Have you ever wondered if your opinion or desire for new products actually has an impact? I mean, does anyone really listen? Certainly the manufacturers of new cool pieces of anodized billet and formed carbon fiber don’t really care what we want, right?
The offroad world is very different from what most people are used to in the automotive industry. It seems like 99.9% of the aftermarket car parts are made in China. There are two sides to the offroad parts: Big name apparel manufacturers and then everybody else. Apparel is trendy. Designers can only hope that racers will like their new creations and very little input comes from the riders themselves. I know for a fact that some of the brands out there actually do take rider feedback into account when it comes to fit and function, but style is anybody’s game! As soon as the newest flavors hit your local dealer’s shelves, designers are right back at it working on next year’s fashion statement.
So what about everything else? Unlike the auto industry, most of the cool new Farkles (Functional Accessory Really Kool Likely Expensive) come from offroad racers just like you and me. Let’s take Devol Engineering for example. There might be 2 people that make up the whole organization! Enduro Engineering is a small racer run company. Dubach Exhaust is another US company of racers and offroad enthusiasts.
These smaller companies are run by offroad junkies just like you and me. They just found a way to make a living at it! It’s really hard to even come up with something you would want for your bike that someone out there isn’t already making. The difference is whether or not you can afford it in your race budget. Hmmm let’s see… New billet chain guard or replace your favorite pair of worn out underwear with more holes than material left? Obviously the wise choice is to get the new billet chain guard to bling out the bike a little. Honestly, there really is something terribly wrong with all of us.
So to answer my first question: Yes. Our opinions do matter. The manufacturers do care what we want for our bikes. After all, most of them can be found at a local race somewhere around the country on any given weekend. Take a few minutes to stop and think about how unique and interconnected our sport really is. It’s rare and it’s what offroad racing is all about. A bunch of adrenaline starved crazies with apparently way too much time on our hands (note the sarcasm). So who will start the next super cool offroad parts company and become the new king of Billet and Carbon Fiber? Well, you never know, it might be you!
This Post is Tagged With:
austin bankert, Industry Insider
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Mike Honcho
