POSSIBLE TO BUILD A NEW BIGDOG

[aspen874]

With BDM and BDM Performance gone, is it possible for someone to build two versions such as a K9 and Mastiff, both are very similar and would it be profitable.

The motor and trans are Baker (I don't know who made the primary) are easy to get. Wheels, brakes and rotor are vendors like PM. We have better options for wiring already. I would think the frame, tank and tins could be supplied by a vendor. the rest of the items hand controls, headlight, etc., there are options for those as well.

BDM sold a lot of bikes between 05-2010, at 35K a copy you would think a small shop could make a reasonable profit.

 

[KaptinAmerika]

The problem we face here is the relative abundance of BDs available at such low prices. You would have to get your hands on all the parts at really low prices, and with parts becoming scarce that would not be an easy thing to do, to make it profitable and even then when you can pick up K9s for 10 to 13000 I'm not sure about making a profit.

 

[FrankBDPS]

It's a shame but I agree with you Curtis. The economy still sucks here in Ohio. I am surprised cars and houses are selling at all. A custom bike built by an unknown builder would be a tough sell. Then what do you do about warranty and all the legal stuff. There are a lot of hidden cost involved also. Most of the small repair and custom shops around here are not doing all that well either. I am surprised to see OCC and Pauljr designs are still around. Probably the TV money keeping them going.

 

[liferider]

It's a shame but I agree with you Curtis. The economy still sucks here in Ohio. I am surprised cars and houses are selling at all. A custom bike built by an unknown builder would be a tough sell. Then what do you do about warranty and all the legal stuff. There are a lot of hidden cost involved also. Most of the small repair and custom shops around here are not doing all that well either. I am surprised to see OCC and Pauljr designs are still around. Probably the TV money keeping them going.

Didn't OCC file bankrupt !

 

[pknowles]

First, you need to buy up all the cheap deals, then start the new ones.

 

[aspen874]

The problem we face here is the relative abundance of BDs available at such low prices. You would have to get your hands on all the parts at really low prices, and with parts becoming scarce that would not be an easy thing to do, to make it profitable and even then when you can pick up K9s for 10 to 13000 I'm not sure about making a profit.

I agree with that today, but if the economy improves like we had prior to the Great Recession the inventory will start to shrink. if you think back to that period these bikes were in the mid thirties.

if you are correct the shortage of parts will increase, so to look at this a different way, could someone out side of BigDogpartsking go back to the vendors to get them to manufacture parts.

 

[Letbigdogintocanada]

Matt Moore who worked for bdm for years own kansas motorcycle works and is practically building big dogs without the issues,not really sure how many have been sold so far

 

[HMAN]

Matt Moore who worked for bdm for years own kansas motorcycle works and is practically building big dogs without the issues,not really sure how many have been sold so far

But only for sale in Europe...

 

[bigdogtech01]

With BDM and BDM Performance gone, is it possible for someone to build two versions such as a K9 and Mastiff, both are very similar and would it be profitable.

The motor and trans are Baker (I don't know who made the primary) are easy to get. Wheels, brakes and rotor are vendors like PM. We have better options for wiring already. I would think the frame, tank and tins could be supplied by a vendor. the rest of the items hand controls, headlight, etc., there are options for those as well.

BDM sold a lot of bikes between 05-2010, at 35K a copy you would think a small shop could make a reasonable profit.

Baker makes the Primary as well. If I was to build from ground up, I would use the open belt rather than the enclosed.
Most the frames i have seen built by someone else are not nearly as nice as the ones BDM was building in house later on. That's why they started building their own frames, because they were having so many issues with the quality of the other vendors.
Then there is the EPA and licensing and all that BS you have to go through...I know here in NY state it's very hard to get anything you built from ground up titled. Have to go get all these tests done and then to insure them is a nightmare. Liability comes into play as well. You have a frame break on you and suddenly you are facing a huge lawsuit :bang:

 

[TimNY]

I built my own bike frame up
I probably have $14 K into it ,I know I couldn't get anything
near that . When I finished the bike I did have a offer to sell it
at a pretty good profit. That was in 2011 though.

As for Paul SR . OCC did claim bankruptcy. He's still spotted around upstate
NY from time to time. Although he's probably down south right now due to the cold weather. A homeless migrator. I saw him a few months back crawling out of a dumpster in Newberg NY . He had a pimped out shopping cart , With alot of stuff bolted on to it.
He said his crew had to work all threw the night to get it done . The unvail was to be at the local soup kitchen the next day .

 

[FrankBDPS]

Like I said there is way more to it than nuts and bolts

 

[TapioK]

Kansas Motorcycle Works

 

[Letbigdogintocanada]

But only for sale in Europe...

Smart move on his part,keeps the frivolous law suits away:2thumbs:

 

[Viking]

Sad state of affair when an entrepreneurial engineer can't build a bike because of lawyers in his own country. Same thing happened to Cessna, Piper and many others. Still some people wonder why this country is in a downward spiral and being bought up by the Chinese for pennies on the dollar. As long as one can live a semi happy life, and for the next 4 presidential terms in my case, I am OK with it and have stopped caring about it.

 

[mymofoname]

Beautiful bikes, just like big dogs.

 

[KaptinAmerika]

Here in California as a private builder you are now allowed one Custom Build for the entire time you live in California, whether you live here your whole life or leave and come back. That forces you to get setup as a dealer then everything goes in the toilet with all the legislation here now in regards to EPA, noise levels etc. etc.

 

[bigdogtech01]

Here in California as a private builder you are now allowed one Custom Build for the entire time you live in California, whether you live here your whole life or leave and come back. That forces you to get setup as a dealer then everything goes in the toilet with all the legislation here now in regards to EPA, noise levels etc. etc.

Wow!! :zzdisappointed:

 

[BWG56]

What would make people sit around and discuss this to the point of making it law, are you kidding me, and we vote these people in office.

 

[germank9]

Here in Europe it's the same Problem, difficult law in the european countrys - the EU will take the ownership over these Problem and so there are people sitting in offices and make new law papers. Without any experiance about the things for that they make these laws..

its sometimes completly bullshit what they doing - but - they do it. To complete the chaos you will have as an result two laws - here in germany the european law and the german law.

That causes as little confusion if you want to build a bike.

For example: When it is registered under german law you must have a front fender that covers the front wheel - when you have registered under EU law you can drive without any front fender.. in the same country.. total sick..