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With motorcycles, what are the parts that most frequently get damaged and therefore have to be exchanged most frequently?

I'm asking this question because I am looking to buy a motorcycle that I would like to maintain and repair myself. One factor for deciding for a specific model will be the availability of spare parts. Therefore it would be good to know which spare parts will be needed most frequently so that I can then do some research on the availabilty of these parts.

By the way, I am going for an older motorcycle, most probably a Japanese one (e.g. Honda CB series from the 1970s or 1980s).

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    Handlebars, levers, footpegs, and the exhaust are the most commonly damaged parts for a new rider when they lay the bike down, but I don't think that's what you're asking. When you say "get damaged" do you mean parts that normally wear out? Because nothing should normally get damaged. – JPhi1618 Mar 1 '16 at 14:22
  • @JPhi1618 Yes, that is what I mean. – zepp.lee Mar 1 '16 at 15:03
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As @JPhi1618 says "Handlebars, levers, footpegs, and the exhaust are the most commonly damaged parts for a new rider when they lay the bike down", additionally anything made of plastic is also likely to break in such an event.

However if you mean things that wear out and you can maintain yourself then all bikes will share the following

  1. Filters - Oil, Air and Fuel: replace as per service intervals
  2. Oil / Coolant / Fluids
  3. Brake Fluid: Check and Flush every 2-3 yrs (additionally your bike may have hydraulic clutch so also flush that)
  4. Chain Drive: if fitted, check weekly and lubricate and replace as required - this includes front and rear sprockets and chain
  5. Belt Drive: if fitted inspect and replace as required - this is normally quite fiddly and may be better to get a shop to do it.
  6. Shaft Drive: maintain as per service manual
  7. Tyres: inspect before each ride, look for scores, cuts, cracks, foreign objects.
  8. Spark Plugs: inspect as part of routine maintenance during filter changes

Buy a Haynes manual or similar (they exist for most bikes). Older, un-faired bikes tend to be easier to maintain than more modern fully faired ones.

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I'm assuming you're asking about parts availability. If you're looking at Honda CBs stick to the more common models that were made for long periods and you won't have trouble finding consumable parts, old spares from parted out bikes and aftermarket new parts. Also there's tons of people out there using these bikes every day.

More common models: CB350(twin and four) CB550(four) CB750 Less common models: CB450 CB360 CB650

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