Indian vs imported motorcycle accessories: Comparison on quality & cost

Some Indian brands also have decent products, especially when we compare their cost.

BHPian nasirkaka recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have used some foreign branded accessories/guard from the likes of SW Motech, Hepco & Becker, etc and also some locally made accessories from the likes of ADV tribe, Zana, Carbon Racing, etc. In retrospect, I feel the answer is not as simple that imported accessories are really better especially when we bring the cost into perspective.

For eg, in 2016, when we got the Versys 650 from the first lot, the only crash guard option available was from Hepco & Becker, costing 18,000 Rs. I had upgraded to Versys from Classic 500 where crash guards were available for 800 Rs. So this price difference felt huge and unfathomable but we had to bite the bullet out of lack of options. Later Zana and other local guys started making crash guards for one third the cost and a lot of new Versys riders started buying them. There were many cases of falls / crashes in the group where the local made guard did fairly well in terms of providing protection. And there were some instances where imported guards also ended up damaging the bike, depending on the nature of the fall.

I had SW Motech guard on my Bonnie and had a crash and bike was fairly damaged, including the guard. I have Pune made ADV tribe guards on the 310 GS and have fallen uncountable times and the guards have done fairly well providing protection.

Same holds true for accessories like handguard. I have Barkbusters costing close to 13K on the Interceptor and Aerbis replica costing 1200 Rs on the Xpulse and have crashed multiple times. They both have done fairly well. Where as on a friend's 310GS even with the original Barkbuster, the clutch lever was damaged and handlebar bent in a regulation drop on the trail.

While its good to go for imported brands as their quality, fit and finish would definitely be much superior, some Indian brands also have decent products, especially when we compare their cost. A lot also depends on the design, attachment point to the bike etc.

Look at the price of of crash guards for NX500 at Rs. 35430. Now 35K is a lot of money for a crash guard, where as a Zana may make guard for 6k for the same bike. So OEM is definitely good, but when we bring this huge price difference in consideration, look at the eventual purpose, design, etc the choice become complex.

So I would look at options available, if at all, compare their design, mounting points, etc and take a call. But for certain other critical parts like brake pads, tyres, lights, etc, would try and go for the best available option, even if its expensive.

Here's what BHPian maverick029 had to say on the matter:

I agree local manufactures have come a long way but i still feel they have ways to go. I purchased zana backrest for my adv 390 and last year in dec it gave away mid trip, the back support fell off when i was overtaking a truck and my wife got imbalanced as she was leaned on it. I thank my stars nothing happened but it certainly made me doubt the build quality of local manufactures and reinforced my belief that i should always go for factory made rather than from custom manufactures.

Here's what BHPian gtx2 had to say on the matter:

I buy from reputed Indian brands wherever possible, the cost is high in both cases but Indian manufacturers keep it a bit lower that results in comparatively better value. But it's a hit or miss.

I have Zana guards + Barkbusters on my Versys. I have had 4 minor falls so far , and both products have saved my bike from damage successfully.

Same can not be said for the Zana radiator guard for which Zana gave cheap zipties to seat it. 'Cheapties' broke at some point in my last tour and the guard fell somewhere on highway . Searching for something else other than Zana in this case now, also will use separately purchased Zipties from now with whatever guard I buy.

Here's what BHPian ridealong_vr04 had to say on the matter:

Indian accessory manufacturers have the ability to make these products in good quality with competitive pricing , but they face a challenge in getting access to newly launched vehicles for development. I reached out to companies like Zana, Carbon Racing and a few others, regarding a simple crashbar for my Tigersport 660 and they all mentioned they have difficulty in getting the bikes they need to create prototypes. I ended up spending INR21000 on SWMotech crash bar.

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