why is the clothing so expensive

[~Stef~]

I have boots (forget the name doh!) with Goretex. Three years old and no leaks ever. Had loads of so called "waterproof" boots before with all kinds of SummatTex in them and all leaked after a year of so.. maybe Goretex works?

Ive had a pair of 'cheap' Italian made Bobo boots for 5 years with symatex liner never leaked, and I live in Scotland

 

[newman7096]

Just bought a Hein Gericke 'Cruise' GTX jacket...magnificient!

Ideal for my daily commute and Touring.

Well impressed

 

[Andy Davies]

I bought a Rallye 2 jacket in June of last year.

Took it back to NOG in Oxford as the tag you hang it up with has snapped.

NOG are replacing the whole jacket.

That kind of service costs, but that is fantastic service.

What size was it? I'll take one with a broken hanging loop, I'm pretty handy with a needle and thread!

Andy

 

[Aurelius]

As sayed, top kit can only be made with fair price

Oh yes, my better half has the Savanna 2 and there's "Made in Hungary" written on it, so it's not cheap taiwan or china made if you'd ask that.

The biggest factor determining the price of a garment is the cost of production. A European can't cut and stitch bits of cloth together any better than a Taiwanese, Malaysian, or Uruguayan can; the difference is that European labor costs several times as much.

 

[Allroad]

where is the HG stuff made

 

[Decster]

the Savanna 2 and there's "Made in Hungary" written on it, so it's not cheap taiwan or china made if you'd ask that.

I have a pair of BMW gloves 'Made in Pakistan,

I was in a BMW Motorrad place on monday. The new gear had 'Made in China' on the labels. Moving gradually east. Making even more profit if you ask me. Like 99% of everything, profit first people second.

Have Dainese Jacket, Trousers and Boots for the last 6 years. Look after my gear and it lasts. The trousers have had their zips replaced once. I am an all weather rider so i treat them with proper proffing at the beginning of the winters. i also wear a full length reflective waist coat where i had arms put on and a neck aswell so it keeps the muck of it and believe me the raods in Ireland in the winter are pure muck.

Decster.

 

[Tsiklonaut]

So, all our BM kit:

Rallye 2 jacket (+Goretex liners): made in China
Savanna 2 suite: Made in Hungary
Savanna 2 Goretex liners: Made in Bosnia Herzogovina
Neck warmers: Made in Czech Republik
Transition boots: Made in Italy
Savanna boots: Made in Italy
Summer Rain goretex gloves: Made in China

Can't remember correct, but was it the Rallye 2 trousers that were acctually made in Portugal

So it varyes alot, i think depends how good they can do what. Wether it's cheap european country or china.

Re cost of manufacturing: mostly depends on the amount produced, because it's the machines who do work in Europe mostly not people. I desparately tried to find a alternative to BM Gore tex linders for Savanna 2 and contacted local GoreTex licensed maker. After showing them my Rallye 2 liners they say the cheapest development for taped seams and Gore material to make 1 pair of liners for trousers and jacket goes 400£ at the cheapest method and takes about a month to develop the right seams and cuts for optimal strentght, comfort, robustness etc etc. But once the development is done and you order some few hundred pairs the price drops 5 to 15 times per piece.

Margus

 

[adamski49]

where is the HG stuff made

China, I believe, because a load of HG clothing was stuck in the port over there (something to do with too much being exported) hence no Cruise pants to go with my jacket.

Adam

 

[simonm]

Sizes

The fact that BMW kit comes in > 40 sizes, often with a M + F specific cut, has to be a factor. Most other manufacturers offer S, M, L, XL maybe XXL.
Not an issue if you fit one of the average sizes I guess. I, for one, am not an average size and I'm happy to pay a premium to have something that actually fits. Rukka dont offer anywhere near the size options that BMW do and their kit seems dearer.

 

[Droopy Dick]

Wherever my BM Transition boots are made, they did a damned good job.

Totally waterproof and warm to -5 degrees.

It's a pity that Yoko kit is hard to find in the UK.

It's very good indeed. Made in Finland, Totally waterproof, with an excellent guarantee.

I've had three sets of HG Voyager trousers with Sympatex. They've all ended up leaking at the crotch, although the last two were replaced under HG's excellent warranty scheme.

Last month, they gave me the Gore-Tex lined pants for my trouble. All FOC.

My kids bought me a BMW polo shirt (sad, I know). A button fell off. When I commented at SPC, the parts drone immediately replaced the shirt under BMW's warranty scheme as it was under 12 months old.

 

[bakerlonglegs]

I'm sure the BMW kit is good, I've read enough glowing reports on here and various mags, but IMHO I think you are paying a premium for the brand name.
I've always managed to find kit that's just as good for more reasonable money elsewhere.

 

[Deleted account rno]

Like Bill (Fanum) said, BMW will replace damaged or faulty goods without hesitation. I've had a Rallye jacket (broken zip on the wrist pocket) and BMW boots relaced both of which were well over a year old...

 

[Tsiklonaut]

Wherever my BM Transition boots are made, they did a damned good job.

Totally waterproof and warm to -5 degrees.

Agree, my better half has them as well and they feel top secure from the feel she says. I can say it from the looks.

Pity they don't have enduro feature like toe protection. If there was I'd be 100% buyer of the boot because i do lot of gravel roads and i once got a rock coming off from front wheel hitting my toe at some 100kph. The most awful pain i've experienced. Luckily toe bone was OK.

So i had to make compromise and got the Savanna boots. Ankle protection is lightyears behind from innovative Transition boots tho, so i have to try not to let the bike land on to my feet...

For the rest i think the Transition boot is one of the best you can get for the price, i've never seen anything that advanced. Makes me a bit jelous...

My kids bought me a BMW polo shirt (sad, I know). A button fell off. When I commented at SPC, the parts drone immediately replaced the shirt under BMW's warranty scheme as it was under 12 months old.

All our BM kit was included number of various buttons and spare pieces if something goes offline. Yours wasn't?

Margus

 

[Deleted account rno]

Like Bill (Fanum) said, BMW will replace damaged or faulty goods without hesitation. I've had a Rallye jacket (broken zip on the wrist pocket) and BMW boots relaced both of which were well over a year old...

the "relaced" boots should have read "replaced". BMW are good but not that good. I reckon you'd need to replace laces yourself (then again, maybe not )

 

[Ronaldo]

The biggest factor determining the price of a garment is the cost of production. A European can't cut and stitch bits of cloth together any better than a Taiwanese, Malaysian, or Uruguayan can; the difference is that European labor costs several times as much.

Style over function. Europeans are more concerned about being seen wearing the right gear as opposed to the actual form and function of the piece. You're quite right, european labour is way more expensive (China currently paying textile workers $150 usd/month, Indonesia $150 a month, Thailand $175 a month) but if you look at the fake North Face jackets available in the markets of Shanghai you'll see the majority of the cost of a jacket is not the cost of production but the mark up (plus advertising etc..). If BMW offered a jacket at 50 quid no one would buy it, BMW owners want to pay a full price, yacht owners want to pay a full price for oilies and yuppies want to buy barbours. Silly really, but thats what makes the world go round.

 

[Mutley]

Style over function. Europeans are more concerned about being seen wearing the right gear as opposed to the actual form and function of the piece.

If BMW offered a jacket at 50 quid no one would buy it, BMW owners want to pay a full price, yacht owners want to pay a full price for oilies and yuppies want to buy barbours. Silly really, but thats what makes the world go round.

There's a lot of cobblers posted on this forum but this has to take the biscuit

If you must post completely unsubstantiated wild opinion have the good grace to start with IMHO

 

[shugie]

yacht owners want to pay a full price for oilies .

Incorrectamundo. Buy mine in sales or last years versions at the Musto outlet in Princes Risborough. But then I only own a bit of a yacht and am a tightwad.

One thing decent (read expensive) oilies have in common with my Tourguard jacket is that they have the goretex as the outside layer (I think) as neither absorb much water. They do need regular cleaning to keep this property.

 

[John Armstrong]

Style over function. Europeans are more concerned about being seen wearing the right gear as opposed to the actual form and function of the piece.

And all people who live in Brazil make sweeping statements based on no facts at all? IMHO of course.

BTW I have a fair bit of their kit, but I'm sure that I have never paid list price for it.

 

[Invicta Moto]

Ive had a pair of 'cheap' Italian made Bobo boots for 5 years with symatex liner never leaked, and I live in Scotland

I've had three different pairs of FT boots (mug?) and two Prexport with Sympatex and they have all leaked after anything between 2 weeks and 12 months.

 

[Ronaldo]

There's a lot of cobblers posted on this forum but this has to take the biscuit

If you must post completely unsubstantiated wild opinion have the good grace to start with IMHO

I work in the textile trade matey and its my job to know what makes you guys tick so