06/05/2026
Motorcycle parts are one of my personal favorites. Manufacturing many of the parts on my own builds created that. Taking an idea to create a piece that is either decorative or functional or both is truly rewarding. These days, not many guys are still into restoring or building old bikes, partly due to a lack of people that are willing to make parts that are 1 off. Cost is always the primary concern. You can spend many hours with a customer discussing what they want and if it is possible for a reasonable cost. More often than not, this cost is a dead loss. The actual Machining of parts is the easier part. Hopefully, it's been thought through thoroughly enough to fit once complete. This job is currently in transit to the other side of our vast country to its owner builder for a springer front end. The wheel axle is 3/4" x 16UNF, the head set shaft is 1" x 12UNF, both have bearing journals for a light press fit. They are machined from #4140 high tensile steel. The 1" x 12UNF - 1 1/2" hexagon dome nut I thought would be an off the shelf item, was not. Especially not in stainless steel. Same for the spacer. The 2 nylon nuts are off the shelf.
The reason I enjoy such jobs is simple. I've machined literally many millions of parts over the decades. More often than not, I am not informed on what they do or where they go. There is no result or conclusion to the parts I make. Sometimes, I'm the end of a long line, and those passing the job to me do not know. It's just how the industry is.
Sooo...
I know some guy, somewhere, is going to be riding his own project built motorcycle down a country road with a silly grin catching bugs in his teeth, finally enjoying his dream. I know that I was a small part of that. You can't buy that feeling. I know it, I live it. All I ask is I get to see a pic of the final build. Some builds take years, I'll wait.
