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INSPIRATION TIME: FROM BARN FIND TO AN ABSOLUTE GEM OF AN DR650 💙

So we recently did a brilliant barn find. We’ve shared a little video of it, where you see an incredible amount of NOS Suzuki parts. From forks to fairings, it had it all. While we get incredibly excited over NOS parts, a fully restored classic bike actually leaves us speechless. All we can do, is look at it and smile from ear to ear. And we’d like to share a beautiful example with you. Enjoy this Suzuki DR650R Dakar version, from 1990, owned by Nugget, shown by Motorcycle Adventure Dirtbike TV. This is why we do what we do.

This fully restored Suzuki DR650R hosts several parts that were acquired through us. And happy days: quite a few of these parts - including the iconic Dakar front cowling - will be in stock again soon! Because they were found amidst the barn find. So.. We don’t know how much signs you have to get to finally restore that DR600 or 650 hiding in your barn.. but clearly.. this is the last one you need. Let’s bring these beauties back to their former glory.

Just look at it.. an absolute gem. The Suzuki DR650R was first introduced in 1990, as a replacement of the DR600. The Djebel / Dakar version had the distinctive cowling with the iconic wording on it. The Djebel version was mostly sold in the domestic Japanese market, whereas the Dakar version was mostly sold in European and other foreign regions. A trustworthy single-cylinder four-stroke you’d have to kick to get going.

While the weather gets colder and colder in Europe, and we are slowly entering winter time.. we’d love to light your fire to get into the garage, and get busy restoring those hidden gems-to-be. Suzuki fans: keep a close eye on our website CMSNL.com. These NOS parts will soon pop up there! And they are not just for the DR650R!

THE START OF AN ERA: THE FIRST SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE 🏆

It is 1988. The birds wake at Donington Park on the 3rd of April. It would be a big day. This day, the first-ever FIM Superbike World Championship race took place. This race was the start of an era, and marked an important shift in motorsports. From a focus on purebred prototype engineering, that focus shifted to showroom derived production racing. The race bikes ridden were motorcycles that enthusiasts could actually buy. Of course, certain parts were upgraded. But the base was still a production machine.

The FIM Superbike Championship wasn’t the first racing series using production-based machinery. The AMA Superbike series in the United States and several domestic championships across Europe already used them. The idea was rather simple. 1) The race bikes used for the series had to be homologated. This means a minimum number of production units had to be built and sold to the public. This rule still stands today. And 2) Manufactures were allowed to use four-stroke four-cylinder machines up to 750 cc, and two-cylinder bikes up to 1000 cc.

A notable detail: for the inaugural Superbike Championship round, results from both races were combined to determine an overall winner of the day. This was unique to this first-ever round. This system was dropped for all other races. The starting grid saw machinery that is very sought-after today, like the Honda VFR750R RC30, the Bimota YB4, Ducati 851, the Yamaha FZR750, Kawasaki GPX750R, and Suzuki GSX-R750’s.

Race 1 was won by Davide Tardozzi on his Bimota YB4, while race 2 was won by Marco Lucchinelli riding his Ducati 851. Tardozzi was declared the overall race winner. While Tardozzi won more individual races that season, it was Fred Merkel who claimed the inaugural 1988 title. He rode incredibly consistent with his Honda, which secured the title. Honda also claimed the first Manufacturers Championship title. Although the technology and scale of the championship have changed dramatically over the years, the production-based roots of the championship have remained the same.

📣 BIG NEWS: WE”VE ADDED PIAGGIO TO OUR BRAND LINE-UP 🇮🇹

We have been expanding our brands line-up over the years. We started with Honda, then added the other three big Japanese brands. And from there.. well most will know the story. We grew into the company we are today. We proudly call ourselves the undisputed champion of vintage motorcycle parts. Our expertise in NOS (New Old Stock) parts will always be our main business and passion, but many will know we are also a big supplier of OE parts. We have a vast commitment to keeping vehicles original, and well-running, to let all your restoration dreams come true.

Now it is time to proudly present the big news.. we have added the Piaggio Group to our brand line-up! This includes Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Derbi, and of course: the Piaggio brand itself. Because what would the world be without the legendary Ciao? And the well-known Zip? And the Ape? The Italian brand has seen many groundbreaking hits. The company started with its production of locomotives and railway carriages in 1884. So they knew their way in the world of engineering. After World War I, the brand supplied the military sector with boats and airplanes. Later, the turn to two wheelers was taken. And well.. history was made.

With multiple famous vehicles, like the Piaggio Zip, the Ciao, the Ape, but also modern vehicles like the Piaggio Liberty scooter, the brand is visible around the globe. Let’s keep them running. Looking for your sign to pick up a new restoration project? This is it. Or riding a Piaggio vehicle to work, and back again? Keep it mint condition with OE Piaggio parts. Now live at cmsnl.com! We can’t promise you Mike the Mechanic will actually bring them to your doorstep on a Ciao.. but who knows.. Wonders never cease.

THE ONE THAT CHANGED THE NARRATIVE 🟧

It is the early 70s. Bayerische Motoren Werke, or in short BMW, wasn’t known for its creative and eye-catching design. The German brand was known to be reliable, understated, and almost a little dull. But if there was one motorbike that changed the narrative, then it was the BMW R 90 S. Produced from 1973 until 1976, it changed the way BMW positioned itself.

While it was launched in a grey colour scheme originally, most will remember the striking orange one. It was half-faired, handled well, and it was seriously quick. Its 898 cc boxer engine produced around 67 bhp, and managed to reach a top speed of approximately 200 km/h (124 mph). Even fro today’s standards, the BMW R 90 S is still a very fun motorbike to ride.

BMW is arguably the most well known motorcycle manufacturer that uses boxer engines for its motorbikes. Its very first motorcycle, the BMW R32, even had a boxer engine. Refinements were made over the years, with the BMW R90S as one of its results. The R90S was introduced together with the BMW R90/6, which was the unfaired version.

The S version had higher compression, and bigger carbs, with gave the bike a bit more power than the unfaired version. It also had a bigger fuel tank, and two front discs instead of just one. It had a few extra bits too, giving it an overal luxurious look and feel. While it wasn’t perfect, it certainly wasn’t dull. In 2024, the German brand unveiled the R12S, which is a beautiful hommage to the R90S.

JAPANESE, WITH A BRITISH TOUCH 🇯🇵🇬🇧

It is the 1960s. A new direction was set. Whereas Kawasaki had primarily been making small displacement motorcycles, they plunged into the deep waters of big bike engineering. But not entirely. Because why invent something yourself, when someone else had already gone through all the trouble. So you take a good thing, and try to make it even better. And eventually, make it your own.

The Kawasaki W1 650 was the first big displacement motorcycle by the Japanese manufacturer. It had some British roots, due to the integration of the Meguro factory into the Kawasaki group, that worked with BSA engines. Before the introduction of the W-series, there was the K-series. And there was Meguro. Meguro was once Japan’s largest motorcycle manufacturer, supplying the military and police with motorcycles, and racing alongside Honda. The company got into trouble after disappointing sales figures, and a yearlong strike. Kawasaki acquired an interest in the company, eventually merging the two. This investment got the launch of the Meguro K going, which can be seen as the predecessor of the Kawasaki W1.

The W1 650 had a vertical-twin engine design, inherited from Meguro’s K2 design. But they didn’t just copy paste it. The W1 underwent significant engineering changes, like a multi-piece pressed crankshaft assembly with ball bearings, and one-piece connecting rods with needle bearings. While the British engines and the early 650 Kawasaki engines looked similar, they were mechanically different.

While Kawasaki hoped to challenge the British domination, the Kawasaki W1 650 was mostly a domestic success. Its displacement was enormous for that region, at that time. It gained a reputation as ‘a status symbol’. The production of the W-series developed, but eventually came to an end, making way for the incredibly successful Z-series.

Kawasaki W parts: order genuine spare parts online at CMSNL ✓ Kawasaki spare parts for W Motorcycle. ✓ Swift delivery ✓ Original Kawasaki W parts

THE FAMOUS GROWL: BITTEN BY THE CROSSPLANE BUG 🦁

We often write about vehicles, riders, and memorable moments from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. But more recent years have brought a lot of excitement too. Let’s talk about a brilliant piece of engineering: the 2009 Yamaha YZF-R1, with its crossplane engine. Also affectionately known as the ‘Big Bang’, and well-loved for its unique, growling sound.

Yamaha’s 2009 crossplane engine wasn’t the first engine with this unique configuration. Crossplane engines had been used before in big V8 engines in cars. But Yamaha was the first to use a crossplane crankshaft in a sports bike. It was a technical development that derived from the YZR-M1 MotoGP race bike. Top level motorsports have always had a big impact on production machinery.

Within a crossplane engine, the crankpins are positioned 90 degrees apart, so one of the pistons arrived at top dead center or bottom dead center every 90 degrees. With a conventional crank, this happens every 180 degrees. Instead of firing evenly every 180 degrees, the crossplane inline-four fires at uneven intervals. While we could go on about the technical side of it for hours, this basically meant better rear wheel traction for the rider, a more direct throttle connection, and well.. that beautiful muscular growl.

While the 2009 model seems overshadowed commercially by the models that followed, it actually outsold most newer generations of the Yamaha R1. A fresh, damage free Yamaha YZF-R1 from 2009 is already relatively hard to come by. We won’t be surprised if this hard-core sports bike will turn into a true collectible. It has a strong fan base. Did you ever get bitten by the crossplane bug? 👀

OUR LOVE FOR NOS PARTS EXPLAINED ❤️

Most know us as ‘that parts supplier that had that one part no-one else had available’. Others know us as ‘that webshop with the funny keychain’. And yes, some also refer to us as ‘that expensive webshop’, or even ‘that webshop who also didn’t have the part I need’. While all of it is true, we’d love to enlighten you why we do what we do. And what we actually do.

Yes, at CMSNL, we sell parts. And yes, when it comes to modern parts, we are not the cheapest. We follow guidelines given by suppliers, because we have to. And while we sell and ship a lot of modern parts across the globe, it is not our core business. We specialize in NOS (New Old Stock) and reproduction parts. NOS parts are original items manufactured long ago that were never sold or used, and kept in their original packaging. They often spent years hidden away in warehouses or shelves in motorcycle shops. Manufacturers stopped producing these items long ago, making NOS parts hard to find. NOS parts are not the same as second-hand items, since most second-hand parts come from used vehicles. And therefore display user damage.

Our Parts Detectives are constantly looking for NOS parts. Because these parts are often hidden in bulk, that’s no easy task. It requires a big network in the industry. We get in touch with retiring owners of family-owned dealerships and independent repair shops. We buy the stock that is left behind. Sometimes, we are able to take a large NOS batch of one specific brand off someone’s hand, like our last Suzuki NOS barn find. In other occasions, it is a mix of parts from several brands. That’s why we do not always have every single item for one specific model available.

As you hopefully can imagine, it is getting harder and harder to find NOS parts. But we won’t give up! Because it all started with NOS parts for us. Out of sheer passion for classic vehicles, and young timers. We want to keep the golden eras of the moto industry alive. For us.. there is nothing better than a well restored classic bike. So.. what's your next restoration project?👀

THE MASTER OF THE INFAMOUS BANNED BIKE 🚫

There are multiple disciplines in motorsports where being a mechanic and a rider go hand in hand. It is safe to say, you’d gain a great advantage if you know your way in mechanics as a rider in these disciplines. Or rather; you wouldn’t get far without it. Rally riding is one of them. You know how we sharing motorcycle history. So we’d like to go back in time (not too far!), and tell you about a more than memorable Dakar rider: Fabrizio Meoni.

While we don’t hide our passion for Japanese classic bikes and young timers, we don’t limit ourselves to them. You might have noticed already, but we also have KTM parts available! Fabrizio Meoni competed in the Dakar rally, riding for KTM. He won the motorcycle category twice, riding his KTM in 2001 and 2002. But he didn’t start as a factory rider. Meoni shared the rugged spirit with the Dakar. He first participated in the Dakar as a privateer on a Yamaha XTZ660, by becoming the best privateer of the event. He charmed the bivouac with his personality, camaraderie, and determination. He quickly became loved all around.

During his Dakar wins, he rode the KTM 950 Rally. One of the most fearsome bikes ever built, and Meoni was one of the very few who knew how to master it. A twin-cylinder, 100 hp 1000cc offroad monster. In 2004, the era of the two-cylinder rally bikes ended. They were considered to be too dangerous. The organizers also hoped to level the competitive playing field, giving other brands than KTM the chance to shine.

In the last year of the unlimited era, Fabrizio Meoni and Paul Krause were the only two riding the 950. It wasn't too different from the production one. But completely custom in terms of frame, suspension, fuel tank, and cockpit. According to Krause, Meoni rode his 950 like it was a 125. He made an impact on the entire rally world. In the Dakar of 2005, something went horribly wrong for Meoni. He lost his life after a crash during the 11th stage. Since he was so loved, fellow competitors refused to ride the next day, and the 12th stage was canceled in his honor.

LIGHT THE FIRE: TADAO BABA’S FAMOUS SUPERBIKE 🇯🇵 🏁

In an era where sport bikes seemed to be build for straight-line speed, this particular superbike seemed to break the barrier. Of course, they turned. But it could be better. It should be better, in the eyes of Honda engineer Tadao Baba. Baba’s unique combination of engineering knowledge and racing experience as a former racer led to the design of the famous Honda FireBlade. He knew how a race bike should handle.

The Blade made its first appearance in 1992, as the Honda CBR900RR. But it had been in the making for over three years. It was tested and redeveloped over and over again. Baba's sole demand: this sport bike needed to be a bike over which riders had full control. At first, the Honda CBR900RR was supposed to be a 750cc sports bike. In fact, the first tests were done with a 750cc machine. Later, Baba-san realized that an 893cc engine would just fit between the frame and chassis of the 750.

Strategic engineering took place to create the original FireBlade. Heavier items within the engine and chassis were placed as close to the center as possible, while other parts were made as light as possible. Honda didn’t go wild with the engine. They used a proven liquid-cooled inline four cylinder. But it weight only 185 kilos, which was lightweight at the time. And actually still is a great score in terms of weight for a superbike. It made it agile like a 600cc supersport, but with more power and grunt, as they say.

With its round headlights, its recognizable ‘Honda’ looks, and great handling it because a benchmark for larger capacity sport bikes for years. In years to come, the FireBlade was subject to constant development to continually improve its performance. Tadao Baba’s final FireBlade was the 2002-2003 954cc Blade. The Blades that followed all carried the Fireblade name without the capital B, in honour of the retired Baba-san. Honour your Blade, light the Fire (no pun intended 😉) and keep it in mint condition! In case you need some, we’ve got quite some parts for it.

TO BUILD AND RESTORE OR TO RIDE?! CELEBRATING VMXDN AND CLASSIC DIRT BIKES 🚀

It is a recognizable dilemma for most classic bike enthusiasts: to restore or to ride?! We love bringing classic and youngtimer motorbikes back to their former glory. It takes years sometimes, to complete projects. And when it is finished.. what then? All that time, effort, and often money spent. You’d want to keep that gem safe, and glance upon it every day (maybe even from your sofa in the living room..). Or.. will you ride it? It is so tempting. And in all honesty.. we love it when one doesn’t just restore bikes, but also rides them. Because in the end, that is what they were made for.

Last weekend, we were proud to sponsor VMXdN. An incredible event celebrating classic and youngtimer dirt bikes. Two-strokes, roost, mud, noise, and above all, a whole lot of passion for dirt bikes from the golden motocross days. For this event, Docwob built a brilliant pack of Yamaha YZ250s following classic principles. Dirt bikes that look and feel like they belong in their era, but are built to be ridden - hard.

And they were, by Jeremy Martin and Ryan Sipes, both experienced AMA Motocross and Supercross racers. For four days, Hawkstone Park turned into a vintage motocross place to be. Thousands of vintage motocross enthusiasts gathered to see the action. On the Friday, it was Show ’n Shine time. Where you could admire the effort countless passionate ones had put into rebuilding their classic machines. A brilliant tribute to the golden era of motocross. Over the next two days, you’d see those classics in action. To do what they were meant to do. Get dirty, and ride fast. Because, well.. a classic dirt bike doesn’t belong behind glass. It belongs on track.