products and an ethos.
6/12/2014
There are a small number of things in this world that really get me excited.
Here’s a short list:
-Fuel injection systems, and internal combustion. (well, obviously)
-Race car electronics.
-Bicycles.
-Design work.
I love all of these things equally. Honestly, they’re all just so fascinating to think about. There have been some situations in the past where I’ve been able to combine two of these things. For instance, I designed and produced a suspension linkage for a bicycle I used to own. The suspension design on that bike was pretty good, but it was far (very far) from perfect. The bike had a very poorly machined rocker assembly that made for a loose connection to the rear triangle. A friend of mine said it would be way better if they had used a sealed bearing instead of an IGUS bushing (a thin plastic bushing).
So, off I went.
Being one of my first design projects, it took a long time. A really long time. I pushed through it and I learned more than I probably ever thought I would have. After I finished it, I submitted the design to a local machine shop and the finished pieces arrived at my house. I ripped open the box, pressed in the bearings I had spec’d for the part and it slid right in to place. I was ecstatic. That project allowed me to combine two things on that list. I loved that.
Skip ahead a number of years later…
I bought a 2006 Ducati Monster S2R. I bought the bike a bit on the cheaper side due to an “intermittent stalling” problem that the previous owner had no idea what the problem was. After some time the stalling problem happened to me while I was riding it home one day. Some people may have been distraught by this, I was actually thrilled. This meant that I could finally identify and fix the problem.
After some quick electrical testing, I found that the wiring to power the fuel pump had a poor connection in the bulkhead that passes the wiring in to the tank. After some internet searching I couldn’t believe that no one made (what I felt was) a good repair for this!
So, off I went, again.
With the help of a good friend at Orlov Design, we digitized and reverse engineered the factory fuel pump mount / bulkhead assembly. I then designed a piece to be CNC machined out of a block of aluminum to replicate the factory unit and add a hermetically sealed military grade bulkhead connector. This connector is now easily serviceable if anything were to happen to the seal or the connections and it provides for an easy removal of the fuel tank with a quick turn of the electrical connector body. Also is the option to add AN thread fuel fittings if an individual wished.
After a few minor revisions, the prototype is complete and installed in my bike currently. I’ve been riding it around an have experienced no problems to speak of. After some finalizing and time spent gauging interest, the product may be offered to the public.
This most recent project allowed me to combine all of these things on my list of things in this world that get me really excited. It’s pretty easy to extrapolate how excellent this makes me feel.
The basic ethos of this company is pretty simple. Do everything the best that you can, and be excited about what you do.
If there are any questions about this, please email me from the Contact page.