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Many join here who have never been involved in the world of vintage Hondas and are unfamiliar with how to find parts and some of the better places to look for them. The question comes up often: "Where can I find a (insert part name here)?"
The first and best step to finding any part for our favorite decades-old machines is to properly identify the part and part number, as opposed to just going on eBay and searching for the part by name (or what is believed to be the part's name). While that might work sometimes, the issue is that many sellers (eBay or otherwise) do not know the bikes and parts as well as they think, or possibly no better than someone with little to no experience. So, what to do first?
Go to one of many parts listing sources on the internet who use copies of actual Honda parts fiches from the era these bikes were current. In no particular order, here are a few to check out.
[Note: I should mention here that if you're not familiar with CMSNL, they have quite a stock of NOS parts but for those in the US, their shipping prices are very high - so my advice is to use them as a last resort]
CMSNL
Partzilla.com
Partsfish.com
Honda Partshouse
Southern Honda
Once you have found the part number for what you need, do a general internet search for the number. You'll get results that include eBay, Amazon and others. Be sure the part number in the search results actually matches the number you looked up. There can be minor variations, usually in the last 3 digits of the number, which often means the part was made for Honda by a different manufacturer, or the part is a different color if it's a painted part. If the 3 digit middle section of the part number is different, it could be a superceded part number from a later production of the same model that will fit the older models. Some Honda parts like o-rings, washers and other hardware can sometimes fit dozens of different bikes.
Now you have a part number, but your search comes up empty - what next? One of the best suppliers of NOS (new old stock) Honda parts often doesn't show up in internet searches, but if you are armed with a part number you can go to David Silver Spares and search their database for the part. I didn't mention them to look up part numbers because they will help you find your model and offer a list of all the parts they have available for it, but it's strictly alphabetical and you have to look through the list to find if they even have the part, so best to find the number first and then check their availability.
Finally, the added benefit of finding the part number at one of the locations above is the exploded view of the parts assembled. It can often give you an idea of what's missing or how it goes together, though it isn't always foolproof. Remember that we have a library of many FSMs (factory service manuals) that will cover the rest of what you need to know like disassembly/assembly instructions, torque specs and service limits for checking how worn out your parts are. Send a Moderator a Conversation (PM) if you need a copy of any manual we have available.
The first and best step to finding any part for our favorite decades-old machines is to properly identify the part and part number, as opposed to just going on eBay and searching for the part by name (or what is believed to be the part's name). While that might work sometimes, the issue is that many sellers (eBay or otherwise) do not know the bikes and parts as well as they think, or possibly no better than someone with little to no experience. So, what to do first?
Go to one of many parts listing sources on the internet who use copies of actual Honda parts fiches from the era these bikes were current. In no particular order, here are a few to check out.
[Note: I should mention here that if you're not familiar with CMSNL, they have quite a stock of NOS parts but for those in the US, their shipping prices are very high - so my advice is to use them as a last resort]
CMSNL
Partzilla.com
Partsfish.com
Honda Partshouse
Southern Honda
Once you have found the part number for what you need, do a general internet search for the number. You'll get results that include eBay, Amazon and others. Be sure the part number in the search results actually matches the number you looked up. There can be minor variations, usually in the last 3 digits of the number, which often means the part was made for Honda by a different manufacturer, or the part is a different color if it's a painted part. If the 3 digit middle section of the part number is different, it could be a superceded part number from a later production of the same model that will fit the older models. Some Honda parts like o-rings, washers and other hardware can sometimes fit dozens of different bikes.
Now you have a part number, but your search comes up empty - what next? One of the best suppliers of NOS (new old stock) Honda parts often doesn't show up in internet searches, but if you are armed with a part number you can go to David Silver Spares and search their database for the part. I didn't mention them to look up part numbers because they will help you find your model and offer a list of all the parts they have available for it, but it's strictly alphabetical and you have to look through the list to find if they even have the part, so best to find the number first and then check their availability.
Finally, the added benefit of finding the part number at one of the locations above is the exploded view of the parts assembled. It can often give you an idea of what's missing or how it goes together, though it isn't always foolproof. Remember that we have a library of many FSMs (factory service manuals) that will cover the rest of what you need to know like disassembly/assembly instructions, torque specs and service limits for checking how worn out your parts are. Send a Moderator a Conversation (PM) if you need a copy of any manual we have available.
