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“Is this Heaven?”
“No, it’s Iowa.”
— Field of Dreams

No, its not hazy, we’re shooting the
photo though plexiglass. In the dyno booth, a worker takes a
partially undressed new Vision on its maiden voyage, to 70 mph and
back again. Note the ear protection — she needs it!
| Erma Preston has the last
word in production, literally. She selects bikes at random
as they roll off the line for a 90 minute final inspection.
She can challenge any quality issue she finds. |
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At the manual frame welding
station, an arc monitor interface and monitor (just out of
sight over the welder’s left shoulder) tracks the sequence,
voltage and duration to ensure every required weld is done
correctly. If a weld is missed, the fixture locks up and
will not release the frame until the issue has been fixed. |
| This fixture was also
designed and built in-house. It is used to assemble the rear
suspension system of the Vision. The fixture is air-powered
so an assembler can raise or lower it by pushing a foot
pedal |
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Curtis Ettema, liquid paint
supervisor, runs the paint department's 5-S system. Every
component in the painting process is inspected and approved
for use each morning before painting begins. Once tested,
each component gets a sticker, green for good or red for
trouble. |
| I told you it was radical.
The air filter on the nose of this Vision’s cast aluminum
frame is there for a reason; the hollow casting also serves
as the engine’s airbox. The Vision literally breathes
through its own skeleton. Now that’s engineering. |
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One jig fits all. This front
fork assembly fixture rotates to accommodate the width and
rake of fork for any bike. This fixture is currently
assembling the front end of an Arlen Ness Signature Series
bike. |
| The new Vegas Low seats its
rider just 25.2 inches off the pavement and has repositioned
footpegs and longer handlebars, making it ideal for shorter
riders. The carrier system seen here is ideal for workers,
too. It requires less maintenance than its predecessor and
its wide range of adjustability reduces the chance that a
worker might develop a cumulative trauma disorder from
awkward working positions. |
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This Dell computer monitor
indicates the model of bike being built, the carrier it is
on, and the optional headlamp equipment required at this
station. |
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