> modern computerized welding factory like Honda or
> Mazda is forced to
> charge for a frame or sub frame part in a car. One
> must pay hundreds of
> dollars for an upper control arm that has no
> standards for appearance,
Complete unibody car frame cost the shipping company about $50 when they destroy them in transit.(the reusable shipping cage cost $500)So you can readily see the almost zero profits in bicycle manufacturing.Not much room for mistakes.And yes the Japanese do a great job of producing high quality mass produced products.They set the industry standard for this.Rare,Limited,one of a kind,are words that do not describe their products. sam lingo,pleasanton tx