Parts & parcel: a breaker’s guide

HOT PARTS

■ Bodywork is plentiful. Finding the correct colour panel to match your scheme can take time. Tanks are the hardest part of the puzzle to track down.

■ Forks are in short supply. Crashed bikes often take another set off the market. Pitting can kill off a decent set of stanchions if you don’t keep them clean. New stanchions are available.

■ That fuse-box/cover is like rocking horse poo…

■ Fairing cradles are big and fragile. If you use one that’s even slightly out of shape, you’ll struggle to get the fairing to fit properly.

NOT SO HOT PARTS

■ Engines are cheap, often cheaper than buying a gasket set and repairing a poorly one.

■ Frames are strong, but can rot usually around the headstock area. Rust never sleeps so always check behind the bodywork.

■ Original shocks last better than you’d expect. It’s also one area that’s worth spending a few quid on and buying a decent aftermarket option, be it a road or track Steelie…

WHAT TO PAY!

■ Fuel tank: depends on whether it’s rusted or not, but around £50-£100

■ Engines: cheap as chips and lots out there – but Steelie racing has stimulated demand a little – £100-£300

■ Carbs: again, if clean and ready to rumble, it’s top dollar over what you clean yourself, but still around £100-£200

■ Fuse-box cover: quite rare and they disappear – so you can get £50 for them… £50