Have you ever been to a motorcycle swap meet? I mean a real old fashion motorcycle swap meet? If not and you are looking for parts, any parts, or just looking for a way to spend the day wandering around and meeting some really interesting people, then you need to find a true motorcycle swap meet in your area and check it out.
So what exactly is a motorcycle swap meet? Well that's a real good question and the answer is broad with so many different types of motorcycle swap meets out there. Swap meets come in all sizes and styles, from large organized motorcycle swap meets held in fairgrounds or exposition centers, to small one time swap meets help at the local VFW, or at the last stop of a poker run. No matter what the size or frequency, the two things all true motorcycle swap meets have in common are: lots of used parts; and really good deals. You will still find some local vendors selling new stuff at swap meets, but they will be just that, locals selling their wares, not a multi-million dollar online parts company with a semi-truck and a booth bigger than your house.
Going to a motorcycle swap meet is more of an experience than a shopping trip. Most of the time you don't even know what your going there to buy, but you will know it as soon as you see it. But if you are looking for a specific part, especially an old hard to find part, this would be the place to go. At the scheduled swap meets, most of the sellers are there every month and know all the other sellers, and can tell you just who may have your part, or who can get it for you. The greatest thing is none of the parts have a price tag, or even a price for that matter - Haggling is acceptable, and pretty much expected on every purchase.
The swap meet can also be like a treasure hunt for some really cool motorcycle memoribilia. You can find old biker magazines, old photographs, a street sign from Sturgis, and a whole bunch of stuff you have absolutely no need for, but will buy anyway.
And if your in the market for advice on a build project, or something you want to do to your bike...you're in the right place. Most of the guys you see selling motorcycle frames they welded in their garage, or a ton of parts that were made before you were born, have built, taken apart, and put back together more motorcycles then the recent MMI graduate at your local dealer has even seen. Just be prepared to pull up a chair and light up a cigar, because he's going to share all of his 30 years of bike building experience with you.
The Bike Show is another feature of a lot of motorcycle swap meets these days. Your probably not going to see any of the big buck customs with there own effect lighting and rotating stands like you would at the Easyriders Bike Show, but what you will find is some great motorcycles that were built and riden in by thier owners. They will range from bikes that were built from gound up with a hand made frame and tins that were pounded with a hammer on a block of wood, to the failry stock Softail with some touches of chrome and a picutre of their daughter painted on the tank. One thing that almost everyone will have in common - the owner RIDES IT!
Like I said in the beginning, there are all differnet types and sizes of motorcycle swap meets, some big and organized with lots of advertising, some a little smaller that you have to find out about through word of mouth, but I can assure you there is probably one somewhere near you. To help you find one, we have been working real hard to locate as many as we can and post them in the event calendar here on Cyclefish. Click Here to See All Motorcycle Swap Meets in our Calendar. And if you know of one in your area that we don't have listed, let us know and we'll get it in there.