Poor parts service and knowledge

[popstar1]

I dipped my toes into restoring a Triumph T140 a couple of years ago and expected a great parts service from the many expert parts dealers on line and at the shows , however my experience has been far from good , even though the machine is bog standard with matching numbers the amount of wrong or defective parts I have been sent beggars belief I wont go into details because I have just had another episode with a well known parts supplier [now sorted by myself after much hassle] the point I guess I am trying to make is if you see new old stock British parts I would buy them even though they will be more expensive . I am sure that some of this sites members will have had positive dealings with parts dealers but I am afraid that much of the  stuff they sell is [expensive]  poor quality, or just plain crap. Most of us work hard for our money and don't like being short changed, I should point out that I have been restoring bikes for 25 years now and am by no means a novice.

[R]

There is a reason that a good parts counter guy was worth his weight in gold back then. !
(but was probably paid peanuts.).
And under the bench was a large range of VERY WELL THUMBED parts books.
And in the front of the parts book for your model, it says in big letters
ALWAYS QUOTE ENGINE AND FRAME NUMBERS.

Common problem. For decades and even centuries now.
As bikes and owners and suppliers get older, its not going to get any simpler either.
Ain't old bikes fun !!

[john.k]

Recently, I rebuilt my Norton gearbox,and went to the usual bearing service co I use.Old guys all gone,kids behind counter.I placed my list of bushings and bearings on the counter,the kid says"did you pre order all these from our online site?"No,I said,and the kid is obviously POd at having to do some work.He shuffles the list several times,and looks at his computer ,but cant find anything.I explain the bush sizes I want,and even quote their part numbers,and sizes.Still no good.I ask for someone else.The kid screams"all these numbers are doing my head in".The manager comes out,says I have upset his staff,would I please leave.I got all the stuff online from the US[Im in Oz]in a couple of days.Regards John.

[popstar1]

I had to smile at your post because its just the same in the UK , very few so called experts know their trade . I guess that all of the old fellows have gone now , the funny thing is that we had a couple of Yanks at my place of work last year and they both said that although the old fellows that they dealt with were grumpy they did know the business .

[wink]

40 years ago father wanted a part for mothers Singer sewing machine. Made in the 50s. the shopgirl said" Whatīs it like?" Father said "Itīs black" the girl said " Singers never made a black machine".

[john.k]

There was a small bearing shop just around the corner called "Miniature Bearings",who could allways be relied on to stock one of everything,but just one.They moved to big new building,and now its a giant toy store,with nitro cars,and RC planes.Regards John.

[beng]

  What brand of bikes were you restoring for 25 years that had such a great parts availability that you never had a problem until now? I want to get one of those motorcycles!
 
   Because if you were working on British bikes for 25 years you would have found out about poor pattern parts 25 years ago......
 
    There is a lot more bad parts and information out there than good stuff, so anybody that is new to a specific British marque is going to have problems unless they are lucky or they are smart and spend a few years doing nothing but research before they take action.
 
     Nice bike the t140 with it's 5-speed and disk brake, a good looker too. Also there is probably more parts for them laying around than for any other brit twin. I live in a pretty small town and there are dozens of them here in every condition.
 
   

[dunboyne]

i can sympathise. most recent was t100 head bolts that were expensive and too long, i contacted the vendor who insisted they were right .if i had used then as they were id have bust the bottom of the holes in the barrels . i had to cut them to the proper length . ebay shops seem hit and miss on quality wheras established shops are a little less so .

[john.k]

Bike Shops that have been round more than 5 minutes,generally only stock one or two reliable brands.Simply because irate customers come back screaming,then go to small claims court.You cant go to Sunnys Spares in Mumbai when the bigend bolts he sold you break and wreck the motor.Regards John.

[mini-me]

One reason I would never restore another bike. Especially Triumphs. Even though most of my mechanical work life  I worked and rode  on Triumphs.

However, I cannot help permiting myself a bit of Schadenfreude here, as I used to run one of those old type bike shops, selling new and genuine old stock parts,as well as used  for brit bikes,and motorcyclists drove me to the edge of sanity; to the extent  one day I just shut shop and sold all the stock.

The guy I sold the stock to, thought he was doing well, I warned him, but within six months he'd changed his mind and got out of the business.
Every bike dealer will have a stock of true tales about dealing with customers that defy belief. 

When I started my shop, another dealer said to me, you'll make money but lose your friends; he was wrong on one count, I didn't make any money.

Its all a long story, about a dozen bottles, the wounds are still sore even after 30yrs.
double-crossers, liars,thieves, con men, shysters, scroungers of all kinds I met them all.

[mark2]

double-crossers, liars,thieves, con men, shysters, scroungers of all kinds I met them all ..... sounds like you hang around to many MPs

[marty 31]

my experience has been the opposite, after a 30 year gap of british bikes I decided to buy and restore a bsa 650 and have found the very knowledgeable lady at burton bikes a pleasure to deal with and srm engineering more than professional to do business with, 10 out of 10 on both accounts 

[Jonny The Goat]

I have a few bikes but only in the last year have I had to get parts for two. The Sunbeam S7 I have, parts came from Stewarts Engineering probably the only dealer in parts for this bike. Fantastic service, high quality parts and they do know everything about the bike. My 60 Triumph Speed twin, a far more common make. Lots of dealers and you take your chance on quality, sadley mostley grumpy as it seems they want to keep what knowlage they have to themselves. And I to would have to recommend really finding good old stock parts or even original used parts as I think the quality of everything I have had from various supplyers has been very poor. For example I paid extra for some British made chromed mufflers, I should of just gone with the cheaper ones as in less than a year they have rust? Very poor chrome and I have to wonder if they were made overseas and just had British stickers stuck on.
   

[mini-me]

I used to restore bikes for a living, and even if I say so myself I was very good at it.
My edge was I had a business that specialised in new old stock from older dealers shutting up shop in the 1970s. I had tons of the stuff, all genuine makers spares.

Trying to find decent alternatives to NOS was a nightmare back then, I had exhausts for everything made up specially, rather than go to well known suppliers of such things. It was the only way to ensure a good fit that looked right.

The philosophy I evolved over the years, has been derided by a few who have no idea and eagerly agreed by those who can see the sense.

It is, if a 50/50/70 year old part is half worn out,then put it back, as buy that criteria it should be good for another 50 years and no one around now is likely to keep a bike that long nor subject it to the kind of use it had before.

original parts are 99% of the time better than new pattern, made god knows where.

Of course if you are an engineer or toolmaker that can make your own parts then that does not apply.

The types that like to replace all the bushes bearings pistons etc regardless are the ones who invariably are unsatisfied with the result.

Specialists like Stewarts dedicated to one bike type are very much the exception, I feel sorry for anyone restoring a Triumph, far too much junk about and NOS stuff from the USA stocks are fetching ridiculous prices.