Harley Davidson aficionados aren’t your typical motorcycle fanatics. Harley riders often yearn for the days of Easy Rider, when riding a hog was trendier than performing air tricks on small dirt bikes. Joe McGlynn is more than a fan of the old-style Harleys. He is the inventor of a new seat for the Harley V Twin, a design which molds the new with the old and brings out the rebel in the rider. But McGlynn couldn’t turn his dream into a reality on his own, and the self-described CAD novice got some help from a 3D modeling software, and today his company, Crime Scene Choppers, manufactures the seat and other Harley parts.

McGlynn attributes his success on his investment of the Alibre Design 3D modeling package less than two years ago. The software allowed McGlynn to turn his Harley daydreams into manufacturable realities, and turn his day job into just a day job. With Alibre Design as his co-pilot, he was able to learn 3D modeling on a part-time basis.

Although McGlynn was a hobbyist fabricator and was no stranger to computer technology, he had no prior experience in CAD. He says that the modeler gave him user-affable features and full functionality to flesh out his new ideas. It also exported his models to other CAD formats, so he had no trouble sending his plans to CNC machinists, stereolithographers, and other fabricators he found online. And finally, the realistic renderings of his parts demonstrated to prospective online customers just how hot they look on a hog.

In the following interview, McGlynn explains how he set about putting his dream into motion and how the 3D modeling system helped him accomplish his goals.

Len Vermillion: Why did you set out to create this new seat for the V Twin?Joe McGlynn: I like to make parts, and I want to make parts that are interesting and different. A lot of the V-Twin aftermarket parts are somewhat cliché; skulls, daggers, Maltese crosses, and that sort of thing. Harleys have a rich heritage; I wanted to play off of the history without repeating the past. I wanted to make products that take the customer somewhere they haven’t been in a long time, and somewhere they have never been at the same time.

LV: You paid a lot of attention to shapes and themes; in particular, a cross between retro and futuristic. Why was styling so important?JM: A custom bike is all about style and individuality. Folks want personalized transportation that says something about them. People build and ride choppers for enjoyment and personal expression, so style has to lead as far as I’m concerned. I didn’t want make parts that look like anyone else’s parts, both because my tastes are different, and because it seems like a bad business strategy. I’ve been using “fins” in a lot of my recent designs, which is a styling cue from the postwar aircraft and hot rod era. A lot of GIs were returning home after the war, building bikes and hot rods. A lot of aircraft technology was available as post-war production tapered off, and the styling influences were permanently fused. The fins are just one of several themes that I plan to explore, having a good CAD tool is critical to the creative process.

LV: Creating that styling must have been difficult. You turned to Alibre Design 3D modeling software to help. How important was the modeling software to reaching the end result?JM: For one-off parts I’ve always created those directly in metal, pounding sheet metal into a sandbag to create compound shapes and welding bits of metal together to create different forms. I needed something that would let me experiment with shapes, try different contours, scale up or down easily. I tried traditional 2D CAD software and that didn’t help, we live in a 3D world. It is difficult to convey the excitement and visual impact I wanted in two dimensions.

LV: What advantages did you gain through 3D modeling in the creation of the seat?JM: The ability to visualize a dimensionally-accurate object can’t be over stated. I was able to utilize Alibre to interact with another CAD designer, manufacturers, and rapid prototyping services without leaving my desk. In the past I was forced to hand-build prototypes and ship them around to get quotes for services. Having access to an affordable, easy-to-use CAD package has drastically reduced my time to market and overall costs.

LV: What aspects of the design did 3D modeling turn out to be the most helpful?JM: 3D modeling was indispensable in visualizing and getting to a prototype quickly. On products like the Speedster gas cap I was able to work out the complex latching mechanism, try different stock hardware for fit, and play with contours to get the look and the manufacturability that I wanted. With the Bad Attitude primary cover it was possible to test the fit before even producing a prototype.

LV: I understand you weren’t an expert in the software when you started out and learned the process on a part-time basis. How were you able to learn it so easily?JM: In the past, I tried to use other 2D CAD systems and found myself at a significant disadvantage. The complexity involved in using the 2D CAD systems I tried was astounding, particularly in light of the limited value. When I started with Alibre it would be safe to say I didn’t have a clue about 3D modeling. Before installing the demo version, Alibre provided a one-hour overview “Webinar” free of charge. This gave me a good roadmap of how to get to various capabilities. I went through all of the Alibre tutorials and, at that point, I knew enough to be dangerous. I started designing the Speedster gas cap as my first project, when I got stuck I was able to use the collaborative features of Alibre to work with their tech support staff to get back on track. Alibre was also able to set me up with some targeted live training, which was a big help in deepening my understanding of the tool.

LV: How important where the collaborative feature of Alibre to your design process?JM: The live collaboration features were a big help in working with Alibre to work out design issues and help with my learning curve. Alibre was an indispensable tool in collaborating with other professionals throughout the design and development process. Alibre is able to read and write all major file formats, so I could work design ideas back with well-known CAD designers in the industry like Mark van der Kwaak.

Joe McGlynn can be reached at joe@crimescenechoppers.com. More information on Alibre is available at www.alibre.com or by calling 972-671-8492.