Made to order machine work

[Hubbard]

Is there much call for this nowadays? Footpegs,tools, wheel spacers, handle bar risers and such?

[Ozarksbikebum]

Don't know if this is any use. I developed some items years ago for the SCUBA industry. In going to shops to showcase my products, I was constantly asked if I had liability insurance. As told to me by a lawyer, I was responsible if some fool used the products foolishly,and got hurt. I have no idea if this would pertain to you, but it sure put the stops on my endeavor.

[farmall]

I doubt there's enough customer awareness to support custom bike part machining at any worthwhile volume, but making common items such as bungs you can produce for next to nothing in bulk is easier and only requires filling orders after making a batch. All bungs need is CNC or a manual turret lathe to do volume. Anything you can produce easily on one machine would be worth investigating. Round bar is cheap enough for a couple of sales to pay for the bar.

Remember non-machinist customers have no idea what individual custom machining should reasonably cost because they are used to cheap parts made in high volume.

Hot rodders use bungs too. Search "weld-in bungs" and other bungs on Ebay for examples.

Improved tools can sell. Jim's etc make out nicely on tools which (obvious to a machinist) have a decent markup. You could look outside the rather saturated Harley market and see what Jap riders, including dirt/ADV folks, might want. Slow sales would be a potential issue with tools.

Long "cut to length yourself" bushings might find a market because most hobbyists can't easily make them but a zip disc on an angle grinder will slice those well enough. Stainless brake caliper adapters are AFAIK unexplored territory for the aftermarket. You might outsource laser cutting a sheet then finish machine to spec, but the part would have to be popular enough to pay for that quickly.

Find a part that sucks and make an awesome replacement. Pingel did that with fuel valves.

Shop liability insurance is wise but motorcycles aren't SCUBA gear. I wouldn't dream of entering that industry or aviation.

[Ozarksbikebum]

I can't argue with Farmall, in that Scuba and bikes are two different critters. But in this day and age where getting sued is an assholes lottery ticket, I'd pay a lawyer to consult, just to be on the safe side. If your sued, your obliged to answer, and whether right or wrong it's costly. Best of luck to you.

[Hubbard]

Actually I was just trying to see if the folks on here were in need of this type of thing. I'm sort of semi retired and have a mill and a couple of lathes. Just fishin sorta.

[farmall]

That's why I advised insurance.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/shop-management-and-owner-issues/

has some worthwhile discussion. Also if you don't make critical parts or parts idiots don't tend to fuck up there's reasonable self-defense there. Bungs, axle bushings and other parts that don't have a sudden violently unsafe failure mode are better than parts which can cause high (perceived or real) consequential damages. Lawyer can advise on disclaimers.

If your part requires the user to finish that's another layer of protection. If Customer Fucknut miswelds his bung it's not the bungs fault.

Many older machinists sub out jobs at home from larger shops. Then you escape dealing with the general public. Don't forget to have thorough contract terms because commercial customers often treat machine shops as short term moneylenders and avoid paying off until the last minute. Over millions of dollars they make out nicely but the machine shop owner always has unpaid invoices, problematic if the customer goes bankrupt.

For a semi-retired machinist the way to go could be putting out feelers in antique motorcycle circles. The antique folks are mostly old farts and not from the "sue everyone because I'm retarded" school of thought.

Barter could get you cool parts.

You could also touch base with motorcycle, auto and marine shops in your area. Few shops have machining facilities. Any parts go through their business and if made to their spec, you can prove they were made to their spec. (Save signed work orders forever though you are unlikely to need them.) Most auto engine "machine" shops only have equipment to bore cylinders, surface heads, and do valve jobs. Much of their equipment is old and parts are thin on the ground. They aren't usually fuckwads like retail customers so letting them know you exist could be very useful. You have what they don't and they have what you don't. I've done minor work for a local auto machine shop and they take good care of me. Manual machine tools are of course ideal for repair work.

Local custom bike builders could do much more advanced builds and make them sexy if they subbed out machining to you.

[Hubbard]

Good idea about subbin to Other shops. That will keep me in the back room where I like to be anyway.

[53rigid]

Actually I was just trying to see if the folks on here were in need of this type of thing. I'm sort of semi retired and have a mill and a couple of lathes. Just fishin sorta.

Actually, I was trying to find you last year and lost your contact info.....