Yeah, you'll get that with most manufacturers. Don't know why but a frame only will usually cost about 50%-70% of the complete base model.
The build kits that the manufacturers supply are pretty much at cost to both the supplier and manufacturer, they really are very cheap indeed. Personally I'd like to see a move to drop the price on frames a smidge and the suppliers making a little coin on the build kits.
That's spot on, there is very little difference in some cases between the pricing, and at times it's only the freight costs that really make a difference over a bulk order for some.
Orange bikes isn't that far out of line either, heck we are ~$500 more on our frames after shipping and GST etc than our UK partner who gets alot more stock, cheaper pricing and freight from germany-england sure is a heck of lot cheaper than germany to aus. If we charged the actual RRP's they'd be priced beyond most other frames.
Same goes for orange, they've got no freight pricing to be considered compared to the Aussie crowd. That's like comparing a car made in the UK, being the same price here in Aus without freight, you wouldn't do that.
and Floody's right, we pay by cubic inches, you imigine 50 rims boxed up, that's alot of empty space we are paying for, the same goes for a bike box, it may only weigh 20 kg, but its cubic weight its 40-60kg.