If you ride a Harley Davidson, then you are the proud owner of a truly great machine. And you can look forward to many years of enjoyment on the road ahead of you.

But no matter how great your bike is, and regardless of how well you maintain it, you are always going to need to spend money on it. If you get a failure in the brakes, clutch, engine, handelbars or anywhere else on the machine, you will need genuine Harley parts to fix it.

The reason that you need Harley parts is that these are the only ones you can rely on to do the job properly. Yes, there are always generic alternatives available, that look just as good and cost about half the price.

The trouble is, although you may save money in the short term, these copy cat products could cost you dearly in the long run. If you are out on the road on your Sportster, Fat Boy, Road King, Street Custom or VRSC, you want to know that you are safe.

But with non-genuine Harley parts, your life could be in danger. For example, copycat brake products may be made with inferior materials that degrade quickly. You may try to brake one day, only to find that you can’t stop. The results could be fatal.

So is it worth risking your life for a few measly dollars? Obviously not. So it is well worth checking out the proper dealer in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne or wherever you live in Australia to ensure that you get the real deal.

The same goes for items such as gloves, boots and leather jackets. If you come off your bike at high speed, would you rather be wearing a cheap Chinese helmet, or a high-quality Shoei motorcycle helmet? That really could be a life or death decision.

All in all, there is every reason to make sure that you buy genuine Harley parts. Your life is worth more than a few bucks…don’t take any chances.