OEM or Aftermarket (Detailed Version)

You may be needing of an OEM motorcycle part or may be not. Read on to know more.
OEM part is short for Original Equipment Manufacturer part. At first sight, it may be understood as originally manufactured per se. However, many motorcycle manufacturers do not really manufacture every motorcycle part of their bikes. They have some parts designed and manufactured by outside companies. After manufacturing, they will now install it to their bikes and will be labeled as OEM.

Purchasing OEM motorcycle parts means buying the exact or same original part your bike manufacturer used to assemble their bikes.

In purchasing, be sure that you will get same performance than that installed in your bike. No less. When it comes to price, OEM parts are usually expensive than aftermarket motorcycle parts. However, there are instances when it is on the contrary.

Sellers, most of the time, say that OEM parts are of higher quality compared to aftermarket parts. This is a common scenario in a motorcycle parts store but the statement may not be always right.

Another circumstance about motorcycle parts is the transformation. Say an OEM part can eventually become an aftermarket OEM part. What a transformation!

The circumstances presented advice you to be extra careful. Caveat emptor, that is. In this regard, it will be best to use OEM parts only within your bike's guarantee period. Also, have these parts installed by authorized mechanics. This is to make sure that your guarantee will remain valid and subsisting.

Aftermarket motorcycle parts, on the other hand, should perform well as OEM. These parts are made by companies other than the original bike manufacturer. You can use these parts when your guarantee period lapses.

Some riders have this misconception that aftermarket is always of lower quality. But this is not always true. In fact, aftermarket parts can also be of the same or even higher quality than OEM parts.

Carbon fiber, gizmos, titanium and aerospace aluminum parts are some of the materials that make up high performance aftermarket parts.

When purchasing motorcycle parts, be sure to get at least the same quality if not better as the OEM part. You can do this by searching and asking. Search the Net and ask your fellow riders and skilled mechanics.