Locating Vintage Harley Davidson Parts

By David Jones


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.

There are a few places to look when trying to hunt down obsolete spares that are no longer made. Locating parts can often be a time consuming process and often the items will be unavailable and cannot be found. The first thing to do is to take a picture of the item and this will enable you to compare it to any replacements.

A good starting point to find spares is on the internet sites that now specialize in vintage parts. A large number of these web sites have thousands of items in stock from early model bikes to recent ones. Their page listings will feature pictures and descriptions as well as prices and there will be some contact details so that you can speak with them.

Visiting a Harley Davidson approved dealer can often be a good idea when trying to locate hard to find items. Dealers will usually have thousands of new bike parts in their store room and even though they do not advertise older stock they may still be able to supply you with what you need. If they cannot supply the item they still may have some colleagues who work in the same field who can help.

Scrap dealers are also a good place to go on a hunt for hard to find items. Many motorcycles that have been taken off the road can be found piled up in junk yards. Many of these companies will strip the bike down and put the spares on shelves ready to sell but it is worth taking along some basic tools in case you need to remove components from a scrap bike.

Bikers associations and Harley Davidson clubs are another place to go looking for rarer bits and pieces. Members of these clubs will frequently sell or swap unwanted items with other members at knock down prices. If you are not a member it is still worth sending them an email or telephoning them to see if they can be of any assistance and help with your searches.

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.

It is always better to try and fit factory made spares to your bike if possible. Re manufactured parts can be used and they will function well but they can reduce the value of your classic bike. It is also worth taking into consideration that a lot of owners clubs and show associations will not let you enter your bike into a show if it is not fitted with genuine Harley parts.




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