Looking for parts vendor

[Anonymous]

Hi,
I have a 1985 Gs300L and am looking for the electronic ignition among other parts. I looked at Bikebandit but they had it listed as discontinued. Is there any other good parts dealers on the web?

Good day,
intercessor

[Anonymous]

Does anybody buy parts on the internet? Hello...

intercessor

[bwringer]

All the sites selling OEM parts get them from the exact same source -- Suzuki.

None of the vendors maintain a stock of parts -- they are simply middlemen between you and Suzuki's warehouses.

Therefore, if BB is saying it's no longer available, it's likely not available anywhere else, either.

As far as OEM parts, bikebandit is well regarded here, and their service is absolutely top-notch. However, their parts prices are on the high end, and they do not provide OEM part numbers (they use their own part numbering system to discourage comparison shopping).

Ron Ayers http://ronayers.com is also very well regarded, and their prices are slightly lower. The main problem is that for older bikes, Ron Ayers does not have online microfiche. You must supply your own Suzuki part numbers. There are two ways to go about this.

a) Order a microfiche for your bike from http://repairmanuals.com . It's the best $15 you'll ever spend. Looks like you're in luck:

http://repairmanuals.com/motorcycles/1985/62/4/5707/7000

You can take the microfiche to any public library and use their readers to make photocopies of the pages. When I did this, it only cost me a couple of hours and about $16 in nickels. Then you can plug the part numbers into Ron Ayers or any of the parts sites.

b) There are a few sites that supply Suzuki part numbers with their online microfiches. Here are the only two that I have:

http://shippsmc.com/fiche_select.asp

http://www.mrcycles.com/fiche_select.asp

The main problem with getting part numbers from these sites is that discontinued parts are simply not listed.

Notice it's the same interface -- all the dealers with online microfiches are just linking into the exact same database and shopping cart system built by Power Sports Network. The dealers choose different options for pricing, whether part numbers are shown, etc.

There's nothing shady about this, but you have to remember -- no one except Suzuki is maintaining inventory of old OEM parts. Everyone from your corner Suzuki dealer to these web sites must order from Suzuki.

There's one dealer, crotchrocket.com (JT motorsports) that offers lower pricing than anyone else. However, they are famous here for poor service, lack of communication, general slowness, losing orders, losing track of orders, etc. Until they clean up their act, stay away.

There's one other site you should know about:

http://www.cpixel.com/bikeparts/part_search.asp

Some inspired geek figured out how to hook into the parts databases with this utility a while back. (We owe him a debt of gratitude...) You can enter a part number, and it will comparison shop the relevant dealers for you. As I stated before, it's probably a good idea to stay away from crotchrocket.com despite their low prices until they clean up their act.

The neatest part of using this utility is that you will also get a list of all the models that use the same part number somewhere, so this is an excellent cross-reference if you're haunting eBay to find something. For example, many of my GS850's parts were also used on GS650, GS1000, and GS1100 models, so I can cast a wider net on eBay to find parts that interchange.

One tip is that many part numbers have been superceded over time. Either an improved part has come out (common with gaskets), or they have consolidated different tank shapes, paint codes, etc. into one part number that fits and functions the same but may look different. The best way to deal with this is to put the original part number from your microfiche into the search at ronayers.com. If the part number has been superceded, the new part number will be shown. You can then use the new part number to generate a cross-reference or for searching.

Finally, one other tactic may be of use in tracking down elusive parts using the internet. Simply put the Suzuki part number (remember, BikeBandit's part numbers are their own strange system) into Google or eBay, and you'll occasionally find a NOS (new old stock) dealer with discontinued parts or even a company making replacements for OEM parts.

This is a company that sells tons of discontinued NOS Suzuki parts both directly and on eBay. Prepare to drool over shiny leftovers galore:

http://www.andersonvintageparts.com/

Hope this helps! We'll see if anyone else has anything to add, and I'll add this to my GS repair site soon as a tutorial on finding parts.

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As far as your immediate problem, you're likely left with switching to an aftermarket (Dyna, others) electronic ignition unless you can find a parts bike on eBay. With the microfiche, you might possibly be able to cross-reference the part numbers you need and find other, more common models that used the same part and that might be easier to find on eBay.