Are Aftermarket Parts Really BETTER? Episode 12

Let's get real here for a minute - there is a ton of money spent on aftermarket parts in the off road dirt bike world.  I think it’s more than motocross:  skid plates, protection, radiator guards, billet covers, billet parts, auto clutches, steering dampening, disk guards, swing arm guards,  plastics, grips, foot-pegs, clutch levers, risers, bars, brake levers, motor mods, head mods, carburetors, shift levers, brake pedals, radiator fans,  batteries, headlights, sprockets, hand guards, kick stands, wheels, hubs, exhaust pipes, throttle tubes, gas caps, titanium bolts, mirrors, fork guards, fork shoes, TUBliss, Bibs, tugger straps, tie downs, The list goes ON and ON.  Let’s talk about the benefits and discuss if it’s always better, or if it just looks better.  

• I’m all for the American dream. I want people to make money in our sport.
• If you can make a living by serving others in a sport you love, that is great!
• Most of these products are being made by small outfits.  That is awesome because it’s usually some very hard working people standing behind “their baby” and they want to put the best foot forward.  
• Aftermarket drives innovation forward because they are standing on the shoulders of the large corporations striving to “make a better mousetrap”.  Sometimes they really do make a better product than OEM.  

But is it always better?

• Let's get real again for a moment.  Those large manufacturers (Honda, Yamaha, KTM, Kawi, Beta). They have put lots of R&D dollars and lots of years into these products.  Yes, they need to be able to make them for a reasonable cost so that they don’t blow their margins, but it also HAS TO BE GOOD.   
• In most cases, it is good and is pretty tough to improve on the OEM.