Disgusting!

[spoon]

Well I'm not sure if this is disgusting, worrisome or something else. Talked to Baker Drivetrain yesterday and they don't have any Ridged Frame shift drums. AND they don't have any plans to make any more!! Isn't there a need (want) for an upgrade shift drum?

[bustert]

not since they trashed the trap door.
a lot of nice parts are no longer made, try and find a sportgear for the ridged, a real hoot.

[bill smith]

Originally Posted by spoon

Well I'm not sure if this is disgusting, worrisome or something else. Talked to Baker Drivetrain yesterday and they don't have any Ridged Frame shift drums. AND they don't have any plans to make any more!! Isn't there a need (want) for an upgrade shift drum?

It ain't my biz but are you talking about the shift drum in a big twin 4 speed tranny?

[JB in NC]

Originally Posted by bill smith

It ain't my biz but are you talking about the shift drum in a big twin 4 speed tranny?

I believe he is talking about the '03 - earlier XL 5-speed.

Jim

[spoon]

Yes the 03 earlier XL 5 speed.

[canoli]

I feel ya Spoon (as the kids used to say). I called Baker about a year ago looking for the same part they said they were waiting to gauge demand and they'd probably be making more at some point. The woman I spoke to suggested calling back in 6 months. I've been meaning to call but I guess I won't bother now. Evidently the "bottom line" calls the shots but it's understandable considering the age of the pre-trapdoor Sportys now.

They were still stocking the reverse pattern drum awhile back ... for all anyone cares about that... but last time I checked I think that was gone too.

[spoon]

I think a call would not hurt. There has to be a bunch of this model needing an upgrade!

[aswracing]

Apparently Baker thinks they can get a better return on their money by investing it other places, as opposed to manufacturing another batch of those shift drums and putting them on the shelf and waiting for them to sell.

While I hate to see parts like that go unobtanium, I'm not disgusted by it either. ROI drives essentially all business decisions in capitalism, everything from evaluating the return on an employee in making hiring and wage decisions, to deciding what new products to develop, to figuring out what to put on the shelves for maximum return. Capital is a finite resource and the survival of any business depends on investing it wisely.

It's been said the "capitalism is the worst economic system, except for all the others". And in a way, our frustration with something going unobtanium is a statement about the success of capitalism. We've come to expect anything and everything we want to be readily available. That's a first-world problem, believe me.

Things like this also open the door for some entrepreneurial capitalist to step up and make the product, too, if he has a cost structure that allows him to succeed on the small volumes that deterred the bigger company. I personally did that when HD discontinued their HSR45 manifolds years ago. Making those in my shop, out of billet so I didn't have to invest in molds and mess with minimum order quantities from a foundry, I found a niche. I've only sold roughly 1000 of those over the past 11 years, which is peanuts to a company like HD, but I made a tidy ROI on the deal.

Someone could do the same with the Baker Smooth Shift Kit. It's not that complex of a product. Opportunity knocks!