Why do some duelies cost more than motorbikes?

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Coopz

Likes Dirt
I'm in the market for a new dualie, I'm not after the high end stuff but looking at a few bike shops it's impressive seen some bikes costing $8000+. Really not sure why? It's a lightweight frame and wheels and highend components but does a Taiwan frame and Chinese components cost that much? Or is it just that price because people pay it?
A friend just bought a Honda CRF 250 for $7500 new, a Japanese made, fuel injected dirt bike with 100x more parts than the mtb. The Honda might be mass produced and sell in greater numbers but to me it just feels weird having such a complex machine costing the same as a pretty basic mountain bike.

Not creating this thread to start a argument. If I had the cash I'd love a highend mtb.. Just wondering why these things are do expensive? Even the entry level stuff is $2500+.
 

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
If you want to get into more detail, the mx equivalent of a lightweight 8k boutique mtb is going to cost a lot more again. It's not going to be $7500.

A basic mx bike discounting the engine isn't necessarily any more complex than an mtb, and the engine is probably shared across many other Honda bikes, quads and who knows what else.

Of course like most 'premium' versions of a product, it's a case of diminishing returns. This is the same with all kinds of consumer products - does the V8 version of a car cost more than double to make compared to the base 4 cylinder? Of course not.

As @Zaf says, keeps the awful plebs away from the nice things.
 

Mr Crudley

Glock in your sock
It's a lightweight frame and wheels and highend components but does a Taiwan frame and Chinese components cost that much? Or is it just that price because people pay it?
Here we go, this will be a prize winner of thread.

I think it just because the market will pay for it. High end stuff has always had high end pricetags. Technology and manufacturing techniques have moved on and I'd think would be more efficient and cost effective although pricing has mostly gone up. Groupset and wheel cost aside, an $8k CF bike has to have a healthy profit margin attached. Sure it would be a great bike but quantifying $8k of great is up to the buyer.

CF was thought to be a simpler manufacturing technique than an expensive skilled welder hence pricing would have gone down but it didn't. Same as car prices here were supposed to drop after expensive local manufacturing was done but it didn't happen.

Biking has turned into the new golf for some older guys that love to spend on new toys. Top end Halo brand's always will have an easier chance to up the pricetag and sell it than a comparably spec'ed Giant - not to dis Giant either. I think a schwanky brand name can command easily 2x the pricetag of generic but competent competitors bike.

As Bonty said, 'light, strong, cheap' pick any two. If it is light and strong then it won't be cheap :)
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
A friend just bought a Honda CRF 250 for $7500 new, a Japanese made, fuel injected dirt bike with 100x more parts than the mtb. The Honda might be mass produced and sell in greater numbers but to me it just feels weird having such a complex machine costing the same as a pretty basic mountain bike.
I dont know how often things change on a MX apart from a plastics facelift, new engine ? or a new tune on a old one ? Probably still a standard steel cage frame, air system, brakes ? Tyre technology ? Steel handlebars that have not changed much in 20yrs... Im sure the suspension keeps getting better but their gears don't grow by one more every year or so as they have a gearbox and standard chain, standard wheels ect...

These days, a 1 year old MTB doesn't have all 'new' stuff, the stuff that apparently makes it 1% stiffer and 0.1 of a second faster... yes some get caught up in it, yes many people have said to me 'Strewth, you could buy one with an engine in it for that price'.

There's a price on small gains and new technology that help something that is 100% human powered to go faster or easier, whereas a few kilos on an e-bike or 5-10kg on a dirtbike doesn't really matter.
 

Calvin27

Eats Squid
I dont know how often things change on a MX apart from a plastics facelift, new engine ?
I don't know, but I think one of the reasons why high end bikes refuse to budge in price is because they keep inventing new standards that apparently make it better. I'm a firm believer that a lot of he cost is simply 'what the market will bear'. A good example is how much would a pike fork cost if they built all short to medium forks to that spec and chucked them on absolutely everything? It would probably cost $200 with a healthy margin to be made at all levels. If you don't believe me, see how much clearance forks sell for or better yet go check out what the actual margin for a complete bicycle is - you'd be surprised. Like I said though, the only thing that keeps the bicycle industry from competing on price is the change in standards - we'll see how long they can play that game.
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
Hmm .. how many more MX bikes are sold than MTBs worldwide?
Not to mention the engineering side of things, where multiple highly skilled and paid engineers are just working on the metallurgy side of engine parts and then the huge labour costs.
 
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Daniel Hale

She fid, he fid, I fidn't
Why do Americans make their cheese look orange? Or do we make ours look yellow?
yanks add a poweder to colour their cheddar, but it came form the beta carotene in pasture grass, the slightly orange cheese tasted better than paler cheese, the orange power evens out he natural colour change in cows milk
 
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