How we rebuilt GBrakes' entire parts database from the ground up. Turned years of messy code into a system that actually works.
GBrakes had a parts finder. Sort of. Years of quick fixes stacked on top of each other. A database held together with hope.
Parts showing up for the wrong bikes. Customers who couldn't find what they needed. Data that didn't match across different pages.
The old system worked for the team because they knew all the weird tricks. But customers? They just got frustrated and left.
When we took over, we had two choices: patch it again or rebuild it right. We rebuilt it right.
Broken, unreliable, frustrating
The system kept crashing
Slow load times
Only developers could update anything
Dealers got files that didn't match the website
Clean, validated, bulletproof
One database. Same results everywhere. Every time.
System won't let bad data get in
Team can update parts without calling us
Every part knows exactly which bikes it fits
Dealers get accurate files instantly
The original plan was simple: keep using their old system, just connect it to the new website.
That plan lasted about two weeks.
Once we started connecting the old data, the problems showed up fast. Bad information everywhere. Parts assigned to bikes that didn't exist. The same motorcycle listed five different ways.
System accepted anything. Duplicate bikes, wrong specs, parts that don't fit.
Every patch created two new problems.
Same bike listed multiple times. No way to know which was right.
Only a developer could change anything. Team was stuck.
The decision: Build it right from scratch. Clean the data. Make it work properly.
A complete parts finder built from scratch. Every piece designed to work together.
The GBrakes team can now add bikes, assign parts, manage thousands of products, and export dealer files. No developer needed.
We took all the old messy data, fixed every conflict, and moved it to a new system that won't accept bad information.
Built a system that keeps everything in sync. Update once, it updates everywhere. No more mismatched data.
Riders pick their bike (year, make, model) and only see parts that actually fit. Creates thousands of pages for search engines to find.
Reviewed the old system and tried to connect it to the new website. Realized the data was too messy to use. Made the call to rebuild everything from scratch.
Pulled all the bike and parts data from the old system. Fixed every conflict. Built a new manager where the team can update everything themselves. Created a system that won't accept bad data.
Built the admin tools the team uses every day. Fixed bugs. Added bulk editing. Created product groups so related parts stay together. Made it easy to update thousands of items at once.
Connected everything to the website. Built the parts finder customers use. Created landing pages for search engines. Tested dealer exports. Made sure it all works together.
Every customer does the same thing:
Year, make, model
Only products for your bike
Specs, materials, features
Know it's the right part
The system only shows parts that actually fit. Can't buy the wrong thing.
Thousands of pages created. Each one targets a specific bike. When riders search for parts, they find GBrakes on page one.
In motorcycle parts, fitment is everything.
Get it wrong and customers leave. Get it right and they trust you, buy again, and tell their friends.
Add bikes and parts without breaking anything
Every page helps people find you
No developer needed for updates
Correct part every single time
Add new models instantly
Built solid from the start
The old system still exists as a backup. But the new one is what runs everything now.
Wrong parts showing up
Data conflicts everywhere
Constant developer calls
System breaking weekly
Customers find the right parts
No more bad data
Team updates it themselves
System doesn't break anymore
We could have kept using the old system. Added more quick fixes on top of old quick fixes. Hoped it would hold together.
But that's not how you build something that lasts.
We rebuilt the entire database from scratch. Cleaned thousands of records. Built a system that won't accept bad data. And now it actually works.
Because now GBrakes has a system they can trust. A system that grows with them. A system that works.
Need a parts finder that actually works?