April 2018 update: Breaking the bottleneck... Will Yerf Dog parts support grow, or keep dying out?

[Travis @ Buggy Depot]

The market for Yerf Dog specific parts like Spindles and A-Arms has been sliding downward for a few years. Suppliers are starting to discontinue these items. I don't just mean shops in the USA, I mean our suppliers in China too. I started talking about the situation in my 2017 CNC update, and recently updated my position this thread.

If you're new here you can go back and read all of that if you like, but the summary is that I've doubled down on keeping Yerf Dog HD items on the shelf. Keeping parts available through the 2020's and the foreseeable future. That includes our new Super Duty Front End Kit, new rebooted versions of our HD spindles, and a lot of other improvements in our shop that make all of this possible.

But it's not without risk. Going into 2018, the immediate concern was whether or not there is still enough interest to carry these products anymore. Investing the time might not have paid off. But I think buyers of the new Super Duty kits proved otherwise.

The most sure point of failure for all of our 2018 shop plans is if I continue to do product and tooling development myself.

The A-Arm fixtures and other tooling I built over the last two months are a good example of that. All things considered, I just can't run the business from the shop.

A good way to describe it, is that it feels like driving a car in reverse on the interstate and having to keep up with traffic. At some point, you're going to end up headed for the ditch. Eventually too much of my time in the shop will lead to going out of business.

You can see that play out in the 1-star review section of the forum. It's no coincidence that we've only received 4x one-star reviews in the entire history of BD since 2005, then suddenly a rash of 4 more all in the span of one month in February while I was focused in the shop. Our service and shipping didn't change in that time. The difference was that I wasn't available to manage these guys expectations (reasonable or not) while I was busy in the shop, and things festered on their end rightfully or not. That's just one example, there are many other problems that arise if I dig my head too far into the shop.

The answer is in my team...
Training and hiring right now is focusing around the team being capable of continuously improving the product and making processes more efficient, without my direct involvement at the micro-level.

For example, when it comes to making new tooling the team needs to be able to take my drawings, specs, and a box full of materials/components, then build the tooling as prescribed in my documentation. I've tried and failed at this in the past. It's been an ongoing learning experience with a lot of trial and error, well over a decade in progress. Getting the recipe right this time around is critical. With the amount of time I need to focus on other projects that I know will be profitable, I don't think there will be a 2019 Yerf Dog update if I miss the mark this time.

With that said, I'm feeling good about the 2018 team - actually, I'm very excited with our current people. I'm seeing caring going into the work, and good decisions are being made without the need for me to be present in every situation. People that had to go are gone. The culture is going in the right direction, and nearly every interaction involves a can-do attitude. I think we're on the way.

Beyond all of that... I love the Yerf Dog, but I really can't keep pushing development back on NanoEFI. I've got to make the shop work this time. Now or never guys

[CheethaSpeed]

Youve got my full support. I disagree tho that negative reviews are increasing solely because a lack of your time. Your time in the shop earned my positive review. I would just guess that accross most segments, recreational spending has increased accross the board. Frankly it’s been a few years since people have had spending cash and the economic improvements is bringing back more and new people to the sport. Also since the end of the Yerf most other random buggy’s have gotten worse and harder to get right with parts. That shouldn’t be laid at your feet but it has been. No time amount of time would change that.

I’m only here and a Yerf fan because of BDX parts. I think that is a trend more will follow.

[myvt365]

Quite frankly I have agree with the above statements. I do believe the economic situation has hindered spending on toys. I also have to agree with the aspects with out BDX there is no market, look at my build I got this yerf had no clue what it was and what it could be. I found BDX and I was hooked spending my own money to make a cool project that now turns heads everywhere I take it. I honestly feel as these products offered by BDX hit the streets per say people will gain interest frankly not everyone can afford a 20k side by side but a $1000 mini side by side is much more doable. These are fun projects and I know myself im hooked as the community grows people watch these builds and see what people have done there is no doubt it peaks interest. With the social media platforms it makes the word of these things a lot more open. I have been riding a long time side by sides atvs and such but never have I seen a done yerf till I did mine. 2018 I have planned rides to some of the biggest atv parks around and yes I will bringing the yerf as folks talk and see these units its going to be nothing but positive ideas to scoop these things up and build them.

I know in my aspect everyone I deal with knows about my spiderbox not to attack BDX but frankly the word isn't out there either if I could rock BDX shirts or decals at meets I would but I cant simply its not offered. people ask me day in day out where to get parts, what is it, and things like what can it do? Even when I got pulled over the sheriff was like what the hell is that thing its not a RZR so what is it hahah. I feel like the open aspects of getting the word out will help showing these builds meets BBQs and such maybe BDX can do an east coast shop event that would be so cool.

I was personally involved in the transition to diesel performance from big V8s how has this phenomenon become possible it was taking ideas and marketing to plain sight. I feel great parts are only one part of the equation here the builds can be there but unless its shown then no one knows.