Upper Fork bush (and others too) material

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The one ZDF put up from AN. The one shown from CBS is also oilite. As someone said earlier be careful if you want the real thing.
Some stuff out there is very good whilst other is pure crap and will leave you sitting.
 
RGM supply some AN stock at below AN prices, a lot at the same and some above. That is going by the bags they are in when they arrive, could be they have stock bought at lower prices in the past but over the whole I would say they match. So a UK distributor of AN parts can price close to AN, not sure why the US suppliers have to be so much more, is it freight, duties or both.
 
kommando said:
RGM supply some AN stock at below AN prices, a lot at the same and some above. That is going by the bags they are in when they arrive, could be they have stock bought at lower prices in the past but over the whole I would say they match. So a UK distributor of AN parts can price close to AN, not sure why the US suppliers have to be so much more, is it freight, duties or both.
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1. Here in the US a real distributor only sells to shops/dealers for in house repairs and retail sales.
Coventry Spares and JRC Engineering are possible real distributors only and do NO retail sales. They support their shops/dealers.

2. There are US suppliers who give slight discount to other shops and full retail price for mail order sales. They compete with real distributors.

3. The biggest difference for us in the USA is, unlike the UK, here in the USA there are almost NO widely available quality repair shops. In all of New England, almost the size of England/Wales/Scotland, there is not one shop that I would recommend for A-Z Norton repair work. That is where the local/regional norton clubs like the INOA and their chapters are so important. Repair shops now compete with self help internet forums AND clubs.
Internet forums try to fill a void also, but is horribly inefficient and seems to have no long term memory causing incessant repetition.

Therefore I recognize a big divide in the value of knowledge and financial interests of enthusiast clubs, repair shops, and parts makers and the enthusiasts themselves.
 
ZFD said:
Our bushes are made from Oilite material and look very different to the ones at the opening of the thread. Those quite definitely did not come from us.

Look at our product on this link:
https://andover-norton.co.uk/en/shop-details/17097

As for the quatites we order and sell you'd probably be surprised. If Andover Norton did not get the necessary quantities together, how can others?
Joe
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Here we go again, I’ll tell Dude Wheeler at Gate City Cycle, to tell John Healey that their parts are not genuine A/N.
I thought we crossed this bridge Joe?
It’s no matter, just going in the scrap bin at the shop.
I don’t want drama.
Just good parts.

“Any collective wisdom?
Anywhere I can find oilite bushes?”

Turcite on order, will report performance.
 
L.A.B. said:
I've noticed US suppliers charge considerably more for everything, whether they're selling 'genuine parts' or not!
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I think is due to one added level of marketing/sales/warehousing/shipping and profit margin.
 
concours said:
Here we go again, I’ll tell Dude Wheeler at Gate City Cycle, to tell John Healey that their parts are not genuine A/N.
I thought we crossed this bridge Joe?
It’s no matter, just going in the scrap bin at the shop.
I don’t want drama.
Just good parts.

“Any collective wisdom?
Anywhere I can find oilite bushes?”

Turcite on order, will report performance.
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If you tell Dude and John the moon is not made of green cheese so what?
Bob please affirm to the forum the you HAVE already checked with Dude and John and they also affirm the part you got from them was sourced from ANIL ? Then I'm satisfied...end of story
 
You know if a part is of equivalent quality to AN and a proven performer I'll use it a lot of the time, but I don't need to be fleeced and have smoked blown up my ass to make the decision. If it's good it's good and shouldn't require a smoke screen to sell. I do expect honesty from folks I deal with, and if I find they aren't no matter how good I just choose to not go back....The same goes if they don't back their product because life is far too short to waste riding time.
 
We don't undercut the dealer network. In fact I run a shop in Germany selling AN products and, as a one-man-band, am one of AN's top 3 dealers worldwide. I stick to the AN retail prices and get the same discount every other big dealer gets. And, yes, on the Norton side I sell practically nothing but AN parts.
The fact I make money, enough to make it worth my while to continue doing it, shows AN does not kill the dealers. What I do notice, however, is that many dealers ignore our monthly circular on what bits we have re-introduced and often whine something is not available because they are too lazy to check if it is.

We are cautious in taking new dealers on. We try to help those who have been and still are loyal to us and, in the US, refer small dealers to Coventy Spares who are one of the few outlets who ALWAYS read and digest our news, immediately stock the new items, and then, within a short time, have to re-order these as I have seen to my great joy.

If not taking on a cowshed in the middle of nowhere that normally wrenches on the off-road bikes in the neighbourhood and happens to be lumbered with a Norton by a befuddled passer-by means that we "point-blank refuse to support dealer accounts" then, yes, we are guilty. I know certain wholesalers are far less discriminating to the point they supply e-bay dealers who work from home in their spare time at the same prices as traders who have to make a living from selling parts. If you applaud this strategy you are unlikely to underwrite our strategy. But then you shouldn't be surprised if reputable dealers like Rabers stop selling parts because they cannot compete with these part-timers.

I do not know where others get their fork bushings from and don't much care. All I know is that a tool is needed to make them for us and that tool is ours.
Joe Seifert/Andover Norton
 
As for the bushes, feel free to take one to an Oilite supplier and have it tested.
 
acadian said:
I used those Andover bushes on my last fork rebuild with no ill effects, but have since switched to the turcite bushing from JS Motorsport, might want to give them a try
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Thank you reminding me that those are available. On hand, UPS Red
 
dynodave said:
If you tell Dude and John the moon is not made of green cheese so what?
Bob please affirm to the forum the you HAVE already checked with Dude and John and they also affirm the part you got from them was sourced from ANIL ? Then I'm satisfied...end of story
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I will inquire on my next visit, Dave.
 
Im a bit surprised that anybody buys from a dealer when buying direct from AN is so easy. 25 years ago things were different
but now the entire solar system is online. This can be a bother at times because it has dried up shops of all kinds but such is change.
 
dynodave said:
Since AN sells directly to bike owners, it is good for parts authenticity, but then AN also undercuts their own dealer network. American prices generally are almost double the UK prices.
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Frankie17 said:
the point made by dyno dave regarding AN undercutting thier dealer network selling direct
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Onder said:
Im a bit surprised that anybody buys from a dealer when buying direct from AN is so easy. 25 years ago things were different
but now the entire solar system is online. This can be a bother at times because it has dried up shops of all kinds but such is change.
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you make my case...

Here in North America (USA/Canada) it not the same marketing and sales environment as you Brits have.
Many people hate EBAY, as I do, but the US ANIL dealer marketing and price makes it more difficult to own a norton.
Ebay fees, paypal fees, and shipping...All on top of the initial higher cost of added level of Import and distribution cost.
Now add the hassle of getting a "genuine" part that is NG. What is the cost of returning it to ANIL from the US??? It's happened to me more than once.
This is on top of virtually a total lack of competent repair shops. Yes there are some that will gladly "take" your money but some may even be here on this forum to get the info to "try" and fix or rebuild your bike. Buy a "restored" norton on ebay and it may have a pretty paint job but actually be a piece of mechanical junk.

It is time to significantly thin my herd of 22 nortons and concentrate on my 2 Lotus.
 
The local club knowledge is critical, and most of us operate as NFPs and serious enthusiasts who likely cross many boundaries in the motorcycling world (modern, racing, legal etc.)

That said, an added benefit to supporting your local dealer is their ability to source items from the UK typically not available in North America (like Walridge sourcing Castrol Classic 20/50 based on a request from one of our members)
 
Zfd Independent dealer in Germany making money from selling Andover parts BULL S ---- , The fact you own Andover Norton means you get paid twice
Andover offer slim margins for dealers and have for the past 30 years many items are only 10 % off retail as a stockist it would be impossible to survive
 
So just how have the dealers and distributors survived the 40 plus years they have taking parts from AN then, the facts you have are somewhat flawed.
 
Madnorton they have not survived ????? Andover list two UK dealers Mick Hemmings Norman White ( i think Mick has all but retired bought out by AN )

so where are these official thriving dealers not in the UK for sure
 
There are numerous more, all very good repair shops much like Mick and Norman who themselves always run flat out as many will know. Repair work seems to make up the main business of UK classic dealers these days, not the spares. Some have asked not to be listed as they are way to busy and don't need the additional work of spares supply or repair work. Many of AN parts can also be found on ebad these days as well, some of these retailers do not have a premises to sell from - the modern world it seems.
If you were to look at the production and shipping records, it would also explain why the UK has less than other places around the globe, through the 60's and 70's the bikes shipped abroad far out numbered those sold in the UK, for Norton 95% of most weeks production went overseas. Being a British marque, customers in the UK were not really considered, government loans dictated where the bikes were sold during those times.
How do I know the above - like others on the forum know, I work for AN.
 
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