Posts Tagged ‘suspension’

FJR1300 – Yamaha’s Missing Link?

Friday, August 14th, 2009

So the FZ-1 Super-Standard Packs A Real Punch. If you’re Yamaha, why not make it a 1-2 combo, with the knockout blow coming by way of the FJR 1300 sport-tourer, so far a Euro-only device? “We’ve had tremendous response to the FJR 1300,” admitted a Yamaha U.S. spokesman. “We would love to bring the bike here, but it has to have legs-it needs to stay in the line-up year after year. If it doesn’t, it will disappoint our customers. Also, the sport-touring category is very price-sensitive. The price has to be right.”

Jim Yeardly, a staffer for England’s Motor Cycle News, recently rode the FJR in Spain. A sportbike nut to the core, he came away impressed. “The large, pullback handlebars are perfectly postioned for leisurely riding,” Yeardly reported. “The dash, wich offers a segmented LCD gas gauge, a clock, two tripmeters and a range of other gizmos alongside the usual speedo and rev-counter arrangement, is reminiscent of the FJR’s discontinued older brother, the user friendly FJI200. That makes me feel very much at home, as I have very fond memories of that bike.”
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Progressive Suspension – External Damping Control Shocks

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

Dial – A – Damping. Like full-scale off-road racing, R/C off-road racing is all about suspension, and suspension is all about damping. In the case of the oil-damped shocks used on R/C cars, “damping” refers to the amount of force required to push and pull the piston through the oil in the shock body. When you adjust the suspension of your off-road ride, damping changes can have profound effects. For example, very light damping can allow the suspension to react quickly to small bumps, but will probably lead to bottoming out over jumps. Heavy damping can help to handle big launches and hard landings, but at the expense of responsiveness, stability and traction.

As important as damping adjustments can be, it has always been a hassle to make them; the shocks must be removed from the car, oil coats the parts (which makes the work difficult and messy), and the results are apparent only after tedious reassembly. At least, that used to be the case. (more…)

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Motorcycles: The Pioneering Years, 1898-1918

Friday, July 10th, 2009

Both motor cycle and light car have a common ancestor in the de Dion-type tricycle with single-cylinder engine geared direct to the back axle: the 1898 Ariel was a successful British version, Two wheelers came later, their early form consisting of a simple bicycle frame into which were inserted a single-cylinder power unit, a fuel tank, primitive controls, and a plain belt drive with no gears or clutch. Components could be bought out – engines mainly from de Dion, Minerva, or M.M.C.

The 1903 Madison was a bicycle built by a small shop in Gillingham, dorset, fitted with a 200c.c. clip-on engine made in Derby. The Leicester-built 1903 Clyde was a similar machine sold on a regional basis. Many famous names started with bicycle-based types: in France the pioneers were Werner (a 1903 2 h.p. was ridden from John o’Groats to Land’s End in 653/4 hours), while in England there were the 1902 Matchless, 1903 Rover, and 1903 Triumph, this last using one of the first proprietary engines built by J.A.P., long a general provider to Europe’s motor cycle industry.
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The Motor Car’s Progress – 1930s

Monday, July 6th, 2009

The cost accountant governed the motor car’s progress through the 1930s. Foolproof vehicles were the order of the day. The 1938 Morris 8 featured cellulose and chromium plate (easy to clean), a crashproof synchromesh gearbox and hydraulic brakes, while magneto ignition (expensive to make) was replaced by the simpler coil. To introduce schoolchildren to motoring (if not the public road) the At co lawnmower factory launched their Junior miniature in 1939: it had only one forward gear, but controls were of orthodox car type.

Stylists tidied up outlines and produced such streamlined excesses as the 1935 Chrysler Airflow, a tear drop shape on which the traditional radiator gave way to an aggressive grille – wheel had to be removed to get at the valves! More restrained was the Chrysler’s English equivalent, the Humber Super Snipe, here seen in 1941 as Old Faithful, Field Marshal Montgomery’s personal transport from El Alamein to the Sangro. Its independent front suspension gave a smoother ride.
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