Never rule ut dealer or importer shenanigans either. Nobody really cared about this stuff back in the day. I love talking to old guys who ran dealerships or shops and hearing some of the stories.
Back in the day these were just grey pudding and it was about making a sale.
It was not uncommon for dealers to swap parts to satisfy a sale or make a customer happy. Here locally many years ago 2 guys were talking about their A65s and #s came up, turns out they each had each others motors. They ran down the history and alledgedly one of the bikes had an issue of some sort so the dealer pulled the motor, swapped in the motor from a bike on the floor and repaired the first motor and installed in the other chassis. I am told that was common.
A amusing long term debate ensured over swapping back. Both parties REALLY wanted to do the swap but a fierce argument broke out over the relative value and condition of each motor. One guy in particular had paid a LOT of money for an alleged mechanic to rebuild his and he expected to be comped for his expenses. The other owner and a few of us had a low opinion on this mechanics work so, much gnashing of teeth, rending of cloth and debate. I seem to recall it took over a year to come to terms.
Locally we had dealers like "The Sandy Bandit" and Cliff had his own ideas about things. I also knew the western US Triumph rep and many stories about stuff that went on including the SR debate and Canada, Cliff would, like many dealers often repaint a previous years bike to the next years color and put it on the floor and sell as that years model. Or swap around parts to suit his vision of what they should be selling. Cliff once stood up at the annual dealers meeting in Long Beach and told Edward Turner "If you idiots would just run things like Suzuki, all us dealers would die fat dumb and happy!" Everyone expected ET to toss Cliff out of the network but he didnt. (Cliff sold a lot of bikes) Bob Raber (Rabers parts mart) was there and confirmed that story which is significant because Cliff made stuff up as he went.
Cliff ALSO swapped parts off new bikes all the time. I have photos of bikes still in crates with MCM mufflers and other accys no factory or importer ever installed.
many dealers have told me about bikes arriving with parts thrown in the crates,, the factory was out of stock and threw them in before shipping and it was up to the dealer to install them.
I have some Hap Alzina original material and it details many parts that were swapped out upon US arrival, thats why UK owners are confused when they re-import US bikes. I provided copies to the BSAOC of the UK.
