Pattern parts. Lucas in particular.

[bob121]

The stand is by far the best part I have bought for the aj. If only everything else available was to the same standard.

[Reynard24]

Unfortunately, this is a case of history repeating - most British manufacturers eventually succumbed to the practice of building to price rather than specification, concentric carbs and magnetic speedos being two examples of this.
The other problem is that many owners are not prepared to pay for quality spares for their machines which allows certain, shall we say less expensive parts manufacturers, to thrive whereas quality parts makers either go to the wall or they simply cannot compete when quoting for work and turn to other business. This then means that the rubbish is all that's on offer unless you have the skills to repair and refinish faulty but “original” spares.
I know we all like a bargain but I once saw a gentleman of a certain age trying to get a discount from a parts supplier at Stafford show on a new item that was offered for the exorbitant price of £1 and he walked away when this was not forthcoming and in my experience this attitude is not the exception to the rule.
The company I work for is Swiss and all parts of our equipment is made, sourced or machined in Switzerland, nothing is outsourced unless no other option exists so nothing is inexpensive but our customers do not flinch at our spares prices - they know the machines will not run properly without them and will pay whatever it costs and will buy further instrumentation from us when necessary.
Only when we are prepared to pay for quality and thus allow decent spares back into the market will the crap that is currently being offered be thrown on the scrap heap where it belongs.

[Groily]

[quote="Reynard24"many owners are not prepared to pay for quality spares for their machines which allows certain, shall we say less expensive parts manufacturers, to thrive [/quote]

Very true Reynard.

It is a shame! But - I'm sure a lot of them would actually like to sell better bits, which would logically carry higher margins. They can't though, if people refuse to distinguish between price and value.

When I look at what some mass-produced replacement parts for modern vehicles cost - no-one mends anything any more as Spriddler said elsewhere - then even the higher quality (and dearer) small-volume classic parts look good value to me. You can buy a whole classic bike to restore for the cost of norralot of bits and a full service on a modern car (- or bike even, increasingly)!

When something's needed, it's needed, ££ have to be spent and the better the quality the less likely to have to do the job twice. So it's a sad bad thing when we would be quite happy to invest for quality, but can't get it . . .

As ever, though, the customer is king. If a big chunk of them are right royal cheapskates, trade suppliers have to work with that mindset and do what they can (offering more than one option in some cases, where discerning customers have made it economic). Some stuff is crap, I agree 100%, but lot of what they produce and sell is actually OK, and we do need to be grateful that there are suppliers with a distribution system that has done much for availability over the last 40+ years. Fear of Nurse / Risk of Worse comes to mind.

Despite all the things that aren't great, I'd hate to have to go back to the 1970s, when you couldn't get anything for love or money unless you could find a bit of NOS, or persuade Russells, Hamrax, whoever to dig around for something usable. Or go to those grease-monkey dodgy breakers who used to proliferate and recycle near-scrap half the time to callow youths such as I was back then!