Kawasaki 'available to back order', what does this mean?

[robbocop33]

Anyone ordered anything 'out of stock available to back order'?
Im restoring an old zxr750, rest of bike is finished and looking fantastic, however, the very last part i need is a seat cowl side.
It is 'extremely' rare and Kawasaki told me no longer available
However, don't know how i ended up calling them, but Fowler Yamaha told me yep, showing out of stock, available on back order, it'll be here in a week, 10 days??
With Kawasaki's words ringing in my ears i felt maybe 30% confident this was going to come off, does available on back order definetly mean the part is floating around somwehere on the planet?
I bent over and paid for the part(yes it hurt) and i've finding it hard to contact them for a follow up, and the email address for them doesn't get through? Squeaky bum time in all sorts of ways here! ;-)

[mad4amanda]

Most manufacturers have a combination of these:
dusty warehouse either in European hub or at the factory where old obsolete part are stored offline from normal stock.
A section on the dealer network where dealers can list parts they have in stock they are typically old stock ordered for jobs that did not arrive or were wrong in some way or just the tail of old items for long gone bikes that were once popular. Dealer can list their stock , other dealers can then see who has what and draw on it for customers with older bikes.
A specialist who has a contact and maybe a contract to buy old obsolete parts direct from the manufacturer when parts become obsolete..

Have you tried a specialist like:http://www.wemoto.com/bikes/kawasaki/

By the way Fowlers are great you wont have any issues with them.

good luck with your search

[gregs656]

Guessing they must be for a different model to yours but there is currently both a LHS and RHS one on ebay.

[gland]

If everything else fails you could look at getting it 3D printed. It's a few years since I got anything done (a small part for a car interior) so I can't recommend a place, but in theory a part could be made from what you have by scanning the other side (mirror image) and printing the plastic part. Maybe someone here has more experience. Even better: borrow the part and have it reproduced.

[robbocop33]

gregs656 said:

Guessing they must be for a different model to yours but there is currently both a LHS and RHS one on ebay.

I wouldn't slip up that easy! I've got everywhere covered! ;-) Think there's two, and the other day i discovered there's 'three' variations of graphics on my colour scheme(black, pink, purple).
There is actually one company that has what i'm looking for, but they know it's rare! They want half the price i paid for the bike for it!! 400 bucks all in.
I'm getting so desperate i'm probably stupid enough to pay that.Plus i asked them for a small discount on it pointing out they'll probably still have it 'after' their company closes down and after i'm dead and buried, but all i got was a bad attitude and cheek.
Incidentally the same self company i've spent thousands with over the years restoring old motocross bikes, there's gratitude for you.

[gregs656]

I thought not! Doesn't cost anything to mention it though.

Fowlers are good. I guess you have nothing to loose.

Must be a complicated graphic? Too complicated to spend £25 or what ever for one in the wrong colour and have someone match it to your other side?

[podman]

Recently experienced this phrase myself getting bits for my 500, also via Fowlers, in Yamaha terms anyway it means there isnt stock in the European warehouse(s) and the part has to come from Japan, at first I was told 3 days, then 10, then 14-21...

I was also told, when the order hit Japan, there was no guarantee the part would actually be available and I may be told the order couldn't be fulfilled. Be aware CMSNL also quite often show they have a part available but a short while after ordering it, it isnt available and has to be refunded.

Unfortunately, Kawasaki have a policy where they stop manufacturing parts for their "older" bikes much earlier than the likes of Suzuki or Yamaha.

Try typing the part numbers into google sometimes turns up trumps, the part I couldnt get from Fowlers/Yamaha a couple of weeks back was lurking in the back of a cupboard in a shop somewhere in Wales...

[robbocop33]

gregs656 said:

I thought not! Doesn't cost anything to mention it though.

Fowlers are good. I guess you have nothing to loose.

Must be a complicated graphic? Too complicated to spend £25 or what ever for one in the wrong colour and have someone match it to your other side?

I've been down the graphic route. Stumbling block was the colour, which surprised me, i thought the problem would be the complicated design(fades from one colour to another) but they had a stencil for it.
I see your point about getting a pair made. If i was doing that i'd probably get a complete side matched if anything. But i've already paid a fair whack for Kawasaki decals for the main side fairing which is all painted, lacquered up.
I've seen a couple of these bikes with different matching colour graphics on front and rear, just doesn't look right, might be my OCD kicking in! ;-)

[Turn7]

Fowlers were always great at in stock parts, but for whatever reason, there Backorder system took forever.
When I was in the trade, we NEVER backordered with Fowlers, always someone like Robinsons, Lings or simialr if off franchise.

[robbocop33]

Called them today, ETA 9th October, woohoo! . Here's my side panels and nose cone, all ready to fit with new genuine decals, fresh paint etc.
Pink purple etc looked crap when i bought it, but when freshly done looks great, in a peculiar, pinky purply sort of way.
|https://thumbsnap.com/aV36om9v[/url]
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Edited by robbocop33 on Monday 2nd October 18:39

Edited by robbocop33 on Monday 2nd October 18:41

[robbocop33]

Well, what I expected to happen has happened, after 6 weeks the part is suddenly not available, so, my final option.
Which is to bite the bullet and buy the 'only' one in existence(and they know it), from Cmsnl, at a price 20 percent 'higher' than Kawasaki!
I actually called cmsnl about it a few weeks ago, saying if it wasn't for me, this part will still be on your shelf at that price after your business has long gone, any chance of a slight discount, cheeky bugger just said we'll get it from Kawasaki then, prick!
So, through gritted teeth I bought the bloody thing from them this morning, 311 bucks thank you very much, then I get an email, "sorry, item is not in perfect condition, do you still want it?
Wtf, I replied yes, but surely in light of the imperfections would you be willing to offer a slight discount? (deja vu)Which isn't an unreasonable request, is it?
Anyone like to bet I don't get a single penny off?

Edited by robbocop33 on Monday 16th October 17:08

Edited by robbocop33 on Monday 16th October 18:38

[Benni]

Did you try webike or yahoo auctions in Japan ?

I have never done this but some of the german ST50 scene import very rare items, new and used.

[BobSaunders]

I see you have a separate thread running on this over in SP&L.

You already have your answer from there - it's the last one in existence (for you), and you have no choice to buy it to complete your project. Supply and demand. They have the supply, and you are supplying the demand. You either buy it, or you do not. The price is the price.

I'd be shoving the price up rather than discounting IMHO.

[robbocop33]

BobSaunders said:

I see you have a separate thread running on this over in SP&L.

You already have your answer from there - it's the last one in existence (for you), and you have no choice to buy it to complete your project. Supply and demand. They have the supply, and you are supplying the demand. You either buy it, or you do not. The price is the price.

I'd be shoving the price up rather than discounting IMHO.

Yes and I'd love to be a fly on the wall if they did that to you.