Dave Porter, Customer and Tech Support at The Bonneville Shop

Parts catalog: How can a parts book even be considered a tool at all? It’s just a paper book with images and numbers. If it’s a tool, can you use it to fix a mechanical issue on a motorcycle? Well, yes you can if you know how to use it and have it at the ready on your workbench or lift.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Without the parts book, sourcing the correct parts for your vintage BSA, Norton, or Triumph motorcycle becomes an adventure, even for the experienced enthusiast. Prior to the internet, owners and mechanics relied on both mail-order parts houses and brick and mortar shops to source spares for their vintage motorcycles. There were no slick websites with splashy product descriptions and fitment guarantees.

In the absence of a local expert, the only resources for parts compatibility were the retailers who had the factory parts catalogs. These books were often bound in huge 3-ring binders opened up on the parts counter. Dog-eared, besmirched with greasy fingerprints and full of hand-written notes, these publications were the essential annals for motorcycle parts and service shops of a bygone era.

The Case For The Parts Catalog As The Most Important Tool In The Cabinet 46

The Case For The Parts Catalog As The Most Important Tool In The Cabinet 47

When a technical question was presented to the guy at the parts counter, he could simply open up the appropriate model year parts book and show the customer the exploded diagram of the assembly in question. The customer and the parts guy agree on which item is needed to complete the repair. The part number listing is on the next page, and after a short trip to the parts crib, the parts guy returns with the needed part in his hand. This was how it was done last century, and in some locales, how it is still done today.

Reproduced copies of the factory parts catalogs are now widely distributed and offered by most vintage British motorcycle parts merchants. Many will have hand-written notes with superseded part numbers and corrections to errors in quantities specified and other nomenclature. Among the most error-prone parts books are the ones that were published prior to the introduction of new production models, such as the 1971 oil-in frame 650 models, 1973 750 models, and the post-strike 1976 750 models.

We offer a broad selection of parts books for BSA, Norton, and Triumph models, the majority of which are specific to a single model year. While the factory workshop manuals are also invaluable to the restorer, they don’t offer all of the exploded views of every assembly on the machine, nor do they quote part numbers. Having the knowledge of the correct part numbers will save time, money, and disappointment when ordering parts for your motorcycle, particularly when relying on supplier’s websites, which may or may not have accurate and detailed product descriptions.

I have amassed over 50 parts books over the years, some of which are used multiple times on a daily basis when assisting customers with their parts needs. You could say these old parts books are my “tools of the trade”.

Advantages to a Printed Parts Catalog

Immediate Accessibility: Printed catalogs don’t require turning on a device or ensuring a network connection.
Note-Taking: Easy to flip through pages quickly and easily along with adding your own written notes or highlights.
Durability and Single-Purpose Use: Printed manuals are more rugged and can withstand the garage environment better than electronic devices. If a printed manual is damaged, it only affects the manual itself and not other functions of a device. Getting grease on your manual is significantly different than getting grease on your phone.
Physical Presence: Printed catalogs and manuals can be left in the shop where they are most needed, making them easily accessible when needed.