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Secret! Hush Hush! No pics allowed inside the factory
(image on the left is the last one I snapped in the
entry way before they gave me that, you should see
where we bury the bodies look). Well alright then,
no need to expense batteries on the Sony Digital 3.4Mp
Camera when the museum visit is right around the corner.
For as the sign says, we are all foreigners in a common
land. The factory was spectacular and so were the
specs. According to our guide, better than 200 bikes
a day are assembled from parts shipped in from neighboring
areas (each of the subcontractors must have a nearby
distribution center). Better than 40% of the weight
of the engine parts from the subcontractors are lost
after they have been shaved by loads of computer controlled
milling and tolerance testing machines. The engine
assembly line is stocked with a majority of experienced
women, for the engines are immediately dry tested
straight away after assembly in another computer controlled
area (no fuel, just oil and water pumped through as
it is spun in excess of 6,500 rpm). Engines then are
whisked to one of the three assembly lines (1) 998,
748, MH900e, (2) monsters (which is 50% of production
adding up to a respectable 20,000 per year), and (3)
super sports which culminates in a produce run totaling
about 40,000 bikes a year. There is still an immense
amount of hand assembly required, and it seems as
though the craftsman are pleased enough with the company
that they are not prone to strike in the occasional
weekly whatever. All and all, it was a sight to see,
even though they had us moving along a good pace (I
am sure it was mainly to keep the prying hands from
trying to pilfer all the fab parts laying about!).
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