Discontinued bikes? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Discontinued bikes?

bigpoppa

bigpoppa

Well-known member
In general is buying a discontinued bike a bad idea?
Will parts availability be an issue? Im not referring to exotic or obscure
makes or bikes, but the japanese big four.

By discontinued I mean modern era bikes(not something that classifies as a classic)
The honda 599(hornet?) for instance.
the fz6 or the kawi z750?

Japanese bikes that are 10-20 year old but have been discontinued for a while now?


Thanks
 
Any motorcycle that has been out of production for 7 years is going to be somewhere between difficult to near impossible to source unique OEM replacement parts. ymmv.
 
My '97 ST1100 and the ST1300 that followed it are both dis-continued. So far I have not had any problems getting the parts I need either online or at the dealer.
 
I still order parts for a 1981 GS1100 from Suzuki, I think it depends on the popularity of the model.
 
Trials said:
Any motorcycle that has been out of production for 7 years is going to be somewhere between difficult to near impossible to source unique OEM replacement parts. ymmv.
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If motorcycle out of service production is like automotive then it should not be a factor for the big OEMs. This is likely more brand dependent.
 
Easy enough theory to test, call up your local Honda dealer and ask if he can get you a replacement lower left fork leg for a 2001 Honda Hornet.
 
I've bought parts for my 2003 VTX at the local Honda dealer, zero issues, and the VTX has been out of production for a decade now.

It comes down to the manufacturer IMHO. Some obscure or overseas brand I suspect you'd have big problems. Short run or rare motorcycles, likely issues. Mainstream models by the big manufacturers (Honda, Yamaha, BMW, HD, Suzuki etc etc) that sold well...you're unlikely to have any issues for decades.

Remember that you don't always need to go to the dealer for parts either - anyone who's ever been in the basement at Cycle Salvage in Peterborough knows that there's tons of scrap parts available too.
 
Every older bike is out of production even if the name has carried on the new bike likely shares no parts with the older one.

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Lots of parts are interchangeable with in the brand and models, and some parts are hard to get even when the model is current, like when there has been a recall and all the parts in the stream get used up.
seems to be a crap shoot, but I generally get what I need eventually.
 
Just pull up the online parts fiche and see how many items come up ‘not available’ for a quick first check.

Also, do some research on production numbers for the bike you might be buying. Higher production numbers generally translate to higher oem spare parts production.

There’s also the used parts market as mentioned by previous posters.

I can still get some parts for my ‘70s Hondas from the dealer. There is also availability of reproduction parts from third parties.

So far, I’ve never had an issue finding what I need for any 40-50 year old bikes.


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Go to Partsfish or Partszilla, pick a bike and check to see if parts are available.

2002 was the last year of production for my ST. In this example 2002 Honda ST1100 A FRONT BRAKE CALIPER (1) | PartsFish.com items 15 and 17 are no longer available however there is an extensive supply of used parts on the market so really no issue.

2002 Honda ST1100 A REAR BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER | PartsFish.com Item 6 gone, but again, lots of aftermarket availability.

Technically, parts have to be available for 7 years post discontinuation, but practically this is not a concern unless you have a very low volume sales bike that was only available for a couple of years.
 
I can still get a lot of parts for my 1976 Yamaha at my local dealer. Gasket sets are cheap.
 
Wingboy said:
I can still get a lot of parts for my 1976 Yamaha at my local dealer. Gasket sets are cheap.
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lol good order me a new ty175 headlight shell and grill
 
Most Japanese bikes are 'parts bin' by design, they have a lot of interchangeability between models and model years. I dabble in bikes from the 70's and 80s that were sold in North America -- parts are not that hard to find. Some are reasonable, some shockingly expensive if you want an OE part.

For example, I'm looking for a K1 OE standard seat for a 75 Goldwing -- a good used seat is $500+, replica $350. The same year OE fat ass seat in good condition sells for $50. I just bought a complete OE exhaust for a Suzi SP250 for $65, the OE plastic front and rear fender set cost $500.
 
One of my bikes hasn't been manufactured in at least a decade but I can still find parts for it, if I have to.

If I ever need fairings, I'll get them from eBay but most everything else is available from the dealer.
 
I’d buy a bike from any of the Japanese 4 or Harley that’s been discontinued. Lots of parts are shared and even if not parts seem to be available for a long time.

I’m completely out on Husqavarna’s from before KTM bought the company, MV Augusta going in and out of bankruptcy and I wouldn’t buy a Victory for fear that body parts will be gone at some point. Victory engine/chassis parts should be fine though with Indian still going. Owners of all the above brands (ok maybe not MV) say parts aren’t an issue but too many other good bikes out there for me to roll the dice on what the future will be like.
 
I have a big Hornet that has been discontinued for more than a decade... seems everything is still available from Honda, just some parts you will have to pay for in blood. I have owned more than a handful of non-current Japanese bikes and I don't think I've ever had a problem getting OEM parts, new or used.

Really, the bigger issue is that aftermarket stuff has completely evaporated for my current ride (e.g. try looking for a new aftermarket exhaust for a CB919).
 
The only caveat is Japanese 2 stroke road bikes... they can be trouble for parts.
 
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