The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

We Don’t Need Any More Custom Motorcycles, We Need Prototypes

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Shop tools have improved
Shop tools have evolved, their capabilities dramatically greater, let’s push beyond what we’ve seen before.

For more than a decade, here on The Kneeslider, you’ve seen builder after builder create motorcycles that were stunning examples of creativity and ingenuity, solving problems and building bikes you might have thought impossible, yet there they were. Shaping and welding metal, machining parts, making new engines from old or from scratch, the work and the bikes beautiful to see, yet … something began to gnaw at me, are builders in a rut, doing what could have been done 50 years ago instead of pushing and expanding their skills to take advantage of new tools and technologies? Maybe it’s time to change direction. Let me explain.

Maybe you shouldn’t be “that guy”

Working with your hands is one of the most rewarding activities possible, using the tools you were born with to make something out of nothing. It satisfies the mind, it nourishes the soul, but some of it is beginning to remind me of the retired guy with a woodshop in his garage. You know the one, (maybe you?) he has a table saw and band saw and lathe and planer, routers and a drill press, and almost every tool from the Garrett Wade catalog, and he builds wonderful tables and chairs, cabinets and clocks and toys for his grandchildren, all absolutely beautiful, no two alike and a monument to his skill and dedication to his craft, but it’s the “no two alike” part that gives him away. He’s “old school” and that doesn’t always work in his favor.

Can you make me one of those?

Point to one of his projects and ask him to build you another one just like it and, after a pause, as he considers the time and effort involved, he’ll agree, but it will take him almost as long as it did the first time. Each part needs to be painstakingly laid out and measured, cut to size, precisely fitted together, trimmed, planed, nailed, screwed and glued, and after all of that, it will still be slightly different than the first one. It’s the mark of hand crafted work they say, but what it really is, is an indication of how hard it is to make two projects exactly alike with hand and power tools, no matter how carefully you measure twice and cut once.

Is precision and speed the new skill set of today’s craftsmen?

If, instead, during his first build he had spent some time setting up tool paths for a CNC router, the router could have then made a precise set of all of the pieces he needed. Once assembled, he would have had all of the same pride of accomplishment as any fine woodworker, but he would also have tool paths saved and ready if he wanted to make another one. No digging up drawings, no rebuilding jigs or fixtures, just place the lumber on the table, load the appropriate settings and pour a cup of coffee, turning out as many of those cabinets or clocks as you might want, today, tomorrow or next year, every one exactly like the first one.

If you’re turned off by the idea of using automated machinery like that, you’re feeling what the old cabinet makers felt when they saw the first table saws and planers ruining the “purity” of the work, but sooner or later, they came around. Today, operating a table saw is a basic workshop skill and very soon, CNC routers will be thought of the same way. If you take as long to build another piece as you did when building the first, you’ll soon be thought of as a novice or lacking the skills any pro should have. (I’d like to change the words here slightly, to say “your skills will begin to appear outdated.” An expert in the old school methods would be unlikely to appear to be a novice. ~ Paul Crowe)

Skills for today, not yesterday

The capability of very high quality and very precise, low volume production exists right now. It’s not a dream, it’s reality and it’s becoming more and more affordable so your garage workshop can turn into a small factory. The skills that used to be the mark of a craftsman are evolving into a whole new set. A craftsman today needs to know CNC tools, modern materials and how to layout parts so he can make multiples that are interchangeable. He doesn’t have to, of course, but if he chooses to be old school, the value of his work and his skills will be limited.

“But I like doing it the old way, it relaxes me.” Perfectly understandable, it’s your comfort zone, but remember when we talked about time spent practicing to get better? You don’t get to be an expert by constantly doing what you already know how to do, you become an expert, a true professional, by deliberate practice, learning the hard stuff you haven’t done yet. That’s how you grow.

Electronics is a great example

When I learned electronics many years ago, there were still a lot of vacuum tubes around, circuits were made of discrete components and even after transistors replaced tubes, those components didn’t do anything until assembled into a circuit. Now, solid state, digital electronics come on a chip with millions of transistors each. The circuits are already built, the functions built in and if you want to modify the circuit, you don’t replace components, you rewrite a line of code, check the output and rewrite again as necessary. It takes seconds instead of minutes, every time.

The skills an electronic technician had in those days are rapidly becoming, or already have become, obsolete. The technician may be as sharp as ever, his skills may be top notch, his knowledge of the equipment second to none, but the world around him has moved on, and though many of us may miss those days, no matter how much we enjoyed troubleshooting to component level, that part of the old skill set, is no longer needed. A hobbyist may find the old skills useful rebuilding some old gear from decades ago, but the electronics hobby today is filled with Arduinos and Raspberry Pi microcontrollers.

Don’t recreate a 50 year old workshop

Equipping a garage workshop with those tools you wanted years ago only creates a working museum, fine if that’s what you want, but hopelessly out of step with the technology of the world as it is. Many workshops years ago were filled with the best tools available at the time. If there had been a better tool, many of the craftsmen working in those shops would have had one. There are plenty of museums around, maybe in the garage down the street, but if you’re going to build a workshop of your own, whether young or old, build a shop with today’s tools so you can learn and use today’s skills. You can still buy a lot of brand new old school tools, but why? If you’re young it would be a huge mistake, you need skills for today, and if you’re a lot older, it’s up to you, but going old school locks you in the past and those old skills are declining in value.

So how does this translate to motorcycles?

Stop building customs and start building prototypes.

The Kneeslider has seen the incredible trip custom motorcycle builders have taken over just the last decade. We’ve seen a LOT of customs, but the well of original ideas for new customs seems to have run dry. It’s time to change direction.

It’s time to take advantage of all of the new tools and new technologies and to start building motorcycles as though you’re planning on putting them into production, because you could. Stop building motorcycles with a “one off” mindset to show you march to a different drummer and, instead, try to design and build a motorcycle that people would buy because it works really well, looks really good, gets great mileage, carries a lot, goes anywhere, is extremely tough and reliable, is safe, easy to ride, easy to learn, easy to fix, easy to change into a different configuration, goes really fast, or some combination of all or a few of those or of some other characteristics not listed.

Think like a designer who wants to serve a particular set of potential buyers and build a bike for them. Don’t build for yourself, use your ideas and skills to build something with wider appeal. Maybe, create a kit, which really stresses the idea of making multiple interchangeable components and requires a whole different mindset than the “strip off some parts and wrap the pipes” guy. We’ve seen all of those, we need something creative, useful and new, and the builder will dramatically expand his skill set in the process.

This kind of prototype building is far more difficult than it seems. Building one of something is a lot easier if you don’t say what you’re building or show it until it’s done, sorta like playing pool and making that lucky shot you didn’t call before hand. Ever see a custom bike that “just turned out that way,” instead of being the result of a plan?

Raise the bar, call the shot, make something as though it’s going to be the first of many. It may not be, but it could be if someone asked. We have the technology, we just need some builders. Who’s going to step up?

Posted on Filed Under: Workshop & Tools

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Comments

  1. As is said here, working with the hands is one of our most satisfying pursuits. What I disagree with is the notion that one must – or really should – be up with the times. Is the worker working for pay or for pleasure? If the latter, what does it matter what medium, era, or school, or mix of them, the worker chooses? This is not idle talk, as I have just bought a Bridgeport which was laden with 1980s era CNC gear, have stripped off that stuff, and am reverting the machine to simple hand controls with power feed. I don’t intend to re-engineer the world, mass produce parts, or produce the next break through in anything. Being retired from a trade where I was around machinists, I now get to try my hand at those machines I’d merely watched. Thus the satisfied hands. And prototypes? Could a custom be seen as a frame and engine finished with prototype parts?

    • Could a custom be seen as a frame and engine finished with prototype parts?

      Absolutely, prototype parts could be a complete project in themselves.

      No one has to be up with the times and the older we get, there’s more of a feeling of “stop the world, I want to get off.” I know, I’m at that age myself, but remember, too, that it’s a conscious decision to say “old school is as up to date as I want to be.”

      There’s no right answer here, no proper attitude, we each decide where on the scale of rapidly advancing tools and technologies we want to be. That electronics tech I speak of above is me, the world of micro controllers and surface mount components is worlds away from where I started and not where I’m most at ease, I have to decide if I’m going down that road or getting off at the next stop.

      The point I’m making is to be a true craftsman today requires a new and more advanced skill set than what it used to be and you can still build bikes (or anything else) in quantities of one, but using today’s tools adds valuable skills along the way, and part of that is knowing how to store an infinite inventory of parts because it’s an inventory in bits. Make the part once and you’ve essentially made it forever.

      The younger you are, the more you need to keep this concept in mind.

  3. Well said, and yet I must take a certain exception to the entire premise. If, that premise was actually within the story lead. Or perhaps you have become jaded by the need to constantly conjure new accolades to describe the plethora of junk that is touted as custom from either the factory boys or the local boyz in redundant pursuit of appearing on other blogs with bikes “like that”.

    Specifically, there is not a glut of customs (not well executed, that is), and the very act of rendering a custom motorcycle into a prototype is the very anti-thesis to “custom”. I argue that the mindless parade of factory bikes with different paint and chrome is the result of most riders and people alike who wantonly swoon and pine for “one just like that”. No, I do not build a bike for myself or for my limited customer base that ever “looks just like” the last one or the next one I am planning.
    That’s the point to a custom. Why does anyone want to have what is already common? Why would I want to look at a bike coming towards me and say “Hey, that looks like my bike(me)? The group mindset of that rider can be found inside any brand’s showroom.

    Building a custom, to me and many, many others demands that it is something that other can’t have, can’t replicate with catalog parts, and exists for one rider only. The skills you vaunt are admirable and the techniques virtually mandatory in the mainstream of OEM and even local machine shops. Having patterns of parts upon which to base new and unique derivations of that part is sane and shop-worthy. But just churning out duplicates??? Hmmm, a cookie cutter job by any other name is still mundane and just a side trip away from 9-5 monotony. And those parts aren’t custom, at the most perhaps limited edition before they start showing up in the latest catalogs for every twit capable of using a screwdriver.

    Now for anyone aspiring to be the next Motus, there’s room for a new breed at virtually every level. For those with business aspirations and a need for mental and financial testing in the most extreme, perhaps the lure of a place in history and a chance to laugh at your banker is a worthy goal. We are global capitalists, right? But if you want a custom of anything, make sure it is a one-off build and that you are not falling prey to the marketing and blogging universe which use that word as if it should apply to everything sporting parts from JC Whitney.

    Acquire those skills and the tools, then build singularly exceptional motorcycles with nothing more in common than motor, tires and drive chains. Customs.

    • Wow, you’ve limited customs to using drive chains. What about belts, gears, shafts, hub center drive, hydraulics, and anything else that makes forward propulsion via a motor?
      Custom is defined a something being built specifically for one individual. Just because everyone can buy a certain part doesn’t mean it’s not a custom. It’s the sum of the parts that make it custom for that individual. How customized something is would be personal taste. An example would be a custom suit. Custom fabric, custom buttons, custom lining, custom thread. Each of these things are usually off the shelf items, they may even be in limited amounts, but they are seldom one off items. A custom suit can even be off the shelf then tailored (technically its a tailored suit).
      Correct me if I’m wrong Paul, but I think the idea is to expand ones ideas to include all possibilities and not limit oneself to narrow parameters.

  4. Would you say the same of a carpenter? Would you tell him that he can create poetry out of wood, but that he should set aside his lucrative living making custom pieces of furniture and cabinetry for his clientele in favor of something that can be mass produced?

    I’m all for prototypes and moving the needle forward in motorcycles. I ride a ZERO for god’s sake. But, not everybody is an inventor and cutting edge prototypes cost serious amounts of cash. It’s part of the reason only the really big motorcycle manufacturers are building these prototypes.

    • Mention CNC around a woodworker or carpenter and the sawdust will really fly, 😉 , check out the forums at Fine Woodworking or Fine Homebuilding and you’ll see a very mixed reception. and check out this site to see how CNC can work on complex high end house construction.

      I can’t possibly include enough representative links for high end CNC cabinetmaking and furniture making, but check out Google images and see what some craftsmen have done.

      No one has to use any automated machinery, it’s a personal choice and if what you’re doing works for you, by all means continue, but woodworkers are like many other skilled craftsmen who are starting to see machines that can duplicate their efforts and it’s getting uncomfortable. As I said in an earlier comment, the younger you are, the more you need to work with these machines, it will be an essential skill. If you’re on the other end of the age scale, you may be able to stretch your skills enough to carry you through.

      If you’re good now, you may want to add it to your arsenal of skills and become unbeatable. If you use CNC in the creation of a project, you can keep those plans for later on where some parts might fit perfectly in another project. It’s flexible and you control when and how you use it.

  5. The point you are trying to make is clear and I understand it. I disagree that this theory would apply to your average reader that is most likely a hobbyist and not trying to make a living tinkering with bikes or out to change the world. The notion that the guy in his garage building something is doing it for profit or business (in which case he would have the need to replicate it countless times) applies to only a few.

    In my profession as an engineer at a large corporation, I design and build machinery that is used by our company all over the world. This equipment is not available anywhere else so we design and build it ourselves. Most often it involves producing new products and using processes we invent here. We design everything in 3D, produce the associated drawings, machine and fabricate the parts, design the control systems, program, assemble and test, and do everything required to get the equipment up and running. We have a state of the art machine shop that can make anything imaginable. The equipment we build can be a one-off or we may build dozens. I am involved in most every stage of a project, from conception to finished product. It would be safe to say that I am up with the technology.

    However, as a machinist in my younger days, I also have the ability to use what you call “old school” equipment and frequently choose to do so. I am familiar with both sides of this fence and choose to not live on one side or the other. I find it a bit offensive that you are trying make the guy in his home shop doing what he likes look like a “has been” or seem outdated and hokey. In my 30 plus years experience, I have found that the best innovators are people that can live in both worlds and shouldn’t be banished to one category or the other. I have known CNC operators that couldn’t run a manual Bridgeport. I find that a bit backwards. It doesn’t take a CNC equipped shop to build a prototype OR a toy for my grandchildren.

    • The Kneeslider is fortunate to have a pretty broad spectrum of readers, some do no technical work at all, some are deep in the business of building and manufacturing and the rest are everywhere in between. A post like this is difficult to write, because, while it most applies to a narrower slice of those readers, everyone will read it and interpret it from where he sees and experiences the world. Perspectives from someone like yourself are very informative, interesting and appreciated.

      As I look at what I wrote, it’s easy to see how my remarks could be taken as offensive to the older guy in his home workshop doing what he likes, but it wasn’t meant that way. This was really targeted more at a younger person with many years ahead, deciding where to focus his efforts to learn and build his skills. The older, more experienced, possibly retired guy, doesn’t need guidance, he’s more than capable of making his own decisions.

      If you reread my post, you’ll see I more than acknowledge that it doesn’t require CNC to build any of the projects the “old school” builder creates, in fact, using CNC to build one of anything is overkill, but that’s not the point I was making. No one has unlimited time, and few have unlimited money, so focusing on effective use of both means gaining the skills and capabilities that could pay off in the future. No one “must” learn advanced skills, but using the time devoted to his hobby to gain those skills is a win-win situation, he builds something while learning and advancing at the same time. He could do everything the way it’s always been done, but that’s only half of what he could have done. A choice he’s free to make, but it is a choice.

      Anyone who has experience and skills built over the years in any field, knows a young person needs to learn the “basics” before he can advance, but “the basics” are evolving and some of those basics are not as necessary today, he doesn’t have to retrace all of our steps before heading off into advanced territory we might never reach. It’s sometimes awkward to admit that, but it’s true. We followed one skills trajectory, he’s launching from a different place.

  6. This has been a very interesting conversation, and there are good points on each side. I think it boils down to two different mentalities… that of artist (“custom bike” builders), and that of designer (“prototype bike” builders). Artist have a statement to make that is uniquely theirs and theirs alone while designers have a statement to make which they want to share with others through duplication. There is certainly vast amounts of creativity in both, but the motivation is slightly different. The motivation in each is neither right or wrong, just different… and thus the process(es) they use may differ.

    Equally, there is differing mindsets within the consumers. Some bike owners want a unique one-of-a-kind bike that screams “look at me”, while other bike owners want a bike that says “look at the group to which I belong”. Again, neither is right or wrong, just slightly different motivations for riding what ever they ride. There is probably a third mind set that doesn’t give a shit about any of this and only cares purely about performance, but this isn’t a conversation about the engineer’s mentality.

  7. I really like this article and the answers so far Paul. Everyone has good points/ arguments and that is very unusual as most forums would be name-calling and challenging by now. Like it all ? Yep, that’s this ole’ guy ! Thanks, John

  8. Quick note, the comment function on the site is acting a little weird, so if your comment doesn’t show up right away, I’ll be checking periodically, it may be stuck in limbo.

  9. first you just lay there , then you roll over, crawl, toddle, walk , run,. every thing starts with step 1 how many steps you take after determines how far you will go. But first you must master the steps you take 1 by 1. some say imitation is the greatest compliment. when we all wear hats, different colors and shapes make them our own. but its still a hat.

  10. I dunno if yer right or wrong, or just confusing me. I’m probably not who this is aimed at, as I’m not a “builder”, I’m a guy doing first time build while simultaneously learning to do machining, some new welding methods, design, kinematics, etc. I recently got to the stage where my first build project is able to roll & bounce on its own to wheels. Looks like this – http://i.imgur.com/fj25iAg.jpg – and is designed to be extremely adjustable / rebuild-able to allow me to try different setup parameters and part builds.

    I’m a computer programmer by trade. I first used 3d cad software over 20 years ago. I’m building it at a local hacker space. And every single bit of work I’ve done is as old school as it gets. Why?

    – CNC shit is EXPENSIVE. Our collective has a Bridgeport (and now 10″ Atlas lathe) it owns because it got them for close to nothing in terms of cash outlay. Proto / maintenance shops at institutions like universities are literally giving their old stuff away to established hacker spaces. The same is NOT trye for CNC gear.

    – The old school dudes are the ones who have the time to help folks like me with advice and projects.

    – The old school methods get shit done. Yes, the second one takes just as long as the first, but the first one probably got done faster.

    – So what if its not the same the second time yah build it? If it wasn’t perfect the first time, you probably WANT to change it. And that’s gonna be near as true for CNC. Iterative development happens.

    How am I gonna build a “prototype” with mass market appeal, when I can’t even ride what I’m building legally on the streets, much LESS sell a bunch of similar designs to other people> Much as I’d LOVE yo take what I learn building this model and come up with a nice Hossack frame conversion kit (was thinking for Virago, they are cheap and the engine mounts are almost IDEAL for allowing a quasi-frameless Hossack build) there’s no way I’m taking on that kind of red tape and liability.

    How do I get from this build to “mass market appeal”? Honestly, I probably don’t. My job (barely) pays for my building hobby, and I can probably do more building by focusing on making more money in my job, not by trying to make money of my hobby. But if I do want to go that way, I would totally ignore motorcycles as such, and focus on accessories. For example, one item I plan for this build is putting a simple $50 100 watt LED chip / driver / heat sink / lens kit inside a 4″ Dominator housing as my high beam. Seems like the sort of thing with decent niche appeal, and I could legally sell it. Doesn’t really need any CNC, and there may be a smidge of hand machining involved (clamp the heat sink to turntable and cut it down to size to fit, etc), but most of the parts are largely already existing, I’m just doing a hack & mix. Of course, that’s also philosophy that could have been (and was) used 50 years ago, even if the specific hardware did not exist.

  11. I’ll add my voice to those disagreeing with your premise.

    Building fixtures, molds, etc takes time and money. More time and money than simply building the first one using manual means. In order to come out ahead you have to plan to build multiple examples of your work and sell them at a profit. That turns a hobby into a business.

    Then there is the cost of the actual tools. One can find a manual mill or lathe for very little money. A friend of mine sold perfectly good Bridgeport mills for $1000 to clear space in his machine shop for new CNC mills and EDM machines. CNC machines cost tens of thousands of dollars into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The typical hobbyist simply doesn’t have the money to equip his or her shop with CNC equipment.

  12. I teach manual machining on turret milling machine and lathe at our local hackerspace. Like most, we struggle for funding, and most of our equipment is either on loan from members, or purchased as junk for small amounts and rebuilt/overhauled in-house. We do not yet have CNC machinery besides a plasma torch table. But I contend that everything we learn from manual machining is necessary to use CNC machine tools properly, and nothing that we learn from manual machining is superfluous to the use of CNC machine tools. I recommend honing one’s skills in designing for efficient machining, whether by manual or CNC.

  13. Interesting read, I agree in most parts but think custom builders are passion driven and do what they do coz they don´t like to be told what to do, neither will this.
    Personally i find myself doing both things, clay modelling by hand from sketches and making accurate fairing molds, but I also use CAD and 3D printers to make other types of parts.

  14. Take Aniket Vardhan for example.Engineer, he took a Royal Enfield, made a new engine and is able to replicate his work. Stop whining. What do you want, to fly ? make a plane instead. You want to see the future today ? Go freeze yourself and come back later.

  15. Let me try to clarify some points that I didn’t make clearly enough in the original article, my reference to making prototypes doesn’t mean you need to become a manufacturing business, THE FOCUS IS ON LEARNING HOW to make a prototype as if you were going to make multiple copies of the same part, using CNC for the most part, and CAD software to create the drawings because those skills are going to be rapidly growing in importance. If you’re doing it the same way as someone did it 50 years ago, you’re producing a part with skills declining in value and sliding into obsolescence. No, they won’t disappear overnight, but the further ahead in the skill curve you are, the better off you are if you need to transfer those skills and abilities to something else beyond your hobby.

    Not everyone has access to all of the equipment necessary, though the CAD portion is pretty much available online for low cost or no cost. It’s a start. If your funds are a little better, there are some relatively low cost CNC milling machines out there. Again, basic training is available online and you can begin the process of learning how to use one to make small parts. Forums are a huge help, too. Begin where you are with what you have and build from there.

    Looking at the tools and technologies that are current also gets you thinking about what could be done today that someone 50 years ago could not have done even if he wanted to. Also, thinking in terms of prototypes gets you out of the box of thinking about only what you want and begins the process of thinking about what others might need that you could use your skills to provide. Expand your world, think big. This is a shift in how you think that goes far beyond motorcycles, so don’t get hung up on custom bikes. This post is about things far bigger than that.

  16. Judging from the picture in the heading of this article and from the statements in bold print throughout the article, it appears you believe there is no room for anyone in this hobby or business that thinks or innovates in a way contrary to what you think is forward thinking.
    Statements like “you shouldn’t be that guy” or “you will soon be thought of as a novice and lacking the skills”, seem to be saying to anyone with a classic thought or retro tendency to get out or be smashed by the very interest that propelled this and every other industry to the place they are today.

    There is a huge market for a mixture of retro and high tech. Just look at the Dodge Challenger, Indian, the Ford Mustang, the Chevy Camaro.

    There is room for both mindsets in the market. In fact, I believe it is required to pocess a grasp of both.

    • The Challenger, Mustang and Camaro of today have styling reminiscent of the originals and share the same name. Everything else is totally new. I love the originals, I owned a 65 Mustang back in the late 60s and would thoroughly enjoy one today, but there is nothing left of it in the current car which is far better in every way. Guys our age buy those originals now, because we remember when they were new and still enjoy the memories they bring back, but the new models are quicker, faster, handle better, are safer, made of more durable materials, they’re just better cars all around. I still love the old cars, a lot, but the auto world has moved ahead.

      The “you shouldn’t be that guy” means if you’re starting out or early in your career, you need to aim for a newer and more advanced set of skills working with today’s tools. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t have excellent skills, but they are what you build over a lifetime that started far earlier than today’s young builder. Some of today’s younger builders will have the same level of skills at his age, but they will be a newer, updated “that guy” with different skills.

      • The new Challenger and Mustang are obviously all new inside and out. The point is you can mix old school appeal with new technology. No need to be on one one side or the other. The same goes for the use of technology. Why can’t you have both and still be relevant? I am doing exactly that and no one has ever told me that I am a novice or lacking in skills. I am often told the exact opposite.

        • Since you are someone familiar with and capable of using the new technologies, you’re the guy who has already made that transition, you use the “old school” techniques as appropriate and the new tools and tech in the same way. You’re the guy, in many ways, that I’m referring to and encouraging people to become. You didn’t stop at old school, you continued to advance. My language in the article has given you the impression I was making disparaging remarks about “that guy.” The term is used to refer to someone everyone knows, if someone begins to describe a craftsman and the other person says, “Oh, that guy” with a knowing tone in his voice.

          There’s absolutely nothing wrong with using both, but when someone decides to stop at old school, preferring not to make the advance to new tools and tech which he is certainly free to do, he’s limiting himself in ways that a newer builder should be careful to avoid.

          • Agreed! I once built a groundbreaking prototype piece of equipment in our rapid prototyping shop. This part of our operation includes old and new equipment that is equally utilized. I was demonstrating the new device in operation to a couple of old school engineers from a different division. After the successful demo, one of the gentlemen who was an old world German engineer who had pioneered the industry for which my device was intended said ” that will never work”. I looked at him and said
            ” perhaps you would like to see it operate again?” Not long after he retired and started building sailboats.

            That is the guy you shouldn’t be.

  17. I guess I look at this and chuckle. If you want to make a prototype of anything, make it however you like, manual or CNC.

    Why? Because if you want to go into business, where you need to make multiple copies, it’s pretty easy to generate the tool paths with cameras and CNC programming these days. 2.5 d pictures can be added to most hobby CNC programs for less than $300, and they don’t need a hi-def camera to do it. Just a quickie webcam will work.

    The artist or designer that is also a CNC programmer, and a good rider, and a good businessman, and a good … , is rare. Very, very rare. It’s also very rare for parts made as a prototype to be worth, financially, producing on any type of commercial basis.

    But, they can still inspire others. And they’re what inspire people to take that first step. And who knows where that journey will take someone?

  18. “The point I’m making is to be a true craftsman today requires a new and more advanced skill set than what it used to be.”

    For the most part, Paul I understand and respect your focus on moving forward. I also am attempting to interpret some of your statements within the realm of the bigger picture that is your site. I also recognize how difficult it can be to put thoughts to words, as it proves to be a struggle for me, as my wife can attest. However, this quoted statement resonated with me and I cannot shake my complete disagreement with it. I’m 32, certainly no old fogie yet, but I’m feeling like a stick in the mud. For me, true craftsman exist regardless of time, place, or the relevance and need of their product. May they be widely recognized or acclaimed? Perhaps not, but to dismiss their ability simply because it differs from the current regime is doing them a disservice.

    For me, that is the exact definition of a true craftsman. Someone whose ability is timeless. We recognize the great works of painters even though the miracles of photoshop can produce stunning images which would put the master’s work to shame. If one can achieve those same levels of excellence as the creators who have gone before us, they are still a true craftsman, but with a result that perhaps doesn’t resonate with majority of the current population. All in my humble opinion of course.

    Cheers

    • … to dismiss their ability simply because it differs from the current regime is doing them a disservice

      I am absolutely not dismissing their ability, I admire what they can do in every way, but today it’s time for new craftsmen to strive to become the new version of “that guy,” the one who has the same level of skill in the new tools and technologies as the older guy has with tools that existed decades ago.

      My words in the article clearly missed the mark in conveying that point as several comments attest and that’s my fault, but the point is valid and worth thinking about. We can’t remain in one place and expect to build the best possible projects today. We’ll be constantly rebuilding the same things over and over and that was what I meant in reference to custom motorcycles which are ready for a move forward, but it applies to almost any field.

      • Thanks for the clarification Paul. On a random side note, were you involved with wind farm stuff a while back?

  19. Nothing against keeping up with times, but in some work fields specializing in old technology can be financially rewarding too. I can remember guys that know that old programming language with good paying because there are always some system that still works using it. And, of course, our favorite old bikes mechanic that can’t keep with demand despite smelling 2-stroke oil.

    Sure some king of middle ground could be achieved, like 3-d printing old AMAL carbs or ceriani fork gaiters. Lots of effort needed to stay current though, and if I’m spent doing it professionally (in a not-builder field) I’d find difficult to do it for just a hobby.

  20. Unfortunately CNC tool path programs are not affordable for the average garage guy. I used Enroute3 at a sign shop, and I’m frustrated I can’t get my hands on it again. I’ve got many ideas but it’s not in the budget.

  22. I’ve just come back from visiting the largest steering box manufacturer in China last week. Guess what they use for rough machining? Manual mills and manual lathes. Some of them don’t even have numerical readouts, the operators just make chalk marks on the hand-wheels to make it easy to see how deep to go. And it works.

    What do they use for measurement? Vernier calipers (real ones, not digital) and mechanical bore gauges, as well as flat table and height gauges. There wasn’t a CMM in sight, let alone a 3D laser scanner. The old tools still work.

    Of course, they also had CNC machines for a couple of the rough operations, and all of the fine machining was done by CNC.

    CNC machines are very powerful, but they aren’t magic. Learning how to operate them is essential if you want to be a professional machinist, but not necessary for an engineer or a designer. As a hobbyist, you can choose to learn whatever skills you want, depending on what you aspire to be.

    Good design is more important than the manufacturing method.
    You can design things on paper still, but I would agree that CAD is very accessible and definitely worth having. With good CAD files, you should be able to get a local engineering shop to quote you a decent price for making either a one-off part or a small production run. If designing ‘prototypes’ is your thing, there really is no need to own any machinery, or do the manufacturing yourself.

    Finally, I believe that ‘craftsmanship’ is the perfection of a craft, or the pursuit of perfection. This doesn’t imply that crafts-people should be capable of mass production, in fact usually ‘craftsmanship’ means prioritising quality over production speed. In car terms, a Morgan is built with craftsmanship, but a Mercedes is built for mass-production.

    Thanks for the article, it’s very thought-provoking!

  23. I do not worship at the alter of Hi Tech, I could not disagree more with your premise. A custom bike does not need to be made into a kit at IKEA. The major manufacturers are providing a vast assortment of new bikes, the customs are one of a kind hand crafted master pieces. The Craftsmen who build the fine customs are artists, not manufactures.

  24. I feel somehow reflected in your article. I run Bottpower and when I build a motorbike I always do it thinking in the possibility of building more units if there is a demand for it.
    I have a big respect for those who work with their hands and sketch their design on a paper napkin (great bikes have been created in this way), but in my case, before touching a piece of metal we (me and Hugo van Waaijen, industrial designer) draw completely the bike in CAD, till the last bolt.
    I check the geometry, possible interference between parts, I do the suspension analysis, etc.
    We even like to try the paint scheme on the computer before deciding which way to go.
    I calculate structural components with FEA, and years ago I built a rig for measuring frame and swingarm stiffness, which allows me to somehow validate my calculations.
    Every part is documented, has its own revision and there is a record of every change or modification.
    For me working on this way doesn’t mean an extra effort, is the way I am used to work and I couldn’t do it in another way.

    You don’t need a CNC machine for fabricating parts, you can design the part and order it to a good equipped CNC workshop. Same applies to 3D printing.

    Are Bottpower bikes custom bikes? I think so. I work alone with the help of a few friends from time to time. Of course I can not compare myself with a major manufacturer, and I don’t think that my way of working is better or worse than any other way, it is just the way I feel comfortable building bikes.

    • I have to say I feel the same way as David.

      As a design engineer/industrial designer my approach is via 3D CAD and then direct to tooling or, drawing if that is what the suppler wants. Cost is an issue but, like many I fund my projects from my own pocket but see the value of the process and accept the cost. Mind you, having a pattern maker produce patterns is far more expensive these days than CNC’ing billet for a prototype.

      A lot of rapid prototyping techniques can now be used for small production runs. You just have to do a bit of research and go and talk to people to see what can be achieved.

      I have worked with traditional processes such as pattern making and casting and have respect for the depth of knowledge these tradespeople have. I have learnt a lot from them but now apply that to processes that suit me.

      Again, like David, I always have multiples in my mind when designing something and for that reason Paul’s comment “don’t build for yourself” strikes a cord. A designer should never use him or herself as the target user/market.

      Just for a bit of background here is one myself and some friends prepared earlier:
      http://thekneeslider.com/vento-400-cafe-gt-348-pound-400cc-3-cylinder-urban-commuter-from-pts-motors/

  25. Here’s a preview of a course on rapid prototyping with CNC machining from Lynda.com, a site I have recommended before:

    As he notes, you won’t have a machine like this at home, but you can get a basic machine for a few thousand dollars for your garage or makerspace and practice the techniques taught here.

    And, as David Sanchez mentions above, you don’t need the CNC in house, if you have the CAD drawings, you can farm out the machining. Either way we start to see the possibilities of a new range or type of customs beyond that possible to the lone operator with his older skills, no matter how expert he may be. New technologies and tools enable us to build a more complex project if we make the decision to take advantage of what they can do.

  26. Paul,
    I’d like to see motorcycling advance and innovate for the average guy.
    Very often it is precisely the garage that is the place where innovation happens. But real progress is more often made when passion and creative intelligence is accompanied by an adequate grasp of current technology.
    The trouble for the average guy is that the amazing creativity and craftsmanship that we see in one-offs is, buy definition, mostly inaccessible.
    If this art and creativity is stored in usable, easily repeatable bits, others may more readily share in it’s fruit.

  27. I happen to be both a motorcyclist and carpenter and spend lots of spare time fiddling with woodworking. I think there seems to be some confusion of definition here, specifically the difference between “hand made” and “custom”.

    While I do occasionally build a few sets of things like chairs all at once they are hand made, each being identical in measurement they are most definitely not custom…it can be called a custom set, but the individual items aren’t, I’d consider them hand made. Could I set up and make a new set that’s completely identical “barring grain patterns”? absolutely, can I do it faster the second and third time around? yep.

    But most of the time I only make one of something, and for that one of something every measurement comes as the build goes and is generally forgotten soon after the cut is made. Those pieces are custom, a true custom is a unique piece made from unique parts, strange or unique grains of wood that catch the eye and cannot be matched again.

    Shops like you describe exist, they are called cabinet shops, known for turning out multitudes of nondescript mediocre wood products that all happen to be completely uniform in measurement. The equivalent of a motorcycle production facility.

    The type of place you described is basically nothing more, a production facility, not a custom shop, custom is something nobody else can produce except the original maker, and they can only get so close themselves.

    It’s a matter of craftsmanship, not repeatability.

    • The same tools you use to make, as you describe, a hand made item, a true custom or a set are all the same tools. The further you progress from hand made, the less suited to the task some of those tools may become, but they all work at every level as you’ve proven by personal experience, but it’s possible to use advanced tools like CAD software and CNC machines at every level as well.

      In a previous comment, I said CNC is probably overkill for a single item, but the skills you develop in its use makes it progressively easier for even single builds, and it’s definitely easier than hand tools or basic power tools if you’re making more than one.

      CAD and CNC are going to be increasingly present and used as the years go by, so I am suggesting the advantage of adding those skills to your own will be greater and greater the further into the future we go. There will always be a place for an artist building one off creations, what you would call hand made, but there is wider application for these automated skills that can complement your own in complex projects.

      When you say those tools turn out mediocre and nondescript products, I would say hand tools can do the same, it depends on who is using them and how much of themselves they are willing to put into the work, whether they want their work to be remarkable or generic. There are probably some builders who could create projects with CNC they could not do with lesser tools, not someone like yourself, but there are others with fewer manual skills, perhaps, who may be wizards of design on a computer and using these tools allows us to benefit from their creativity, too.

      The advanced tools I am encouraging more builders to learn how to use may unleash a lot of new designs and new projects the likes of which we have not yet seen. I can’t say for sure, but the more builders there are with greater capabilities at their disposal, the more likely it is, and I can’t wait to see what they do.

      • Paul, this is a very good explanation of your point. The power of suggestion is often more effective
        than a demand. I would imagine that the vast majority of your readers are very independent, intelligent and strong willed individuals. People like us are very difficult to herd in any certain direction. We will all eventually find our own way. Its the way its always been and that’s why there is always someone building something better, flying higher or going faster. Thanks Paul.

  28. I think I just read every excuse, reason and justification why each individual either thinks it can’t be done , shouldn’t be done or won’t be done by them. Screw it! One things for sure, we know who won’t be doing it.

    Sign me up. No, it won’t happen overnight. But there’ll be breakthroughs over time with imagination and the right attitude. Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way.

  29. I wanted to like this and was ready to agree based on the title, until I read the article. Why build for a “wider appeal”? Factories already do that. So many new vehicles are boring and terribly designed because their design is determined by a market of ignorant consumers who want stupid things (Ducati diavel).
    Also, I am a CNC machinist by trade, and the article is wrong about repeatability and quality. Best practices and techniques are needed on CNC machines as well as manual machines. CNC adds speed, and complex non-linear toolpaths. Thats it. You can make high tech prototypes with theo old manual mill and lathe I have in my garage if you have patience and skill, and of course you can make repeatable, interchangeable parts! That’s what machining is.
    What we really need are better ideas. Ideas born of knowledge and enough riding skill to know what a bike should be able to do. I’m tired of customs with knobby tires and clip-ons and other combinations that shouldn’t exist, and I’m also tired of prototypes of overweight, sluggish pointless things that can only appeal to riders who don’t have enough skill or experience to be disinterested.

    I don’t want to build just to build, I want to build something that I want to exist, because it doesn’t, and apart from any commercial reason, or to satisfy anyone’s ego. I want a light, exciting motorcycle that can destroy traffic, cross the continent, do it every day, and not be covered in the sad trinkets of focus groups and cheap production techniques. I don’t need it to be my career, or on the internet, or sitting doing nothing in a show. I only want to make a bike real, moving, turning corners, going fast, getting a few groceries–the important stuff.
    No matter how well you make something, the idea is always more important than the execution. Make some better ideas. Use whatever tools it takes, or whatever you have.

    • I thought the Diavel was a stupid looking, stupid idea the first time I saw one. The I went on a demo ride (1 hour long) and was blown away at what a bitchin’ ride it was. I wanted to hate it or actually I already made my mind up preride that I didn’t like. If I had $20K to blow, I would buy one in a heartbeat!

      • I hear what you’re saying, but still disagree about what would benefit the world of motorcycles most, and about the value of CNC.
        I love drawing parts in solidworks and programming CNC, but I think it’s not everything you think it is. To do anything worthwhile with CNC and precise metal parts, you need a good machinist. If you want to make something well, you’re better off with a good machinist and a primitive machine, than with a hobbyist running a CNC.
        If someone actually had an idea worth producing, and “handmade” their motorcycle parts with chisels and files, they could take their part to any competent machine shop like mine and we could draw a solid model, program it, and produce it. I don’t think access to better tools will make ideas better.

  30. Hi Paul,
    Last week I was in a hotel in Bali, Indonesia. In from of my bungalow there was a family of locals, sitting lazily on the grass, selling their wooden dolls and toys. I couldn’t stand that. I went to the father, he was wearing a sarong and a turban with flowers. ” Look at you man, what kind of style is it. And your stuff, look, always the same traditional dolls and masks. Each one unique, carved using the same old tools. There is no creativity, no sale force. You need a machine, a CO2 laser printer that is fast. Think market, international brand. You need to change, to become modern, the progress, the future. You think you’ll continue like that for thousands of years, you’ll disappear fast. The guy was looking at me with a big smile. I wanted to beat him up. You need to become like us : 200 years of slavery, heart diseases, wars and economic collapses but modern and proud.
    He nodded and resumed weaving. I left, nauseated to the beach. these guys will just never ever understand. I wonder why I come again and again visiting them.

    • There’s no need for him to change or for you to visit. Why not move there so you can do what they do, sitting all day lazily on the grass, wearing a sarong with flowers in your hair selling traditional wooden dolls and toys? Why would you want to beat him up? If what he’s doing seems like a successful life to you, you should pursue your dream.

  31. How many of these comments condemning modern digital tech were scrivened from crow quill & ink on parchment prior to despatch via carrier pigeon?

    And if not, why not?

    PS: If I EVER hear about CNC controlled filament wound…authentic artisinal bespoke iconic pipe wrap, I’m blaming YOU!!!

  32. Paul pay a visit to the team a Revival Cycles in Austin. I think they will change your mind. The bikes the build are a blend of old school craftsmanship, and new wave tech resulting in the that are unique and perform very well on both the track and the street. Cheers! Pete

  33. Brains via hands make art, no matter what tools you have. It will get done if you have what it takes.

  34. But why prototypes? Most custom builders only ever make one of their thing – that’s the point!

  35. The point is vision. The point is were are we going. We’ve created the wheel long time ago.
    the internal combustion engine too. Put rockets on a car, it’s still a car. Things need time for such kind of changes. The wheel answered a need. If there is no need and no common good, then nothing happens. Today we live a dramatic life, the end of an empire. Following lies we went in the wrong direction. Lack of confidence has put an end to our projects. Change tools or skills, without a vision you’ll go nowhere. A vision is built, based on general consensus of population, stability & justice.
    Mass production is a question of industry, prototypes need a vision and are meant to be unique.
    – C.H.

  36. Yes we are full of customs to the point not many are buying one. No skills left to fix them and not many shops interested in working on one. Everyone wants to just buy something and just pay the shop to do everything. Mr. Cool can’t change his own oil, let along change a tire and could care less. For guys like me (their aren’t many) I build everything myself even though it isn’t cutting edge. One of my bikes was featured on here several years ago. But time and money has passed me by and at 69 while I still create everything, I hate techno geek anything. I want everything KISS because it works and i can fix it. Go to a showroom and it totally bores me. I can’t stand seeing production bikes lined up all looking the same. I’ve now owned close to 90 motorcycles and never left one the way it came. Stock bikes suck. I never had time nor money to get to far out but today i still race and build engines that are faster than most dreamed could be done with what I work with. I think outside the box all the time. However there is a limit to what I want. Now if there was any interest shown by young people ( i haven’t found one yet) people like me would love to take them under our wing in the shop. They just think guys like me are weird. I encourage everyone to learn skills to fabricate something. We may not create cutting edge technology but it can lead to a life of enjoyment in the shop.

  37. Paul,

    Good read. Thank you for posting.

    I have nothing against CNC machines or using computers to aid in designing/blueprinting, they can be incredibly useful. However, I want to point out that most of the parts which are the hallmarks of a custom build (i.e. frames, gas tanks, fairings) cannot be made with the CNC machines that are currently available at a consumer level.

    Also, what is meant by old school machines? Is a milling machine old school? A lathe? Once you have a blue print, and have spent time learning how to use a mill/lathe you can remake parts quite quickly. This idea that it takes the same about of time to make a second part as it does the first isn’t true. Is setting up a CNC router and having to do multiple tool changes to make rear set plate that much faster than using a bandsaw and mill? I think you’re underestimating how fast someone can work with “old school” machines.

    Personally, this debate around CNC and “old school machines” is allot more nuanced then it appears at first glance and I often get the sense that people view it as zero sum game. That it’s one method or the other, which it isn’t.

    Thanks again for the good read.

    -Tyler

    • Tyler,

      Thanks for your point. The argument between “old school machines” and mass production like CNC never end. Truly, I am not against technology invention to help our life better and easier. It depends on what kind of products we expected.

      When it comes to motorcycle, some people like me, and you guys, it’s an inspiration. The way we created unique bikes, and made things done with hands, is totally different feeling.

      Let’s see things like art. It cannot mass produced, or else applying prototypes. And motorcycle is one of those.

  38. Paul, you might be glad to hear that your model is already in use among builders of antique bikes.

    As a long-time prototype designer in Silicon Valley, I read the article with interest. Yeah, custom bike builders surely could be using 3D printers, CAD, scanners, rapid prototyping and CNC machines to build motorcycles that would simple and fast to replicate. But who would pay them to do that? I use all that stuff 40 hours a week in my day job, and use it sometimes when I restore or build motorcycles from 100 years ago for my hobby.

    Maybe the best bet is to use technology is to make a small run of specific parts in a cost-effective way. There are lots of guys already doing that today who sell to customers rebuilding motorcycles from the 19teens, 1920s and 1930s. The first guy needs one part for his bike, and then CNCs 10 of them, selling 9 to his friends. It happens all the time, but maybe this is not the case in the custom bike world? I don’t know. Things like crankcases, brake drums, sprockets/gears, magneto stands, connecting rods and even complete JAP V twin motors are being reproduced all the time with CNC waterjets, laser cutters, printers/casting patterns, etc in addition to CNC mills and lathes.

    By the way, who wants a gearbox mainshaft for an AJS K8? I’m making ten and selling 8. 🙂 A friend just finished CNCing many full sets of gears, we’re doing a swap deal with each other and selling the rest.

  39. Food for thought. As a rule, people tend to take the route of least resistance in pursuit of their goals and technology going the way it is, well, it should be no surprise that folks prefer an easier life & go old school.
    This also brings into play the question as to whether many are capable of understanding the technology of the future – and I bet a few aren’t.
    No better form of flattery than to see someone like and want to copy your build. Shame you never recorded measurements etc. Ready for sharing.
    Maybe there’s middle ground for us all here, old school builders & copiers alike? Someone needs to create a giant downloadable form with multiple blank sections on every aspect of a motorcycle build so they can be of help to everyone involved. What a great legacy to leave behind after a build? A bike AND its DNA.

  40. Great article. I make custom 2-wheelers, but mine are human powered.

    I’ve come up with prototypes and I duplicated them, by hand until those with money and CNC saw the potential and copied them. They’re making all the money because they used their money to exploit my idea. They didn’t break any laws.

    In America we have growing wealth disparity. It’s a fact. At the high end, you have the Motuses of the world, and for every Motus, there’s 99 dirtbags like me with ideas and no money. We scratch metal against sand-covered paper to realize our vision. And most of us get nowhere for it.

    And what makes me sick is that any time someone like you suggests that there’s a need for something else, something that would actually benefit us, we dirtbags reflexively attack. “Don’t you dare suggest that my vow of motorcycle poverty ain’t idyllic!”

    But the fact remains that we just don’t have the money to move forward, and those that do have the money want – no EXPECT – sure-thing returns on their investments. More and more, those with money are taught to fear those who don’t have it.

    Yes, the custom guys are great. God bless ’em. And YES, we need to modernize the custom industry, creating a new category of companies that produce products, rather than craft.

    Paul, you know a lot more people than I do. Maybe you can begin the process of getting those with money to train and equip those with the ambition.

    Thanks again for the article. We need more of this.

  41. This is a fascinating topic and one that I think bears a good deal of thought and discussion—I found this through a Facebook group and commented and figured I’d join the discussion here. As the designer for Janus Motorcycles, an extremely small US motorcycle manufacturer, it is also a discussion that is personally interesting, as I make my living on the belief that a new production motorcycle is something that is possible!

    Janus holds an interesting place in the industry because, while we build each motorcycle to order, and offer many custom options, our motorcycles are production vehicles with identical components. The customization is more a product of the scale of the operation than of the production process. We are often told that our motorcycles are too expensive, and we work every day to make them more affordable, but if we were making them as one-off pieces, without jigs, fixtures, and tooling, they would be astronomically more expensive. Building a successful, road-legal motorcycle from scratch costs, well, a lot—and we do it as efficiently as possible! That being said, we do a lot of work by hand and use a great deal of what I’m sure Paul would describe as antiquated or “old school” equipment, simply because it is what is most efficient and affordable for us.

    I think, however, that the argument is not about this dichotomy between the “old school” builder and young CNC monkey, but really the question of what “stock” and “custom” actually mean. Old (or young) readers who enjoy building things with their bare hands using minimal technology should not take offense. If you are building a hand-made masterpiece in your garage using the most Ludite equipment imaginable, you are impervious to criticism already! This is a therapeutic activity that can often lead to personal improvement and communal enjoyment. But there is a crucial distinction to be made between this and the wonderful tradition of manufacturing production vehicles.

    In my mind, the current boom in custom motorcycles exists, not so much as an expression of individuality, but as a protest against something in the state of today’s motorcycle design and manufacturing. Again, I do not say this to downplay the craft of custom builders—the outpouring of design and fabrication surrounding custom motorcycles is truly marvelous. I say this as a condemnation of the motorcycle industry.

    Unless we are discussing art-pieces, such as the work of Chicara Nagata, Ian Barry, or Max Hazan, it seems to me that a functional, ridable custom motorcycle is a product, and as such, is actually the builder’s vision of what a perfect production motorcycle would be in some alternate universe. I’m still thinking about what the factory sponsored custom R9Ts mean, but I think it’s very good–almost as though BMW is extending its design arm out to the world in an attempt to find what is missing in modern production motorcycles.

    Motorcycles are so wonderful because they are a beautiful object that can be bought and used, a perfect pairing of practicality and aesthetics. If motorcycles were all pure art, they would lose all their mechanical purposefulness. The odd quirks and requirements of the road and of gravity demand that the designer work around and with them to ensure that the thing actually moves down the road, and are what make motorcycles so captivating.

    Individuality and “stock” go hand in hand. What is truly worth having endures. In this sense, a “custom” is what every great bike becomes if it is truly loved and ridden. Motorcycles customize themselves.

    A custom is really just a stock bike that has been loved or abused enough, or both, that it has adjusted to the form and function of the rider. No motorcycle that is “ridden as the maker intended” will remain stock. In fact, it actually gains potency by virtue of having once been “stock”. It is in this way that we can find in a perfectly ubiquitous model, like the Honda CB, such a wonderful canvas for the custom builder. And in the same vein, it is how wildly modified motorcycles such as “Super Kim”, the 1925 supercharged Zenith recently uncovered in Argentina, are so fascinating. And is another angle on why most racing includes homologation rules stipulating that certain numbers of vehicles be manufactured.

    If Ian Fleming’s Caractacus Pott had simply built Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang from scratch as a one-off, it wouldn’t have been nearly so captivating as being the only car produced by a car manufacturer that went bankrupt! The difference between production and custom is tremendous, and Paul’s article does a great job of attempting to explain how and encouraging the custom builder to try.

    Now, a discussion of the current “retro” trend in motorcycles, and most other things for that matter, is a separate argument that I look forward to having!

  42. Come to think of it there are a few motorcycle companies that use all the rapid prototype and CNC and make new stuff all the time. Problem is they don’t sell most of the stuff in enough quantity to hardly pay the bill. Most of the buying public has no clue to anything anymore and are to busy looking down at a dumb smartphone. They wouldn’t notice anything cutting edge even if it ran over them. That is the real world of technology today. A smart dumb phone full of games.

  43. As a hobbyist without any mechanical engineer training, I attempted once to make a batch of a part that I designed. However, the lack of basic knowledge and vocabulary, and the lack of source for acquiring such information, makes it very difficult for a weekend mechanic to source the fabrication job out.

    For instance, I have designed a bracket for mounting a popular aftermarket speedometer onto some BMW airheads made in the 90’s. My design is a sheet of aluminum to be cut with water jet, then bent once. I found an online prototype shop to do the water jet cutting, but when it comes to bending, I simply have no clue how to spec bending radius. I don’t even know whether I’m using the proper material, and what kind of radius can the chosen material to sustain.

    I have yet to find a source where complete newbie can start learning this sort of knowledge.

  44. Hi,
    Your question is ambiguous. You seems to talk about creation when in fact you talk about money. May be you talk about a new way to make business. Then you have to cope with a new way to travel. People have no money and are used to borrow, share or rent.
    when you say prototype you mean bikes with this same old noisy engines ? change in skills to make small companies live ? why not. The business window is too short. Bikes are from the past. If you want news a lot is happening in medical field.
    so long

  46. Prototypes with the idea of replication? This will enhance and develop technology and skills?
    One of the main issues in today’s society is lack of individuality and lack of self expression. People are nervous to step of the worn path of the masses following big brands for fear of exposure because there is such pressure to fit in.
    Custom motorcycle building for me, strictly an admirer of their work, represents expression of ideas and personality which is rare across the board. We live in a throw away society where objects are produced in masses and therefore do not inspire and become common. Telling people to refrain from expressing themselves through custom work whether it be with an old grinder or a CNC machine and focus on something more ‘worth-while’ like proto-typing for the big world and big stage is a step backwards in my eyes and should really be re-thought.
    By expressing yourself in any form encourages others to do the same no matter what your producing !