Motorcycles get ridden hard and they’re the subject of more than a little adoration from the non-riding masses – and therein lies the problem.
When you do a lot of riding, you have two elemental issues to deal with; you want your bike to look good going down the road, and you want it to keep going down the road.
There are lots of folks out there who have enough cash to feed their motorcycle habits without turning a wrench, changing a tire or doing their own customization to their machines, and my envy for them borders on bitterness, but if you don’t have an unlimited amount of money to spend on your bike and service for it, you only have one option – find parts and put them on.
With that in mind, we thought it might be a good idea to give people a one-stop shop of sorts to spur ideas for finding the right parts and tools to keep their bikes running in good order.
The kings of the game are, of course, Ebay.com and Craigslist.org, and if you have the time and patience to go those routes, you can find anything you need from oil filters to tire spades to box-it-up and ship it services.
If you’re a little less patient? Try some of these outlets below and get your parts from the professionals:
Bikebandit. It’s amazing how many vintage parts you can find on this gigantic site. They’re all good, and you won’t have any trouble once you’ve put them on your bike.
Motorcycle Superstore. This is the place to go for motorcycle tires. Their prices are always very competitive and they get them to you – fast.
Parts-N-More. If you ride a vintage or classic Japanese bike, use them. They’re located within the friendly borders of our neighboring nation to the north, Canada, but they don’t kill you with shipping, so you might give them a shot.
Stuff You Just Can’t Find – Until Now
Metro Racing. If you’re doing a restoration on a vintage, old school dirt bike, talk to this guy. Cool classic motorcycle clothing and some nice shot of bikes in the bargain.
Airtech Streamlining. Time to head out to Bonneville? You need to move the wind out of your way if you want to enter the Pantheon of Fast, and if it’s made out of fiberglass and cuts through the wind, these guys will sell it to you. The parts don’t come cheap, but what price glory, my friend…
HVC Cycle If you’re a two-stroke sort of guy or gal, get your classic Yamaha and Kawasaki 2 stroke parts here. Build yourself a brand-new Yamaha RD350 – these guys will supply you the parts if you have the money, brother.
Z1 Enterprises. I know, back in the day your first bike was a Kawasaki – because it was faster than stink. If you have a vintage Japanese bike like a Kawasaki Z or KZ model, this is the place to drop some simoleons in search of righteous speed.
JessBikes. Another excellent source for Kawasaki 2-stroke parts, he rules on Ebay and offers an enormous list of parts.
Mikes XS. This is essential the Yamaha Builder’s Bible. Mike’s, the final arbiter of all things XS 650 part-related – has every nut, bolt, tool and part you need to make the ultimate backyard machine. And the prices? Not sure how they do it. Nuff said.
British Only. Oh, but you’re a refined sort and only the finest British machine will do to get you from here to there. Well, they have it all for your BSA, Triumph or Norton.
Other Recommended Motorcycle Parts Suppliers:
Got A Vintage Norton?
George Cohen – www.norton.uk.com – Norton Singles UK
Kirby Rowbotham – www.kirbyrowbotham.com – Norton Twins, UK
Norman White – www.normanwhite.co.uk – Norton Twins, UK
Mick Hemming – www.mickhemmings.co.uk – Norton Twins, UK
Andover Norton – www.andover-norton.co.uk – Norton Spares, UK