Accessories

[Chris in Japan]

Hello everybody,

I was wondering if somebody could teach me about the treatment of accessories during judgement. Are they excluded completely or judged with?

If the second, I guess these must be in the OEM catalog but what happens with the years?

I imagine somebody buying the bike in 1947... in 1948 a set of saddlebags and maybe in 1951 a pair of spotlights... All OEM but different years.

How is this treated?

Many thanks and kind regards!

Chris

[Chris Haynes]

On an unrestored machine it is OK. But on a restored machine everything must be the same year as the bike.

[Chris in Japan]

On an unrestored machine it is OK. But on a restored machine everything must be the same year as the bike.

Thanks, Chris! The criteria is then clear.

But anyway! Imagine a "December" bike, a high number that very likely got their accessoires in January! Will you reject them? Can I undertand then that the purpose of the criteria is that accessoires should have been ordered together with the bike and not afterwards? If yes, then makes sense (even if tough!).

[Rubone]

Chris,
The model year did not change in December to January. The new models were available starting in September or at least October of the previous year. The accessories depend on the part # and the first year available. Earlier year accessories are acceptable as a dealer could have installed them. If they did not exist at the beginning of a model year you would have to prove somehow that they came on the bike or they are not accepted. Maybe a Dealer receipt with the item listed and a date? Pretty hard to come by!
Robbie

[Chris in Japan]

Chris,
The model year did not change in December to January. The new models were available starting in September or at least October of the previous year. The accessories depend on the part # and the first year available. Earlier year accessories are acceptable as a dealer could have installed them. If they did not exist at the beginning of a model year you would have to prove somehow that they came on the bike or they are not accepted. Maybe a Dealer receipt with the item listed and a date? Pretty hard to come by!
Robbie

Mmmh... I see Robbie... I think then that the only "solid rock" evidence is that famous "order application form", which hardly comes by with the bike nowadays as you state. Even more! I would really be surprised if in that order you can read that the dealer was emptying a 3 years old stock of spotlights!

I start to understand better how tough this job of judging is! And the one of the owners of course to document it!!! How they do this???

[Rubone]

Chris,
What is mostly done is stick to items that were available during the year of manufacture of your bike or previous years. Stay away from anything that came out in later years. accessory catalogs show up all the time on eBay and reprints are available of some of them. '47 is available as a reprint. Aftermarket accessories are harder. Things like hubcaps and fender tips. Items like handlebars such as Flanders or Hellings & Stellings are an immediate points deduction as they totally replace original equipment. It gets more and more difficult with more items. Things such as handlebars can push you into the period modified class. Does any of this make any sense? I have collected accessories for a long time and use them on my bikes. And none of my bikes are ever judged, they are merely for my pleasure.
Robbie

[Chris Haynes]

There were cases when new bikes were shipped to dealers with parts missing. Sometimes major parts that were necessary to make the machine rideable. A friend has obtained a stash of Harry Molenaar's invoices from the MoCo listing bikes shipped with special colors and missing parts. Hopefully sometime when he has debriefed it all it will become available.

[Chris in Japan]

Stay away from anything that came out in later years.
Robbie

Crystal-clear, Robbie.

Many thanks!