From collectibles to cars, buy and sell all kinds of items on eBayWelcome! Sign in or register.
aAdvanced Search
Popular products
No suggestions.

Reviews & Guides

Write a guide

OEM Vs. Aftermarket Parts

by: archroughdog( 139Feedback score is 100 to 499)
3 out of 7 people found this guide helpful.
Guide viewed: 1635 times Tags: CT90 | CT110 | Honda 90 | Honda Trail 90 | Postie


As you can see there seems to be an endless variety of parts on eBay to keeps our Honda Trail 90's and 110's going forever. Everything from dismantled bikes to OEM's ( Original Equipment Manufacturer - Honda Motorcycle) to aftermarket parts (parts made to resemble OEM's but not made by Honda Motorcycle.)   If you choose to purchase parts from a dismantled bike be sure they will fit your application as Honda was notorious for changing some items (i.e. carburetors, etc) from year to year and also beware that they are also used. They may be a wonderful bargain but they also might be at they end of their useful lifespan. If in doubt research and ask questions of the seller. Sellers want the buyer to be pleased with their purchase just as you want to feel you got what you paid for.   Now, aftermarket versus OEM parts. Which should you buy? Unfortunaltely. just as life itself, the answer isn't always straightforward. Let's look at each separately, OEM parts, well, were made by the manufacturer who made the bike in the beginning. They have spent literally millions of dollars and thousands of hours on research on what will work best on your Trail 90 or 110 Bike. The parts fit, function as they were originally intended and normally look the same as what came with the bike. And let's face it they have done a pretty good job as some of these little bikes are still putting around 40 years later. But with all that research, overhead, advertising, etc; comes a price, and you pay it each time you buy a part. These parts tends to be more expensive. Sometimes way more expensive.   So that is where aftermarket comes in, they reproduce  OEM parts for normally less money. Sometimes they even make improvements on the design so the part works better or lasts longer. Less money, hmmm, perhaps improvements, hmmm, sounds good right? Hold on, not so fast, not all aftermarket parts will begin to compare in quality to the OEMs. They haven't any standards to follow (just their own) unless officially licenced by Honda Motorcycle (most aren't ) and sometimes price is the only consideration. So how do you know if you are getting a quality reproduction part? Follow the basic eBay guidelines when purchasing any parts such as seller rating, number of sales, and be sure to take the time to write to the seller and ask about their parts quality and return policy ahead of time if not satisfied with your purchase. Most good buyers will take the time to help because, as I said earlier, they want you to be a satisfied customer. So think before you buy, are you purchasing the less expensive parts because you want to save money or do you want to spend a little more time and perhaps money to get the right part? The decision is yours.


Guide ID: 10000000001724725Guide created: 09/03/06 (updated 10/06/09)

 
Was this guide helpful? Report this guide

Ready to share your knowledge with others? Write a guide


Related tags: Postie | Honda Trail 90 | Honda 90 | CT90 | CT110

 


eBay Pulse | eBay Reviews | eBay Stores | Half.com | Austria | France | Germany | Italy | Spain | United Kingdom | Popular Searches
Kijiji | PayPal | ProStores | Apartments for Rent | Shopping.com | Skype | Tickets


About eBay | Announcements | Security Center | Resolution Center | eBay Toolbar | Policies | Government Relations | Site Map | Help
Copyright © 1995-2009 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User Agreement and Privacy Policy.
eBay official time