About Sumax
Our credibility and high quality standards have made Sumax the first and the foremost powdercoating pros in the industry.
About Powder Coating
In the early 1980s Sumax was color anodizing aluminum billet parts for Harleys. Many customers requested that their cast pieces, like outer primaries, be anodized along with the billet parts. When you try to anodize cast pieces they come out in a marbled finish due to the molecular structure. The other problem with anodizing is that it would fade with motor heat and sunlight. It looked really cool but did not last for more than one riding season.
Kirk VanScoten, (pictured here) the owner of Sumax, had been looking into other ways to fill the needs of his customers' desire to color more parts on their Harleys. Powder coating was just being introduced to the industrial markets. What Kirk discovered was a durable coating, but it had a god-awful orange peel finish to it. It had possibilities if he could eliminate this poor finish and could hold up to heat. He worked with Eastman, who was in the powder business at the time, to come up with a smooth glass-like finish. Kirk purchased a powder gun, bought an oven and made a spray booth to experiment alongside Eastman. He also visited world-renowned liquid painters in the industry, like Dave Perewitz and Tom Pruit of Damon's Paint to see how they achieved their top-quality results. Kirk was now ready to be the first company to offer this process dedicated to the Harley aftermarket industry. With Sumax's addition of his niece, Karyn Russo, Kirk has a younger generation of family to continue his legacy.
Sumax has a wide variety of colors to choose from several sources. Kirk has worked with longtime friend and founder of House of Kolor, Jon Kozmoski to offer many matches to their superior liquid paint. Prismatic Powders offers, at no charge, samples of colors the customer may be interested in. This way it ensures the customer can hold the paint sample up to their bike and get the exact color match they desire.
About Wires and Cables
In the year 1983 Kirk and Taylor Cable's relationship began. Sumax would Design, Develop, Market, and Master Distribute World Wide Spark Plug Wires and Battery Cables for the Motorcycle Aftermarket. Kirk's many Racer Friends tried and WON with the new Spark Plug Wires. Most plug wires back then came in black, yellow, or orange. The new red and blue colors with matching boots and wires were a hit. Standard practice was to change wires once a year due to arcing (sparking from the wire to ground due to flaw in the insulation). These new wires were of the absolute best quality with a Lifetime Warranty. The core of the wires was a choice of Metallic or Carbon. Points and magnetos accepted the metallic core while electronics required resistance with the carbon core.
In the early 1990's Taylor's CEO was Ray Motes, very famous drag racer, a top fuel champion. Ray would try a new plug wire at the track. Once it was proven, Kirk would design the wires for the motorcycle market based on what Ray found. He developed the new Spiro pro core. This was a glass core wound in metal. It gave you the resistance required by the new electronics at 350 ohms per foot with much more firepower than the carbon core. At this same time new vibrant colors were showing up. Stainless Braided over the Pro 8mm wires and FAT 409 series wires would use the same Core.
Technology becomes more important along with 100% made in the U.S.A. ten years later. Ray and his group of engineers develop the Thundervolt 50 spark plug wires with only 50 ohms per foot of resistance. Up to now every spark plug wire including our own Pro 8mm series no matter what coil or ignition fired intermittently. This is what causes you to have a carbon build up on your plugs. The Thundervolt 50 wires would fire a solid steady stream of fire power cleaning your plugs and igniting unspent gases. You actually get more horsepower and torque. You find your bikes starts easier and runs smoother, a win win. Two series of wires would use this core: 8.2mm and fat 10.4mm. Core the same, just more insulation. The 8.2mm series would come in several colors with more insulation than the stock (made in China) wires. The 10.4mm series is black with gold lettering. A great wire for the track with additional insulation. These wires can be seen every weekend at the tracks on the winner's motorcycles. You can see a copy of the Dyno Chart done at the famous Carl's Speed shop in our Galleries. The 8.2mm series is our Best Selling Spark Plug Wire for Street or Race Track. You get what we call....Performance with Color.
High Performance means Higher Compression Motors. Your stock starter with stock battery cables could not start this motor. At that time the only solution was a High Torque Starter that cost well over $1,000.00. Kirk designed a new 2 GA. Very Fat and very Flexible Battery Cable. It would transfer more spark when compared to any 4 or 8 GA. Cables thus eliminating the need for that expensive starter. A majority of people will change the spark plug wires and battery cables at the same time. Both with a Lifetime Warranty.
A few years ago Kirk thought the “Working Man” needed a low cost set of Spark Plug Wires 100% Made in U.S.A.. Street Thunder series has become very popular here and in Europe.
New Classic Thunder Braided Cloth wires are Old School Cool with Modern Technology. Spiro Pro Core lets you run these wires for all applications.
Due to Demand Kirk added wires for Victorys and Triumphs. A new Spark Plug Boot is being designed for Indian Motorcycles. We hope to have it by early 2019.
If you have a special custom request, fill out the contact form with all your needed specifications. We will get right back to you.
We give your More Choices and More Horsepower 100% made here with pride in the U.S.A..Backed by a Lifetime Warranty.
