| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
I've been working on a project as an "enhancement" for Homecoming for quite a while. Right now, it looks like it isn't going to happen. I'm disappointed and a little bit discouraged. It started with an Idea that seemed perfect for Homecoming. Something that people would like, and would be useful on damn near every Buell built since the S2. I had discussed it with the Engineer in charge of the machine shop at work, and he was going to help me with programming the CNC milling machine. Then he left for a better job, so it seemed like the idea was dead. The M.E. in charge of my area told me he could help, and he would write the program (I can do the time consuming, boring part of the operation), so things started looking up again. I was talking to a salesman for one of the vendors who supplies us with sub-assemblies, and I asked him where the best place to buy aluminum stock was, and he gave me a lot of pieces of aluminum plate. I noticed a note on the box that said 5052, but didn't pay much attention to it. Well, we ran a few pieces the other morning, and they came out looking like crap. I looked in the McMaster-Carr catalog, and I saw that that particular alloy has poor machinability characteristics. They aren't kidding. Also the Machine Shop now has a new Czar, and let's just say that I don't get along real well with petty tyrants, and let it go at that. The Engineer who's been helping me is a bit worried that he could lose his job, if he continues; and that's the last thing I want to see happen. Basically, the project is dead in the water at the present time. It's not completely dead yet, though. I have one more avenue to explore; it's a slim chance, but it might yet come together. Somebody once told me that I don’t have to do things like this for Homecoming; that people will like me for who I am without them. That’s not why I do it. In 1999, I had the trip from hell on my S3-T. I went to see the Springfield Mile, and my front isolator broke on the way out, and I had to have it replaced in Indianapolis. Then my Speedometer cable broke less than 50 miles later. On the way home, I ran over something that cut a piece of tread off my rear tire right down to the cord. Not 50 miles later, the replacement Isolator that had been installed in Indy snapped. I managed to get hold of the head of Buell Customer Service (A real gentleman by the name of Bill Bailey)who told me to get the bike to the nearest dealership, and it would be taken care of. When I told him that I had been planning to be at Homecoming the following week, and that service departments were booked up solid for at least a month, he told me, “You’ll be at Homecoming, if I have to drive out there and bring you back myself”. That Spirit of helpfulness, and the willingness to make owning a Buell a positive experience has permeated all my dealings with everybody associated with Erik and the bikes. If they can try so hard to make ownership a special experience, then I‘m going to do my damnedest to pay that forward and try to keep that spirit alive. If they don’t get made this year, then I’ll get them done for next year. | ||
| Damnut |
John if you need something that I can help with, let me know. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
and that's one of the reasons why i made it a point to get to meet ya last year crusty. you do things for the love of the bike and the people who also love them. | ||
| Pso |
Crusty-that spirit is what tiped over the scale to purchasing a Buell. That and all the help that I have recvd on this board over the past 4 years. Hope the spirit stays alive here on the board. | ||
| Bluzm2 |
John, Not sure what I can do from here in MN but I'll do what ever I can to help you out. How much AL we talking about? What dimensions, what type? If we can, we WILL make this happen. Brad | ||
| Crusty |
Jim, Brad; thanks for the offers of help. I'm not throwing in the towel just yet. I have one possible solution in mind that I will be working on this coming week, and another occurred to me a few minutes ago. As I said, if it doesn't happen for this Homecoming, it WILL happen by next year. The material isn't a big problem; it would probably cost me less than a hundred bucks. The problem is finding someone with a CNC mill that will let us program it and let me do the dumb work after my normal working hours. It's going to happen. It just might take longer than I was hoping for. | ||
| Gregtonn |
Crusty, If you're machining aluminum with a CNC machine 6061 T6 is probably the most readily available and easiest to machine alloys you can find. 5052 is easy to bend and works well for sheet metal assemblies but, because it is soft, tends to smear during some machining operations. Good luck. G | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I still have my "Buellers invade the rock" & "Loud Fans..." T-Shirts. Any surprise from Crusty will be worth waiting for. Take your time & don't sweat it John. | ||
| F_skinner |
and that's one of the reasons why i made it a point to get to meet ya last year crusty. I did the same. See you again this year Crusty. | ||
| Steve_mackay |
Crusty, PM sent. |
