There Is No Other Honda Z600 Quite Like This One - CarScoops

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A bizarre 1972 Honda Z600 that has been transformed into a wacky 4×4 is looking for a new home in Richmond, Virginia.

The Honda Z600 was a kei car produced by the Japanese automaker between 1970 and 1974. It was sold in the United States for two of those years and came with a tiny 598 cc two-cylinder engine. This Z600 4×4, however, is far from stock.

For starters, the kei car now sports a 1.3-liter Suzuki engine that is coupled to a five-speed manual transmission. The eBay listing, which ended just a few hours ago without the car being sold, offers no indication as to how much power this 1.3-liter churns out but it wouldn’t be a lot.

Watch Also: Driving A Turbo AWD Daihatsu Kei Car Is More Fun Than You’d Expect

Then we come to the wheels. The seller says it has black wheels with 33-inch off-road tires which almost look like monster truck wheels on a vehicle of this size. No details have been given in the listing about what chassis or suspension modifications have been made to support these wheels. However, a little bit of digging online about this very car suggests it sits on the chassis of a Suzuki Samurai.

Adorning the exterior is a fresh coat of original Honda yellow paint while the interior includes black leather and some carbon fiber components.

The seller states the car has 200 miles (320 km) on the clock although we suspect that likely references how many miles it has been driven since the engine swap. The Suzuki engine and the chassis itself likely have much higher mileage.

Getting this modified Z600 isn’t cheap as it’s Buy It Now price was set at $17,500.

PHOTO GALLERY

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August 01, 2020 at 08:09AM
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There Is No Other Honda Z600 Quite Like This One - CarScoops

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Tuner Turns Suzuki Jimny Into Mini First-Gen Land Rover Defender - Motor1

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Squint and the Suzuki Jimny could look like several other boxy makes and models. Jeep Wrangler? Maybe. A vintage Ford Bronco? Yup. A baby G-Class? Well, duh. The lookalike list only continues to grow, and the latest addition to it is a first-generation Land Rover Defender. And it’s all thanks to Damd in Japan, again.

The company has a complete kit that turns the Suzuki into an imitation Land Rover Defender, though a vintage one. The kit includes grille, the front and rear bumpers, a new hood, mud flaps, five Dean Cross Country or APIO Wildboar SR 16-inch wheels, wheel arches, and badging. The badging and lettering are made to look authentic, though they say and spell out Little D, instead, which is available in silver and black. The company also offers the wheel caps in color to match the vehicle’s.

12 Photos

Damd also offers the kit alone, removing the wheels from the package. Every part listed above is available individually, including the Little D lettering and badge or the license plate relocation bracket. There is one upgrade for the inside – seat covers, which are available in gray checkered or beige houndstooth to add a touch of nostalgia to the vintage look.

The upgrades only change the Jimny’s appearance. The bite-sized SUV’s from-the-factory 1.5-liter engine remains the powertrain. It produces 100 horsepower (75 kilowatts) and 96 pound-feet (130 Newton-meters) of torque. It pairs with either a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual transmission. Power routes to all four wheels through Suzuki’s Allgrip Pro AWD system. The part-time 4WD system comes with a low-range transfer gear and three driving modes.

Don’t let the small size and lackluster performance numbers trick you into thinking the Suzuki is all about looks. When the automaker redesigned it, it revised the rear suspension design, allowing for a 37-degree approach angle and a 49-degree departure angle. With numbers like those, this Defender appearance kit seems quite appropriate. And adorable.

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August 01, 2020 at 04:27AM
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MXA TECH SPEC: 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE 2020 SUZUKI RM-Z250 - Motocross Action Magazine

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Yamaha Promotes Dolson to Regional Sales Manager, School Service Sales - Yahoo Finance

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In his new role, Dolson is responsible for managing and supporting a team of district managers servicing school service dealers across the U.S.

BUENA PARK, Calif., July 31, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Yamaha Corporation of America (YCA) has announced that Chris Dolson has been promoted to Regional Sales Manager, School Service Sales, effective July 1. He reports to Doug Steinmetz, director, Yamaha School Service Sales.

In his new role, Dolson is responsible for managing and supporting a team of district managers servicing school service dealers across the U.S.

"Chris is a consummate sales professional who brings a varied background and many skills to our talented team," said Steinmetz. "I am confident that he will provide great leadership as we continue to strengthen our service to retailers, educators and schools nationwide."

Dolson began his career with Yamaha as a marketing intern in 2002, and from 2003 to 2008, served as Percussion Product Specialist at the company's Buena Park, California headquarters. In 2008, he relocated to Indianapolis to serve as Market Development Specialist. He has held the position of District Manager for the Midwest territory since 2012.

During his tenure, Dolson has been named Band and Orchestra District Manager of the Year (2017), Winds District Manager of the Year (2020, 2018), Strings District Manager of the Year (2019, 2016), Accessories District Manager of the Year (2014) and Marketing Star award recipient (2008).

Dolson earned a B.A. in Music Performance from Illinois State University.

For more information about Yamaha Corporation of America, visit usa.yamaha.com

About Yamaha
Yamaha Corporation of America (YCA) is the largest subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of award-winning musical instruments, sound reinforcement, commercial installation and home entertainment products to the U.S. market. Products include: Yamaha acoustic, digital and hybrid pianos, portable keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products, synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio equipment, Steinberg recording products and NEXO commercial audio products, as well as AV receivers, amplifiers, MusicCast wireless multiroom audio systems, Blu-ray/CD players, earphones, headphones, home-theater-in-a-box systems, sound bars and its exclusive line of Digital Sound Projectors. YCA markets innovative, finely crafted technology and entertainment products and musical instruments targeted to the hobbyist, education, worship, music, professional audio installation and consumer markets.

 

SOURCE Yamaha

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August 01, 2020 at 02:00AM
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Yamaha UC Integrates With Sharp Electronics for Remote Concierge Station Solution - Twice

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Remote Interaction System Features Sharp Display Paired With Yamaha’s CS-700 Video Sound Bar, Providing Contactless, Safe Customer Service With Best Audio and Video Quality

SUDBURY, Mass. — July 30, 2020 — Yamaha Unified Communications and Sharp Business Systems, the direct B2B sales channel of Sharp Electronics Corporation, are providing the hospitality, enterprise, education, health care, and government industries with a safe, healthy way to interact with customers and guests in any lobby or front desk environment. The Remote Concierge Station solution brings together Sharp’s 40-inch or 50-inch flatscreen and Yamaha’s CS-700 Video Sound Bar in a sleek, mobile stand to allow organizations the ability to staff key locations without having an employee on site to provide high-quality custom service and reception response.

“COVID-19 has highlighted the need for solutions that help public-facing staff have meaningful interaction with customers, patrons, and guests while maintaining social distance,” said Meghan Kennelly, director of global marketing and communications at Yamaha Unified Communications. “The Remote Concierge Station is perfectly suited to meet this new need. Our CS-700 collaboration system has been used for years by businesses all over the world to help users drive professional-quality remote meetings. Now staff will have peace of mind while ensuring that they will be able to see and hear customers just as clearly as if they were talking to them face to face — but they can be safely working from home, in the next room, or even across the country.”

As companies return to a new normal, the solution is an effective answer to protecting front-desk employees as they interact with the public. Featuring Sharp’s brilliant, large-format professional display and Yamaha’s CS-700 Video Sound Bar, the Remote Concierge Station provides the next best thing to face-to-face human interaction. The Video Sound Bar is a comprehensive, powerful solution that makes natural-sounding audio and high-quality video collaboration possible. It features an adaptive beamforming microphone array for perfectly captured conversation; four Yamaha speaker elements to provide the highest degree of audio intelligibility; and a wide-angle HD camera that captures guests and the room in clear detail. This allows reception staff to monitor room activity and greet users as they approach.

Designed for flexibility and ease of use, the station connects to a UC platform via a single USB. The sleek unit eliminates the inherent inefficiencies of operating disparate video and audio while keeping lobbies, waiting rooms, and reception areas neat and welcoming. The CS-700’s integrated network management system also allows IT staff to rapidly deploy and remotely manage each unit, which is ideal for organizations that have multiple CS-700 units installed in reception areas and meeting spaces.

The Remote Concierge Station comes mounted on a rolling cart that is UL-certified to prevent tipping, allowing organizations to safely move it for use as a mobile conference station. With the built-in flexibility, it can also double as an immediate and long-term digital signage solution for greater ROI. For example, it can be used to remind guests of any mask ordinances and best practices. Additionally, as staff return to the office, it can continue to be used to welcome incoming guests with check-in or company information. It also includes a Shuttle NC03 computer mounted on the back of the display, wireless keyboard, power strip, and remote control.

The Remote Concierge Station is available through Sharp Business Systems. Interested parties can learn more at https://ift.tt/2DalAzn.

# # #

About Sharp Electronics Corporation
Sharp Electronics Corporation is the U.S. subsidiary of Japan’s Sharp Corporation. Sharp is a worldwide developer of one-of-a-kind home appliances, networked multifunctional office solutions, professional displays and smart office systems. Sharp has been named to Fortune magazine’s 2020 World’s Most Admired Company List, a ranking of the world’s most respected and reputable companies.

About Yamaha Unified Communications
Audio and video conferencing solutions from Yamaha Unified Communications, Inc. streamline collaboration and boost productivity wherever people work. Yamaha’s renowned and rigorous approach to development and manufacturing of enterprise-grade microphone systems, conference phones, and video sound bars ensures superior audio quality, reliability, and flexibility. With both wired and wireless options, Yamaha’s unified communications (UC) products enable users to have natural, clear conversations in every meeting space.

More information can be found at uc.yamaha.com.

All trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

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Photo Caption: The Remote Concierge Station solution brings together a Sharp flatscreen with a Yamaha CS-700 Video Sound Bar to create a contactless solution for custom service and reception response.

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/YamahaUC
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/yamahauc

This section of TWICE, “The PR Wire,” contains original press releases that reflect the views of the industry organizations issuing them. Releases are not reviewed or edited by TWICE editorial staff. Suppliers, The PR Wire is “A Virtual Press Conference.”

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Yamaha starts trials on twin electric boat motor unit - Plugboats

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The twin electric boat motor unit is integrated with a steering control system – HARMO – and trials begin August 7 on the Otaru Canal tourist attraction in Hokkaido, Japan.

Yamaha calls HARMO its “next-generation control system platform” which includes electric rim motors, a remote-control box and a joystick ‘for more intuitive operation’. The company is hoping to offer HARMO as a total package for people, especially in Europe, looking into electric boats for use on canals.

The Otaru Canal test site is one of the leading tourist spots in Hokkaido. It was dredged and completed in 1923 to serve as a water shipping route to transport cargo to the sea. This happened at a time when Japan was undergoing a great deal of westernization, and  stone warehouses echoing European design were built along the course of the waterway.

Its usefulness as a commercial route ended in 1986, but the city took steps to turn it into a destination. A promenade and garden were built along a stretch of it and 63 ornate gas lamps were installed to create the atmosphere for romantic evening cruises.

Twin electric boat motor and steering unit = short turning radius

Yamaha views the European market, with its thousands of kilometres of canals, as the main market for the HARMO, and the Otaru set-up mimics those waters fairly closely.

The motors are rim motors, similar in design to what was installed in the RS Electric Pulse 58 RIB boat launched at BOOT Dusseldorf this past January. Rather than the propeller being driven through a central axle, the propellers are attached to the rim of the motor, which Yamaha prefers for this unit because strong thrust can be generated at low speeds.

The joystick and HARMO steering mechanism provide a large steering angle, so a boat can turn almost on the spot (see video below). For docking, simply tilting the joystick moves the boat horizontally. All of this is obviously important on narrow canals.

The concept of multiple electric motors being used to navigate tight spaces is not new for canal boats. UK Plugboats reader Jonathan Evans detailed for us how he put a Lynch electric motor in each corner of his renovated canal boat. He originally was to have it all controlled by 1 joystick, but opted for 4 individual sticks instead. 

The other reason Yamaha is looking to Europe is because of the increasing restrictions on fossil fuel boats on inland waterways and an increasing general environmental awareness.

In England, there are now an estimated 10,000 people in London alone who use canal boats as their principal residences. Amsterdam has a city ordinance that commercial boat traffic be electric by 2025, and the Venice 2028 Agenda is a petition to have Venice adopt similar rules. (»» Find out more and sign the petition)

Take a look at these beautiful electric canal boats of Amsterdam 

Of course, all of the benefits of the HARMO system accompany the usual advantages of electric boat motors: significantly lower vibration and noise, and zero toxic and foul smelling fumes.

Concept goes back to 2016 

The HARMO concept goes back to 2016, where it attracted a lot of attention at the world’s largest marine trade fair, METSTrade. It was also exhibited at the 2020 BOOT Dusseldorf this past January.

The HARMO falls under the mandate of  Yamaha’s   “ART for Human Possibilities, Rethinking Solutions, Transforming Mobility”. Other projects include electric golf cars, small and low speed PPMs (Public Personal Mobility: land cars), electric motorcycles, electrically power assisted bicycles, electric wheelchairs, and drones.

They also made electric mobility news in February when they unveiled a 200kW motor ‘for automobiles and other types of vehicles’.

Exciting things are happening every day in electric boats and boating.
Subscribe to the Plugboats newsletter so you don’t miss a thing!

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August 01, 2020 at 01:34AM
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Yamaha Ténéré 700 Capability Showcased In This Short Film - RideApart

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Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 might be lightweight for an adventure bike, but seeing it in noted anti-gravity expert and enduro rider Pol Tarrés’ capable hands makes it seem downright chunky. After all, we’ve grown thoroughly used to seeing his gravity-defying antics on much slimmer, lighter enduro machines. How does the size and weight difference affect his riding? 

Although it’s a more meditative experience than 2019’s “Dominicana” short film, Tarrés teamed up with the Echevarria Brothers (who collectively call themselves the Who) once more to make this new short film, called “The Seeker.” He works plenty of magic with the Ten7, even if he can’t quite make it grow wings.  

Instead of feeling like a carefree mountain goat, Tarrés riding the Ten7 feels more like a bull digging at the ground a bit before it charges forward, leaving a trail of dust in its wake. Don’t get me wrong; he’s still doing plenty of things most people can’t do, and making the bike move in ways most people wouldn’t try. This Ténéré 700 is thoroughly put through its paces, and no mistake—one has to wonder if Yamaha’s own in-house testing was this rigorous. 

As we’re all no doubt aware, the riding skills you build up over time go with you to whatever bike you ride. It might look different due to various circumstances, not the least of which is going from a significantly smaller bike to a larger one. What’s interesting is seeing how those skills translate, and how when you’re as talented as Tarrés, you can manage to bend just about any bike to your will, and look like a complete badass while doing it.  

At one point, after a fuel stop, we see a close-up where he’s moving a boulder with a flat side. Is he worried about going over it? No, he’s creating a makeshift ramp to launch himself up over a fence that’s in the way. Is that an allegory for life, and using what you find on the ground to propel yourself over obstacles? Maybe it is, and maybe it’s a great motorcycle short, as well. Why not both? 

Source: YouTube 

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August 01, 2020 at 03:37AM
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Honda is reportedly deploying accountants to the assembly line - CNN

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Honda is working on an electric Super Cub moped, new patent shows progress made - Electrek

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Despite Honda’s radio silence after rolling out a prototype electric Super Cub moped prototype at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, it appears the company is actually making progress on the design.

At least that’s what a new US patent from Honda would have us believe.

Originally granted in 2018 but only published publicly a week ago, the patent is titled “BATTERY CASE STRUCTURE FOR ELECTRIC POWERED VEHICLES, AND ELECTRIC POWERED VEHICLE”.

The patent demonstrates a two-wheeled electric motorbike with a large central battery and a method to remove the battery.

While the patent doesn’t specifically name the Super Cub as the vehicle in question, I think we all know what we’re looking at here.

See the main patent image below.

The Honda Super Cub is a retro-styled motorbike that has achieved legendary status among its fans and has been in continuous production since 1958. There have been over 100 million Honda Super Cub and Cub variants sold over the years, landing the record for being the most-produced motor vehicle in history.

The electric Super Cub seen in Honda’s most recent patent doesn’t show a motor, as the patent focuses on the method for removing the battery from the bike.

Most electric scooters and mopeds store the battery below the seat, which makes it easy to remove the battery by simply lifting the seat.

However, the Electric Super Cub uses a different design that mounts the batteries lower between two frame members. To access the batteries, the rider would simply tilt the battery box out to the side, exposing the top of the batteries and allowing them to be pulled out of the side of the body.

I would assume that this would create more room for cargo under the seat. The doomed-AppScooter from Etergo placed the batteries in a similar location under the scooter’s floorboard, though it used a banana-shaped battery to slide it down into the hard-to-reach receptacle via the underseat storage. That left enough room under the seat for an entire case of beer, as the company gleefully demonstrated every chance they got.

We still don’t quite see how the motor fits into the equation on the electric Honda Super Cub, so that could affect storage space. The chain guard shows the likely obvious placement, similar to most mid-mounted electric motorcycle drivetrains. But for now, we can at least take comfort in knowing that Honda appears to be making real progress on the bike. Patents don’t necessarily mean production is forthcoming, but they certainly don’t hurt production prospects!

An early concept image of a Honda E-Cub

Electrek’s Take

It is hard for me to express how awesome this electric Honda Super Cub would be.

That’s a straight up “Take my money!” situation.

Honda is definitely still playing catchup in the two-wheeled EV industry, but an EV Cub could rocket them forward, if done right.

In fact, I love the idea of an EV Cub so much that I’m actually most of the way through a Honda Cub electric conversion project myself. I started with Honda Sports Cub from the ’60s and put a 5 kW peak-rated electric motor in place of the original 4-ish kW 50cc engine.

For a one-cylinder, that’s still a heavy engine!

Mine will still be cooler, obviously. I mean, it’s mine.

But if Honda comes out with an electric Super Cub soon then you better believe I’ll likely be first in line at the dealership.

Add that to the electric motorcycle that I pre-ordered yesterday, and it is started to appear like I may have a problem. But at least acceptance is the first step!

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---

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July 31, 2020 at 10:35PM
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2020 Honda Ridgeline Road Test | Hauling dirt� - Autoblog

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I had a pretty nice little Saturday in the 2020 Honda Ridgeline. Went to Home Depot. Didn’t make it to Bed Bath & Beyond. There wasn’t enough time. It was the morning Will Ferrell wanted to have before he started doing keg stands in "Old School."

Unlike Frank the Tank, I rose early to start my weekend (though by the time he went streaking, I suppose it was early in the morning) and headed for the store. The Ridgeline is one of the most well-rounded vehicles on the market. It’s good at being a truck and it drives like a crossover. It’s handsome, competent and well-mannered. Definitely Frank’s alter-ego.

That said, streaking is fun, or so I’m told. Sometimes you want to hang out with the brash bad boy. The Honda Ridgeline isn’t that. Frank the Tank is more analogous to the Jeep Gladiator or Toyota Tacoma. Compromising, yet cool. I poured a travel mug of coffee, masked up and headed out the door, feeling pretty chill. In the Taco or Gladiator, I would have been amped-up. They’re more challenging to drive and more capable off-road.The Ridgeline? More of a "let’s enjoy a sunny Saturday before it gets too hot" vibe.

But on this midsummer morning, it did the job. I bought 16 bags of topsoil, which filled maybe half of the bed. With a payload of 1,499 pounds, I didn’t approach the Ridgeline’s capability. That’s the idea. Saturday runs to big box stores don’t require more than that. With a 5,000-pound tow rating, an average boat is no trouble for the Ridgeline.

The truck’s bed is also quite clever. The tailgate opens in a traditional up and down manner, but it also swings out with a handle on the right side. Unloading all that dirt was easy without having to lean over the tailgate.There’s also a “trunk,” which is a cargo compartment in the back where there’s room for a medium-sized cooler or some groceries. It might be fun to stow some contactless takeout down there. The tailgate and trunk are also lockable. The bed is also available with a 400-watt AC inverter, hooks, audio speakers, cargo lights and a composite cargo bed that prevents against scratches. One time I hauled an old recliner that had dangerously sharp edges (we finally threw that out) and the bed came away unscathed.

The Ridgeline RTL-E AWD I tested stickered for $43,140 and was well-equipped, including Honda's standard safety suite (automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, etc.). Aside from the dated and frustrating infotainment system — Honda has other, better systems — the interior is pretty nice. The Ridgeline was freshened with a nine-speed transmission for 2020 and the trim lineup was, well trimmed. The former base model was dropped, by default making the Ridgeline more expensive.

It’s the most comfortable truck in the segment by far. Based on the Pilot’s unibody underpinnings, the Ridgeline is the truck you buy when you want to drive around town and not get beat up, like say in a Tacoma. Then on the weekend, the Ridgeline’s pickup capability is at the ready. I like how it looks, but it’s almost stately, with clean lines and a subtle grille. Nothing wrong with that. For the more traditional truck dynamics and design, opt for the Chevy Colorado, Jeep Gladiator, Tacoma, Ford Ranger or Nissan Frontier. 

The Ridgeline flies below the radar in the segment, yet it’s also somewhat controversial. It’s one of the best long-term test vehicles we’ve ever had at Autoblog, yet we didn’t even consider it for our midsize truck comparison, largely based on its lack of off-road chops. It elicits a lot of backhanded compliments followed by rationalization. It’s a good truck … for when you really want a crossover. Or It’s a legit truck … that you can drive every day. I’m not going to psychoanalyze why you buy your truck. Design and character are certainly part of it. But if you need to haul dirt on the weekends, the Ridgeline is up for that, which is what most people need.

Related Video:

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July 31, 2020 at 08:00PM
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US virus relief checks offer no relief to Honda's short-handed office staff - The Japan Times

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Honda Motor Co. is temporarily asking some U.S. office employees work the assembly line due to a coronavirus-related staff shortage.

The automaker has been requiring workers who test positive for COVID-19 and those who work close to them to quarantine. The safety measures have strained Honda’s efforts to keep production running and restock dealerships that are running low on inventory.

"Due to strong customer demand for our products and the need to carefully manage production during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are facing some temporary staffing issues that require support from associates who do not typically work in production,” Chris Abbruzzese, a Honda spokesman, said in an email. "We have implemented such temporary measures in the past, and are working diligently to attract and hire associates to support our production needs.”

WOSU Public Media, a Columbus, Ohio-area radio station, first reported Honda’s move, citing an internal email sent to staff at its plant in nearby Marysville. A general manager of the factory wrote that the $600-a-week unemployment benefit the federal government instituted in the early stages of the outbreak has made it difficult to find temporary workers.

The Marysville plant produces models including the Accord sedan and CR-V sport utility vehicle.

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Suzuki Shares Vintage Marketing Video For OG 1996 DR650SE - RideApart

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Suzuki’s 100th anniversary is coming up, and the company is feeling festive. As part of the celebration, the company is dusting off old marketing videos for some of its most iconic models. Like, for example, this one. It’s the original promo for the DR650SE dual sport and it’s spectacular.

Suzuki introduced the DR650SE in 1996, as a direct descendant of the DR650S and the DR600S. The DR600S debuted in the mid-’80s and set the pattern for the line. The kickstart-only 600S was powered by an air-cooled, SOHC, four-valve, 589cc motor that made just under 45 horsepower at the crank.

Like most mid-’80s big-bore thumpers, the 600 had decent power and relatively light weight but suffered from terrible vibration. The DR600S was never a big seller in North America but it proved a bit more popular in Europe and the U.K..

Its successor, the DR650S, was introduced around 1990. It was basically the same idea as the DR600S; a big thumper, lots of vibration, kickstart-only. Suzuki didn’t change the engine much, except for the addition of an oil cooler. It was a bit more popular than the DR600S, but still never made much of a dent in North America. Dual sport riders and budget-minded ADVers saw the Kawasaki KLR650—with its superior comfort, fuel range, and an electric starter—as a better choice.

Suzuki released the DR650SE in 1996 (also known as the DR650S in some markets, to add to the confusion).It got an electric starter, which addressed at least one of the aforementioned issues, but the fuel tank still limited to riders to roughly 100 miles between fill-ups and the stock seat was notoriously uncomfortable. For the next decade, American customers still preferred the KLR650. Then, in 2008, Team Green overhauled the KLR, making it more plasticky and customers turned to the DR650 instead.

The SE model had its shortcomings, but they were easily fixed by add-ons. Bolt on a larger IMS fuel tank and a more comfortable saddle, and you had a machine that was still lighter than the KLR. That was just the start. In a few years, the aftermarket offered everything you could imagine for the DR650SE: Pumper carbs, rally bodywork, suspension, hot camshafts, big-valve heads, and even a 790cc big bore kit.

In stock form, the DR650SE wasn’t a bad bike. It was still a better street machine than the Honda XR650L, and handled the dirt more easily than a Kawasaki KLR650. It was Goldilocks’ “just right” dual sport. As time went on, more and more customers got on board the idea, especially in markets where Suzuki discounted the bike heavily, and offered extended warranty.

As the bike approaches its 25th anniversary in 2021, what’s changed since its 1996 debut? Not much. In the early years of production, Suzuki swapped the paper base gasket out with a metal gasket to stop engine leaks. More recently, Suzuki also started Loctiting the infamous Neutral Sending Unit (NSU) screws, after some customers complained the screws backed out and ruined their transmissions. Otherwise, it’s basically the same bike that debuted in the ‘90s, with an air/oil-cooled, 644cc, SOHC, single-cylinder engine making 44 horsepower, a steel frame, a wet weight around 360 pounds, and a low price tag.

Plenty of customers want a fuel-injected version, but don’t get your hopes up. Due to the realities of emissions testing, Suzuki would be more likely to axe this model, than update it. Enjoy your single-cylinder dinosaur if you have one, because you’re unlikely to ever see a big, affordable thumper like this enter the market again.

The Link Lonk


July 31, 2020 at 10:36PM
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Struggling with illness, Honda puts administrative workers on assembly duties - Dayton Daily News

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Asked to confirm or correct the report, a Honda spokesman, Chris Abbruzzese, released this statement Wednesday:

“Due to strong customer demand for our products and the need to carefully manage production during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are facing some temporary staffing issues that require support from associates who do not typically work in production,” Honda’s statement said. “We have implemented such temporary measures in the past, and are working diligently to attract and hire associates to support our production needs.”

Abbruzzese did not respond to a question about the email included in the WOSU report.

Michelle Krebs, senior director of automotive relations for Cox Automotive and executive analyst for Autotrader, said Wednesday that industry observers know that plants everywhere have been struggling in what has been an “unprecedented” situation.

“We never have seen almost every auto plant in the world shut down,” Krebs said.

Heightening the issue is what Krebs said is tight inventory for Honda, well below the national average: 58 days’ supply for Honda; and 61 days’ supply for Acura.

Honda’s high-volume models, made in Ohio, are “super low” in supply: 55 days’ for Accord; 55 for the Honda Civic; 56 for the Honda CR-V, while the Honda Pilot is down to 39, she said.

Earlier in July, media reports said GM and Ford were struggling with worker no-shows and illnesses in their plants.

Kristen Dziczek, vice president, research, for the Center for Automotive Research, said automakers are making “herculean efforts” to keep plants staffed, she said.

“I don’t think it’s insurmountable, but certainly there’s a lot more reason for absenteeism and illness right now than there was in the past,” she said.

Demand for new cars is probably stronger than anyone expected, given the high unemployment rate and the slow economy, she also said.

“We’re still seeing relatively healthy demand, a relatively health supply chain and a relatively healthy workforce. And we need all three things to keep this machine running,” Dziczek said.

But she also cautioned: “It’s not going to be the year we planned last year.”

“Taking care of the virus is the first thing to get back to any semblance of normal,” Krebs said.

In mid-May Honda began to gradually resume auto, engine and transmission production in its U.S. and Canadian plants, ending a suspension of production that had started March 23 this year.

Nearly all North American auto plants ceased production in March, as the pandemic and attendant fears tightened their grip.

Honda is one of the largest employers in the region, with thousands of workers from the Dayton area and Clark County working at several of the company’s plants.

The Link Lonk


July 30, 2020 at 03:34AM
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Struggling with illness, Honda puts administrative workers on assembly duties - Dayton Daily News

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Honda trademarks 'Motocompacto' and we're hoping for a Motocompo revival - Autoblog

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Fans of both Honda's four-wheeled and two-wheeled machines have reason to get excited (within reason), because the company may be reviving a beloved scooter from its past. Motorcycle news site Motorcycle.com discovered that Honda has trademarked the name "Motocompacto" in the United States. You can find the trademark in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database here. The notes show that the name is meant for an electric scooter, and the filing was made only a week from the time of writing.

So why is this exciting to motorcycle fans, let alone car fans? The name Motocompacto is similar to the name of an old gas-powered Honda scooter called the Motocompo. That little scooter would fold up for easy transport, and a name like Motocompacto would seem to imply that ability would transfer to a new version. The folding trick was cool enough on its own, but where this is interesting for car enthusiasts is how the Motocompo was available with the first-generation Japanese-market Honda City and its high-output Turbo II variant, and would fit perfectly in the hatch. It was the original "last mile" mobility solution.

Before we go any further, we should go over the usual trademark filing disclaimer. Just because a company has trademarked a name doesn't mean it's going to do anything with it. It could simply be preemptive in case the company wants to use it later. It could also simply be used for a concept vehicle rather than something we can actually buy.

Still, we're excited about this filing, and we can't help but start imagining how a new foldable scooter from Honda could be used. Obviously we'd like it used in a car. The Honda E would seem like the ideal choice; pairing a modern take on a retro mobility solution with a retro-styled forward-thinking electric car. It would also seem like the only way to make that little hatchback more irresistibly charming. And with the E's limited range and dependence on potentially inconvenient charging stations, a scooter to go someplace while charging would be super handy.

Of course we'd love to have some kind of Motocompacto for an American-market vehicle, and we have some ideas, there, too. The Honda HR-V has some excellent storage nooks thanks to its deep cargo well and flippable rear seat. We could see it tucked under the seat or in that storage well. You know what else has a storage well: the Honda Ridgeline. It's a big one, too. And they could have knobby dirt tires, so you have little toys when you take your Ridgeline camping. We sure hope the Motocompacto becomes reality.

Related Video:

The Link Lonk


July 31, 2020 at 01:00AM
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Yamaha A-S3200 Integrated Amplifier Review | - StereoNET Australia

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David Price samples a big bruiser of an amplifier, from an illustrious Japanese company famous for its musical instruments…

Yamaha

A-S3200 Integrated Amplifier

AUD $9,999 RRP (4-Year Warranty + 1 additional year with online registration)

In 1887, Torakusu Yamaha repaired a broken reed organ – oblivious to the fact that the company he would form ten years later would go on to become huge in his home country of Japan, and beyond. Nippon Gakki Co. Ltd., along with its motor vehicle and musical instrument divisions, would put the Yamaha brand on the global map. A purveyor of everything from state-of-the-art sports motorcycles and jet-skis, to concert grand pianos and studio monitor loudspeakers, there's no denying its impact.

Lest we forget, Yamaha has been responsible for some absolute classic masterpieces in the sphere of audio. The hi-fi division was set up in 1954, and by the early seventies was innovating more than almost all its contemporaries. The B-1 V-FET power amplifier of 1974 was a technological marvel, and the 1977 CT-7000 tuner is widely thought to be the best sounding FM radio money can buy. Yamaha's NS-1000M loudspeakers were ground-breaking when launched in 1978 and arguably peerless even now; I still use a pair as my reference. Yamaha's struggle to get that reed organ in tune set off a chain of events that changed history, and to this day, the company uses three tuning forks as its logo.

UP CLOSE

The new A-S3200 is the company's latest 'super integrated' amp. It's the top of a new range that also includes the A-S1200 and A-S2200. A quintessentially Japanese product, it follows the design conventions of that country's high-end market. Audiophiles in “the land of the rising sun” like big, chunky, powerful integrated amplifiers a lot – not least because their smaller homes tend to have less space for the clutter of a pre/power. Also, given the diversity of the music they listen to – many Japanese musos are into historic recordings and/or obscure formats – they often want tone controls.

The A-S3200 sports a large pair of analogue power meters, a de rigeur retro touch that reminds us of late nineteen seventies monster amps. Despite their switchable ballistics, they're not particularly useful, other than as a visual sign that this is expensive and powerful. Although made in Malaysia, this amplifier has the look of a classic Japanese battleship product, as we used to say back in the day. As befitting such a thing, it has a myriad of inputs – including four pairs of RCA line ins, two pairs of balanced XLR and one MM/MC phono input, plus a direct in. You might have noticed something missing – there's neither a built-in DAC nor any streaming functionality. This underlines the point this is a seriously retro design – pure old school.

What's not so old fashioned is its power output; Yamaha claims a feisty 120W per channel into 8 ohms and 200W into 4, for this Class AB design. Back in the nineteen seventies, this sort of flare-flapping power was rare, but not anymore. It uses MOSFET power modules to deliver the juice, with discrete transistors (rather than op-amps) in the phono stage; the latter is neatly laid out in a separate circuit board using good quality components. The main circuit is fully balanced, and there's a large 623VA, low flux leakage toroidal transformer. Careful mechanical grounding is evident, with thick internal wiring being used; PC-OCC cables are employed for the loudspeaker feeds from the power amplifier section. Specially selected components including four large 22,000uF/63V block capacitors are fitted, complete with brass screws.

The A-S3200 has a luxury look and feel befitting a high-end design. The standard of finish is high, and the switchgear has a satisfyingly smooth feel with nice, old-style centre detents on the tone controls. The brushed aluminium fascia is as swish as you can get at this price, finishing off this chunky (24.7kg) and large (435x180x464mm) product a treat. It's available in a choice of black or silver fascias, with polished piano black sides. I tried it with a range of speakers – from my classic Yamaha NS-1000Ms to the new B&W 705 Signatures, via Quad ESL-989 electrostatics – and in all cases found that it likes a good half an hour or so to warm through. This done, you're in for a treat.

SOUND QUALITY

The headline here is “tidy”, but don't get me wrong – there's nothing bad about that. Some big integrated amplifiers want to dominate the proceedings, imposing their own unique sonic signature on the music. The A-S3200 doesn't do this; indeed for something so visually imposing, its sound is almost the opposite. Across all its inputs, the Yamaha has a clean, ordered and precise presentation that doesn't immediately come up and smash you around the head. Instead, it's strangely self-effacing with just some minor character traits…

For example, cue up a classic piece of power pop such as Marillion's Kayleigh, and this amplifier sets up a vast and vivid recorded acoustic. The lead vocals dominate, yet aren't to the fore; actually, the lead keyboards carry the melody, tied into the tightly syncopated eighties drum sound. I also loved the crystal-clear hi-hat cymbal sound and the delicacy of their decay. Everything was neatly positioned, exactly in its place and clearly separated from everything else. There's no amorphous blob of sound; rather, the A-S3200 carries each strand of the mix cleanly and independently.

Kayleigh is a punchy and crisp recording, and often flatters mediocre equipment – but The Jam's In The Crowd by comparison, feels like it was recorded in a shed on a cheap cassette deck. Yet serious amplification can scythe through the recording's grit and grime, and still deliver a musically satisfying sound. The A-S3200 did just this; there was no sense of this being a 'hi-fi' event, but still through the grunge came some brilliant musicianship. Legend has it that this band was the tightest of all post-punk outfits, and it showed via the Yamaha. It delivered great grip here, being able to precisely render the envelope of a hard-struck snare drum for example, or the modulation of the bass guitar. Then it slotted all these notes together into a musically cohesive whole that made for a great listen. So despite telling the listener how bad the recording was/is, it revealed the beauty of the song and the virtuosity of the musicianship.

Tonally it has a super-clean sound that's almost sterile in its lack of grit or grime. This will lead some to criticise it for being tonally 'thin', and there's something in this, although it needs to be caveated. For example, cue up 4hero's Give In and this rich, warm and well upholstered modern soul recording still sounds pretty much as it should. There's a slightly shiny upper midband in absolute terms – which adds a little extra sparkle to percussive effects like triangles – but you'd never call it harsh. Indeed the midband has a glassy clarity; you can hear right through to the mixing desk, or so it seems. Vocals have an enticing directness and a realistic timbre. Even the icy voice of Kate Bush on Army Dreamers didn't hurt, even though my ultra revealing NS-1000M loudspeakers. So we're not talking hard and forward, yet there's never a sense that the amplifier sprinkles some magic dust on things to warm things up and make them cosy. 

The A-S3200's magic – such as it is – comes in the bass. Whereas some rival amplifiers don't quite have the barrel-chestedness required to push out vast tracts of low frequencies, the Yamaha does. That means that even with the aforementioned thin and gritty sounding Jam track, I was impressed by the way the bass drum and guitar lines were handled. There's no sense of excess bloom or boom, it's just that when a bass guitar note is strongly struck, there's a clear sense that there's more than enough power to punch it out, regardless of the loudspeaker load. I moved to the punchy techno of Leftfield's Not Forgotten, and the Yamaha was a treat. It thwacked out vast tracts of low frequencies in an uncompressed and carefree way, like it was a PA system. Suddenly it felt like it was 1993 and I was at a rave again…

The key traits of this amp then are its big, broad soundstage, allied to a glass-clear midband and a muscular, sinewy bass. The latter is courtesy of its chunky power amp section, which in turn gives effortless handling of dynamics as well as the subtle accents inside any piece of music. If this is your cup of green tea, then you'll love it, yet those wanting a more charismatic performer – one that romanticises things enough to make Metallica sound like Barry White – this is not for you. 

THE VERDICT

Frankly, I'd have been surprised if the new Yamaha A-S3200 had sounded like a Sugden IA-4 solid-state Class A design, or a Prima Luna EVO 400 valve integrated. Nor is it as charismatic and coloured as a Naim SuperNait 3. Instead, you get a crisp, clean, sinewy sound that's more matter-of-fact than any of the above. Factor in its lovely build and finish, then maybe deduct a few points for the silly power meters, and this new Yamaha comes very close to the top of the super-integrated class – depending on your priorities and tastes, of course. It's an excellent design that you shouldn't overlook.

For more information or to find your nearest retailer, visit Yamaha.

The Link Lonk


July 31, 2020 at 10:15AM
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Yamaha A-S3200 Integrated Amplifier Review | - StereoNET Australia

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