This salvage yard may not look to draw attention, especially to those who run the place, but Cooper’s MC Salvage is a gem amongst vintage Japanese motorcycle enthusiasts, which makes it hard to ignore. It’s a place with the ability to breathe life into dozens of bikes with parts from a single source, where the death of one becomes the revival of another.
It’s a place where you’ll find one of the most photographed mailboxes in New Hampshire, recognized by some as a tremendous piece of moto-art. It’s run by two modest and reserved guys, both walking manuals for more models than one can name. They serve customers during the business hours of “Saturday is the best time to stop by.”
Upon meeting Harry, he hands me a flashlight and precise directions on where to find myself a replacement exhaust for the entirely cracked right-side pipe on my ‘71 CB350. I take the winding stairs to the second floor and walk into a haven of bike parts. In front of me, hanging, are hundreds if not thousands of control cables attached to a wooden support beam, along with fenders, handlebars, and an assortment of other parts.
This was just the start—a small taste on the way to my destination all the way to the back and to the left, a trip which can’t be done without dropping your jaw as you pass a room packed from one shelf to the next with carburetors and intact OEM exhaust systems.
After World War II, Japanese and Asian motorcycle influence became greater in the US with the affordability and overall aesthetic of the big four. Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha started to rule the market and became widely popular compared to British bikes in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
With the burst of motorcycle purchases—in part by the baby boomer generation—incredible strides were made by these manufacturers. While Triumph had its tried-and-true twin, Kawasaki and Honda were releasing three and four-cylinder monsters that pushed the limits of two wheels. One of the most popular bikes of its day, the CB350, sold more than 250,000 in its five years of production. Each room on the way to my replacement exhaust is a journey through history.
It’s this history that carries on the drive and likability of these timeless motorcycles, and it’s places like Cooper’s that fuels the passion for keeping them alive.
