Extremely Poor Parts Availability

[KhaoYai]

Bit of a rant/warning to others/general info.

 

I'll be arriving in Thailand shortly and heading 'up North' for a 5 day tour starting 20 January.  As, I'll be covering a fair distance + my bike is almost due, I decided to change the oil and filter before I go.  Having bought main dealer parts for cars before, I'm aware that they carry very little stock and usually rely overnight deliveries from the manufacturers warehouse in Thailand.

 

I wondered if the same applied to bikes but thought "yes it probably does but surely not service parts". Still, it kept nagging at me so I asked the gf to call the Kawasaki dealers in Nakhon Ratchasima to make sure they keep oil filters in stock.  I was right to worry about this and glad I got her to call - "no, no hab filter for big bike, hab to order from Kawasaki" was the answer my gf received!

 

Kawasaki have consolidated their filter range now and the filter for my bike fits dozens of models (it probably fits other brands too). I know there aren't too many 'big bikes' around out in the sticks but I can't believe they don't even keep an oil fiter in stock - especially one that fits many models.

 

Be warned.

 

I'm bringing a genuine Kawasaki filter with me from the UK.

[impulse]

You're worrying in advance.  Probably unnecessarily.  Unless you're dead set on doing your own repairs to save a few baht.

 

Bring your big scooter to a service guy and he'll hop on his 125cc beast, head off down the road and come back in a few minutes with the exact part he'll need to effect the repair.  

 

If you ask him to sell you just the part and he isn't going to make any money, you'll get your "no hab".

 

I had the same experience with a 20+ year old pickup truck.  Finding parts for DIY was a nightmare.  But getting it serviced was never a problem.  They know where to go to get the parts.  But they don't do it for free.  Still, cost of service labor was peanuts.  Less than the value of my time just scrounging the parts they fetched.

 

Edited January 3, 2020 by impulse

[eisfeld]

Inventory management by motorbike dealers is not exactly great in Thailand. It's probably a combination of various reasons like there just not being enough big bikes to justify keeping stock and well, sub-par management skills being involved. For common items like oil filters you have to calculate up to 3 days lead time (express delivery from BKK). For uncommon parts all bets are off. If from Japan then maybe a week if you get lucky. If from Europe then it can be in the order of several months.

 

Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) is a pretty big place with quite a lot of big bike riders. Kawasaki not stocking oil filters with a common SKU is just disappointing. I get the impression that Kawa is slipping these past years. Too much competition now maybe. Other brands took big chunks of the market.

[KhaoYai]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

You're worrying in advance.  Probably unnecessarily.  Unless you're dead set on doing your own repairs to save a few baht.

Nothing to do with saving a few baht - the only person that touches my bike is me, I'm a mechanic and trust no-one else.

 

Mine is not a big scooter thanks and I'm aware that they may be able to source parts locally - I want to be sure the filter I use is of good quality.

[impulse]

3 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Nothing to do with saving a few baht - the only person that touches my bike is me, I'm a mechanic and trust no-one else.

 

Mine is not a big scooter thanks and I'm aware that they may be able to source parts locally - I want to be sure the filter I use is of good quality.

 

Good luck...  To them, it IS about a few baht.  When in Rome...

 

Where I come from, if it has 2 wheels it's called a scooter.  We have scooters with 5.7 liter Chevy V8 engines.

 

Edited January 3, 2020 by impulse

[KhaoYai]

4 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) is a pretty big place with quite a lot of big bike riders. Kawasaki not stocking oil filters with a common SKU is just disappointing.

Yes it is and I think your comments on sub par management are probably the main cause, afterall we are talking about an oil filter here.

[VocalNeal]

Surely the oil filter is not unique to Kawasaki. A unit from Honda would probably suffice if it is the correct size.

[KhaoYai]

22 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Surely the oil filter is not unique to Kawasaki. A unit from Honda would probably suffice if it is the correct size.

And probably just as unavailable. Last year a fitted a brake master cylinder to a friend's Honda car in Thailand. The model in question had a known fault with this part but despite that, the local Honda dealer didn't keep it in stock. Granted a master cylinder is not exactly a service part but as I say, it was a known fault - 3 days from Bangkok.

 

It is quite possible that the same filter is used on other brands - as I said before, it now fits many Kawasaki models.  However, the size of an oil filter has little to do with its suitability - clearly it has firstly has to fit but its the flow rate and internal capacity that matter. Its a relatively cheap part but an unsuitable or poorly made one can have devastating consequences.

 

Not sure about Thailand but in the UK, to become a dealer for a manufacturer a certain stock inventory is required. Everyday service parts would certainly be included in that inventory.

 

In the UK I'd happily fit an aftermarket brand part - because I know which ones to trust and in many cases the filter is identical (bike and car manufacturers don't make filters).  When I've bought aftermarket parts in Thailand, I've never seen a name I recognise.

Edited January 3, 2020 by KhaoYai

[VocalNeal]

9 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

However, the size of an oil filter has little to do with its suitability - clearly it has firstly has to fit but its the flow rate and internal capacity that matter. Its a relatively cheap part but an unsuitable or poorly made one can have devastating consequences.

Just need to find the Fram or whomever's number for the filter and cross reference it with other bikes. Might not be as much of a stretch as it sounds.

I just bought some camshaft bearings for a Vespa. At an SKF bearing distributor. The bearing dimensions were in the manual and SKF has a helpful website. 

 

 

Edited January 3, 2020 by VocalNeal

[papa al]

 

 

7 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

the size of an oil filter has little to do with its suitability

Huh?

 

[impulse]

I'd add that in my area of BKK, the motosai taxi guys were a great resource.  I'd get a local Thai to translate to them exactly what I needed (or gave them the dead part) and they'd go out and find it for me.  I always paid them well for their efforts and tipped them whenever I rode with them.  They found stuff that I could never find myself.

 

[KhaoYai]

Just a word on oil filters in general.

 

I can't mention the names because as far as I'm aware there is a court case going on at the moment. However, a certain filter manufacurer supplies parts that are fitted to an engine that, although is only made by one manufacturer, is fitted to several brands of van.

 

The filter is known to collapse inside and block an oilway - resulting in complete and catastrophic engine failure.  Be sure of which filter you buy.

[KhaoYai]

7 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

I just bought some camshaft bearings for a Vespa. At an SKF bearing distributor. The bearing dimensions were in the manual and SKF has a helpful website.

Yes, I've been doing that for years - 99% of bearings are a standard size and 100% of them are not actually made by vehicle manufacturers .  As I say, I've never seen an aftermarket brand name that I know in Thailand.  Fram I would trust but I don't know if they are available.

 

Anyway, we are talking about something that I buy once per year and its only a few quid. I'm just amazed that a Kawasaki dealer doesn't keep a filter in stock.

[VocalNeal]

2 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Yes, I've been doing that for years - 99% of bearings are a standard size and 100% of them are not actually made by vehicle manufacturers .  As I say, I've never seen an aftermarket brand name that I know in Thailand.  Fram I would trust but I don't know if they are available.

 

Anyway, we are talking about something that I buy once per year and its only a few quid. I'm just amazed that a Kawasaki dealer doesn't keep a filter in stock.

Either the locals don't bother or no money in just selling the filters vs. charging for a complete oil change.

[KhaoYai]

12 minutes ago, papa al said:

 

 

Huh?

 

Huh what? Cannister type oil filters can come in several different sizes depending on the the makers design and the internal level of filtration. However, to be suitable for a particular engine, the flow rate and capacity must match the manufacurer's specification. With catridge type filters the size is vital as it has to fit in the vessel. Mine's a cannister.

[Chazar]

welcome to the wonderful world of disposability the world where manufacturers  wont even let you buy the parts even if you wanted to.....think APPLE for  one

[eisfeld]

47 minutes ago, impulse said:

Where I come from, if it has 2 wheels it's called a scooter

Meanwhile, in the majority of the reasonable world...

[Dumbastheycome]

So bring  more than one  with  you !

 

[papa al]

"the size of an oil filter has little to do with its suitability - clearly it has firstly has to fit"

you contradict yourself within one sentence.

5 5

[DaRoadrunner]

Took my car to the dealer service dept. No hab part. So I went out and tracked down the part for them and returned with it to the dealer.

 

Later I received an e mail from the service manager informing me I should not outsource parts in future without their prior permission! (Obviously it robs them of their profit on the part, but then they should be responsible and have it in stock).

 

This incident really hurt my brain. I will never understand the Thai thought process.

[papa al]

1 hour ago, KhaoYai said:

Be warned.

I'm bringing a genuine Kawasaki filter with me from the UK.

Thanks for the warning.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, KhaoYai said:

And probably just as unavailable.

Fatal assumption?

 

1 hour ago, KhaoYai said:

Not sure about Thailand but in the UK, to become a dealer for a manufacturer a certain stock inventory is required. Everyday service parts would certainly be included in that inventory.

Blew a top intercooler hose on the pickup coming back from Bangkok last weekend. Dropped by the local dealership in Bahn Nork after the holidays and he had two in stock. The stock labeling indicated that they were both delivered late last summer.

 

Luckily, I only needed the one.

 

1 hour ago, KhaoYai said:

In the UK I'd happily fit an aftermarket brand part - because I know which ones to trust and in many cases the filter is identical (bike and car manufacturers don't make filters).  When I've bought aftermarket parts in Thailand, I've never seen a name I recognise.

When you decide to park in Thailand full-time, you will discover that the Chinese-made after market stuff they sell in the UK is the same as the Chinese-made after market stuff they sell here.

 

That and lazada

 

YMMV

[KhaoYai]

43 minutes ago, Chazar said:

welcome to the wonderful world of disposability the world where manufacturers  wont even let you buy the parts even if you wanted to.....think APPLE for  one

That's not the case here. You can buy one - that dealer just doesn't keep them in stock.

[NanLaew]

18 minutes ago, DaRoadrunner said:

Took my car to the dealer service dept. No hab part. So I went out and tracked down the part for them and returned with it to the dealer.

 

Later I received an e mail from the service manager informing me I should not outsource parts in future without their prior permission! (Obviously it robs them of their profit on the part, but then they should be responsible and have it in stock).

 

This incident really hurt my brain. I will never understand the Thai thought process.

The local dealership knocked 10% off my intercooler pipe because I am always buying stuff from them and doing the repairs at home.

 

YMMV.

[KhaoYai]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

When you decide to park in Thailand full-time, you will discover that the Chinese-made after market stuff they sell in the UK is the same as the Chinese-made after market stuff they sell here.

Ha Ha, yes, I'm sure you are correct. Even the genuine Kawasaki filter is made in China.

 

However, there's Chinese aftermarket and there's Chinese aftermarket. I can think of 2 suspension parts brands that are actually made in China. One I know for a fact is a load of tosh (a bottom ball joint on my car lasted less than 6000 miles) - the other is fine.

 

[KhaoYai]

31 minutes ago, DaRoadrunner said:

Later I received an e mail from the service manager informing me I should not outsource parts in future without their prior permission!

Well. apart from his attitude, I can sort of understand his reasoning although I suspect something got lost in the translation. He knew you didn't need his permission.

 

When I was in the business I refused to fit customers own parts. My hourly charge out rate was based on how much it cost to run the business vs the income streams.  Much like any other re-seller, I made a mark up on the parts I used to carry out  repairs.

 

Had I not made that mark up, I would have to have charged more per hour for my labour.

 

However, there can be problems with fitting parts you haven't actually bought - protracted delays in replacements if they turn out to be the wrong part, warranty problems, etc. etc.

Edited January 3, 2020 by KhaoYai

[DaRoadrunner]

1 hour ago, KhaoYai said:

Well. apart from his attitude, I can sort of understand his reasoning although I suspect something got lost in the translation. He knew you didn't need his permission.

 

When I was in the business I refused to fit customers own parts. My hourly charge out rate was based on how much it cost to run the business vs the income streams.  Much like any other re-seller, I made a mark up on the parts I used to carry out  repairs.

 

Had I not made that mark up, I would have to have charged more per hour for my labour.

 

However, there can be problems with fitting parts you haven't actually bought - protracted delays in replacements if they turn out to be the wrong part, warranty problems, etc. etc.

I used to own a garage business. As you said, we also did not like fitting customer sourced parts. However, in this case here in Thailand they could not obtain the part. Car sat there for 7 weeks, no part. So they had no excuses and a real nerve telling me what I could or could not do.

 

They lost face due to not having the part.

 

They lost face again as I had to do their parts sourcing for them.

 

But some months earlier this same service manager sent me an e mail asking for my help in finding a part for his own car! Thais only see their own point of view.

 

[canthai55]

If / When you live here, best get to know the local car parts places, and bike part places.

Nothing they can not find except parts in an OE box

Notice I did not say OEM as manufacturers make nothing - all outsourced.

Kawasaki et al does not make oil filters

[KhaoYai]

21 hours ago, papa al said:

"the size of an oil filter has little to do with its suitability - clearly it has firstly has to fit"

you contradict yourself within one sentence.

5 5

Not so. A filter may fit the sealing surfaces and the screw thread, the actual size of a filter for the same model may vary from maker to maker but it may or may not be suitable for the same vehicle. Filters that look identical in all respects may have a different flow rate.  I have 2 diesel fuel filters in my garage here - both will fit my Daihatsu Fourtrak and both look the same. However, if I use the vehicle off road in low box at high revs or similar high fuel use situations with one of those filters fitted, it will draw air and stop - the flow rate is not high enough, I know, I fitted it a while back unknowingly and it took ages to find out what was wrong.

 

An oil filter with the wrong flow rate is a whole different ball game as it affects oil pressure. Too low or too high oil pressure can have catastrophic consequences for an engine.

[KhaoYai]

13 hours ago, canthai55 said:

Kawasaki et al does not make oil filters

Yes, I'm aware of that - see posts 8 & 25.

 

My 'Kawasaki' filter arrived today 'Made in China'.