December 2004 •  January 2005 • Vol. XXIII No. 2 • An Arnold Publication

Slashing Fabrication Times
A Motorcycle Aftermarket Parts Maker Cuts Lead Times 
from 3 Months to 2 Hours with Laser Fabrication. 

Story and photos by C. H. Bush, editor

For most bike riders, a Suzuki or Honda, Yamaha or Kawasaki motorcycle is hot enough right off the showroom floor. On the other hand, many people like to tweak their bike’s performance or its looks, and they’re willing to spend a lot of money doing it. It is this group of bikers and speed-bike enthusiasts that make up the bulk of the motorcycle aftermarket.

Although non-bikers may never have heard of a company called Yoshimura Research and Development of America, Inc., an aftermarket parts manufacturer located in Chino, CA, almost anyone interested in performance bikes and superbike racing will know the name. In fact, a bike souped up with Yoshimura components is sometimes known fondly as a “Yosh.” 

Most of the company’s sales come from its line of high-tech, performance exhaust systems, with its Tri-Oval race exhaust systems selling in the $700 to $900 range. The products are sold for sport and racing bikes and offroad machines produced by the big four bike makers: Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki.

Most notably, the company’s exhaust systems have been used on five AMA superbike champions, including the 2004 Suzuki champion, driven by Mat Mladin. 

Not Just Hot Air

Most people think that an exhaust system is mainly a tailpipe to get rid of exhaust gas and a muffler to hold down the noise. However, performance exhaust systems are much more complex and are designed to accomplish several key functions.

First, Yoshimura exhaust systems actually improve gas flow. They’re shaped physically to handle the kinds of cornering the bikes do during a race. You’ve seen race bikes practically horizontal with the rider’s knee protectors blowing sparks behind as he takes a corner. The exhaust systems have to take that corner, too, allowing good clearance, but without restricting the bike’s exhaust. 

Another factor is sound. The shape of the muffler must create a great, throaty sound the biker wants to hear. Finally, the system has to be light weight and look great. To accomplish that the exhausts typically are produced from 6-4 AI/V satin-finish titanium, stainless steel or high-grade, glossy carbon fiber especially designed for Yoshimura. 
The company’s other products include cam shafts, cam sprockets, air filters, an electronic engine management system (EMS), chassis guards, clamps and rear sets. In addition, the Chino facility has a contract to maintain Suzuki’s 3 racing superbikes. At this facility, Yoshimura’s newest designs are tested for their affect on performance, and, if a new design is successful, it finds its way onto the track. 

Modest Beginning

Yoshimura Research and Develop-ment was started in Japan in 1954 by Hideo “Pops” Yoshimura, who was dedicated to motorcycle and car racing. His reputation grew quickly and soon he had a following of diehard racers. In the seventies Pops came to America and started up the American division of his company. The U.S. operation is currently under the direction of CFO Suehiro (Nabe) Watanabe, a long time employee and ex-racer. Today the U.S. arm of the company occupies a 90,000 sq ft facility in Chino and employs 125 people. A third of the space is dedicated to its Suzuki maintenance contract. The balance is manufacturing. The company markets its products through distributors to retail outlets all over the world. 

Fabrication Headache

In the manufacturing facility, Watanabe tries to keep as much of the work in house as possible in order to maintain control of quality and delivery. As a result, the company operates more than $6,000,000 worth of CNC equipment, including mills, lathes, bending machines and Komatsu punch presses, ranging up to 150 tons.

Most product components are produced from sheetmetal and then punched into shape. The CNC machining centers are used primarily in support of the Suzuki race team work.

“Previously one of my biggest problems in the shop,” says Watanabe, “was the time it took to get dies made for our punch presses. We don’t build tools inhouse, so we are dependent on outside sources for the work. The problem is a lot of die makers want to make the product for us, too, which we don’t want. So, they don’t treat our projects with the urgency we need. Finally, I got tired of that situation and decided to solve it.”

Many of the Yoshimura components must be produced on punch presses because of their shapes. However, many are flat shapes that can go straight to the bending machines once they have been cut out. 
“For those kinds of products it was too expensive to build dies and punch them on the big presses,” Watanabe explains. “Also, many of the products change frequently and the lead times for dies was just too long. I needed a much better, faster solution to cut my parts.”

Space Gear 48

Watanabe eventually purchased a 4,000-watt Space Gear 48 Mark II precision CO2 laser cutting system, produced by Mazak Laser Corporation. The system can hold 4’x8’ sheets and is fully programmable using either the Mazatrol language or via offline programming downloaded via EIA. The system is a triple-mode cutting system capable of both 2D and 3D cutting of plate up to 1” thick, depending on the material. Yoshimura cuts aluminum, stainless and titanium.

“We only use the machine to cut flat, 2D parts,” Watanabe says, “but in that case it does all that we need. We use it to produce complex shaped flat parts that will be sent to our bending machines. With the Space Gear we no long need dies made outside. If we need a new part cut, we can program it and get parts out of the machine in two hours, instead of two or three months. The machine is highly accurate and gives us finishes that are smooth and usable with minimum cleanup after cutting. I recommend the Mazak to anyone who needs quality, high-speed sheetmetal fabrication. Yoshimura has a reputation for producing quality products that help win races, and the Mazak does it for us.” 

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