Genuine BMW parts vs aftermarket

[Major Softie]

...Some of the cheaper aftermarket parts, which may be sourced from Eastern Europe and the Far East, are of questionable quality in terms of material and accuracy of manufacture.
The problem is that some parts from these areas are as good as those sourced in Western Europe or the US. Unless you know the reputation of the manufacturer, you are better off sticking with one of the better known makes.

It's even more complicated than that, as cheap Chinese bearings (as opposed to quality Chinese bearings) have been appearing boxed and labeled as Timken. So, you can't even trust the trusted product, you have to trust the supplier of the trusted product as well.

[the quinner]

...Some of the cheaper aftermarket parts, which may be sourced from Eastern Europe and the Far East, are of questionable quality in terms of material and accuracy of manufacture.
The problem is that some parts from these areas are as good as those sourced in Western Europe or the US. Unless you know the reputation of the manufacturer, you are better off sticking with one of the better known makes.

It's even more complicated than that, as cheap Chinese bearings (as opposed to quality Chinese bearings) have been appearing boxed and labeled as Timken. So, you can't even trust the trusted product, you have to trust the supplier of the trusted product as well.

They're finding a rash of counterfeit parts in military equipment.

[DanielMc]

It's even more complicated than that, as cheap Chinese bearings (as opposed to quality Chinese bearings) have been appearing boxed and labeled as Timken. So, you can't even trust the trusted product, you have to trust the supplier of the trusted product as well.

Counterfeit medicine (as in it looks authentic but is made with bogus ingredients) has been found within the UK National Health Service. Theoretically such a thing is impossible given the requirements of accountability and documentation down the whole supply chain but nonetheless it has happened. There's a whole economy in the far east which is wholly dependent upon getting counterfeit goods on our shelves, and we're not just talking about a few bottles of Chanel and Tommy Hilfiger shirts.

[Jean]

A lot of replacement parts for older VW's, Audi's, 4-wheel BMW, MB, etc will work fine on our older Airheads.
Brake-light switches, oil pressure switches, voltage regulators, metal-can coils- all these are "substitute parts.
GOOD bearings are costly, but not as costly as BMW-boxed ones. If it is really cheap it probably is. Go to an industrial bearing supplier if one is available. I wouldn't do a "mail-order".
**Watch out for the NEW BOSCH High-performance coils tho; they are fatter than the old blue ones and will worry a hole in the bottom of your fuel tank unless you add a bit of spacer to the tank rear mount.

[Deleted User 62]

Watch out for the NEW BOSCH High-performance coils tho; they are fatter than the old blue ones and will worry a hole in the bottom of your fuel tank unless you add a bit of spacer to the tank rear mount.

Good call, Jean! I just checked a tank I've been running and sure enough, my new Bosch blues are rubbing. Not worn through yet, but working on it.

[Peter Bowles]

Great responses, I'm very appreciative of your input. I'm at the bottom of a steep learning curve here, and as with all hills, I'm sure to experience a few false summits as a climb.

I've always put genuine parts back on the bike, partly through not knowing any different and partly through the convenience of going straight to the bmw shop and being told what I needed. And as the shop used to do almost all but the very basic maintenance to I thought it was fair enough.

I guess that over time and now that Munich don't do any mechanical work, that relationship has changed and I'm very happy to look for alternatives - saving a few dollars to spend later and learning more about the mc as I go.

What a great resource of information this forum is, thanks.

[Major Softie]

What a great resource of information this forum is, thanks.

We try to do that occasionally, just to rationalize the bullshit that makes up most of what the site is really here for.

[Garnet]

What a great resource of information this forum is, thanks.

We try to do that occasionally, just to rationalize the bullshit that makes up most of what the site is really here for.

Hey, I resemble that remark!

[mattcfish]

Sometimes aftermarket parts are better and cheaper because technology has improved in the last 30+ years.
Enduralst alternators and Siebenrock piston kits to name a couple. If you bought BMW originals they would not perform as well and would cost more. It is also interesting that parts made by the same manufacturer for VW's cost much less than those for BMW cars, and how the same parts shared by 30 year old BMW cars cost less than parts designated for airheads.
I used to work at an art supply store. We could sell a tackle box for $50.00 if we called it an "art" box. The same box could be bought at a hardware store for a third of that.

[Jean]

MS, I've also noticed a lot more gardening product vs. tech talk in the past few weeks.
I guess everything is working OK...nothing's broke.

I don't want to talk about bleeding rear brakes on the R100s...

Peter, on the IBMWR website, someone has posted a list of "substitute" parts that will work on airheads. This is stuff you might need when there's no BMW shop nearby or you'd like to get a good part for le$$ due to the terrible exchange rate. Older airheads have little electric/electronic stuff to go wrong, but now and then you might need a relay for the starter...the OEM 'safety' relay (/5) is one of those things that can only be replaced by BMW-parts, but with some simple wiring changes, any good starter relay can work.

I use NGK spark-plug caps on all my bikes; on the one I ride the most, I have waterproof ones. Red. The wires are also not original; some of the bikes have yellow jacket Lucas wires, and some have Belden Electrotemp #94 which I get from NAPA in bulk length (whatever length I want, not precut.) The Belden cable is very good stuff. Salvage and re-use the BMW coil connectors tho, you can't beat them!