Guests at this yr’s RAPID + TCT occasion in Detroit bought to see an surprising showstopper at Farsoon’s sales space: a superbly restored, vintage-inspired motorbike often known as the Pennsylvania 8. Nestled amongst industrial-grade printers and high-tech shows, this traditional magnificence stood out not just for its design, but in addition for the high-tech improve behind its restoration, all because of steel 3D printing.
The venture is the results of a collaboration between Farsoon and Competitors Distributing, a Pennsylvania-based firm that makes a speciality of vintage, pre-war (Thirties and earlier) Harley-Davidson and Indian motorbike components. It’s now utilizing steel 3D printing to restore hard-to-find parts for its bikes.
However the Pennsylvania 8 isn’t a restored motorbike; it’s a brand-new construct that was made to feel and appear like a Nineteen Twenties board monitor racer. It’s based mostly on the type of early Harley-Davidson 8-valve racing bikes, which have been highly effective and uncommon of their time. Every thing was constructed from scratch, apart from one unique piece: the 1926 engine case. Utilizing that actual classic half as a place to begin, they recreated the remainder utilizing conventional craftsmanship and instruments like steel 3D printing, staying true to the design and spirit of the unique machines with out copying anyone particular bike.
From Out of date to On-the-Street
For the staff behind Competitors Distributing, preserving these bikes is a ardour. These bikes, some courting again over a century, are extra than simply collector’s objects; they’re items of historical past. However restoring them isn’t straightforward, and the most important problem is all the time discovering the components.
“A few of these bikes are over 100 years previous and too worthwhile to experience—even when museums allow you to take them out,” defined Sean Jackson, who leads operations at Competitors Distributing. “One of many largest challenges in classic motorbike restoration is sourcing body parts, significantly forged components, that are extremely uncommon and troublesome to seek out.”
Cylinder element for a bike engine.
That’s the place 3D printing is available in. Jackson turned to additive manufacturing (AM) and Farsoon to bridge the hole. Working with Farsoon’s laser powder mattress fusion (LPBF) FS200M steel printer, Jackson, together with engineer and inventor Kevin O’Neal and his staff, can now scan unique components (some cracked, rusted, or bent with age) and recreate actual replicas of irreplaceable parts. It restores these bikes for the highway once more with out erasing the small print that make them historic.
Classic Bikes, Trendy Instruments
For Competitors Distributing, this meant they may replicate hard-to-find components like cylinder heads, connecting rods, and exhaust pipes shortly and precisely. Even higher, the staff isn’t excited about maintaining these bikes behind glass—they need them out on the highway, working at full velocity.
“These components aren’t only for museum bikes. We wish to make them accessible to the typical fanatic who needs to construct, experience and expertise early bikes like they did 100 years in the past,” mentioned Jackson.
The classic motorbike neighborhood is a smaller a part of the general motorbike world within the U.S., however it’s nonetheless fairly large. The Vintage Motorbike Membership of America has over 12,000 members who deal with bikes which can be at the very least 35 years previous. And occasions just like the AMA Classic Motorbike Days herald round 40,000 folks yearly. Nonetheless, one of many largest challenges for followers is discovering the suitable components to repair their bikes up. That is the place steel 3D printing makes an enormous distinction. It helps recreate hard-to-find components with nice accuracy, in order that these previous bikes might be loved on the highway once more.
The Pennsylvania 8 bike.
A Printer That Doesn’t Cease
The staff introduced steel 3D printing in-house in late 2024. Since then, Farsoon’s FS200M machine hasn’t stopped. It’s now working nearly continuous, serving to them serve prospects all over the world.
“We’ve had it since October 2024 and actually, time flies when the machine is continually working. With it, we will now ship high-quality, end-use components in days as a substitute of months—and most significantly, our prospects love the outcomes,” famous Jackson.
The staff has taken on initiatives like re-creating parts from a 1928 Rudge motorbike (an iconic British bike identified for its racing legacy) and producing customized forged frames—components that will in any other case have been almost unattainable to supply utilizing conventional strategies.
They primarily print in 316 stainless-steel, though they’re additionally exploring aluminum, 17-4 stainless, and even titanium. In the long run, they hope to scale up manufacturing and dedicate particular machines to designated supplies, guaranteeing even higher effectivity and consistency in manufacturing.
The Pennsylvania 8 bike.
One stunning perk is Farsoon’s software program, which permits customers to test in on the printer from their telephones. They’ll regulate powder settings, or take away components from a construct, with out canceling the entire job.
“The Farsoon software program has been an enormous bonus. I can monitor and management prints remotely from my cellphone. That flexibility has saved us a number of time and supplies,” explains Jackson, whose staff of engineers and mechanics tailored shortly, mastering the challenges of working with the irregular, non-symmetrical shapes typical of vintage motorbike components in just some weeks.
The Pennsylvania 8 bike.
This work is a nod to tinkerers, who worth machines not only for how they run however for what they symbolize. By combining steel 3D printing with early Twentieth-century motorbike design, Competitors Distributing is making it potential for a brand new technology to expertise the craftsmanship of the previous.
All pictures courtesy of Competitors Distributing and Farsoon.
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