Steel toe tour ... Kansas City

On Tuesday (September 3) Birdie had an appointment for a tire and I wanted to see if I could get in for a 25K. We got to the shop just as it opened, and oh yeah, they could take my bike in, too. Yes. A bike wash. What we pay to get a bike wash.


Birdie in front of the Kansas City Plant.

Jim and Robin joined us at the shop and off we went to tour the Kansas City Harley Vehicle & Powertrain Operations Plant where they assemble the Dynas, Sportsters and V-rods. When we got there (I might add it was only a couple of miles from the shop and where we staying … CONVENIENT!!), we were asked if we were there for the Steel Toe Tour. I piped up immediately, yes. How many? Four. And another couple from Arizona said they wanted to go, too. So I said, and those folks, too. Six of us. I was told that maybe we could get four slots, but certainly not six. I said I'd probably just puddle up on the floor and cry a river of tears because we'd come all the way from Alaska to do a steel toe tour. They found four slots for us, and two for the Arizonans, too. Robin said once I got in the zone she hoped none of them said a word, just let me work my charm and magic and make it happen. Oh yeah!!! We were in, paid our $35 per person and were readied to go on tour.

The steel toe tour got steel toe boot slip ons (I had to say I had steel toes since my boots wouldn't fit in the little rubber steel-toed slip ons they had), visibility vests that say steel toe tour on them, and a special pin, and a photo of our group. That was in addition to the actual tour which was fascinating. We weren't allowed to take photos and you know how my memory is these days.

I do know that this plant doesn't have as many women working in it as the other one did, but that overall there are about 35 percent women working in the plants. There are about 900 folks in this plant (about 1,000 in the Milwaukee Pilgrim plant), and that they can wear whatever clothes they like, mostly Harley garb it seems. However, there is one guy who works the line that rides a Suzuki (who has to park in the far lot while Harley riders park their bikes up near the front of the building), and he wears a Suzuki shirt every day just to get under the skin of the Harley folks. Ha ha! They don't care what they wear as long as they do a good job, and they do.

The whole assembly line was worth watching, and I could have done it for quite some time. There are folks who work certain points in teams of 10, either adding a part, or tightening something. Every two hours they rotate jobs, to avoid repetitive motion injuries and to cross-train on the various jobs. From start to finish I believe it was 55 minutes for some bikes, and there you have it … a completed motorcycle.

While photos weren't allowed, this was on the brochure they gave us.

There are robots that also do welding and one that I watched for a while that kept adding parts, stopping, turning, adding another part. The piece just kept growing and I would have liked to watch it from the beginning to the end, but we didn't quite have time for that.

Our guide took a photo of the group on tour.

We saw the various points they check for quality, what they do with bikes that don't make the grade and are taken to be used as a learning tool to find out what went wrong and how to fix it and the “treadmill” where they hook them up to gas and test run bikes.

I asked how many bikes a week or month are produced. That wasn't an answerable question; however, in 2012 the motor company produced 247,000 bikes between the Kansas City and York plants, and the year before 233,000. It sure doesn't seem like many. But I liked what they do for quality control and the pride the workers appear to take in their jobs and the end result, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

A great tour if you ever have the chance to do one.

 

Then we were done and starving so off to lunch at Cracker Barrel. I just can't get enough of that place although I passed on the grilled catfish again. Birdie's friend, Ann, joined us for lunch so we got to meet her. What a kick. She invited us to the HOG meeting they were having that evening. Jim and Robin had to get back to Leavenworth to have dinner with their friend, but Birdie and I would go to the meeting. Ann asked if we'd do a question and answer session with her group. Of course, we love to share.

A welcome cake is always appreciated.

We had a great evening with the local HOG chapter, visiting, answering questions. They were one of the nicest groups of folks, nearly as nice as ours!!! LOL. We enjoyed meeting them, and they were so hospitable … down to having a cake welcoming us. Yep. HOGs love their food. After their meeting we went on an ice cream run, back roads, in the dark, twisties. What an adventure. One of their members guided us back to the hotel, and then it was in for the night. Wow, what a day … yet another fun-filled, exciting one. Vacations rock!!!