Buying Parts from Russia and the Ukraine

[Rob Reznik]

Thought I would add this post in view of people’s expectations with buying parts from the Ukraine and Russia.

In the UK, and most of Western Europe, you are able to walk into a dealer, go to the parts department and ask for parts. In normal circumstances the part will be in stock - you can pay your money - take part and everyone is happy - worst case scenario 'Sorry Sir but part is not in stock - if you would like to pay for it now we should have it in a couple of days'

If anyone thinks its the same buying parts in Russia and the Ukraine you had better wake up :shock: - very few parts are kept on the shelf - most shop employees have no incentive and are very unhelpful - prices are quite often not given until the parts have arrived which can be 6 to 8 weeks. Please if you are requesting information on parts bear that in mind and accept that’s how it is - I'm sure things will change as they have done in the likes of Poland and the Czech Republic but its still not all plain sailing there.

Please also understand that the quality of parts may also be inferior to what we would expect in the UK from Western Manufacturers/Dealers - I visited an Ural Motorcycle Dealer in Kiev and was shocked to find the poor quality of parts/castings and major rust on a brand new bike!

[Macabry]

I second that, when I restored/rebuilt my Dnepr I used ebay extensively. I dealt with Poland,Russia,Ukraine and Germany.

I found most Polish guys good and some excellent (one guy sent the parts BEFORE I had paid him ) however Polish stuff was always a bit more expensive.

I found most Russian guys non-communicative, but the stuff arrived (not quickly but not too long either)some were quite good though. Parts where cheaper than Polish dealers but not always.

I found Ukrainian dealers operated on a different level, some seem to use "Geologic Time" rather that the solar clock, also the difference between a parcel being sent or not being sent is not black and white (it may have been sent last week but could be unsent the next ?? ) One guy that I found quite good for several orders suddenly went feral... another sent part of the order and suggested I order more parts and he would send the remainder of the previous order....WTF.
Ukranian parts where cheap but in the end not cheap enough to warrant the stress.

I found German dealers to be comparible to the polish or russian guys, but more expensive.

Overall ,this is just my findings, I am not saying one country sucks or another is great (the exact opposite) I just reckon there may be a higher percentage of dodgy guys in some though.

Best regards,
Shane.

Note: If using Ebay anywhere, be aware the some guys create account after account re-opening with different names after Ebay shuts them down...and they create possitive feedback for a while so they can scam people later on.

[Macabry]

Rob is also dead right about the quality of stuff, some of cast stuff I received was as porous as a biscuit and would snap in your hand, and some of the molded rubber bits were mis-shapen.

By the way Rob, did you visit the KMZ factory in Kiev (where they make Dnepr bikes)?

The reason the "new" bike looked so bad is that the factory has been semi-closed for years and guys seem to bolt all sorts of bits from the different models together to form "franken-urals" (I have even seen new bikes with second hand parts mixed in- as the parts wern't being made at the time - still sold as new though )

Best regards,
Shane.

[Ditch]

Thanks for that info lads. Easy to forget sometimes that we are trading across cultural barriers as well as national borders.

[Rob Reznik]

Rob is also dead right about the quality of stuff, some of cast stuff I received was as porous as a biscuit and would snap in your hand, and some of the molded rubber bits were mis-shapen.

By the way Rob, did you visit the KMZ factory in Kiev (where they make Dnepr bikes)?

The reason the "new" bike looked so bad is that the factory has been semi-closed for years and guys seem to bolt all sorts of bits from the different models together to form "franken-urals" (I have even seen new bikes with second hand parts mixed in- as the parts wern't being made at the time - still sold as new though )

Best regards,
Shane.

Didnt get to the KMZ factory but did visit the Kraz one in Kremenchug -
I would like an old Ural or Dnepr at some stage when finances are a bit better but I came to the conclusion that S/H ones are cheap enough in the UK and quite often already 'sorted' and without the cost and hastle of transport and registration I think makes sense to get one here

[malcolm bogaert]

Rob...I have a brand new Dnieper-11 with only 179 Kms on the clock....bonus is its registered as a 1971 plate(down to the previous owner) sell or swop w.h.y. regards malcolm

[Macabry]

They are fun bikes offroad, mine is an Mb750 sidvalve w/ dual rear wheel drive - you can plant the front wheel and doughnut around it all day, fun fun fun. also they will run on cross fuel (when I rebuilt my carbs they were full of Kerosene residue).

If you are looking for one, buy at home, as mentioned. They usually have the bugs worked out. Anything imported from eastern block countries can be a very false economy.

Regards,
Shane.

[M_ARK]

Rob wrotes:
In the UK, and most of Western Europe, you are able to walk into a dealer, go to the parts department and ask for parts. In normal circumstances the part will be in stock - you can pay your money - take part and everyone is happy - worst case scenario 'Sorry Sir but part is not in stock - if you would like to pay for it now we should have it in a couple of days'

If anyone thinks its the same buying parts in Russia and the Ukraine you had better wake up - very few parts are kept on the shelf - most shop employees have no incentive and are very unhelpful - prices are quite often not given until the parts have arrived which can be 6 to 8 weeks. Please if you are requesting information on parts bear that in mind and accept that’s how it is - I'm sure things will change as they have done in the likes of Poland and the Czech Republic but its still not all plain sailing there.

Please also understand that the quality of parts may also be inferior to what we would expect in the UK from Western Manufacturers/Dealers - I visited an Ural Motorcycle Dealer in Kiev and was shocked to find the poor quality of parts/castings and major rust on a brand new bike!


Yes, it is true, for my regret. All your opinions, my friends, are right. The sellers service is the wild on the former USSR area. I think also, the sellers are most greedy and lazy in the world. For example, the profit 5-10% is normal for the all world, but the sellers in the Russia the profit in 20-30% is a not very big! It is one item.
The second item - a lot of new proprietors of the workshops are greedy also, they would like to take maximum profit from the factories, but they wouldn't to give the money for development. The quality of the many produced goods is poor and less then the same goods in the USSR.
I think, a lot of people in Russia and Ukraine must learn to do the normal business and they must understand, that a buyer is a God.
But there is a progress. Day by day, are awoken the peoples who understand it. I think, after 4-6 years the business in the Russia will be more friendly and became civilized.

[Abrs]

Arkadiy thank you for your honest opinion, I think there are also plenty of greedy people here in the U.K. A profit margin of around 33.3% is not uncommon here also in certain sectors , although the way the global economy is heading I do not believe this will be the case for long :? . Is the Russian economy also facing a crisis in your opinion?

Regards John

[M_ARK]

Arkadiy thank you for your honest opinion, I think there are also plenty of greedy people here in the U.K. A profit margin of around 33.3% is not uncommon here also in certain sectors , although the way the global economy is heading I do not believe this will be the case for long :? . Is the Russian economy also facing a crisis in your opinion?

Regards John

The russian economy don't very integrates in the world economy, therefore the simple people don't feel the crisis (the some banks made the conditions for receipting the credits more hard). But I think, there is the big problem in the world economy. Globalisation is a normal process at this stage of development the world's economy, but this process are controlled a few peoples, and they do it only for property profit. Globalisation, as a power are concetracing in a dirty hands.

[JMD007]

Russia is Russia is Russia. You walk a different path my friend.

Just keep turning out those big, kickass trucks!!!!!

[CRAZY IVAN]

It might be of interest to fellow Russian truck fans.........to know that i have decided to move to Russia to buy a house by a lake 140 kms north east of Moscow....

I also own an old farm in northern Poland , not so far from the Russian truck dealer in Kolobrzeg...

My girlfriend speaks Russian and English....

I can see a plan coming together here...

[cors187]

Crazy Ivan hello.What made you choose moscow area?

[CRAZY IVAN]

This is where the love of my life is living...i am moving first to her flat in the city , then two months later we are doing the wooden house by the lake thing...

[abbot433]

Made 2 good contacts in poland for all russian military vehicle spares ,cheap and reliable.no need to pay silly prices and he has even offered me a mecanic,hopefully to just work on my vehicles .you cant tell with these people.

[cors187]

KarlJ wrote:
If you have any 'top tips' for doing business in Russia please pass them on. A friend of mine has spent the past two years trying to import from them (he has the money but they wont sell even though they've signed a contract, no explanation)

Not that i want to take anything away from this thread but i will add something interesting in regards to the paradox.

Example1 i walk into a tire and wheel shop and ask for "winter tires size 205-60-16c".
They say in these exact words "whats it for". We say "Gaz Sobol", they looked at us and said "net".
That was the entirety of the transaction according to them.
So my friend whos russian and speaks good english is asking them about some other matter, so i take 30 seconds to wiz around the factory stands looking for 16c tires. (16c are designated for cargo vans and transporters,heck anyone who deals with tires should know something about that).
In 30 seconds i find 3 sets of 16c tires, OK only 1 set is 205-16c , so i go back to my friend who is still talking to the guy and tell him i find 4x205-16c winter tires over there.My friend quiz's the guy and the guy only said "Someone is coming to pick them up", that was it.
We walked out.
There is never promotion,invitation,reciprocation.

My wife complains when i get here to do stuff for me because even she thinks its hard and its a mans job , but i believe its hard even if your russian and male.
Ive been in and out of a dozen shops that do exactly the same thing.Not all shops are like that, particularly the shops with owners in them.

If you find a worker in a shop its almost guaranteed failure, The only obligation they are under is not to care if you walk away.My suggestion is to talk directly with the principle owner everytime.Its about the only way.

[cors187]

Because i have lived in Australia all my life we must have a pretty good Products review system that enable junk products to not be sellable under law in AUS

Having said that , i am shocked at the amount of stuff that lying around here and not only that but it appears as though there are items for sale here that are infact so poor they are dangerous.

When in AUS if you went to the average cheap tools place(and All western nations have them i guess).You could buy the cheapest tools in the whole country and they are not flash but to take apart a bicycle or some mechanical work they are OK.Nothing you would buy if you were an avid Mr fixit..
But here in russia , i listen my russian friends explain the deadly consequences of buying cheap, the price almost guarantees premature failure.

[KarlJ]

This is other end of a cheap cost of living and cheap labour. There is no money to pay for things like Trading Standards, Health & Safety Exec, Food Standards, Citizen's Advice and all the other little services that make life in our countries expensive, but fairly safe.

[cors187]

And i took life in AUS for granted.

We have these reniks here , maybe i have mentioned them before but you can find anything you want pertaining to cars.
I named it the Haven of Goods.
If i last here and i remember next spring i will video cam an expedition into the HAven of goods.
Picture a old grandmother selling the latest High quality driving light globes from Phillips and the other manufacturers, next to her is a line of trucks full of goods.Motors ,gearboxes in one.rubber products in another, everyman doing his niche , then another few grandmas selling plastic clips for your door panel.Followed by LPG sellers, oil products ,car door, wheels ,tires.Every thing can be found in possibly 4 categories, 1.great, 2.good, 3.iffy and ,4.you lost your money now, later your pants.

[Sam Simons]

Several years back,I purchased parts from Marek Sampter in Poland. The prices seems fair at the time,and he was very good/honest to deal with.