Counterfeit Parts, how to identify?
 

So, after 30 years of buying stuff at the same Rock Shop, Suzuki of MD or USA Cycles as it later became.... they closed (owing me a bottle of Italian Red Paint I might add).

Anyway, so now I have to find a new shop.

In the meantime, does anyone buy filters and such off the internet?

How do you discern counterfeit parts when you get them?

Should I just rely on certain vendors and not pay less than $XX.XX for the parts and figure they are good?

I've bought certain things from internet vendors, levers, lights, mirrors, but not the type of thing I generally think of as counterfeit fodder, and they cost the right amount anyway. Maybe I hadn't done that, my Rock Shop wouldn't have closed.....I always bought my filters and Repsol from them though....helmet lenses... paint.... always asked them if they had it first... okay I don't feel guilty anymore...

On the other hand, where do you shop for Honda Parts in Baltimore, MD?

M

Well, there's a difference between 'pattern' parts and 'counterfeit' parts.

Things like filters have been copied by many manufacturers, but have variable quality.

I tend to go for 'HIFLO' Oil filters, which are pattern, not OEM filters, but seem to be ok (I use them on several bikes). I'm not sure if they are available in the US, but they're definitely on Ebay.

For other parts, such as bearings, you can usually get better quality than OEM by taking in the bearings into a bearing supplier and getting them to measure them up and giving you off the shelf ones. You will pay a lot more for a Honda part with a Honda part number on it.

Some things you can only get from Honda, some other parts are common across several Honda bikes, which makes things easier for picking up secondhand parts from a wrecker or from Ebay.

Take a look at this site, as it has the Hawk fiche and parts numbers.

http://www.cmsnl.com/honda-vtr1000f-...136/partslist/

Cheers,

Paul.

If it says in big letters - MADE IN CHINA you can be sure its counterfeit.
And also if the letters are in smaller text, or even mixed fonts, - Made IN ChiNa
You can rest assured its still very counterfeit.