CSM Experience

[gbyoung2]

As in Consolidated Motor Spares over in the Netherlands.

Any of you used them for hard to source items for your vintage CB, CL, CA, or ??? Hondas?

Good, bad, indifferent?

[G-Man]

Yes they have better stock for early models than DSS. I've bought a ton of stuff from them.

If the part you are looking for is rare, make sure you get a photograph before you pay.....

G

[gbyoung2]

Took me a minute to figure out who DSS was since I’m not familiar with the initialisms of all the players yet.

Appreciate it with regards to CSM. I’m probably working on a short ton with them, altho my wallet might have a different opinion once you throw in the shipping charges. My experience has been “okay,” but since my bike seems to be caught up in the JIS vs ISO period, it’s taken several back and forth conversations on a couple of occasions. The first was to convince them to (please) go out and measure the thread pitch of some hardware I was considering. That worked out okay once they told me what they had and it would work on my bike.

The second had to do with the rear pillion pegs. My bike didn’t have them when I got it, and none of the previous owners seemed to know when they went missing. CSM had them as assemblies (very pricey), and in the various parts to make them up. I took the latter route. Once the pieces arrived, it was apparent that the mounts for the frame were much wider than the pegs themselves, by 6 mm.

Their page for those parts showed “up to xxxx” frame numbers and I went with what I thought was correct. In subsequent conversation they sent me a similar page, but it had a much more detailed breakdown of frame numbers. By that sheet, I asked that they please check the widths of a couple of the items, Unfortunately, that sheet‘s part numbers were also incorrect for my frame number, but they gave me the pix of different numbered items to look at - with dimensions. In this instance, straight up pix wouldn’t have worked because the bits all look the same. Their marked up pix did, however.

The pricey option (due to shipping charges) was to send my incorrect ones back to Holland, and order the ones they were now recommending. I’ll pass and will make the ones I have work. Because a couple of the pieces were unavailable, I made my own. Also picked up the clevis pins locally and modified them to work as well. Theirs were 8 Euro each, or something like that, and the ones I got here were like $1.31 each. I shortened, then drilled new holes for the cotter pins. Just using safety wire now until I can pick up the correct size pins.

Anyway, thank you again. I’m sure I’ll continue to use them again when the need arises. A ready supply of parts to feed our passion is quickly fading away.