[Group] Singapore BAJAJ Team (SBT)

[Lanzer]

You and your mobile pictures taken at night ... lol..

 

Congrats on the bag, it looks great !

 

Speed's ride is nocturnal. He rides unrestrained under the cover of darkness. To get a photo of his ride in daylight is a rarity.

[ORen]

e good thing abt riding a fazer we got tank mount

 

I agree, its bull. Demand for pulsar is increasing, the only issue is dat spare parts only UM has it.

 

(This is not directly meant for you Gaban, I'm just picking this up because we read this often on the forum so wanted to clarify a few things..)

 

It's not an issue.

 

It's funny how we tend to say that UM being the sole distributor of parts is an issue. I think we should present it more as a circumstance

 

I mean, a lot of riders say "don't get a Pulsar because then you'll have to go all the way to UM to service it and you can't find parts in SG" - but really, look at us. Among our group we've had all sorts of bike troubles, from accidents to minor stuff. Some have gone to JB, some to UM, some to their neighborhood mechanic to fix them.

 

UM being the sole distributor does not mean it's a bad thing and it doesn't mean that if another bike shop did import Bajaj parts they would be cheaper !

 

Ducati also have one unique importer in Singapore (Minerva). Well, the riders have identified at least 3 other bike shop that can service their Ducati. And yes the parts are expensive, but they are expensive anywhere you go in SG.

 

Look at how bike shops deal with Pulsars : when they put their hands on one, they chop the seller with the lowest price possible to make the biggest margin possible. Then they want to close the deal with the buyer as soon as possible.

And when you own a Pulsar and go to their shop, they'll either give you bad feedback on the bike (which they don't know to start with), or they'll tell they can't fix it.

 

UM yes is the sole distributor, and yes some may say the parts are expensive compared to the Indian prices. But if the parts were available everywhere else, other bike shops will give you a high price too. Look at LAB, and Motoworld. These are two very popular bike shops. Does it mean it's cheaper ? No. You have to bargain, if you can - LAB isn't cheap, they will carrot you if you let them. They will give you a discount if you're a good bargainer. Motoroworld works differently, they fix a price and take it or leave it. You can find cheaper elsewhere, and sometimes you can't. They don't really bother with demand or market statistics ! They will give you the price they want for their margin to be interesting.

 

And I think UM does the same thing. It's not an issue, it's the reality of this type of business.

 

So Ok say you think the parts are more expensive or whatever. What do you get in return ?

- very good workmanship, and if you're not happy, they'll listen to your comments and will explain their choices to you

- none of us can say they've been treated rudely by UM. Especially not the potential sellers/buyers. Always good customer service.

- once you start establishing a relationship with the people who work their, you can count on it

- you know the bike is in capable hands and you know they will fix it

 

So yeah, we can complain about cheap this expensive that. Or we can go to AGL in JB and see for cheaper. But not everyone can make their way there, not everyone speaks malay, and not everyone is good at not being chopped !

 

I say it's not an issue if UM is the sole importer. We should see the good in it which is improved communication with them, good relationships and a way to promote the Pulsar community

 

And always remember, compare what is comparable.

Of course if you compare parts prices here with Indonesia or India or Malaysia, you'll find it expensive. Well, if you compare the bike price to start with it's expensive ! See where I'm going ?

 

And also, I think as a group, we could get discounts or something out of our relationship with UM if we were more organized and had a stronger involvement and commitment to this team. I know UM reads this thread, and I expect them to read it, we are after all their customers ! I say, we should take advantage of the fact that they are the only distributor, because then it gives us a very unique and dedicated partner to move forward with.

 

 

 

Just in case those who don;t know me wonder what is my interest in taking this stand: I have none. I'm not promoting them to gain something, I'm just saying what I think. Sometimes, it's easy to be embarked in generalities and new members will think o yeah, it's too bad UM is the only shop who imports parts. I say, why is it too bad? Why doesn;t another shop set up a business and be their competition ? Who would have thoght 10 years agi that Pulsars will become so popular in Singapore ?

[Lanzer]

@O'Ren

Maybe due to my new tyres, tends to bank more when turning.

Ok, will look around for armour pants.

Edited April 5, 2011 by Lanzer

[m0bIlEnErD]

elephants and hippos falling from the sky.

 

ride safe guys!

[Fredd]

hey oren..i juz contacted the supplier. he said mebbe if i purchase more i can get cheaper..so $20 is the max...$18 will be the cheapest. PM me if u interested. Im gettin either black or red..haven decided yet

 

How much? Includes shipping?

I'm looking for something similar: some very rare occasions I rude with my converses if I can't change from y riding boots at my destination. And it's a pain in the heart to see that black Mark from gear lever on them

 

I didn't know this existed. Found about shoe covers, small things you slide from the front of the shoe that protects it like a headband

[ORen]

As promised, I started working on the videos captured by my GOPRO HD HERO camera.

This is the first video I put together, here's the background info:

 

Shot with GOPRO HD HERO Motorsprots camera mounted on the top of my helmet with a 3M sticker curved mount.

The camera was inclined slightly to try to capture as much of the front bike view without including the bike, as well as the surroundings.

The camera is in R5 mode: Full HD, Highest resolution, 19:9, 1080p (1920x1080), 30 fps. This is also a mode that's 27% less wide than the widest mode. I;ll post video of all modes as I go through them.

The video was shot at the end of the afternoon, so the sun is still out there, shining at the camera's lens, you'll see purple dots - that's sun flare. I think it's pretty cool

The video was shot along Bukit Timah Rd, going from Bugis junction to Upper Bukit Timah.

I only picked about 2 min of footage to give you an idea of the quality and the width of the shot.

 

Very important: if you watch the video embedded below, you will only get a 360p resolution.

To see the video at its FULLEST resolution of 1080p, you have to open it in Youtube and then select the 1080p HD resolution from the video menu (bottom right side).

To open the video in youtube, click on the YOUTUBE logo on the bottom right corner of the video.

 

 

This is best viewed full screen !

 

Edited April 5, 2011 by O'Ren

[m0bIlEnErD]

Even my regular mech told me that for Pulsar, he doesn't really wanna touch it.

Not because he doesn't have the parts for it. That he can get. Not so much about the pricing also, cos he is an AD for UM.

 

The reason is because he doesn't touch Bajaj everyday and he might not be able to trouble shoot as quickly or efficiently as the mechs at UM.

 

Personally I trust him with all my non-Bajaj bikes. He is experienced enough and has personally rebuilt from ground up bikes like RXK,GN125,EN125 and even Bajaj Pulsar. All these bikes I have personally seen him working on it.

 

At the end of the day, price wise, we need to haggle. No doubt about it. Everyone needs to make a living. Imagine if you made $10-20 profit per bike and you had 2 mechs. Some bikes take longer to complete than others.

The workshop frankly won't be able to cover their overheads.

 

So I can understand that everyone needs to make a living. As a consumer, we all want a fair deal. But we also need to understand that if we made only $140-150 per day and had to cover our staff's wages, our profits, utilities,etc.... we'd go bust!

[revhappy]

Yoi Tupac: some shops still sell their bikes using old coe. If im lucky, I could get a good condition third hand or second hand cb400 at 4k-5k. then again, im not into cb400.

 

bro..wad has cb400 got to do wif pulsar?

 

yalor.. he say quit riding cos of knee problem.. nothing to do with s4..

 

haha someone needs his kopi jantan!

 

I think Gaban is just trying to say that the increase in COE is not yet taken effect in used bike sale prices. Tupac mentioned that his bike can fetch 4k due to increase COE.

[ORen]

hey oren..i juz contacted the supplier. he said mebbe if i purchase more i can get cheaper..so $20 is the max...$18 will be the cheapest. PM me if u interested. Im gettin either black or red..haven decided yet

 

I'm down for a black one then ! Sure it will fit the Pulsar's gear shift lever ?

[SC Gaban]

Wat I mean is d pricing, if a p200 costs around 4k, I could get a class 2a 2nd hand or 3rd hand bike with that amount given that d bike shop uses old coe la.

 

Sis Oren: ducati is a European bike. parts are expensive even for a 125cc European bikes. Pulsar is an Indian bike. im no pro in marketing but logic tells me india parts in sg should be cheaper.

[Fredd]

but cb400 is a 400cc bike..which is 2a. compare it wif gilera st200 or any other 200 cc bikes would be a better comparison imo..no offense to gabby or revvy

 

I think Gaban is just trying to say that the increase in COE is not yet taken effect in used bike sale prices. Tupac mentioned that his bike can fetch 4k due to increase COE.

[Stylo]

Hi guys .. would like to know how much can i sell my pulsar 200 ... 2 years ... FBD49XX ... mileage abt 16K ... excellent condition

 

2 year only clock 16,000km. Must be parking most of the time.

Mine another 2 month 5 year old bike already one full round(100,000km) odometer. Just clock over 100,000km last month.

[m0bIlEnErD]

bike shops will price their used bike based on their customer base frankly.

if you were to get a 2nd hand Pulsar at UM, prices might be slightly higher cos they are the agent and will generally do the necessary to do up the bike.

 

for outside shops, because they do not have a large pool of people coming in to look for Bajaj, they might just let go of the bike cheaper because they are afraid that there might be no buyers for the bike.

the UG3 that I have been looking at has been sitting there for more than 5 weeks already. i am waiting for him to drop price now....haha

 

this is my personal experience.

[Fredd]

it appears so..coz if it cant fit i will claim refund from the supplier. coz it is a sock..so if its too long..it will slide to the long bracket connectin to ur footpedal.

 

pics of black sock

 

I'm down for a black one then ! Sure it will fit the Pulsar's gear shift lever ?

[revhappy]

but cb400 is a 400cc bike..which is 2a. compare it wif gilera st200 or any other 200 cc bikes would be a better comparison imo..no offense to gabby or revvy

 

Ya bro no offense taken at all. Its just a healthy debate The point is would a buyer want to shell out 4k for a 2B bike when for the same price a 2A bike can be bought from the shop.

[ORen]

Wat I mean is d pricing, if a p200 costs around 4k, I could get a class 2a 2nd hand or 3rd hand bike with that amount given that d bike shop uses old coe la.

 

Sis Oren: ducati is a European bike. parts are expensive even for a 125cc European bikes. Pulsar is an Indian bike. im no pro in marketing but logic tells me india parts in sg should be cheaper.

 

That's where you got it wrong I think. Ducati is yes, as everyone knows, an Italian bike. But no, parts are not expensive ! (not sure why you talk about 125cchere?). The Ducati parts price are following market trends, according to demand and to the brand ! The important factor here is the brand.

 

For Singapore, the rule isn't about the origin of the part. It's like when earlier in the thread we said japanese part should be better than Indian part. Not necessarily. This might have been true 20 years ago, but we see more and more emerging countries with very high skills levels in manufacturing and engineering.

 

Anyway, back to topic : The important question is the local market. The local market will drive and control the prices and type of products sold on that market.

 

The import taxes rule the market prices in Singapore. And drive the business owners to set their prices. If you buy a helmet S$100 in the US and import it, say it will cost you $150 so you sell it $200. If you buy the same helmet from India at a lower start price, say $50 , will you sell it to Singaporeans $100 or will you sell it $200 ? You're a businessman, this is your bread and butter and Singaporeans are used to buying the helmet $200, and are doing it at your competitor's shop - what price will you pick ?

 

See my point ? Let's go back to the Ducati bikes for a second. The Ducati Monster 796 2011 with ABS costs US $9,000, that's S$11,000 +. It is sold, WITHOUT COE, Insurance, road tax etc. at the price of $25,000 !

 

That's $14,000 difference yeah ? Importing a bike from the US to Singapore, costs no more than $7-8k. And I'm being very generous here. So where does the $6k difference go ? In the business's pocket. Bare in mind that the buyer will pay for all COE, Road Taxe, Registration etc etc. Also bare in mind that the bike shop importing the bike will get a factory discount and a reseller contract which gives them preferred rates on bikes and parts. Shipping is also cheaper because of the quantity and the arrangements made with the main branch of the manufacturer to get the bikes to destination.

 

So why does the Ducati bike I mentioned cost $25,000 and not say $20,000 ? Do you think it's because of the "brand" ? Do you think it's because it's expensive by nature ? It's clear that it's not because the bike is an expensive bike ! it's because the local demand, the hype around the brand, and the fact that everyone who buys a Ducati buys a dream, and an image ! That makes it easy to set a price that tells the customer in Singapore "hey, you know this is a dream bike, it's already expensive elsewhere so of course in Singapore it will be even more expensive".

 

So, what I am saying is, Singapore is a rich country. Anyway you slice it, it is one of the richest countries in the world. Not just Asia, in the world. This means that although poverty exists, and although not everyone is making the same living, there is definitely a very healthy employment market, people have an income, so they are likely to spend it. The safe environement as well as the stable political scene (no comment on this please, I don't even want to go there, I'm just stating a simple fact) makes Singapore an place of choice for economy growth and investors targeting stable markets.

 

More than that, the bikes market is a passion market. Some bike riders own a bike because they need the transportation mean and because they can't afford a car or public transportation takes too long to go to work. But the big majority of bike owners in Singapore are riders by passion ! By choice. This means, emotional buyers. Buyers who will not decide on a buy with their head but with their heart. How do you think it's possible in a market where the bike costs at least 3-4 times it's original price, to actually set up a business ? Because people will buy it. Either because they need to, or they want to. (We all know that a lot of bike owners have bikes that cost more money than the cheapest car in Singapore..)

 

So, again, it doesn't matter what's the original price of the part or the bike. There is a very high start price for all things Singapore imports. So people are used to paying higher prices than other customers.

 

By the way, did you know that Singapore was one of the first countries to buy online according to a recent Mastercard/Visa survey ? Comparatively to the size of its population, Singapore is ahead of the US for example by the number of online purchases. It is a very consumer driven country.

 

Maybe we don't see it everyday because we ride a cheapo bike and we don't hang around big bike owners much. But people are ready and willing to pay the price.

 

Doesn't matter how many shops import a part, and it doesn't matter what's the original price of the part where it was manufactured. This is business, and you will be given the best possible price for the shop owner to make a profit, while keeping their customers.

 

So if you want something you know you can find at a better price overseas, you have to be creative and proactive as a customer, a bit like we do for all sorts of things: getting someone to ship it to you from overseas, going there to get it, find bargains online etc.. But if you want a local shop to sell you an overseas part, you have to accept the "Singapore Factor" : it will be more expensive then the original price, and sometimes by a very high margin if that's what the Singapore customers are used to. And unfortunately it doesn't necessarily follow a logic based on the original bike price ...

Edited April 5, 2011 by O'Ren

[ORen]

bike shops will price their used bike based on their customer base frankly.

if you were to get a 2nd hand Pulsar at UM, prices might be slightly higher cos they are the agent and will generally do the necessary to do up the bike.

 

for outside shops, because they do not have a large pool of people coming in to look for Bajaj, they might just let go of the bike cheaper because they are afraid that there might be no buyers for the bike.

the UG3 that I have been looking at has been sitting there for more than 5 weeks already. i am waiting for him to drop price now....haha

 

this is my personal experience.

 

True, simple demand and offer dynamics. But also, I think for UM, it is the core of their business and they know the current and past value of the product and more importantly they know first hand the demand and the availability of Pulsars by the customers who inquire about it to them. Whereas a random shop, they just see it as an opportunity for a quick margin, without really wanting to know or understand the customer or the product.

Edited April 5, 2011 by O'Ren

[revhappy]

2 year only clock 16,000km. Must be parking most of the time.

Mine another 2 month 5 year old bike already one full round(100,000km) odometer. Just clock over 100,000km last month.

 

16k kms is reasonable for 2 years.

 

especially if the rider's workplace is closeby.

 

My workplace is 50Kms to and fro(thats a long distance by Singaporean stds) still I just travel 250 kms a week and 1k kms a month so about 12k kms a year.

 

I dont understand the high mileage in many of the used bikes that I see for sale here. Does everybody ride 50 kms avg a day here? Lol.

[Fredd]

average of 60km a day..on weekends average of 600km..hehehe

 

16k kms is reasonable for 2 years.

 

especially if the rider's workplace is closeby.

 

My workplace is 50Kms to and fro(thats a long distance by Singaporean stds) still I just travel 250 kms a week and 1k kms a month so about 12k kms a year.

 

I dont understand the high mileage in many of the used bikes that I see for sale here. Does everybody ride 50 kms avg a day here? Lol.

[revhappy]

I think there are many other aspects to pricing. For example export duty from India. Import duty from Singapore. I think import duty in Singapore is high only for bike and cars because they want to discourage too many of them on the road. But other things the import duty should be very less or zero as everything here is imported so its not like they want to impose a duty of imported stuff to protect local manufacturers.

 

Besides the duty, there is shipping and warehousing too. Can you imagine UM needs to stock each and every part in their warehouse and in sufficient quantity. They wouldn't even know whether there will eventually be buyers or not for those parts. They need to pay in advance for all these parts by may be taking a loan with interest and then the storage of these parts also is expensive and rents here are damn high.

 

All these are costs for UM and they need to average it out and apply to the parts and hence you get the feeling that their parts are expensive. But I think if you consider other similar bike like Daelim or Hyosung their parts are even more expensive. Honda phantom, CB400, Wave etc are cheaper because there are lots of buyers for those parts and hence they dont need to stock up on the inventory. Their suppliers are huge and the supplier's cost could be low. So there are many aspects to it.

 

End of the day its a comforting feeling that if your bike breaksdown and you go to UM and they have the part and you dont have wait for weeks for it to arrive from India

[tupac74]

2 year only clock 16,000km. Must be parking most of the time.

Mine another 2 month 5 year old bike already one full round(100,000km) odometer. Just clock over 100,000km last month.

 

16k kms is reasonable for 2 years.

 

especially if the rider's workplace is closeby.

 

My workplace is 50Kms to and fro(thats a long distance by Singaporean stds) still I just travel 250 kms a week and 1k kms a month so about 12k kms a year.

 

I dont understand the high mileage in many of the used bikes that I see for sale here. Does everybody ride 50 kms avg a day here? Lol.

 

Ya ... seldom used the bike ... so one more reason to sell the bike ...

[Fredd]

bro..rent to me uh since u not riding..hehe..but 4k cnnt uh..ltr my CFO pek pok pek pok

 

Ya ... seldom used the bike ... so one more reason to sell the bike ...

[m0bIlEnErD]

Does everybody ride 50 kms avg a day here? Lol.

 

I ride 54kms a day.

[tupac74]

bro..rent to me uh since u not riding..hehe..but 4k cnnt uh..ltr my CFO pek pok pek pok

 

Bro ... rent out ... really ??? Firstly I'm not sure if it legal and imagine the liability issues

[Fredd]

haha..duno la bro..i lookin for cheap bike juz to go work n back..u rode an fjr b4..u shud noe how our bikes drink. summore i work 5days a wk..every 3-4 days need to pump alrdy..so tinkin whether havin a fc-savin bike would be financially good for me

 

Bro ... rent out ... really ??? Firstly I'm not sure if it legal and imagine the liability issues