Okay, I do not mind using aftermarket parts for most of exterior crap on the bike. Handlebars, controls, etc. My question is how good are the actual functional machine parts? Getting the heads done while they are off is a no brainer. The cylinders however are going to cost more to bore than I can get new ones from Jireh. They are only .20 now so there is a lot of meat left (scoring is not too bad) and no broken fins or flanges. If I get the cylinders and piston kits from Jireh at stock bore are they going to hold up or would it be better to put the money in the original parts and end up at .40 or .50 over? What is everybody's thoughts on the thickness of the head gasket? I have the stock .017 thickness gaskets. should I find some thicker?

 

I order a lot of parts for my 1976 XLCH through jpcycles.com. Good parts and good service! Prices ain't bad either. As with any part, even those from HD, there's always a chance you'll get a bad one. I have found that most aftermarket parts work well, though. I just don't order from the VTwin catalog anymore. I've had too many problems with their stuff.

For older parts, you can also try bikebandit.com. They have a lot of hard to find OEM stuff, too.