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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The Hidden World of Motorcycle Salvage

By Elvin Louington


Motorcycles are a favorite mode of transportation for many. Motorcycles are often babied and cared for by their owners like few other vehicles. Despite the care taken to keep bikes in tip top condition, a motorcycle will eventually reach the end of its lifespan. Sometimes it takes a mere decade of hard riding. Other times bikes reach an untimely death through an accident or even fire. Other bikes are retired simply because a new model catches their owner's eye.

When a motorcycle is retired, it most assuredly ends up in the boneyard, or motorcycle salvage yard. These junkyards provide the resting place for countless bikes of a variety of models. Often a walk through a junkyard will reveal bikes from many different decades. These bikes will be in different states of decay.

Of course, entering the motorcycle salvage yard doesn't necessarily mean the end for a motorcycle. Many of the bikes are resurrected through the hard work of enthusiastic mechanics. Others will give their parts to other bikes, extending their lifespan. Still others will become part of something entirely different. For example, scientists form India worked to create a vehicle only using parts from the junkyard. They succeeded in creating an eight-seat vehicle that was surprisingly fuel efficient, and they did it using only parts over twenty years old!

Finding Parts

A motorcycle salvage yard is home to countless bikes and parts. A visit to the junkyard will also reveal a diverse array of people. Many hobbyists and tinkerers visit the junkyard searching for new parts or gadgets. Other visitors are there looking for a a replacement part for their current bike. Some mechanic-minded bikers enjoy searching for an old bike to bring back to life. These individuals will find a bike that appears to be fixable and they will spend the time to get it running again. This can be a fun hobby and a great way to get a nice bike without spending a lot of money. Others are searching for ancient remnants of prized motorcycles. Bikes like the prized Suzuki Shogun aren't made anymore but are the favorite of many discerning motorcycle enthusiasts.

Another aspect of junkyards, is that the owners are usually quite knowledgeable. One can often learn much from talking to the owner of a motorcycle salvage yard. If you are looking for a specific part, then the owner can often help you find it. If you are after a bike to fix up, he can likely point you in the right direction. Today, the Internet makes it simple to find what you are after. Many junkyards have websites that allow you make inquiries without actually visiting the facility. This is a great place to start if you are trying to track down something specific.




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