Volvo V40 and 5 other car safety test results

Euro NCAP has just released the test results of six new models, namely, the Audi A3, Ford B-MAX, Isuzu D-Max, Kia Cee’d, Renault Clio and Volvo V40. Here are the results in brief:

Audi A3 1.4 'Attraction', LHD:
The new Audi receives five stars. Although the passenger airbag can be disabled with an optionally fitted switch to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position, there was no clear warning provided unlike in the other cars.

Ford B-MAX 1.5 diesel 'Trend', LHD: The mini MPV has received a commendable five stars. Instead of B-pillars, the car incorporates a structure into the doors to form a central post when the doors are shut. It also comes with the Active City Stop, an AEB system previously rewarded under Euro NCAP Advanced, which helps the driver achieve maximum braking effectiveness in an emergency situation.

Isuzu D-Max Crew Cab, 2.5 diesel, RHD: Received four star rating. This is an improvement on the previous model tested in 2008. The Isuzu received a score of 83% for adult occupant protection and improved protection for child occupants against a tougher 2012 regime. Though pedestrian safety has improved (51%) it still did not yet reach the 60% threshold required for five stars.

Kia Cee’d 1.4MPI LX, LHD:Receives 5 stars.

Renault Clio 1.0 base grade, LHD: Receives five stars.

Volvo V40: With five stars Volvo's new car is Euro NCAP’s all time top scorer in its segment.

It incorporates the World-first Pedestrian Airbag technology, fitted as standard on the entire V40 range. In case of a crash with a pedestrian, sensors detect the impact, release the bonnet and deploy the airbag in a split second.

The Springfield Mile

The IMDA (Illinois Motorcycle Dealers Association) Springfield Mile National will be held on Sunday, September 2, 2012. "Flat track racing (especially the mile) makes other types of motorsport look like a game of bridge. There is nothing else like it" (Via: The Zen of Neato). Cominciano a essere in molti a pensarla così! 

One of a kind 2012

Ritorna "One of a kind"... il Contest per motociclette "Speciali" organizzato anche quest'anno da Hook Motors Atelier. La location sarà il piazzale del Motoclub Cafè a Bologna e ospiterà moto di ogni genere, purchè il più possibile "fatte in casa" ! Il contest è aperto ad ogni marchio motociclistico, senza alcuna limitazione in termini di cilindrata o altro. Harley, cinquantini, Cafè Racer, Custom ... tutto quello che gira su due ruote. La manifestazione avrà inizio alle ore 16:00 circa e andrà avanti fino a tarda serata ... verso le 22:00 saliranno sul palco The Spometies con il loro travolgente ritmo Rockabilly !!! La presenza di tutti sarà fondamentale per riuscire a ripetere il successo della scorsa edizione. Free entrry. Infoline: 051 246509 (Hook Motors Atelier)

New SAP video: the connected car means business

I always enjoy a good read on the connected car — a topic that is very near and dear to me. One of the latest articles in particular that excites me is a recent contributed piece for Forbes, “Can Connected Cars Help Change The World?” by Judith Magyar, executive office, product GTM and mobile division at SAP.

Why the excitement? Well, for one, the attention-grabbing headline is backed up by an insightful analysis of the promise of the connected car — even touching on the notion of the connected car as a means of environmental change and the four factors that are essential to this vision becoming reality. What’s more, Magyar uses QNX Software Systems’ very own concept car as an example of how the connected car and its real-world use cases are coming to fruition!

Want to see QNX and SAP’s collaboration in action? Check out this video, which shows how all of this technology would come together in one (very beautiful) vehicle:

The distinguished Gentleman's Ride

30 September 2012

The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride is an event for Cafe Racer, Bobber, Flat Tracker, Retro, Classic, Quirky Motorcycles and their owners. It is a worldwide event taking place on the same day in each respective time zone. It is a day where no matter what your work/social/life status may be everyone is equally distinguished. It therefore means we approve the right to wear monocles, attach brief cases to your bike, side saddle your bike as your chauffeur steers for you, wear a bow tie, shave your beard into a mustache, smoke an old school pipe while riding, attach a cup holder for your high tea, drink JW Blue (while stopped and in consideration) use your satellite phone to call in your private chopper and above most ride your bike with one escort on the handle bars & one sitting on your lap. The link that brings the world together on this day are these two words 'Distinguished' & 'Suit'. To take part you need to be in a suit. Be as creative as you want or as bland as you want. The most important thing is to make yourself laugh, make others laugh and you have a blast along the way. Stay tuned for further details (an idea of Mark and Rex, of Australian Cafe Racers)

The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride è un evento per Cafe Racer, Bobber, Flat Tracker, Retro, Classic, Quirky Motorcycles e per i loro proprietari. Si tratta di un evento mondiale che si svolge lo stesso giorno in ogni fuso orario. Il giorno in cui - non importa quale sia il tuo lavoro, il tuo ceto sociale o livello di vita - tutti sono ugualmente distinti e raffinati. Questo significa che è riconosciuto il diritto di indossare monocoli, montare una valigetta 24 ore sulla moto, aggiungere una sella per avere un'autista, indossare un papillion, farsci crescere un paio di baffi incerati, fumare una vecchia pipa mentre guidi, montare un supporto per una tazza di tè, bere un Johnny Walker (da fermi e con moderazione), utilizzare il telefono satellitare per chiamare il tuo elicottero privato e soprattutto andare in moto con una accompagnatrice sul manubrio e una seduta in grembo. Il legame che unisce il mondo in questo giorno è dato da due parole "DISTINZIONE" e "ABITO". Per partecipare è necessario indossare un vestito classico. Siate creativi e leggeri quanto credete. La cosa più importante è ridere, far ridere e godersi la festa lungo strada. Seguite l'Inazuma Cafè per altri dettagli (da un idea di Mark e di Rex di Australian Cafè Racers).

XL1200 Scram by Totti

Roberto Totti ci offre la sua interpretazione di una HD scrambler, e crea una icona che racchiude in se tre grandi fonti di ispirazione: la Sporty, la Porsche 917 Le mans, la Rickman Metisse.

Roberto Totti gives us his interpretation of a HD scrambler, and creates an icon that embraces three great sources of inspiration: the HD Sporty, the Porsche 917 Le Mans, the Rickman Metisse.

Italia - Portogallo. Uno a Uno

The immense joy of riding your own Inazuma special:

Luis Sergio from Portugal / Inazuma Luke from Italy

The Monkeetrip

The story is there, the video is here...

Monkeetrip - Short version from simon weyhe on Vimeo.

Jacquie and the Bobber

Garret Meyers did a shoot of his 1981 XV750 and Jacquie for Biltwell.

The hidden cost of ethanol

Because of the drought plaguing the mid-west, about 2.2 billion less bushels of corn will be produced this year. That correspondingly means a huge hike in corn prices, from $6/bushel in May to a record high of $8.50/bushel today, a 40% increase. That fact got me thinking about ethanol.

Oil independence sounds like a good thing, right? Grow our own fuel, from a renewable resource, without strip mining the land or polluting the earth. Who wouldn’t want that?



There seems to be a good deal of debate about how ethanol is produced and what impact it actually has. Massive lobbyists are on both sides—agribusiness on one side, and petroleum on the other—so it pays to look at where the information is coming from.

The unfortunate reality of current corn production is that it needs a lot of oil to keep it going. Fossil fuels are used for farm machinery, fertilizer, and pesticides. Raising corn uses a terrific amount of fresh water, which is not an unlimited resource. Because of these factors, raising corn for ethanol does not necessarily reduce the carbon footprint of your gas tank—in fact, it may increase it.

Some plants are much better than corn when it comes to carbon footprint, like switchgrass, algae, sawdust, or sugar cane. These all use either material that is already waste or much more of the plant. Corn ethanol the way it's made today uses at most 50% of the kernel—just the starch. The rest of the kernel, stalk, husk, cob, is cellulose waste that could be used, but current production methods can’t take advantage of it.

Unfortunately, you can’t pick where your ethanol comes from. I want a green tank, but I can’t choose the source of any ethanol I might buy. Because ethanol is primarily made from corn today, for now it would seem that the balance tilts away from ethanol as a truly green choice. That isn’t to say that all biofuels will always be problematic. There’s certainly something to be said for voting for further ethanol development and breaking our dependency on oil. But I feel that in the current biofuel environment, voting for ethanol is really just lining the pockets of agribusiness. We’ve gotten the “green” message ahead of the true bigger picture of the implications of ethanol production.

(But if you want to be truly green, your best bet is to be a vegan that bikes everywhere. That’s a little ambitious—even for me. As a compromise, just drive an electric car and charge it up with your windmill.)

A journey in Burkina Faso

Marco Montanari è un motociclista romano che vive e lavora all'estero. Ad aprile 2012 si è recato in Burkina Faso dove ha scattato bellissime fotografie che descrivono la vita e "il motociclismo" del luogo. In attesa di un suo testo su questa esperienza, ho deciso di pubblicare comunque un campione delle sue foto, rimandandovi al suo photostream per l'intero reportage.

Marco Montanari is a Roman motorcyclist who lives and works abroad. In April 2012 he traveled to Burkina Faso where he took beautiful pictures depicting the local life and "motorcycling". Waiting for his text on this experience, I decided to publish anyway a selection of his photos. Don't miss to visit his photostream for the entire report.

A journey in Vietnam

'The Killing Season' from Patrik Wallner on Vimeo.

V35 by Venier Custom

Moto Guzzi V35 Imola, custom remade in Italy

Ducati 750 "Flash"

Not a breaking news but an edifying "Flash"back. This 1974 Ducati 750, named "Flash" was built in 2008-2009 by Shinya Kimura for Mr. Brad Pitt...