Motorcycles & Cars

Archive for July, 2011

Honda Ra107: Off With The Elephant Ears

In Barcelona Spain last week Honda F1 team has tested its new aerodynamic design which was in the form of elephant ears.

The Honda RA107 which was driven by Christian Klien with its protruding elephant ears on its front nose was following the heels on MacLarens nosestraddling front wing. Unfortunately it seems like the elephant ears are not really meant for racing the Honda F1 team has set the slowest time of the day. The team has finally decided not to push through with their new aerodynamic design since it has done nothing to enhance the performance of their car.

According to Jacky Eeckelaert engineering director “The main purpose of our test programme this week was to evaluate different aerodynamic configurations which have been developed in order to improve the braking stability of the car. The braking is definitely better now and the lap times have improved and become more consistent but there is still a long way to go to bring the team back into contention.”

Honda second largest auto seller in Japan and maker of high quality accord body kit has been working really hard to correct the problems of the new car since the start of the season especially in terms of the cars handling performance.

According to some reports the team is currently working round the clock to develop a new car which would be launch hopefully next month in time for the Canadian Grand Prix.

Although the test didnt go well for the Honda team it proceeded remarkably for some teams like for instance David Coulthard and Red Bull Racing has been able to grab some attention by posting a new track record with a time of 1:21.066. The quick lap happens during the qualifying simulation wherein the RB3 was running on a minimal amount of fuel just before it hit the circuit.

Pedro de la Rosa of the McLarens was 210ths back as he tries to test the new front wing of the teams car which would make its debut at the Spanish Grand Prix in two weeks time. Felipe Massa of the Ferrari team was able to finish with the third fastest time despite a mechanical failure that has interrupted his drive in the morning. And as expected of Ferraris they have finished the week recording the fastest time three out of the four testing days.

Giancarlo Fisichella the driver for Renault was the fourth quickest with Robert Kubica completing the top five. The driver for Toyota Ralf Schumacher finishes as the sixth fastest.

About Honda

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. or Honda for short is a Japanese engineering and engine manufacturer corporation. It is renowned for its automobiles and motorcycles. It has also surpassed Nissan as the second largest distributor of autos in Japan.

Honda also manufactures other products that include trucks robots scooters jet engines and jets ATV electric generators water craft lawn and garden equipment marine engines as well as aeronautical and other various mobile technologies. The highend line of cars of Honda is sold under the Acura brand for China and North America. And just recently the company has ventured into the domain of mountain bikes and they have produced the firstofitskind bike that makes use of an internal gear changing system in the Honda RN01 Gcross.

In addition Honda is also the worlds largest producer of engines building more than 14 million internal combustion engines each year. It was in the year 2004 when Honda started producing diesel motors that were very silent and does not required the addition of particulate filter to pass the emission standards.

Honda has its base in Tokyo. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange Tokyo Stock Exchange and exchanges in Osaka Sapporo Nagoya Kyoto London Switzerland Paris and Fukuoka. Honda has subsidiaries in California and Canada plus it also forms a number of joint ventures around the world which include Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. Dongfeng Honda Automobile Company in China Hero Honda Motorcycles India Ltd. and Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan.

About the writer:  Evander Klum is a Business Administration graduate who hails from Alabama. He enjoys extreme sports and he is also a car racing fanatic. At present he works as a marketing manager at an advertising agency in Cleveland.

Honda Motorcycle Accessories Can Customize A Ride

A motorcycle is a means to an end when it comes to getting from Point A to Point B. But for many a motorcycle is a statement an extension of who they are and what they do. These people and many others for that matter want their bikes to be different from any other in the pack.

Honda motorcycle accessories range from those meant to boost up the bike’s sound quality to those designed to make touring easier. The choices are many and when used in the right combination they can help ensure your bike doesn’t look like any other on the road or they can make longdistance travel easier by adding extra storage and creature comforts.

Honda owners looking to find accessories for their choppers will find they come in these basic categories:

* Visual enhancements. Ranging from chrome to gold plated accessories these are meant to give a bike a different look. They include such things as chrome sidestands to saddlebag scuff covers. There are even specialized exhaust tips for Hondas front fender emblem replacements that are snazzier than stock and more. Tweaking a Honda can be pretty easy thanks to the options out there meant to fit a number of this bike maker’s machines. Each Honda model typically has its own line of accessories too custom fit to the machine.* Sound enhancements. It’s hard to think of a motorcycle needing a CD player or more but for many they do. For motorcycles however these audio add ons are specialized and are meant to be protected from the elements in special compartments. When parked these accessories can really help a bike rider turn up the jams. The options here include such things as a CB radio kit CD changer a passenger audio control so they can listen while you drive and more. There are even fullface headsets.* Safety add ons. These can include such things as fog lights new windshields deflectors and more. These add ons are meant to improve the safety and visibility features on a cycle which is always a good thing for the driver and his or her passenger.* Touring add ons. Those who love to hit the open road tend to love to do so while camping out as well. Saddlebags and trunk enhancements can add on to the storage capacity and make stowing all necessary gear easier on you and your bike.

When it comes to Hondas owners will find almost no matter what model they have there are accessories to make that model stand out as different. When it comes to looks owners can customize everything from the exhaust pipes and emblems to the running boards and more. Entertainment options too can be increased to include such things as CD changers CB radios and more. Safety add ons are perhaps the most important of the custom options available. From more protective windshields to extra lights and more safety equipment that’s customized to be comfortable for the rider is vital.

Copyright c 2006

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Car Insurance Smasher is a large car insurance Cover website.

Hold On Sports Car Fans – Hybrid Sports Cars Are On The Way

When person thinks about hybrid sports cars are the person may be thinking oh yeah those cars the ones that are awesome on gas but are poor on performance. So with gas prices raising it is inevitable that sports car will come on to the line of the market.

The Japanese auto manufactures are continuing to spend time in trying to find a way to make a hybrid car and mix it with a sports car. Subaru Mitsubishi and others are trying to progress in making a hybrid sports car.

Most of the cars being made into hybrids are still being run on batteries which will not get into the performance area like others are looking for. Even though batteries and electric motors are a good way to counter act gas emissions there is some talk about them making an electric sports car that is capable of producing 470whp. If you ask me that is insane for an electric car to produce that kind of power and I don’t believe it until its running down the track or I see the dyno sheet right in front of me.

So even though there are hybrids already on the market there are still many trying to make an electric hybrid sports car. A few years back Mazda saw that their rotary motor ran pretty well on a different fuel. Since that was discovered I am pretty sure that they have been messing around with making a rotary motor that is either a hybrid or an electric high performance motor.

The most well known hybrid of today is the Toyota Priapus a gas/electric car that will be priced at over 70 grand. Even though it may still be running on a propane or type of hydrogen gas it will still be more fuel efficient over regular gases. Many experts think that the car will cost into the six figure range but will do awesome in auctions since many people with great deals of money are looking for the new and sleek versions of car even in the senior class. The Priapus will go 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds which is very good considering it will still get 30 mpg that is good if you are going to just be cruising around or traveling.

The Japanese makers are not the only makers that are looking into hybrid performance. Two of the former jaguar designers have made a good accomplishment they have designed a v10 that will be considered a hybrid.

With so many nations and countries demanding for better gas prices there needs to be an answer. That is why there are so many designers and makers trying to make a hybrid that will do such things.

People just want a car that gets good mpg and still will be able to be a high performance sports car. Today you won’t find that anywhere but maybe in the future you wont be able to find a gas powered car. That is why makers today are trying to get started because they want people to buy their hybrid cars over gas high performance street cars.

About the writer:  Gregg Hall is an author living with his 18 year old son in Jensen Beach Florida. Find more about cars as well as car care products at http://www.5starshine.com