back into business

[Snarley Bill]

well i got a bug in the butt today and was cleaning my shop up and got to thinking. i really miss building stuff and metal fabricating. got the machinery and tools to do most anything mechanical just sitting idle. so i thought why not start manufacturing motorcycle related tools and accessories on a small scale. all i would have to do is up grade my milling machine to cnc., and i could kick butt and work at home. going to sort this out in my mind. my first product will be an affordable top of the line wheel balancer. i have connections with alot master machinists and work for very good friend who has a multi million dollar shop, so the sky's the limit on what i can get done. my wife says i'm to old to start a business, but it may be worth a try. bill ps. any one in the market for a top of the line wheel balancer.

[Rocket]

ps. any one in the market for a top of the line wheel balancer.

 

Looking at possibly, getting 2 of them (it could make a great gift), if affordable........

[pegscraper]

Maybe you could start making the gauge mounts that went in front of the gas cap.

[BuddyRich]

Adjustable passenger foot peg add ons. Flip out hiway bars for the riders floorboards.

Painted or polished alum would work just fine.

[Snarley Bill]

see i'm snowed under already. going to take my afternoon nap now, thats when i do my best engineereing. seriously, i have come up with some great inovations on the couch. got to sleep on these ideas. lol

[Yamaman]

my wife says i'm to old to start a business, but it may be worth a try. bill

 

You go for it Bill. No such thing as too old. If you love what you do, then do it as long as you can.

 

Me on the other hand, I can't wait to retire. I hate what I do. (accounting) Been looking most of my adult life for a business that I could get started on my own. Never had the right idea come along and I don't have the resources to buy one.

[pegscraper]

Are you looking for more ideas? Maybe you could design a stand and an adapter so I could use my old Hunter car tire spin balancing equipment on my motorcycle wheels. This old equipment would balance the wheels and tires right on the car, but a motorcycle wheel would have to be removed and mounted on something else. I've had in the back of my mind to work on some ideas for this myself, but I haven't taken the time to put much thought into it.

[Snarley Bill]

You go for it Bill. No such thing as too old. If you love what you do, then do it as long as you can.

 

Me on the other hand, I can't wait to retire. I hate what I do. (accounting) Been looking most of my adult life for a business that I could get started on my own. Never had the right idea come along and I don't have the resources to buy one.

i retired in 1994. made it 8 years and went back to work for a good friend to help him out, as a machinist. best job i ever had and i actually look forward to going to work every night. mind is getting a little slower, as is getting started every night. so i may be looking to retire again or name my own hours in the near future. had my own business, and the book keeping was horrendous. the government keeps you on your toes with red tape. i figure an ebay business would be the cats meow. if they would have had internet sales when i was young and cockey i would probably be ultra rich now. i have had quite a few inventions over the years but used alot of them for myself instead of following them through. my shop has more than payed for itself, and it really bothers me to see it just sitting there idle. bill

[krome rose]

Radiator covers...think radiator covers.

[Redneck]

Go for it Bill your never to old. Its easier to work for others but it is much more satisfying to work for your self. If its a labor of love its not really labor.

[bongobobny]

I came up with this idea for bringing the handlebars further back on 1st Gens that I'm going to have the machine shop at work try to make for me. What it would be is a pair of adaptors that would have the clamps like on the bottom of the risers on one end and the posts like on the triple tree on the other end. That way you would have a third range of adjustment that would bring the handlebars closer to you, farther apart, or closer together. A simple bar with slots could be used to reattach the plastic cover back in place after the adapters are mounted and adjusted...

 

I say go for it, Bill, if you enjoy the work!!

[pegscraper]

It almost sounds like you're describing something similar to these. Yay? Nay? It's an interesting idea.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Parts-Accessories_Motorcycle-Parts-Accessories__ADJUSTABLE-BAR-RISERS-FOR-BMW-1150-GS-F650-1150GS-1100_W0QQitemZ290275526766QQddnZPartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQadiZ2863QQddiZ2811QQadnZMotorcycleQ20PartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotorcycles_Parts_Accessories?hash=item290275526766&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A543%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318#ht_652wt_0

[bongobobny]

Ummm, sorta, but with splines on the clamp and a splined peg on the other end, and something that is going to work laterally and not vertically, and a little shorter like 3" to 4" long max. You would then unbolt the riusers from the triple tree and install these horizontal extenders and rebolt the risers to the extensions...

 

If and when I get them done this winter I'll post pictures, probably in the 1st gen tech sectrion.

[Albino Rhino]

...my wife says i'm to old to start a business, ...

Nope! We get old because we stop doing things and become veggies.

[Iowawegian]

Adjustable passenger foot peg add ons. Flip out hiway bars for the riders floorboards.

Painted or polished alum would work just fine.

I'd order a pair of "Flip out hiway bars for the riders (thad me me) floorboards".

Let me know if your up to the challenge.

[Snarley Bill]

i bought this tire balancer off ebay ,and the guy that builds them did a top notch job on it. i gave $95.00 plus shipping. i think i could build an equivelent one and sell them cheaper. the critical part is the higher precision low drag bearings and the precision ground carbon steel shaft and cnc machined cones. alot of them have plastic cones and a cold rolled non machined shaft. kind of shoddy. i think i could build a high quality balancer for around $75.00. how many would be willing to buy one if i build them? i know harbor freight has one for forty nine dollars, but i'm sure they don't use the expensive low drag bearings and ultra precision shaft and cones. since i don't have an od, id grinder. i would have to do the shafts at work and have my buddy write a program on his cnc turning center for the cones. bill

[Snarley Bill]

not going to get into machining things out of billet aluminum. reasons being. the cnc programs are expensive to write. i do have connections but it is still big bucks. the program for the four speed transmission i helped design for the cushman prototype scooter i built for my buddy was $6000.00. a whole lot of computer work was done before we made the first one for the prototype. it actually worked and he has over 2000 miles on the scooter. a replica 1958 cushman eagle with a vtwin briggs vanguard, and a 4 speed. total money invested was $40,000. he is selling the transmissions now. i want to stick more with specialized tools like the balancer. and metal fabricating, since that is what i am geared for. i have a machine shop but no cnc equipment. no way you can machine stuff by hand anymore and make money. bill:2133:

[Tartan Terror]

Im glad to see this Bill! Why waste talent making money for someone else and you can work on you own schedule.

[Bob Myers]

Interested in a mill with a 2 axis prototrak control? 3hp variable speed, some time in the next two weeks I'll be sending the spindle to Modern Tools for an overhaul so it'll have fresh spindle bearings too. I can deliver, or ship. St Charles is only about 375 from here. Easy before lunch drive.

[Snarley Bill]

Interested in a mill with a 2 axis prototrak control? 3hp variable speed, some time in the next two weeks I'll be sending the spindle to Modern Tools for an overhaul so it'll have fresh spindle bearings too. I can deliver, or ship. St Charles is only about 375 from here. Easy before lunch drive.

10 years ago i would have jumped on it, but got no room for it. and my wife says no more tools. she says what am i going to do with all this crap if something was to happen to you. i said call an auctioneer.

[Gary N.]

Hey Bill,

If you can figure out a way to bottle up some of that ambition of yours and sell that, I'll be first in line.

I've lost all my ambition for almost everything except riding the bike. I've sold most of my hot rod projects and I have a 1900 square foot shop sitting idle too. I still have a couple of projects left and I'm hoping to find the ambition to get out there and just "get-r-done".

I seem to find it easier to sit back in the lazy-boy, and I do my best engineering while sawing logs.