Why does Maier Plastic suck!!!!!!???????

[lisnup65]

Why is it that their products are so poorly made compared to OEM plastics. For the most part they are cheaper, but not always. Most of the time aftermarket companies can offer equivalant, or better quality than OEM for less, but with Maier, this is not the case.
Is it so hard to mold in factory type mounting tabs without the need for flimsy brackets? No its not as you pay for the mold and thats, well that. The small cost factor for a mold with the supports compared to the molds they use without the supports is minimal especially at the prices they charge for their goods.
This rant is straight out to do with their poor products and the way you need to mount them. I have bought several Maier branded products over the years to replace aging or damaged plastics on 2, 3, and 4 wheeled machines. Every piece that I ever received has not fit worth a damn. Take something as simple as a 3 wheeler fender. What is so hard about haveing the mounting holes formed in the mold? Well nothing, but they were able to save about $250.00 on the mold that they makes 10's of thousands of dollars on per year. Instead they give flats and want you to drill the holes and hope you aligned and marked them off correctly.
Now lets move to rear fenders. The sport machines have a factor fender brace with stands odd molded into the factory plastics for the bracket to stick into. Again the change to the mold is very minimal in a finacial sense. Maier has forgone this little stand off for brackets which again, require you to drill a hole and hope you have it right.
Next up is 4 wheeler plastics. The rear fenders suffer the same as the 3 wheeled counterparts. The front fenders and hoods are a whole story in themselves. No factory style tabs to mount the fenders themselves. Just a few holes to attach bracketry to. The brackerty does not support the fenders near as well as the way it was done from the fcatory, plus you have ugly screws showing all over the place. The hoods are even more of a joke. On my TRX250R, the factory plastics had tabs molded for 6 screws to attach a hood from the bottom. The cost to add this to a mold is again small, but maier decided to just give you flats to attempt to line up and drill correctly. This drilling allows access for you to place a screw through the plastic to fasten it, but the end fitment and look is terrible.
Maybe its just me, but its time that this company does something to improve its products beside offering a shiny finish. I beleive that the big news from them in the past few years. I know that when you have a old 3 or 4 wheeled machine that they are really about your only choice cause the products are no longer supported by the manufacture of your machine. Even if they are support, the cost they charge becase they know they can is outragous. Take the TRX plastics. From the dealer you would pay around $600.00 for the front fender(s), hood, and rear fender. Maier, is around $350.00, which is quite the savings. Now the savings really is not worth the poor fit, but thats mu honest oppinion.
Now take a newer machine like the Honda 400EX. New OEM plastics from the dealer are only around $220.00., but the maier crap is over $300.00!!!!!! Why would anyone do this except to get colors that are not factory?
I really dont know what to say, but I do know that I am completely disappointed in the products that Maier offers.

What do others here feel? Please share.

Please note that I work with molded plastic suppliers as part of my job. I have purchased molds and I know what the cost's are.

Dave

[Lots_Of_Nothing]

Yay! Lets rant about the ONE company that is still making plastic for our bikes! Maybe if we complain about it enough they will stop making it and it will solve all our problems. :rolleyes:

[twgranger]

I was pleased with my maier front fender for my Z. I came with holes already drilled.

[Jeb]

If you work in plastics, as I have in the mold building industry for a dozen years now, you shoud know that...


The quality is all in how they are made.

Factory Parts are INJECTION MOLDED.

Maier Parts are VACUUM FORMED.

The quality of a plastic part is the quality of it's mold. Vacuum forming is allot easier and cheaper than injection molding. Both in process and mold building. And you see that in the finished goods. Compare the stock 85 R front fender to the 85 R Maier Fender. Same with the shrouds. No comparison. The injection molded factory parts come from much better tooling.

The reason Maier plastics usually don't have holes is because you cant vacuum form holes. You have to start with a sheet of plastic. heat it, suck it down onto a mold to form it and let it cool. Any holes or vents have to be put in with secondary operations. Another reason why Maier 250R shrouds dont have the ribbing hanging down underneath that fits with the radiators. You can't vacuum form those thin ribs. If you look at the vent slots from the back of the part, you should see that they were cut. They probably pull the depression deeper and then cut away some from the back side to produce the vent holes.

Injection molded factory parts usually have the holes and vents cored out in the mold which makes much better, higher quality parts.

I have to admit, the majority of my experience is designing molds for injection molding. I don't know all there is to know about vacuum forming but I do know in our industry it has it's place but is considered black smithing compared to injection molding.

[patblkwell]

I got a set of rear fenders and toolbox lid from Maier, they look great and the holes were already drilled out on the fenders....no complaints here. For the big red, that is the only source for replacement fenders, can't complain much.

[lisnup65]

I guess that its mostly just the plastic that I have purchased that have issues. I dont mean to completely rag on the company as they are the ONLY source for some items. I just dont feel right shelling out my hard earned cash for a 2nd rate product. I also dont think its right that your shiny new plastics show up only for you to have to fight with getting them to fit. Its one thing to change the hardware from 1 set to the next, but to spend an hour measuring, checking, re-measuring, etc to make sure that holes you HAVE to put in the plastics are correct.

Sorry, but for the cost, they should already be done.

[Jeb]

On that, I definitely agree. Vacuum formed or not, for what they cost, they should come ready to bolt on. With all holes drilled.

[AZ250R]

Never any probs here either with Maier!?!? In fact, I prefer it to factory! It has a sleeker look, oh & bonus... it Costs WAY LESS!!! :beer

P.S. Never had to drill nothing with their product either... So I'm not sure what / where ya'll are get'n your stuff from. :rolleyes:

[OldSchoolin86]

Never any probs here either with Maier!?!? In fact, I prefer it to factory! It has a sleeker look, oh & bonus... it Costs WAY LESS!!! :beer

P.S. Never had to drill nothing with their product either... So I'm not sure what / where ya'll are get'n your stuff from. :rolleyes:Well I doubt he's making it up. I've heard it before several times where people have to drill. I wish there was better plastic too. I don't care for some of their design changes but when your the only show in town, I guess you can do what ever you want.

[ejc042]

The rear fenders for my 110, 250R, and 200X look great but trying to measure and line up the bolts on the seat pan so I could drill the holes was a pain. Other than having to figure out the proper points for the holes they seem to be a good product

[markdb420]

The 350x rear fenders look bobo, but I prefer Maier on 85-86 250r plastic. I have no complaints with any of it even the 85 headlight shroud that I have.

[lisnup65]

The plastics for the 250R are OK, but I did have to drill the radiator fins and my front fender. I had to drill the front fender for the 350X and the 200X also. I dont know what plastics people have that were pre-drilled except for the holes for the Maier mounting hardware.

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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/lisnup65/Motorcycles/PICT0018.jpg

[markdb420]

All of my new Maier front 85-86 250r fronts have had pre-drilled holes. My 350x front had to be drilled out. All my 250r fenders have come pre-drilled, both shiny and dull. I am getting new front and shrouds from Maier this week so I will see if they are drilled or not.

[Jeb]

I had to drill the mounting holes in an 86/87 KXT front fender. Also have to drill the KXT shrouds for holes. Shrouds and front for an 85 250R have to be drilled, at least the older ones I had. The Tri-Z Shrouds I had in past had to be drilled.

[yamahaman89]

my plastics i got from maier are perfectly fine! whats the big deal

[OldSchoolin86]

my plastics i got from maier are perfectly fine! whats the big deal
Read everyones post and you'll find out.

[Lasvegasrider]

IF YOU DONT LIKE THEM :wondering DO NOT BUY THEM ! BUY OEM IF YOU WANNA BE PERFECT !!!!!

[deathman53]

my crf450r quad has fullbore plastic and its far better than maier, but thet come with a $500 price tag, the old phrase still rings true, you get what you pay for. If I didn't mx my 250r I'd buy factory plastic, but I do mx and go and more important than show to me. If I had a trx250r, I'd defintely get oem plastic and wouldn't shave them, or get fullbore plastic. My 250r fenders I didn't have to drill out, but the 200x plastic I had to, I had the old fenders and put the new fender on top if the old one and used a marker and colored in where the holes are. The shiny is a huge improvement for the maier plastic, I was very disappointed with the replacment 85 atc250r headlight shroud from maier, it doesn't line up very well with the headlight.

[atczack]

That's weird that you guy's had to drill your 200x plastic from Maier. I ordered new front and rear plastic's from Maier for my '83 200x and they came pre-drilled. On the front fender I just popped the grommet's out of the old fender and put them in the new one. On the rear I just unbolted the seat pan and bolted it on the new rear fender's. No drilling at all. I did have to drill the Maier front fender though for my 110.

[ClayW]

I had a time getting my rear fenders for the 350x to mate up with the seat brackets and the rest. Took like 2hrs to get the holes lined up right, but im happy now. No way in hell im blowing $200+ on factory plastic. No point in my book. My BigRed plastic was pre drilled and a front fender for my old SX was too. Oh yeah my front fender for the X was not pre drilled, but I nailed it pefect first try.

[Lasvegasrider]

Like I Said If Yall Dont Like It Dont Buy It !

[hotroddal]

i ont know what you guys are talking about, the maier fenders that i ordered for my 200x already had the holes drilled and fit perfectly in place i had to drill no holes what so ever and everything lined up awesome, CONGRATS to maier!!!

[TimSr]

I got the old style Maier rears for my TRX250R. It didnt come close to fitting right, but was no big deal to make it fit. Its a good buy for the money. Id have preferred OEM, but a simple price comparison made me suddenly like the Maier a whole lot more!

[ejc042]

Like I Said If Yall Dont Like It Dont Buy It !

It is not a matter of not buying because we don't like it. Some of us don't have a money tree to afford OEM Honda fenders, we have to buy what we can afford. But thanks for the caring thoughts.

[OldSchoolin86]

IF YOU DONT LIKE THEM :wondering DO NOT BUY THEM ! BUY OEM IF YOU WANNA BE PERFECT !!!!!
I don't know that you had to yell at us but sometimes OEM isn't an option.

[Billy Golightly]

I bought some Maiers for my trx250r after the originals had gotten busted up beyond use. The maiers came totally deformed, I have no doubt in my mind they were screw ups because even on the bottom of them is "Blem" written with a black magic marker. The left side front fender (Sitting on it) is so deformed that the tip hangs down about an inch lower then the other side, the spacing difference between the tip and the part that goes up to the hood is even different from the other side. If I wouldn't have had a race the same weekend I got those I woulda told them to shove it and sent them back. They are about the most worthless things I've ever seen before.

[AZ250R]

Another good thread to make a "poll" out of, eh? ;)

[atc86r]

not being able to use the reinforcement bracket on the rear of my 86 250r sucks. The fender just flaps around. I'm waiting for it to get caught on the rear tire and break.

[Meat-BoX]

I bought mine right from Maier and when I recieved them I wasnt Happy. They werent predrilled for anything. Seat latch, Bolt holes nothing. It was a Pin in da Booty. Then I had to be really carefull so my fenders would go on Straight. It came out kind of Fugly but they are on and are straight. I allso noticed alot of "Dimples" :wondering Ugly little marks. Lucky for me they are in areas that are hidden. But all I can say is my Tecate Looks Cool :w00t:
I wish they would make Tanks

[Tri-ZNate]

ok so if Maier sucks where else can you get plastics?

[3Razors]

The new maier plastics are night and day better than their old stuff. They come pre-drilled with a shiny finish. Their old stuff was very ill-fitting and the finish dull. I wish UFO made plastics for more atv's and trikes they are usually 100% the same fit, finish, color as OEM.

[markdb420]

I got my new shiny maier plastic for my ATC 250r and they look great and are predrilled. I for one am glad they make fenders for my bikes. Although I hate the 350x plastic from Maier.

[mad_max]

I for one am glad they make fenders for my bikes.

Thats the bottom line, we are dealing with nearly 20 year old vehicles (at the newest) so IMHO we need all the parts we can get (even if we have to drill holes ourselves)... but I agree that nobody should have to put up with deformed parts... unless they are free :naughty:

[greenhuman]

Any Maier fenders I have seen without holes have little indentations where the the holes are to be drilled. I wouldn't whine about having to drill a few holes. Its easier than making a fender, which would be the option if Maier didn't make them.