I understand the point you are trying to make but I stand by my previous statement.

Granted my computer is mostly Chinese (major problems with it yesterday) as well as my phone (had to replace a couple of times so far) my T.V. however is Japanese and has lasted over 20 years (yes it is a CRT T.V.).

I'm glad you have had good luck with your Chinese product unfortunately I haven't had the same experience.

 

Graham,
I think you are correct. However, there may be a significant perception variation, depending on which side of the pond your on. The problem we have in the US is that we are very frugal and demanding. In order for us to buy something, we need to see a value. So, the cheaper the item can be brought to market, the more it will sell. But, as it fails, we'll complain about quality as we go buy another just like it.. Take shocks for example, everyone here chokes on the price of a set of Ohlins and most will opt for a set of lowering brackets for thier stock set instead.. Lifters are something else, I have recently found stellar quality in Velvatouch, but the price will continue to drive most folks to buying Ultima, regardless of quality. It is what it is, but I do think its a national thing, for the most part.. I know I'm done with Chinese if I can help it since my experience with the chinese wheel and pushrod tube.. Both could have been very bad for me..

 

I've been around long enough to have lived through the days of poor quality Japanese products! You should see the early Hondas FFS - I've drilled the cover screws out of bikes less than one year old, because the screws wouldn't budge. Such comments were far more justified back in the 50s and 60s than the recent comments about Chinese stuff. The difference is that they are using modern manufacturing techniques and materials, which they have in abundance.

Shocks is a different subject altogether! The Japanese suspension we all suffer from, on Evos or more modern Harleys, is from the bottom of the pile and despite the superior stuff available on other brands of bikes - from the same manufacturer. Which brings us full circle, as that example demonstrates that if the customer demands crap, that is what they will receive - Japanese or Chinese - as both nations can make top drawer stuff, today!

There are undeniably differences in perception, around the globe. Tyres is another, but we'll leave that for now!

 

I have never bought any part from Harley that wasn't spot on, no matter where it was made. I have bought some cheap chinese parts and got pretty much what I expected. Some were workable, some were not. I have bought some swap meet parts that needed some welding, grinding and filing to fit but, they worked perfectly after that.

When it comes to exhaust systems, forward controls, any engine/drivetrain part, gas tanks, etc.., it's like toilet paper. Cheap toilet paper and underwear will work, barely, but you will never be happy.

 

Maybe you just needed extra Gorilla tape.

 

My tap & die set gets a regular workout on new parts, particularly Kuryaken stuff.

 

There's good aftermarket stuff and not-good aftermarket stuff. I don't buy enough parts to know what is good and what isn't, so I generally stick to MoCo parts which are either good or at worst, acceptable. The last aftermarket part I bought was a Kury set of highway pegs for Dr.Linda's Sporty. They completely disintegrated 2K miles later, like, you look down and 1 is missing and the other is loose at a crimp that should have been a weld or 1 piece. I replaced them with some HD foot pegs which are still there.

Some problems with Chinese manufacture are that a part is spec'ed out. The prototype is perfect. The first batch is very good. Then quality starts dropping off and with the shipping and manufacturing delays, you are six months behind and good luck getting your money back from the manufacturer who just sent you a batch with a 50% failure rate. Also, they will run a midnight shift of your parts and sell them in other markets or to the US black market.

US manufacturing is a different problem. Government overhead (primarily) has forced our economy into a state of being non-competitive. Uncle Bill started the outsourcing of our industrial complex to China. "W" continued on with Uncle Bill's work, and The O has just continued on with that as well. The only thing we make here are some food stuffs that are too expensive to ship in and military hardware (made with a lot of Chinese and Indonesian parts, near as I can tell.)

 

You should try putting a 5P root into chinese pipe... I don't care how pretty of a wedding band root you can lay in there... that porous chit aint passing X-ray.

 

Yep, I have even bought parts that said they would not fit and they did fit. Figured I have to mod it , but did not have too. They don't care what they tell ya now days, just get the money and run.

 

Sorry my friend but that just is not true. The company I work for opened a porcelain plant in China about 6 years ago and EVERY porcelain plant over there is using such primitive equipment that it is just mind blowing that they can actually produce usable part much less a quality part. Same goes for most of the foundry's and machine shops we deal with there. Labor is cheap and equipment and tooling is primitive and that is how they produce cheap products.