Should You Buy OEM Or Aftermarket Motorcycle Parts?

The chain and sprockets are worn out on your sportbike. You usually do the maintenance yourself, so you have a decision to make about what parts to buy. The Suzuki dealer wants $250 for the set, but you can order aftermarket parts for $195. Is it wiser to pay the higher price and assume the quality is better or should you just go with the lower price?

What do OEM and aftermarket mean?

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer (genuine parts), while aftermarket parts are manufactured by non-OEM affiliated companies. When you buy an original part, you are assured it is the exact duplicate of the part you’re replacing and will fit and function perfectly. An aftermarket replacement can be as good, even better than the OEM; however, it can also be inferior and ill-fitting. Since most parts buyers consider aftermarket because the price is usually lower, the generic parts factory may have incentive to sacrifice quality for the sake of a lower cost.

Factors Other than Price

A modern sportbike, like the Kawasaki ZX10R, pumps out more than 200 horsepower. An experienced (or insane amateur) rider wringing it out daily can create quite a revenue stream for sportbike parts vendors. If you’re the one buying the parts, you have to make a judgment call between the OEM and the aftermarket versions. Here are a few facts to peruse before you buy the part:

• What the part does: How critical to safety, performance and reliability is the function of the item? If it’s a fender and it looks good to you, go with the generic. If it’s an oil pump gear, where a sheared tooth can seize the engine, destroy the innards of the crankcase and possibly lock up the rear wheel, causing you to crash, then definitely pony up the extra dough for the genuine OEM item.
• The effect on existing warranties: Make sure your manufacturer’s, distributor’s or dealer’s limited warranty will continue coverage of your machine if you go aftermarket. A failed generic part can often cause consequential damage like the gear example above. If your coverage has ended, then you can feel more comfortable purchasing aftermarket parts.
• Warranty of the replacement part: Motorcycle manufacturers shout from the rooftops about their revered parts warranties. Many will afford the same limited warranty policy on replacement parts as they did on the bike when it was new. Some will even cover labor under certain circumstances. BMW, for example, offers 24 months unlimited mileage plus free labor if the part was purchased and installed by an authorized dealer. Before making a decision, check to see if your warranty covers OEM parts.
• Insurance and Liability Exposure: Using the oil pump gear example again, suppose that happens while you have a passenger. Say the bike does crash and she suffers injuries. Your exposure could be enormous. OEMs in general are self-insured multi-billion dollar conglomerates with deep enough pockets to defend you and cover the claim.