So... my wife happened to be talking to a Japanese businessman today who mentioned he is keen to sell Japanese motorcycle parts direct to the Australian market. I don't know if this is would involve genuine, aftermarket, new, second hand or all of those and I still have a few details to sort out but he seemed pretty keen to partner with me somehow to make this work. Knowing some of the struggles we have with sourcing parts for imported bikes both quickly and cost effectively I thought I'd take it to everyone to give me a bit of info on what sorts of parts we would most likely want to see through something like this. Will keep you posted but feel free to give me a few ideas. General answers like "CB250RR parts" are probably not specific enough.
I have always been interested to know how the locals in Japan source their parts for an FZR250 for example ... genuine or otherwise ....... or more so can they get parts we cannot as its originally a Japan only marketed bike.
Gasket sets, cooling system hose sets, intake boots, airbox rubbers. Rubber brackets etc like the fizzer fuel parts. Basically anything perishable or extinct parts, like the 3LN1 sump gasket.
Generally OEM is best ZXR's A and C, Balius Pistons, rings, valves, head and base gaskets, valve stem seals, carby boots, air tubs for C models, cam chains, Cam chain tensioners, petcocks, Cam cover gaskets CBR's Pistons, rings, valves, head gaskets, Cam cover gaskets NSR's Pistons rings, power valves, head gaskets, base gaskets, Crankshafts, piston pins, ie top end rebuild kits RGV Pistons rings, power valves, head gaskets, base gaskets, Crankshafts, piston pins, ie top end rebuild kits FZR250 \ FZX250 Zeal Pistons, rings, valves, head gaskets, clutch cover gasket, sump gasket, stator gasket, valve stem seals, carby boots, airbox boots, petcocks, Cam cover gaskets
To expand on kiff's: "CBR's Pistons, rings, valves, head gaskets" Titanium full exhaust & HRC cdi HAHAHAHA
Ok great thanks guys. I know this is a potentially exciting prospect but I need to have some more detailed conversations to firm up exactly what could be on offer. I'll keep you posted.
Also plastics, seats, sidecovers (engine and frame), tanks and crash repair parts. Maybe some aftermarket hot up bits.
Ok so after a long conversation this evening, he is going to work on a few things. In terms of questions about sourcing parts, the short answer is they kinda don't. Wreckers in Japan operate differently to Australia, where they are mainly repair shops that get their parts from the wrecked bikes. So they don't pull of bits and sell them, they pull off the bits to fix others bikes. Most of these kinds of places don't have (or need) an internet presence so that's why they're so hard to find - but this guy is pretty keen on talking to a few and see if he can formulate some sort of parts link for us. He's going to have to visit and/or phone them. On the newer parts, he can do discounts for bulk buys but he said some just aren't available anymore (surprise, surprise). If we give him part numbers of specific ones we need he will do all he can to find them, noting that with rarity comes price. He found a FZR250 valve cover gasket for 3900 YEN which was better priced than what I paid so he does know where to look... I may ask him about manuals too, I know some of them are hard to find.
We've rebuilt 2 NSR 150's & happened upon a guy in Thailand that got us everything OEM from the factory there. Don't know what other models they store there, maybe Blair might know more. It took a long time to get the parts out & in the post, not sure if it was a back door deal but we got what we wanted eventually.
A container load of FZR250 3LN1's and FZR400's hidden somewhere in Japan gathering cobwebs and radiation to feed my Historics fetish, and bypass the market dumped & munted by 20 noobs ones. And the entire Webike/Saitaniya catalogue for R3/R25. also The entire Z50 catalogue. And lotto.