cost of BMW parts

I wonder what the total cost of individual parts sold separately for a complete motorcycle would amount to?

Go to Max BMW parts fiche and go to town…..

A while back, Max BMW built an R90S out of OEM parts and I want to say it was $40,000 not counting the labor to build it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmVBNSjjrRo

As fmdualexhaust said - it's been done, and wasn't cheap - but how cool is it that you could if you wanted!

One of the reason parts are expensive, and people seem to forget, parts inventories have a tax load on a yearly basis.
OM

When BMW assembles a bike they take the parts and use them in a day or so. When they make available a part for a 50 year old bike it is unknown how long they stored the part and how long the dealership might have had the part in stock. Maintaining that inventory has a real cost for BMW and for the dealerships.

I am sure it is better now, but in the 1970s I had a three - yes, three - year old Yamaha motorcycle. The engine had a connecting rod break right in the middle from a metallurgical defect. Damage included a hole in the engine case. When I went to buy parts several needed parts were not available. But the dealer did give me as much for the carcass as I paid for the bike because they wanted it for parts.

BMW does a good job of maintaining parts availability for older bikes and there are costs associated with them doing so. And we see some of those costs every time we buy a part.

You think BMW parts are expensive, back in October of 2006 we stopped by our dealer for a PIAA replacement bulb. Dang thing costs us $18,041.00.


p.s. Photo location courtesy of Steve Farson. Deckers, CO.

See new related thread:
https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthrea...utrageously-Priced-Part&p=1280210#post1280210

Please disregard. This thread has been nuked.

Omega Man said:

One of the reason parts are expensive, and people seem to forget, parts inventories have a tax load on a yearly basis.
OM

Click to expand...

That depends entirely upon the state in which the inventory is located.

Most manufacturers have figured this out and have their parts distribution warehouses located in states without such a tax. I believe the BMW Motorrad, and the automobile parts inventory is warehoused and distributed from New Jersey.

https://taxfoundation.org/does-your-state-tax-business-inventory/

It would appear that BMW has at least 6 regional distribution centers in the USA.

https://www.bmwusanews.com/newsrelease.do?&id=1940&mid=

RadioFlyer said:

It would appear that BMW has at least 6 regional distribution centers in the USA.

https://www.bmwusanews.com/newsrelease.do?&id=1940&mid=

Click to expand...

Which fact undoubtedly contributes to the prices of replacement parts. I am not sufficiently an accountant to figure out whether six distribution centers are less expensive than one much larger one. Walmart and Amazon might, or might not, provide clues.

PGlaves said:

Which fact undoubtedly contributes to the prices of replacement parts. I am not sufficiently an accountant to figure out whether six distribution centers are less expensive than one much larger one. Walmart and Amazon might, or might not, provide clues.

Click to expand...

Being a high end motorcycle (as are the cars) it's pretty certain BMW strongly considers customer convenience ... meaning quick delivery. Those who do not wish to pay for convenience are considered the minority.

Back in the 1980s when Land Rover returned to the USA market, they established their parts headquarters in Memphis ... home of FedEx.

A couple years ago I ordered a new handlebar switch unit for my R1100S. Parts man stated there was one left and it was in Germany. Ordered Saturday, picked up at dealer following Thursday. I was a happy customer.

Everybody's stomach is different, but when I've been to Germany the food there gets "heavy" after a few days. So, went to a McDonald's to restore some familiarity ... in 2006 a BigMac was 8 euros (more than 8 dollars). Our economy is quantity over quality ... we're a third world country. Stuff coming from Germany is going to be expensive. Germany is far away.

Before retirement I was a technical writer and one thing I produced was a tech manual and accompanying video specifying the process whereby Army personnel would remove counterfeit "Chinese" bolts from a nuclear artillery shell shipping container, transfer them to an observing Defense Criminal Investigative Service agent, and reinstall proper specification bolts. I'm buying genuine parts from the BMW parts system, not Home Depot.