Raceseng Leather Wrapped Shifters?
 

Any word on the Raceseng Leather Wrapped Shifters? I've been meaning to purchase a standard one until I heard they were working on a leather wrapped version of their more famous shift knobs. Then I heard the idea was scrapped because they had trouble with the stitching.

Anyone here have anymore information?

The itch to buy one is killing me :D

I'll second that request. I have been probably more annoying than anyone probing for answers in the shift knob thread. Maybe he is taking an aproach like Apple and not discussing products on the horizon or dates of release to maximize sales of his current stock. The fact is the feasibility of doing a leather shift knob is there but it may be difficult to do with his current direction of knobs, which is to make the covers interchangeable with existing stock. This aproach is smart to reduce his machining costs and inventory.

Im sure what is needed is a different core for an open top style and then there could be different leather covers for different shapes. Expect this premium product in different leather finishes to likely sell at a premium price like $250 is my guess. Then there could be a slighly simpler and cheaper version that is completely wrapped in leather with an embossed Raceseng logo on the side and their gate pattern embossed or paint etched on the top.

At minimal, and regardless, he could and should make machined inserts for the top and bottom of the stock knob. Baruta makes replacements at $200. A little ridiculous even if the machining costs are high, but I believe all their products are overpriced, and I guess they have a monopoly on the product. If Raceseng could make inserts at a price undercutting their current knobs for those on a tight budget then have a premium leather offering for those who can throw down then they could provide a broader price market. Hey, and Steve Jobs said when confronted by his team that producing a tablet would undercut their laptop line, he said if they didnt undercut themselves then someone else eventually would. Good advice.

Ps, if anything we can use this thread to show demand in a unique leather option or a retrofit option for the stock knob.

So I was thinking more about the inserts, and I just don't understand how Baruta is charging $200 for those inserts (see link below):

http://www.86worx.com/baruta-hologra....html?___SID=U

As far as I can guess those replacement pieces for the top and bottom of the shift knob are likely anodized aluminum. Obviously there are different grades of aluminum and varying qualities of anodizing, but I don't see how this is $200.

As an example, I have multiple titanium bolts on my Ducati from Podium Racing. Again, while there are different grades of titanium and finishes for it, these pieces were pretty cheap compared to most market brands, and they are cheap compared to the cost of Baruta's inserts, especially when one considers how much more expensive titanium is to aluminum, yet they look good. So, again, I don't get the price of Baruta's pieces, nor can I understand why these would be expensive or hard to produce.

This large front bolt is titanium and was $54 for both sides.
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...pswpkfjpxe.jpg

This smaller tail bolt was $23 for the pair and again it is titanium
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps6gkbm1il.jpg

I actually requested Podium Racing make the top large bolt for the rearset to match the other bolts they already produced, and they did. Price was $72 for the pair in titanium.
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...psbj82tzug.jpg

And to compare to something else, this is a gas cap/lock (no easy piece to make) which is aluminum anodized $250 a few years back, now $200 because a new model came out. Rizoma is an Italian high end parts manufacture.
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...pspe0gitcv.jpg

My bike is tittered with expensive CNC machined pieces from top of the line Italian brands like Ducabike and Rizoma, but sometimes I get sticker shock with these BRZ parts. And I get frustrated that there are holes in the market with significant interest yet manufactures with the resources to make it happen don't stand up the plate. Case in point with my bike as a tangent: lots of guys do clip ons, as an aftermarket mode, but no one makes steering dampers for moded bikes, so I bought some bar stock and did it myself, made brackets for a steering damper, in the garage with an angle grinder, drill, sand paper and paint:

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...psfdmf8v7w.jpg

My guess is Raceseng is blue balling us and has something in the works. If Raceseng can't produce a leather knob I am considering contacting Podium Racing to see if they can machine some pieces for me, most likely in titanium, as inserts for the stock knob. Because they focus on Ducati parts, this would be a limited production run like a group by, and of course, I would have to get it set straight with the admin gods to include anyone here. :thumbup:

Bump

@Raceseng

I love Rizoma...

To be totally honest, I haven't been able to touch an new product design and development in months. I just spent the last 4 months of my life working everyday of the week renovating a 1960's manufacturing building. I'm just getting back into the swing of things. Please understand, we are a small 3 person company doing every detail in house from design to manufacturing to distribution.

Raceseng's new headquarters is almost done! Sneak peek below...