Shiny Bits For Bikes

[jbot]

So, I'm not sure how many of you know this, but I'm in the job shop/contract CNC machining business.

 

I primarily focus on military small arms components, but I've been getting more and more inclined to diversify to other industries (medical, aerospace, commercial firearms, etc) and one of those is aftermarket for bikes and possibly cars if I ever fall in love with a car again.  Hard to go back to cars after having so much fun with bikes, though.

 

Anyway, I want to take a stab at making bike aftermarket goodies, and having researched the Grom since they were announced, I think that might be a good bike to start on. Reasons being: it's new to the states, just released and starting to be delivered.  cheap and accessible.  just has a very "fun" and "hooligan" type attitude about it which I think is breeding grounds for people wanting to blow stupid money on a cheap bike.  If you disagree, don't hold back.  I want to know what you think.

 

What I really want to know is, what kind of bike parts do YOU think would be good to make?  I can make just about anything, but I want to focus on machined from billet components (that could be anodized or painted or powdercoated or bukkake-ed whatever).

 

Fire away.

 

Also, if you are involved with a shop that needs CNC work done, that wouldn't hurt either lol.  i always have room for more work.

[Hoblick]

For the grom.. What will sell

Bar clamps

Clip ons

Upper and lower trees

Rearsets

Billet gas cap

Small mirrors

Billets exhaust endcap

Case savers, frame sliders, wheel sliders

And the best thing you could possibly maje is some sort of adapter to run a different caliper. Alot if SM guys buy adapters to run a brembo caliper. That would be awesome on the grom

[jbot]

very thoughtful responses, and some I didn't consider.  thanks!

 

keep them coming.  it doesn't even necessarily have to be the grom... i understand not everyone is interested in bikes for scooter lovers and those afflicted with dwarfism.

[ohiomike]

There does not seem to be a source for head covers for the V Star 650 motors.  I am a member on one of their sites and people there have the originals which all peel the chroming right off over time.    There has been lots of talk about where to get good replacements.

[jbot]

are these what you mean (just pulled some pics off ebay)?

 

[jbot]

btw, if casper or mods want me to apply and be approved for sponsor status before I go any further with this assuming I get more responses, I'll be happy to do that.

[MidgetTodd]

Axle Sliders

Bar Sliders

Sub Frame Cage w/Pegs

Rear Hand Brake Kit

Case Savers

 

Those are the things I want. Theres also a forum already and Im on there too Gromforum.com

[Gixxus Christ!]

You could make loot making a clutch cover window kit. Aluminum ring with a bolt circle, counter bored for a plexiglass window, customer uses a template you supply to cut out the center of his own clutch cover and drill and tap holes. Considering the verage windowed cover is $400 and you could mill the ring in a matter of minutes with a few bucks in bar stock. I'd be happy to help you develop one for the oil cooled Suzuki gsxr/gsxf/gsf motors.

[Gixxus Christ!]

Annodized pressure plates would dovetail nicely with that product. Also, billet brake reservoirs, top clamps, street fighter headlight fork brackets, billet annodized petcock handle would be pretty trick. Pipe hangers that delete passenger pegs....I have ideas.

[jbot]

i'm adding bar rise adapter to the list.  the clutch cover window kit is a nice idea.... billet aftermarket covers for all sort of things is generally a nice aesthetics piece.  i will have my development grom (it's not an expense if it's for fucking science!) tomorrow or sat, so I'm pretty excited.

[jbot]

keep them coming.  all are excellent and some are ones I would never have thought of cause i am a cheap ass when it comes to blinging up bikes.

[jbot]

i should also mention that if you have thoughts on why I SHOULDN'T attempt this, let's have it.  I've thought of lots of reasons why I shouldn't either, but maybe you will have some that will make me really think twice about this.

[Gixxus Christ!]

Stunters would dig a foot hold that bolts or clamps onto stock subframe. There was a guy around Akron that made em for gsxr that were a easy direct bolt-on but he moved away. One thing guys with carb'd bikes would eat up is idle air screws with a knurled extension so you can adjust them on the bike, but without a comparitor it would be hard to reverse-engineer the profile of the business end. Grab bar block-offs are cool but there's already a few places doing them.

[Gixxus Christ!]

You should do it. I'm a machinist too and if I had the time and equipmunk I'd be making all types of cool shit.

[blue03636]

Giant metal dong for the front of Matt's bike.

[ReconRat]

You can do it. Keep it simple to start. Make some money. Build it up.

 

We used to make CNC sprockets when I was a kid. Got into welding up exhaust pipes and handle bars for fun.

 

All sorts of things to do. I think I might start making some sort of parts in a couple of years. I hope so, it sounds like fun.

[Koreo]

Id like some rearsets that rent 300+ frikkin doll hairs

[jbot]

rear sets are a bit hairy because they are so complex.  i have some ideas on simplifying them, but lots of people smarter than me have tried, i'm sure... we'll see.

[cOoTeR]

Crazy shaped heel guards. Pretty basic but some people would like them. Or "shorty" levers without the ball on the end. I dont know why but a lot of guys on the Zx10r forum including myself hate how the ball at the end of most shorty clutch levers hits your ring finger. Or similar to what crazy skull crusher said you could make tie down hooks that bolt on to replace the rear pegs of sport bikes. Or make an adjustable rear shock link. If you can design it some sort of gps/smart phone mount that isn't crazy expensive.

[Gixxus Christ!]

What if you were able to make an adjustable rearset by milling a plate that bolts up to the frame and accepts stock pegs, shifter and brake via a matrix of tapped holes? Could keep price down and as long as there is enough adjustment on the linkage rod, eliminate complexity as a limiting factor. That idea is mine. I want a piece of the action.

[jbot]

actually, that's pretty close to the idea i've been kicking around in my head for a good long while.  the problem with it that i've seen is aesthetics.  i think racers might go for it, but that would be like... all of 15 racers in the whole US in the near future lol.  i need to cater to street guys, and they want blingy, otherwise, why drop a couple hundred bucks on it? sad reality.

[Hoblick]

luggage rack for the grom
dont know how you can do it, but it needs done.

youll sell a shit ton of them if your the first one out

 

 

fender eliminator for the grom

[Hoblick]

oh and i hate you for getting a grom before me

[Earache]

I made boatloads of frame and clutch sliders back in the day when you couldn't buy them anywhere. Also made rearsets for awhile (Ducati and R1 only).

I did it as a fun thing but it turned into a part time job and took all of my free time. Had to deal with asshat customers as well.  I've backed way off and only make one off parts now. Alwya fun to make one part but turns into a real job making 100 of the same part. But CNC will take some of that tedium out of the process.

 

I always have some projects that folks want me to do, if you're into it, I'll contact you when they want lots of parts made - been turning them away lately.

 

R1 rearsets:

[/uR

 

On the R1, I made the pegs, shift rod and rearsets to work with the OEM levers as a cost savings idea. Also made some to work with CFM levers and a few others as well. MAde a few with my own levers, too.

 

 

 

 

 

L]

 

 

Ducati sets

 

I made the Duc sets based on the OEM part - just thicker and added an extra set of bolt holes for height adjustment. Hard to see in this pic, but they really are thick as shit. It was an easy piece to make and I sold a shit load of them. Subsequent Ducs to the 196 came out with adjustable ones from the factory and kinda killed the market a bit. Bastids.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Earache

[20thGix]

Being in the same trade you are it is definatley more fun to make motorcycle parts. Ive done frame sliders, GPS mounts, VFR front fender adapters and other things. All of which i have made for members here on the forum. Some their design some ive came up with.  The GPS mount i came up with was somehting i wanted to make a whole bunch of but havent fooled with it in a while. My orignal design worked but needs tweeked. I know what i need to do but just havent done it. Maybe this thread will get my ass in gear and get a new revised part done. What is really nice is i am able to make my own CAD design, program it then take it to a any one of the machines and machine it on my own.

 

Good luck to you!

 

Here is a link to my gallery with the first GPS mount i made.

http://ohioriders.net/index.php?/gallery/image/5464-made-the-knob-that-is-sticking-out-of-the-steering-stem/

Edited August 23, 2013 by 20thGix