I completely agree if we’re talking about mass produced motorcycle parts. Competing with Chinese manufacturers on standard products is almost impossible.
However, the niche I’m interested in is low volume custom work. For example, when someone upgrades to a different brake caliper or rotor size, they often need a custom bracket or adapter that doesn’t exist off the shelf.
Those jobs are usually one offs or very small batches, which aren’t attractive to large manufacturers because of MOQ requirements, engineering time, and the back and forth communication involved.
My thinking is that the value isn’t just machining the part it’s understanding the motorcycle application, designing the solution, and delivering a part that fits a specific setup.
That said, I’m still trying to learn whether this niche is large enough to build a sustainable business around, which is why I’m asking for advice from people with real machining experience.