Running out of a two hundred rupee part costs you a two thousand rupee job, because the customer takes the bike to whoever has it. After thirty years of watching what leaves our counter, the pattern is consistent enough to write down.
Tier one - never be out of these. Control cables (accelerator, clutch, front and rear brake, speedometer), brake shoes in the two or three sizes matching your customer mix, clutch plate sets, air filter elements, engine oil filters, bulbs across the common ratings, brake light switches, and spark plugs. These are consumables. They are consumed.
Tier two - hold a small buffer. Rear view mirrors, handle grips, chain lubricant, fork oil seals and dust seals, horn assemblies, indicator assemblies and lenses, fuel cocks, and clutch and brake levers. This tier is dominated by accident-repair and cosmetic work, which arrives unpredictably but constantly.
Tier three - order against the job. CDI units, regulator-rectifiers, magneto assemblies, starter motors, complete lock kits, piston assemblies, carburettors, complete head lamp assemblies, shock absorbers and front forks. These are model-specific and expensive, so holding broad stock ties up capital for no fill-rate gain. What matters here is a distributor who can confirm the part the same day.
Sizing tier one. Count the jobs you did last month that consumed each line, then hold three to four weeks of that. Not more - cables and rubber components age on the shelf, and capital sitting in slow stock is capital not available for the fast lines.
The pairing rule. Certain parts are always replaced together, and stocking one without the other guarantees a second trip. Brake shoes with brake cables. Chains with sprockets. Fork seals with dust seals. Clutch plates with clutch springs. Bulbs with the holders that have corroded around them.
Record part codes as you go. The single highest-return habit for a workshop is writing the manufacturer part code onto the job card. Six months in you have a stocking list derived from your own customer base rather than from general advice - including ours.
What to ask of your distributor. Same-day stock confirmation, honest lead times on the tier-three lines, GST invoicing that reconciles cleanly, and enough catalogue depth that one order covers the week. We hold 8,039 part numbers across 14+ authorized brands at two Mumbai counters for exactly that reason.
If you want help sizing an opening order against your monthly job volume, send us the numbers and we will build it with you.
Roughly three to four weeks of your fast-moving consumables - cables, brake shoes, clutch plates, filters, bulbs and brake light switches - and order model-specific electrical and engine parts against the job.
Yes. Trade accounts are open to workshops of any size, with wholesale pricing set against volume and credit terms available on approval.
We stock it. Send the part code for same-working-day confirmation.
