How to work out Harley-Davidson's Parts Numbering System.

Everything made by Harley-Davidson or other companies who make items or products for the Harley-Davidson Company all have a ‘Genuine H-D Parts Number’ and usually come in a Genuine Harley-Davidson packaging with the part number on it somewhere….  Everything you can think of has a H-D part number.

This includes all collectible items, Clothing, motorcycle parts, helmets, belts, caps, some specialty tools everything, you name it, if it’s made by Harley-Davidson it has a part number….   
I’ve been trying to find if the rare H-D ‘Pegasus Patch’ had a part number but as was some 20 something years ago I suppose H-D didn’t worry about it back then.

When a new year or when H-D come out with new products they always seem to issue the dealers a catalogue with the specific new H-D parts numbers in it.
We get very little H-D clothing in Australia and shops more willing to sell you what’s on their floor than to take the time and order them from Harley-Davidson overseas for you.

If you want to purchase something especially on eBay it’s best to ask the seller if they advertise the item is new what the H-D item product number…

In Australia as we do not have that many Harley-Davidson stores compared to the U.S. and they do not get issued that many catalogues and hard to find anyone who will give you one…
eg: I wanted to get a set of Harley-Davidson ‘Billings’ Leather Jacket, vest, and chaps they are the distressed brown leather type and H-D leather helmet with embroided bar and shield on the front.

Without knowing the part numbers I would never been able to find them. I first needed a 1994 ‘motorclothes and collectibles book for that year. Harley-Davidson as a rule do not keep products especially clothes and collectibles running from one year to the next, so if you see it and want it best to grab it then..   Even the 100th Anniversary products are getting hard to find now…

With Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts there are still a lot of earlier parts which fit later models and even today’s motorcycles, especially if motorcycle has the same motor, then all the motorcycles with that motor approximately 98% the parts will interchange it’s the old saying ‘if it’s working don’t change it’.
As I’ve said to many customers if you where broken down in the middle of nowhere and you had the use of all the parts off another Harley, you’d be surprised how many parts would fit your bike.

The first five numbers in the part number is the part itself and any number after the hyphen is the year.

The numbers are usually something like eg: HD 12345-56 for example and instance we’ll just say this is the oil plug (which it isn’t but) this means that part number (oil plug) is 12345 and the –56 was for the 1956 model Harley and the hyphen and number after it was for that years Harley.

Unless changed will fit all later model Harley’s and may only have been changed to say eg: HD 12345-56A the last letter (A) or (B)which means it has been upgraded some way (say they use a longer nut or something now) and the part will still fit the 1956 model and later year models and will not be changed until it no longer fits a later model Harley.
Okay now say your 1995 Harley (oil plug) is completely new with a different thread etc then it may now the new part number maybe changed to say 12345 – 95, meaning it’s still a oil plug but for later model 1995 and later models…. And of course would not suit a 1956 model now.

A good thing I find especially interesting to have a parts manual for your specific Harley and actually see what year part numbers still fit…    You’d be surprised.

There are other part numbers which are usually just 5 figure numbers with no hyphen or year number for common parts like flat washers, nuts, bolts, O-rings etc etc.