Finding Suitable Vintage Harley Davidson Parts

Most motorcycle riders will often need to buy and replace certain components. If you own a modern machine that is still made this will be a case of visiting an auto spares shop and buying what you need. For those who own older bikes, trying to find Vintage Harley Davidson parts can sometimes be a lot more difficult and in some cases extremely expensive.

A couple of options are available to you when you are trying to find spares for a classic or older model. Searching for some spares can be a time consuming process and in some cases the parts cannot be found. Before you start to try and hunt down rare items it is good practice to take a photo of the old one so that you can compare it to the replacement.

The internet is a great place to start when trying to find old, rare or vintage items to fit to your motorcycle. A number of these web sites will have thousands of products for sale for older and classic motorcycles. Most adverts will feature a detailed photo of the item for you to look at and a comprehensive description as well as the cost of the item.

Another place to visit is one of the main dealerships that are approved by the factory. Many of these dealers will hold stocks of spares and although they may not advertise obsolete parts, they may still have some in their stores. If they do not it is still worth speaking with them as they may point you in the right direction and know a place where you can find what you are looking for.

Recycling yards are also well worth a visit too as they often have old bikes. Hundreds of motorcycles can be found in these compounds after being taken off road after accidents or serious breakdowns. Many of these firms will take any useful parts off the bike and hold them in their store rooms but taking a few tools along is a good idea in case you need to remove any spares.

A Harley Davidson owners club can also be a great place to find vintage spares that are unavailable elsewhere or discontinued. A lot of club members who have collected spares for years often have stocks parts that they will sell and trade with others. You do not have to be a paid up member to buy from them but it is a good idea to join and they will help you out if they can.

When you have located the items and fitted them it can often be useful to retain the old bits. These can sometimes be refurbished or fixed and sold, swapped or donated to other bikers trying to find rare items. Some items may need a professional to inspect them after repair especially brake components and gas tanks.

If you are fitting any spares to an older motorbike it is always better to use genuine when possible. Aftermarket items can be used and they will be as good as the originals in many cases but using these can affect the value of a classic bike. Also many clubs and organizations will also not accept non factory spec machines to be entered into competitions.