Guests at this yr’s RAPID + TCT occasion in Detroit bought to see an sudden showstopper at Farsoon’s sales space: a superbly restored, vintage-inspired bike often called 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 challenge 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 bike elements. It’s now utilizing steel 3D printing to restore hard-to-find elements for its bikes.
However the Pennsylvania 8 isn’t a restored bike; it’s a brand-new construct that was made to feel and look like a Nineteen Twenties board observe 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 part was constructed from scratch, aside from one authentic 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 anybody particular bike.
The Pennsylvania 8 motorcycle.
From Out of date to On-the-Street
For the workforce behind Competitors Distributing, preserving these bikes is a ardour. These bikes, some relationship again over a century, are extra than simply collector’s objects; they’re items of historical past. However restoring them isn’t simple, and the most important problem is at all times discovering the elements.
“A few of these bikes are over 100 years outdated and too invaluable to journey—even when museums allow you to take them out,” defined Sean Jackson, who leads operations at Competitors Distributing. “One of many greatest challenges in classic bike restoration is sourcing body elements, notably forged elements, that are extremely uncommon and tough to seek out.”
Cylinder part 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 workforce, can now scan authentic elements (some cracked, rusted, or bent with age) and recreate precise replicas of irreplaceable elements. It restores these bikes for the highway once more with out erasing the main points that make them historic.
Classic Bikes, Trendy Instruments
For Competitors Distributing, this meant they might replicate hard-to-find elements like cylinder heads, connecting rods, and exhaust pipes shortly and precisely. Even higher, the workforce isn’t thinking about protecting these bikes behind glass—they need them out on the highway, working at full pace.
“These elements aren’t only for museum bikes. We wish to make them accessible to the common fanatic who needs to construct, journey and expertise early bikes like they did 100 years in the past,” mentioned Jackson.
The classic bike neighborhood is a smaller a part of the general bike world within the U.S., nevertheless it’s nonetheless fairly massive. The Vintage Motorbike Membership of America has over 12,000 members who concentrate on bikes which might be no less than 35 years outdated. And occasions just like the AMA Classic Motorbike Days usher in round 40,000 individuals yearly. Nonetheless, one of many greatest challenges for followers is discovering the best elements to repair their bikes up. That is the place steel 3D printing makes a giant distinction. It helps recreate hard-to-find elements with nice accuracy, in order that these outdated bikes might be loved on the highway once more.
The Pennsylvania 8 motorcycle.
A Printer That Doesn’t Cease
The workforce introduced steel 3D printing in-house in late 2024. Since then, Farsoon’s FS200M machine hasn’t stopped. It’s now working virtually continuous, serving to them serve prospects world wide.
“We’ve had it since October 2024 and actually, time flies when the machine is continually working. With it, we are able to now ship high-quality, end-use elements in days as an alternative of months—and most significantly, our prospects love the outcomes,” famous Jackson.
The workforce has taken on tasks like re-creating elements from a 1928 Rudge bike (an iconic British bike recognized for its racing legacy) and producing customized forged frames—elements that might in any other case have been practically not possible to supply utilizing conventional strategies.
They primarily print in 316 chrome 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, making certain even better effectivity and consistency in manufacturing.
The Pennsylvania 8 motorcycle.
One stunning perk is Farsoon’s software program, which permits customers to test in on the printer from their telephones. They’ll modify powder settings, or take away elements 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 telephone. That flexibility has saved us plenty of time and supplies,” explains Jackson, whose workforce of engineers and mechanics tailored shortly, mastering the challenges of working with the irregular, non-symmetrical shapes typical of vintage bike elements in only a few weeks.
The Pennsylvania 8 motorcycle.
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 bike design, Competitors Distributing is making it potential for a brand new era to expertise the craftsmanship of the previous.
All pictures courtesy of Competitors Distributing and Farsoon.
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