Which manufacturer has the best parts availability for aging scoots?

queen of spodes
Edited Date/Time 10/31/2014 12:28pm
I've been working on restoring a late 80s KX125 over the past year and parts availability is often NULL or rare with over inflated NOS pricing.

That got me thinking... out of all of the major manufacturers (Kaw, Suz, Honda, Yam, KTM, Husq) who has the deepest back catalogue of parts?

Do most or all of them have a standard cutoff for producing replacement parts? Or do the make an entire run of replacements in the year the bike is released, and throw out the tooling right after?

Who has the best older model or vintage parts availability?
|
CamP
Profile picture for user CamP
Posts
6828
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Colleyville, TX US
CamP 10/31/2014 10:31am
10/31/2014 10:31am
Suzuki.
CamP
Profile picture for user CamP
Posts
6828
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Colleyville, TX US
CamP 10/31/2014 10:53am
10/31/2014 10:53am Edited Date/Time 10/31/2014 10:55am
CamP wrote:
Suzuki.
O___o wrote:
BWAHAHAHAHAHA
You must not do much vintage racing.

Example: 1982 RM250

OEM front fender: check
OEM rear fender: check
OEM rad shrouds: check
OEM lt side number plate: check
OEM front number plate: check
OEM silencer: check
OEM piston: check
OEM rings: check
OEM wrist pin/bearing: check
OEM gaskets and seals: check

I could go on, but you get the idea.
O___o
Profile picture for user O___o
Posts
730
Joined
9/25/2014
Location
CA
O___o 10/31/2014 10:55am
10/31/2014 10:55am
Sure, if ya say so.

Don't forget to mill .030'' off the base of the cyl.

The Shop

See All »
mgifracing
Profile picture for user mgifracing
Posts
1518
Joined
1/25/2007
Location
Newton, KS US
Fantasy
346th
mgifracing 10/31/2014 10:57am
10/31/2014 10:57am
queen of spodes wrote:
I've been working on restoring a late 80s KX125 over the past year and parts availability is often NULL or rare with over inflated NOS pricing...
I've been working on restoring a late 80s KX125 over the past year and parts availability is often NULL or rare with over inflated NOS pricing.

That got me thinking... out of all of the major manufacturers (Kaw, Suz, Honda, Yam, KTM, Husq) who has the deepest back catalogue of parts?

Do most or all of them have a standard cutoff for producing replacement parts? Or do the make an entire run of replacements in the year the bike is released, and throw out the tooling right after?

Who has the best older model or vintage parts availability?
The OEM's are required to support a product for ten years. After that if the part isn't used on another model it gets phased out. That's how Yamaha does it, I've been a Yamaha parts guy for way longer than I want to remind myself.
Madmax31
Profile picture for user Madmax31
Posts
2044
Joined
1/7/2009
Location
Cincinnati, OH US
Fantasy
91st
Madmax31 10/31/2014 11:34am
10/31/2014 11:34am
CamP wrote:
Suzuki.
O___o wrote:
BWAHAHAHAHAHA
CamP wrote:
You must not do much vintage racing. Example: 1982 RM250 OEM front fender: check OEM rear fender: check OEM rad shrouds: check OEM lt side number...
You must not do much vintage racing.

Example: 1982 RM250

OEM front fender: check
OEM rear fender: check
OEM rad shrouds: check
OEM lt side number plate: check
OEM front number plate: check
OEM silencer: check
OEM piston: check
OEM rings: check
OEM wrist pin/bearing: check
OEM gaskets and seals: check

I could go on, but you get the idea.
Typical Vitard poster. Post on something you don't have a clue about. Suzuki blows the others out of the water for OEM stuff.
OW38B
Profile picture for user OW38B
Posts
3181
Joined
8/17/2006
Location
Coto de Caza, CA US
Fantasy
181st
OW38B 10/31/2014 11:48am
10/31/2014 11:48am
When I did the restore on my 1977 Suzuki RM250B last year, 50% or more of the parts I replaced were OEM in stock from Suzuki.
scott_nz
Profile picture for user scott_nz
Posts
5320
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
NZ
Fantasy
655th
scott_nz 10/31/2014 11:49am
10/31/2014 11:49am
in my experience (being a parts guy for around 20 years till recently, Suzuki is alot better than the other japanese brands, which are all better than any euro brand, it was not unusual to get body parts for mid 70's suzuki road bikes, and dirt bikes, all the others where a lot harder,

I think alot of the Euro Brands have changed owners so much the older stuff seems to be forgotten,
queen of spodes 10/31/2014 11:50am
10/31/2014 11:50am
CamP wrote:
Suzuki.
O___o wrote:
BWAHAHAHAHAHA
CamP wrote:
You must not do much vintage racing. Example: 1982 RM250 OEM front fender: check OEM rear fender: check OEM rad shrouds: check OEM lt side number...
You must not do much vintage racing.

Example: 1982 RM250

OEM front fender: check
OEM rear fender: check
OEM rad shrouds: check
OEM lt side number plate: check
OEM front number plate: check
OEM silencer: check
OEM piston: check
OEM rings: check
OEM wrist pin/bearing: check
OEM gaskets and seals: check

I could go on, but you get the idea.
How about engine cases, radiator, and other normally hard to find / expensive "NOS" items?
CamP
Profile picture for user CamP
Posts
6828
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Colleyville, TX US
CamP 10/31/2014 12:01pm
10/31/2014 12:01pm
queen of spodes wrote:
How about engine cases, radiator, and other normally hard to find / expensive "NOS" items?
Stuff like that will be discontinued by all the manufacturers. The beauty of the older RM's is that Suzuki made a lot of them prior to '84, so good used spares are easy to come by.
CamP
Profile picture for user CamP
Posts
6828
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Colleyville, TX US
CamP 10/31/2014 12:03pm
10/31/2014 12:03pm
O___o wrote:
Sure, if ya say so.

Don't forget to mill .030'' off the base of the cyl.
You are like a bad case of Herpes.
BobbyM
Profile picture for user BobbyM
Posts
21449
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
AZ US
BobbyM 10/31/2014 12:28pm
10/31/2014 12:28pm
queen of spodes wrote:
I've been working on restoring a late 80s KX125 over the past year and parts availability is often NULL or rare with over inflated NOS pricing...
I've been working on restoring a late 80s KX125 over the past year and parts availability is often NULL or rare with over inflated NOS pricing.

That got me thinking... out of all of the major manufacturers (Kaw, Suz, Honda, Yam, KTM, Husq) who has the deepest back catalogue of parts?

Do most or all of them have a standard cutoff for producing replacement parts? Or do the make an entire run of replacements in the year the bike is released, and throw out the tooling right after?

Who has the best older model or vintage parts availability?
Hodaka without a doubt... Hundreds of left over goodies.

Post a reply to: Which manufacturer has the best parts availability for aging scoots?