Motorcycles & Cars

Archive for January, 2010

Tyre Disposal And Recycling

It is now standard practice for tyre retailers to impose a tyre disposal charge when you change your tyres which tends typically to be about 1.00 a tyre. You may wonder why you have to pay this charge after all tyre disposal charges have not always been the norm.

The real answer to this question is that it is a simple case of economics a case of supply and demand. Going back twenty years the scrap disposal scenario was totally different to the way it is today. It used to be the case that car tyre retreading companies would collect the majority of used tyres as the raw material for their production. They used to pick up the used tyres free of charge or even pay for the privilege.

However that was when over 4 million retreaded car tyres were sold in the UK every year. In the meantime the market for British manufactured retreads has been squeezed by cheap new tyres from the Far East to the point where the UK market is no more than a tenth of what it was. This means that retreaders no longer pick up the scrap tyres. This is done by professional tyre disposal companies who need to charge the retailer for this service.

Much of the tyre disposal in the UK is now carried out by members of the Responsible Recyclers Scheme which is now administered under license by the Tyre Recovery Association. Members of the scheme guarantee that the tyres collected are disposed of in an environmentally friendly method whether recycled or used as a fuel in cement kilns. As a guarantee members of the scheme are subject to a stringent audit process conducted regularly by independent environmental audit specialists.

The Responsible Recyclers Scheme also promotes best practice in the tyre recovery industry and helps protect against the continuing scourge of flytipping.

In the UK around 40 million tyres are taken off car vans trucks and buses every year a total of 440000 tonnes. That is a huge amount of scrap to dispose of and it has to be paid for somehow. Although the UK tyre recovery industry currently has enough capacity to cope with scrap tyre arisings the balance between overcapacity and undercapacity is relatively fine.

Of key importance in the tyre disposal market in the UK is The Landfill Directive which was adopted by the UK in July 1999. This banned the disposal of whole tyres by landfill from July 2003 and shredded tyres from July 2006. This has changed the entire scenario of how tyres are disposed of and recycled in the UK and Europe. There are a number of ways in which scrap tyres are recycled in the UK although all of these can be defined as either reuse recycling or recovery.

Retreading is still considered to be one of the most preferable method of tyre recycling as it effectively doubles the life of the new tyre reducing the numbers of new tyres needed and thereby minimising waste. Retread still make up nearly half of all truck tyres on the road but the number of car tyres that are retreaded is now relatively small.

Other common uses for scrap tyres include sports and recreational surfaces landfill engineering carpet underlay/floor coverings and road building. Roads manufactured using crumb rubber last longer have better traction and reduce noise.

In the UK scrap tyres are also widely used as a fuel in cement kilns as an alternative to the traditional fuel coal.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;About Author :
Article produced by BlackCircles.com discount tyres for cars 4x4s and commercial fleets in the UK. Tyres can be ordered online and fitted at your local garage.

Types Of Motorcycle Frames

If you are going to build a motorcycle the frame determines the basic look of the bike. Of course motorcycle frames affect not only the appearance of the bike but the handling and safety of the finished machine.

Frames are the basic skeleton to which other components are attached. They hold the motorcycle tanks and engine and provide support to the whole bike. Most frames are made of steel or aluminum but there are also other choices such as carbonfibre.

Motorcycle frames generally fall into one of several categories.

Single Cradle: This is the simplest of the motorcycle frames a design that harks back to some of the earliest motorcycles ever made. It has a single large tube for a spine and smaller tubes that cradle the engine. This is commonly used on offroad bikes. A variation is the split single cradle which is a single cradle that splits into two cradles at the back for the exhaust.

Double Cradle: An evolution of the single cradle it uses two cradles on either side to hold the engine. These were commonly used on simple road bikes and some custom bikes but have mostly been supplanted by perimeter frames.

Backbone: These are specialty frames that are used rarely. It has a solid metal backbone and the engine hangs suspended from this. It’s a simple and inexpensive frame with a distinctive look but other designs are better in terms of strength and rigidity.

Perimeter: These frames originated on racing motorcycles. The steering head and swingarm are joined at a very short distance reducing flexure and torsion substantially. They were originally made from steel but most are made from aluminum nowadays to save weight. Once the advantages of this frame were seen they were adopted by most motorcycle manufacturers.

Monocoque: Another specialty frame that is even rarer than the backbone. They are very heavy and rigid combining seat mounting tank and tail into a single sturdy piece of metal. They are used almost exclusively on specialized competition bikes and are not a good choice for street bikes.

Trellis: European manufacturers came up with this design although it is catching on in the US as well. It uses many of the same construction principles as the perimeter frame and matches it in rigidity and weight. Its distinctive look is formed by a “trellis” of short tubes that make up the body of the frame. It requires more effort to manufacture than the perimeter but the result is extremely strong.

One of the earliest decisions to make is which of these motorcycle frames is right for your bike. Many of your other decisions will depend on the type of frame you choose so consider the options and choose wisely.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on MotorcycleFrames visit http://www.jirehcycles.com.

Two Wheels: Good For The Pocket And The Environment

The humble automobile has certainly been one of the greatest inventions in the history of mechanics. It transformed the way people live their lives and the 20th century was for the most part a far more liberated period compared to the previous century.

Whilst the car was intended to free people from the constraints of foot and pedal power it has gotten to a stage now where road congestion pollution and fuel prices has made motorised four wheel transport an often frustrating costly and environmentally damaging experience. In short for many people car transport is no longer the most convenient way to travel from A to B.

But the principal behind having access to private motorised transport is still a sound one. After all why should anyone have to rely on the often unreliable bus and train services that exist in many towns and cities across the country?

The 21st century and beyond will require a much smarter approach to private transport one that will replace the abundance of singleperson car occupancies on the worlds roads. And with the matters of the global economic downturn pollution and overcrowding becoming increasingly problematic many people are starting to assess the impact their lifestyle is having on the planet.

Of course giving up the car is an obvious solution. But how will the public transport system cope with such a significant increase in the amount of passengers? People need a good substitute to the convenience of being able to go where they want when they want.

It certainly seems that many people are starting to get the message. Motorised twowheeled transport offers road users the convenience of private transport at a fraction of the cost. Typically motorbikes use less than half the amount of petrol than that of a car which means it will cost less to run and will be less damaging on the environment. Furthermore motorbikes are far more mobile than cars meaning they can bypass traffic jams and can be parked in much tighter spaces in cities. Motorcycle insurance is usually cheaper than car insurance too which is one more reason why some road users are choosing to switch from four wheels to two.

So at a time when many people are starting to really feel the squeeze of the credit crunch in conjunction with an increase in environmental awareness it makes a lot of sense to start considering other transport options.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Andrew Regan writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote but should be considered professional content.