[(RIP) Mark Dilloway]

Exhausts

Yes Bob. I was first put onto it by a motorfactors company in Guildford -A.R.E. They moved over to diesel vans in the 1980s not only for the economy but also because of the maintenance costs. All our domestic petrol cars always needed exhausts/boxes every year/18months until we got diesel cars. Since then we have replaced one end box in over 150,000 miles. I know you can get stainless exhausts but even they don't last as long as a mild steel system in a diesel. No choke, no condensation, no rust.

 

[Ian]

Air conditioning for a Honda Accord - £500

Air conditioning for a GS - absolutely free

It's not all one way

I'm sending mine back, it would only do cold yesterday, and was crap at clearing the screen.

 

[BBB61]

Mark,

Thanks for the reply. I bought a diesel car a year ago for the usual reasons ( better driveability, better economy) and now I have a car with an exhaust that won't rot as well

Bob

 

[Howard Millichap]

I think you'll find that the reason diesel exhausts last longer is because the gases are hotter. Therefore it all heats up quicker drying the whole thing out. I'm not a combustion expert but I think that diesel does still produce water vapour during the combustion process.
On my BX Turbo my back box lasted 50K, mid section 130K. The back box probably rotted from the outside in. I live by the coast!!