Cheapskate parts.

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Sun 1 Mar 2009 23:28
Cheapskate parts. - 1400ted
Any experiences of real pennypinching engineering by manufacturers ?
My own refers to my Honda, a make noted for quality. I have two brake master cylinders on the handlebars. Both have the normal rectangular covers and seal as used by Honda on many models. I needed to change the fluid after fitting new pads and found the screws holding the lid on were rusted.. they are small crosshead screws and , when tight, are slightly recessed in the cover making a little reservoir for rainwater. I had to drill the heads off, remove the covers and take out the shanks with pliers. Surely 4 tiny screws are not a great part of the manufacturing cost...a penny or 2 on a £6500 machine ? Why on earth can't they spend an extra penny or two and fit them in stainless ?
Ted
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Mon 2 Mar 2009 10:06
Cheapskate parts. - martint123
Not only do they corrode, they are made of soft cheese and the slots disappear in no time.
My SLR650 is Spanish made and this is noticable compared to Japanese models.

My Yam has plastic bottles with screwtop lids so doesn't suffer this problem, but I've replaced the exup valve screws with stainless ones as heat and crud from the road make it end up like a welded joint!.
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Tue 3 Mar 2009 23:59
Cheapskate parts. - Harleyman
Just two words; "Harley" and "chrome". The two do not stick together.

I am told that this is because the chrome is nowadays much thinner as a result of environmental considerations. I strongly suspect that it's more down to penny-pinching manufacturers.
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Fri 27 Mar 2009 13:06
Cheapskate parts. - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}
I owned a Honda MTX125 a while back. The fixing bolts and screws I removed were very soft and I damaged a few.Think it was made in Italy. The Yamaha XT350 that followed it was superb and all fasteners were high quality. As per my series of BMW bikes.
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