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[upbeat hip-hop music]
- I'M HERE WITH SHAWN AT S&S CYCLE.
WHAT IS S&S CYCLE?
- S&S CYCLE IS A MANUFACTURER OF V-TWIN, PRIMARILY,
MOTORCYCLE ENGINE COMPONENTS.
- WHO DO YOU MAKE STUFF FOR?
- OUR CUSTOMERS ARE VERY WIDE.
PRIMARILY THE INDIVIDUAL BIKE SHOP THAT WANTS TO--
THAT HAS A CUSTOMER
THAT WANTS TO MAKE THEIR BIKE GO FASTER.
BUT WE ALSO DO COMPLETE ENGINES
FOR CUSTOMERS LIKE ORANGE COUNTY CHOPPERS.
I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN THEM ON TV.
JESSE JAMES AT WEST COAST CHOPPERS
ALSO USES OUR ENGINES.
THIS IS OUR MUSEUM HERE AT S&S CYCLE.
WE'VE GOT A VARIETY OF EQUIPMENT AND BIKES IN HERE
FROM WHEN WE STARTED TILL PRESENT DAY.
S&S STARTED OUT AS A CATTLE RANCH,
AND THE OWNERS BUILDING MOTORCYCLE PARTS
WAS A HOBBY,
AND IT CHANGED FROM A RANCH, CATTLE OPERATION
TO A MOTORCYCLE OPERATION.
THIS BIKE HERE WAS THE FIRST V-TWIN
TO GO OVER 200 MILES AN HOUR IN A QUARTER MILE.
THIS ONE HERE FROM JESSE JAMES AND WEST COAST CHOPPERS,
BUILT IT FOR US FOR OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY,
WHICH WAS LAST SUMMER.
- WHERE ARE WE GOING NEXT?
- WELL, WE'RE GONNA HEAD INTO THE ACTUAL MANUFACTURING AREA,
SO WE'RE GONNA NEED TO PUT OUR SAFETY GLASSES ON
AS WE WALK AROUND IN THERE
FOR MOST AREAS WHERE CHIPS ARE FLYING.
SO READY TO GO?
- WHAT IS THIS RIGHT HERE?
- THIS IS ONE OF OUR TWO ENGINE ASSEMBLY LINES,
WHERE WE BUILD OUR MOTORCYCLE ENGINES.
- ALL OF OUR PARTS COME IN FROM THE MANUFACTURING AREA.
WE DO THE FINAL CLEANING ON THEM,
GO THROUGH AND DO OUR CHECKS
AND DO THE FINAL ASSEMBLY ON THEM.
- EVERY ENGINE WE ASSEMBLE, WE BRING OUT HERE
AND CONNECT IT UP TO THIS ELECTRIC MOTOR.
AND TURN IT OVER TO TEST
TO MAKE SURE THAT IT ACTUALLY WORKS
THE WAY YOU WOULD EXPECT IT TO WORK.
[engine puttering]
- HEY, SHAWN, WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT HERE?
- THIS MACHINE IS A TWIN-SPINDLE LATHE
THAT'S MAKING CAM BLANKS FOR US RIGHT NOW.
SO THESE ARE THE PIECES COMING OFF OF THIS MACHINE.
THIS IS JUST A PIECE OF STEEL BAR STOCK
THAT WE CUT TO LENGTH.
AND THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN MAKING ONE OF OUR TWIN CAMS.
SO THIS IS JUST A--
IT'S DONE OFF OF THIS MACHINE,
BUT IT'S STILL GOT THREE MORE MACHINES TO GO TO YET.
- WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?
- ALL RIGHT, SO THIS ONE HERE,
TIM CLAYSON IS LOADING THE PARTS,
THE GEAR COVER THAT I SHOWED YOU IN ENGINE ASSEMBLY,
INTO THE MACHINE
TO DO THE FINAL MACHINING OPERATION ON IT.
- SO WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
- I LIKE BEING ABLE TO TAKE RAW MATERIAL,
STUFF THAT DOESN'T REALLY MEAN MUCH,
AND THEN BUILDING IT INTO SOMETHING
THAT YOU USE EVERY DAY
OR GOES ONTO SOMETHING THAT'S WORTH A LOT.
- SO, SHAWN, WHAT'S OVER HERE?
- THIS SYSTEM IS CALLED A MAZAK PALLETECH SYSTEM.
THIS SYSTEM IS ALL COMPUTER CONTROLLED
BY A COMPUTER OVER THERE
THAT GRAPHICALLY SHOWS US WHERE EVERYTHING IS AT
AND WHAT THE STATUS OF EVERYTHING IS.
THE PART HE'S MAKING RIGHT NOW IS--
STARTS OUT AS ANOTHER BLOCK OF ALUMINUM.
THE FIRST OPERATION
CUTS OUT THE ONE SIDE OF THE PROFILE,
AND THEN THE SECOND OPERATION, FINISHING ONE,
CUTS IT COMPLETELY OFF AND ENDS UP LIKE THIS.
THIS IS THE COMPUTER
THAT CONTROLS THE PALLETECH SYSTEM.
ON THE SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM,
ALL THE MOVING COMPONENTS FOR IT.
- SO, SHAWN, IS THIS WHAT WE JUST SAW ON THE COMPUTER?
- YEP, WHAT YOU SAW ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN
IS WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW,
THE FOUR MACHINES THAT ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE CUTTING
AND THEN BACK ALONG THE WALL.
YOU'VE GOT THE LOAD STATIONS OVER HERE ON THE LEFT,
AND YOU CAN-- IF YOU PAN DOWN THEM,
YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT FIXTURES UP AGAINST THE WALL.
- I'M HERE WITH CORY.
AND WHAT ARE WE REALLY DOING IN HERE?
- THIS IS THE QUALITY INSPECTION ROOM AT S&S CYCLE.
I'M A PROCESS CONTROL ENGINEER.
AND WE BRING PARTS IN OFF THE FLOOR
THAT THE OPERATORS HAVE COMPLETED TO INSPECT
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MEET DIMENSIONAL CRITERIA.
- DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE
TO HAVE A JOB LIKE THIS?
- THE OPERATION OF THE MACHINE, IT'S A JOYSTICK,
JUST LIKE PLAYING A VIDEO GAME AT HOME.
IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE.
BUT YOU HAVE TO--
I UNDERSTAND THE IDEAS AND CONCEPTS
BEHIND THE FUNCTION OF THE PRODUCT
THAT YOU'RE INSPECTING.
- ALL RIGHT, I'M HERE WITH PATTY.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
- I AM CHECKING OVER THIS CARBURETOR,
GETTING IT READY FOR ASSEMBLY,
AND THEN I'LL START PUTTING THE PARTS IN.
- DID YOU LIKE TO, LIKE, TAKE STUFF APART
AND WORK WITH STUFF WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER?
- YES, I DID. I WAS ALWAYS--
MY DAD WAS AN ELECTRICIAN,
AND I WAS HELPING HIM WIRE HOUSES WHEN I WAS SEVEN.
I WAS UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR WITH HIM ALL THE TIME.
I LIKE TO BUILD THINGS.
I REALLY LIKE TO DEMOLISH THINGS.
THAT'S FUN. - YEAH.
- WELL, THANKS, SHAWN, FOR HAVING US HERE,
AND IT WAS A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
- WELL, YOU'RE WELCOME.
AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'VE LEARNED SOMETHING,
AND I HOPE YOU'VE GAINED AN APPRECIATION
FOR SOME OF THE JOBS WE HAVE HERE AT S&S
AND JUST SOME OF THE MANUFACTURING SKILLS
THAT PEOPLE NEED IN THIS TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT.
- AND THAT WAS OUR TRIP TO S&S CYCLE.
BEN, WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART?
- MY FAVORITE PART WAS LOOKING AT ALL THESE AWESOME BIKES.
WHAT WAS YOURS?
- I LIKED SEEING ALL THE LITTLE PIECES
GO INTO THE BIG ENGINE.
- YEAH, I'D LIKE TO SHOUT OUT TO MY HOMIES,
AND SEE YOU NEXT TIME.