If you own a motorcycle, you will at some point need to buy spares after a failure or to improve the machine. With modern bikes this is a simple process and spares are readily available. If you own an older bike, searching for Vintage Harley Parts is often difficult and costly.

There are a few places to look when you are searching for items to fit to a vintage motorbike. Sourcing spares can often take a long time and you may not always get an exact match to the existing component. When trying to find rare spares it is a good idea to photograph the old one so that comparisons can be made.

The internet is a great place to start your quest for find rare and vintage items to fit to your classic bike. A large number of these web sites will have thousands of products listed for sale for old and classic motorcycles. Most online adverts will feature a detailed picture of the item for you to see and a comprehensive description as well as prices.

Visiting a Harley Davidson main dealer store can also be a good place when trying to locate hard to find items. Dealers will usually have thousands of parts in the store room and even though they do not advertise old stock they may be able to help. If they cannot supply the part they still may have some ideas of where you may find what you need.

Junk yards are also a very good place to go hunting for rare or discontinued items. Many bikes that have been taken off the road for various reasons can be found piled up in these yards. Many businesses will strip the bike and put spares on shelves but some will not so it is worth taking along some tools in case you need to remove a part from a scrap bike.

Bikers associations and Harley Davidson clubs are another great place to go looking for those elusive bits and pieces. Members of these clubs will frequently sell, swap and trade unwanted items with fellow members at attractive prices. If you are not a member of the clubs it is still worth sending them an email or calling to see if they can be of assistance.

When you find your replacement components and have fitted them to your motorcycle it is well worth keeping the old ones as you may be able to have them refurbished. These parts can then be reused or sold on to another biker who is looking for a rare part. When replacing things such as gas tanks and brakes it is important to have them checked for safety afterwards.

When replacing parts it is always preferable to use genuine Harley parts if possible. Many companies produce aftermarket spares which will do the job but fitting these may affect the resale value of your bike should you decide to sell it. Many owners' clubs will also not allow you to enter a bike into shows if it is not factory specification so this is worth bearing in mind.