SOHC.co.uk Forums > CB350/400

Oil filter bolt / relief valve

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Athame57:

--- Quote from: TrickyMicky on August 24, 2023, 07:32:44 PM ---
  I notice that over time there seems to be a lot of hate directed towards DSS Spares.

--- End quote ---
I've had loads of things from DSS and yes, looking around they can turn up a bit pricey, but nothing compared to using CMSL after shipping costs. At first I didn't know better and I could have saved money before. But the only really serious gripe I had was with their fuel tank, and needing to buy a US version fuel tap from the start was a bad start. But having spent hundreds of pounds getting the tank and panels professionally painted I discovered it .....didn't fit! :o I phoned them up and there was lots of huffing and puffing of disbelief at their end, but later they phoned me up and agreed their was a problem after they checked one of the new batch I was first to get an example of on one their own CB400Fs. It was discovered the central groove was a bit too narrow to clear the two mounting rubbers! The remedy is to shave them back a few millimetres to fit, having spent so much on said tank I accepted the solution and I'm happy. But only after I discovered that the tank lock wouldn't fit on the mounting stud, I had to gingerly file it to fit myself. So if you order a tank of them, I'd phone them first. This was about four years ago.

Matt_Harrington:
Just to be clear, the aftermarket part that was the issue could have come from anywhere as it was on the bike when I bought here (engine knackered!) and it may or may not have come from DS.
Either way it is now fixed and operates just like a NOS one I have.

Laverda Dave:
I agree with TrickyMicky on this, David Silver is a very genuine guy, I have known him since his days in Wembley, NW London. I went to buy some 400/4 bits from him the week after he moved to Suffolk. I rang him before I left home and he warned me his new place was in a mess with boxes of parts unpacked as there was so much stock but he told me to come down anyway. When I arrived I had a huge list of parts I wanted his face dropped but he walked me around the warehouse and we looked through various stillage bins. After a couple of hours I had a trolley of parts including complete wheels (genuine DID with bearings), genuine NOS seat, fully painted side panels and tank in yellow, Speedo, cables, airbox with rubbers, kickstart lever, you name it he had it. When it came to the bill, £300. Let me say though this was 1990. When I see Dave at shows I remind him of that day😁. Without the likes of Dave (and CMSNL) we would be stuffed. Yes he and CMSNL are now expensive but that's down to supply and demand. How many of us would have spent our savings in the late 80’s buying up a load of obsolete stock hoping it's value would increase and winning if it did but going down the plughole if it didn't? You also have to remember Dave now employs a few staff as his operation has grown, I'm sure at times he wishes he was still trading from his Wembley garage instead of having to employ staff with all the implications that brings with holiday pay, sick pay, maternity pay, heating, computers, welfare facilities etc. He has to run a business and he does have to make a profit otherwise wouldn't do it and why should he, he's not running a charity for us. For the record I have no connection with David Silver other than he has kept my bikes on the road and he's honest, how many eBay traders selling pattern parts can you say that about.
As for OEM parts, OEM means original equipment manufacturer, whilst these companies may have made the parts in the past it doesn't mean they make them now, they only supply them. When I was working I remember we had mechanical drive equipment made by a very reputable company however they sub let the contract to another company in another country because they were cheaper and what did that company do, they sub let the contract again to a company in China because they were cheaper still even through when the parts arrived to us they were in the original companies branding. Result, the parts failed as they were made of cheese! It took a long time to find out the real facts. Just because something states OEM supplier doesn't always mean that supplier actually makes it.

Oddjob:
Don't get me wrong here. I'm not knocking DS, I, like almost everyone here buys from him. What I was knocking was the quality of some of his parts, not this part in particular as we don't know where it came from. However, we have all read stories on this very forum of parts from DS failing after a short while, whilst Honda parts aren't immune from this they do seem to last a great deal longer.

I do think he should try and source from better manufacturers and make sure the parts he sells are good enough for the job. That's my point.

Sesman:
Perhaps he does, Ken. If anybody knows of better quality parts suppliers, let DS know. The world is what we make it.

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