Archive for September, 2010
The Honda Civic Hybrid – A New Breed Of Car
The Honda Civic Hybrid is one of those marvels of automotive technology that combines the new world of electrical power with the old world of fossil fuels. It may be a marvel of automotive technology but is it worth the higher price tag? After all the regular 2006 Honda Civic sedan has a pretty incredible MPG rating is the hybrid version that much better?
Well the answer to that really depends. I’d say yes no and maybe all at once. The Honda Civic Hybrid gets an amazing 50MPG which is about the same on both cities and highways. This isn’t the highest MPG rating out there amongst hybrid vehicles but it is very good and quite consistent. Owning one will certainly save you money on gas right away. Also as a certified partialzero emissions vehicle ATPZEV you really aren’t hurting the environment at all by driving one of these things.
If everyone in the United States had this type of vehicle the US would not only be completely selfsufficient with its own oil reserves but would be able to export large amounts of oil to other countries.
So if those are issues that are important to you the new models may be worth looking into just for their environmentally friendly attitude. All hybrid vehicles are still in a somewhat early stage of the technology however so they are slightly more prone to technical difficulties. Maintenance costs on your Honda Civic Hybrid may out weigh any money you save in gas. Yet the reduced impact on the environment is of course the same nevertheless.
The new 2006 model has also undergone some upgrades making it even more attractive. Like the other Honda Civics it has gotten of makeover and looks a whole lot sharper than before. One of the biggest draw backs on the first version for me was its odd appearance. The new ones actually look like regular new cars and are much better looking than the competing cars of this nature.
Personally I’m opting to wait before diving into the hybrid market. Since the sedan gets between 30 and 40 MPG which in itself is extremely good I feel safer using the older yet more proven and more reliable gas technology. However the Honda Civic Hybrid is certainly getting better each year and I’m sure I’ll be reevaluating my thoughts on the idea of getting one soon.
About the writer: Ben is a successful technical consultant on design of iPod systems and writes regularly for http://ipodcarkitdirect.co.uk
My Lambretta SX
The Lambretta SX scooter has always been close to my heart ever since the mid to late sixties when you had to be either a Mod or a Rocker. At that time I was just too young to ride a motorcycle or scooter but loved the whole Mod fashion thing.
My friends were in the main older than me by a couple of years which meant they were allowed to own those beautifully polished Vespa’s with chromed bubbles which are great scooters but better than that a couple of them had the stunning Lambretta 200 SX. The thing I liked most about the SX was that it seemed longer than the Vespa which not only enhanced and streamlined it but also seemed to give more room for a pillion to ride in comfort.
The whole Mod thing was great living in Newcastle meant there was a real buzz however if we wanted to try these wonderful machines for speed we had to head to the country probably into Northumberland. As a passenger I felt as if we were doing 90 mph however in reality the Lambretta SX was only capable of speeds around 75mph.
I recently discovered an article about a guy called Sunny Anand of vespabretta in India who renovates and rebuilds scooters. The thing caught my eye was a picture of a perfectly restored Lambretta SX 200 with Union Jack side panels; it was absolutely stunning.
It was great to read that he felt he owed his existence to the Lambretta; apparently in the sixties his Mother was a young Mod cruising around New Delhi on her blue and white SX. These days he has a passion for restoring and has set up a business in New Delhi.
With his fully trained workforce of around twenty people they import and strip the scooters down to their component parts before lovingly restoring them to look like new. They replace any rusted or worn parts before putting them on a jig for trueness then finally reassembling and painting. All parts are genuine replacements sourced from the likes and vendors of Innocenti / Piaggio.
As a company they are aimed squarely at the motorcycle and classic car enthusiasts although you can tell that his first love is the Lambretta. Restoring between 10 and 15 scooters a month they will ship anywhere in the world and guarantee satisfaction. It really is great to see someone so passionate about scooters being able to turn a hobby into a thriving business.
The Lambretta was a sixties icon. Find out more with vespabretta there is a huge range of Motorcycles mopeds and scooters together with apparel and accessories at http://www.vespabretta.com
About the writer: Prachar is a freelance writer
Motorcycle Chain And Where To Get It
When you do get your motorcycle you may not know how important a chain is. This is really the most important motorcycle part that you may have on your bike. The trick is to know where to get a replacement if yours goes bad.
When you get your motorcycle for the first time you really should check the motorcycle chain and make sure that it doesn’t need replacing. If you find that it does there are many places that you can go to find those motorcycle parts. You just really need to know where you need to look to find the right one.
The first place that you will probably look to find the right chain in all the motorcycle parts is a motorcycle parts store. They’ll have everything that you need for your motorcycle and more. If you don’t see the right chain for your model of motorcycle you can have them order it for you. This can be a great idea for people that don’t want to travel to get the right motorcycle parts.
Another good place that you can look to find this very vital motorcycle part is on the Internet. There are many stores as well as individuals that still keep motorcycle parts for you to purchase. A good way to find them is a search engine and if you can’t find what you need that way you can also Google the name of certain companies and can get routed right to them. You also should make sure that you compare the prices between motorcycle parts stores that are on the Internet so that you can get the best deal for your money.
When you have found the right chain for your motorcycle you may want to consider the thought of hiring someone to put it in for you. This will keep the motorcycle running well and it will also make sure that the bike has the right motorcycle parts for it. If you are a good enough mechanic you may be able to put it in yourself but you don’t want to mess this part up on the motorcycle. This is the one motorcycle part there that really makes the bike run and run well. So it’s important to get it right the first time instead of messing it up and having to do it over and over again just to get it right again.
About the writer: Victor Epand is an expert consultant about motorcycle gear used motorcycle parts and used car parts. When shopping for motorcycle gear or used parts we recommend only the best stores for motorcycle parts used motorcycle parts and used car parts.