O’Sullivan Takes Granite State Pro Stock Series David’s House 106 Win

Pocket’s $3,000 in Series’ Season Opening Event
WINCHESTER, NH — Mike O’Sullivan etched his name into the Granite State Pro Stock Series record book by winning the David’s House 106 presented by Fenton Family Dealerships, the first race in the series inaugural season. O’Sullivan took home a $3,000 check for his effort.
O’Sullivan led a race high 33 laps from his tenth place starting position, seeing the lead for a two lap stint on lap 43 before he took the lead for good on lap 76. O’Sullivan benefited from a rare mistake by veteran racer Bobby Cabral on a lap 75 restart, when Cabral spun his tires and lost control of his automobile.
“I know I was going through [turn three] with one hand on the wheel and shifting, and it was like driving on ice,” O’Sullivan, of Springfield, MA, said about his lap 75 restart with Cabral. “And I knew he had to be doing the same. I figured if I put a little bit of pressure on him for him to get a good restart, he maybe would make a mistake. And he did. Bobby’s a good race car driver. He’s a champion and a chassis builder; he’s no dummy. But I was trying to get a little bit of pressure on him so he’d make a mistake. If he got the lead [on the restart], I don’t think I was going to be able to get him. He was pretty good out front.”
Fifteen-year-old Derek Griffith, of Hudson, NH, scored a runner-up finish in his first Pro Stock race ever. Griffith was able to the grab the second position from then second place runner Rich Eaton late in the race. Cabral, of East Kingston, NH, rebounded from his spin to finish third. Seabrook, NH driver Eaton settled for fourth, while Walpole, NH’s Mike Parks completed the top five finishers.
[Photo Gallery] by Crystal Snape
Fran Colson, Carl Eriksson, Matt Zenisky, polesitter Austin Brehio, and Adam LaPoint completed the top ten finishing drivers.
Race winner O’Sullivan was pleased with the way the first race went for everyone involved.
“You can see this is a well-oiled machine even though this is the first race,” O’Sullivan said. “I thought it went really well. I was happy with the people and I am happy with everything.”
The Granite State Pro Stock Series’ next event is scheduled for June 23 at Unity Raceway in Unity, Maine, for a 112 lap race.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS — David’s House 106 presented by Fenton Family Dealerships
Granite State Pro Stock Series — Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, NH
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown-Laps
1. (10) Mike O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA, 106 laps
2. (6) Derek Griffith, Hudson, NH, 106 laps
3. (12) Bobby Cabral, East Kingston, NH, 106 laps
4. (11) Rich Eaton, Seabrook, NH, 106 laps
5. (8) Mike Parks, Walpole, NH, 106 laps
6. (4) Fran Colson, Gardner, MA, 106 laps
7. (13) Carl Eriksson, Deep River, CT, 106 laps
8. (5) Matt Zenisky, West Springfield, MA, 106 laps
9. (1) Austin Brehio, Hopkinton, NH, 105 laps
10. (14) Adam LaPoint, Winchester, NH, 104 laps
11. (9) Dennis Maxfield, Fitchburg, MA, 91 laps
12. (16) Josh King, Vernon, VT, 76 laps
13. (19) Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks, CT, 74 laps
14. (15) Bobby Baillargeon, Kingston, NH, 33 laps
15. (3) Barry Gray, Belchertown, MA, 31 laps
16. (18) Pete Fiandaca, Fitchburg, MA, 27 laps
17. (17) Zig Geno, Canterbury, NH, 25 laps
18. (2) Geoff Rollins, Groton, MA, 20 laps
19. (7) Keith Caruso, Millbury, MA, 19 laps
20. (20) Reid Lanpher, Manchester, ME, 14 laps
Lap Leaders: Austin Brehio (1-21), Mike Parks (22-42), Mike O’Sullivan (43-44), Parks (45-57), Bobby Cabral (58-75), O’Sullivan (76-106)
Time of Race: 1:07:54.258
Margin of Victory: .629 seconds
Cautions: 9 (4, 19, 20, 22, 39, 75, 76, 86, 91)
Heat Winners: Dennis Maxfield, Fran Colson
Sources: GSPSS PR

Fred Astle Jr visits Victory Lane Bobby Pelland and John Paiva repeat, Charles Beal becomes a first time winner

Seekonk, MA — Six time Pro Stock champion Fred Astle Jr jumped out front early, and held of challenges from Kevin Casper and Dave Darling to pick up a thrilling win. Ken Spencer took off from his outside pole position start, and set the pace for the first several laps. Astle moved his way through the pack using the inside lane, making some daring moves, and quickly closed in on the K. Spencer Electric machine. Astle moved past Kyle Casper and pole sitter Phil Meany by lap 8, and quickly found his way past Spencer on lap 10.
While Astle was able to open up a 6 car length lead, Kevin Casper moved into second, and started to close in the distance to the leader. As the laps reached the ¾ mark, Casper was hounding the Wood Frame Structures Chevy, and tried everything he could to put his Phil’s Propane Ford out front. While the pair raced hard, Rehoboth’s Dave Darling was breaking free from the pack, and hunting down the lead duo. As they crossed the line with just 5 laps to go, Darling moved his Bristol Toyota Scion Camry to the outside, and went to work. At the white flag mark, Darling was even with Casper, and as they raced into turn three on the final lap, he tried one last move, but came up .163 short for his second win of the season. Casper held on for third, just .164 behind Astle. Ryan Vanasse and Mike Brightman rounded out the top five.
In the 30 lap Late Model feature, Bobby Pelland III moved past Dylan Estrella with just 3 laps remaining to pick up his second win of the young season. Dylan Estrella set the pace for much of the race, but Pelland kept the chase on for the 30 lap distance. Pelland worked on the outside, and edged out over the Lamar & Son’s Impala of Estrella. But the sophomore didn’t give up, and retook the lead on a couple of occasions. The pair swapped the lead several times over the event.
It wasn’t until there were three laps to go when the A & A Auto Parts impala was finally able to close the door and set his own pace. Estrella tried one more time, but could not get by, and had to settle for second. Dennis Stampfl of Norwood was third, with Gerry DeGasparre and Bill Bernard rounding out the top five.
Charles Beal of Ledyard CT only lead ¼ of a lap in the 25 lap Street Stock feature, but it was the most important portion of the track. Charles made a 3-wide move coming off of turn 4 on the final lap, and moved under Mark Henshaw and Patrick Delaney to pick up his first win at Seekonk.
Delaney set the pace for the first 22 laps, holding off the charges of the Raynham native. Henshaw used a late race restart, and finally squeezed by and took over the lead on lap 23. But it was a short lived lead, as Beal squeezed by on the final lap. Delaney got back by for second at the line, and Sparky Arsenault followed Beal through the bottom to pick up third, while Henshaw fell back to fourth. Rey Lovelace rounded out the top five.
John Paiva picked up his second win of the season, holding off 4 time Champion Mike Cavallaro. Darryl Church of Brockton led the first lap before rookie Nick Uhrig took over for a couple of laps. The pair swapped the lead a couple of times, with Church taking back over, until Paiva took over on lap seven. Once out front, Paiva started to open his lead. Cavallaro moved into second, and chased him down. Over the final several laps, he put pressure on the Fall River native, but was unable to move past.
Uhrig held on for third in the final rundown, with Dan Leach and Barry Shaw rounded out the top five.
Sources: Kevin Boucher/Seekonk Speedway PR

Sweet Rolls to First Memorial Day Classic Victory

Therrien and Pilotte Claim Feature Wins

In a race that had eluded his prestigious racing career, Barre, VT’s Nick Sweet methodically worked his way to the victory in the 50th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic at Thunder Road in Barre, VT on Sunday, May 27, 2012. The Memorial Day Classic was the first of four events in the Vermont State Late Model Championship series. Sweet held off Lt. Governor Phil Scott and Brent Dragon, who flew through the field from the 12th and 16th starting positions to finish second and third.
The race began with pole sitter and former Oxford Plains Speedway Champion Ricky Rolfe showing the way early, only to engage with a heated back and forth struggle with Milton’s Scott Payea. Rolfe and Payea traded the lead back and forth, side by side for more than half of the race. Scott and Sweet trailed the pair for the majority of the exchange as the top four ran in a tight battle for the point. Scott took over on the outside lane for 12 laps only to see Nick Sweet steal it away for good on a lap 68 restart.

Weekly standouts Brooks Clark, who started 14th on the grid, and Scott Payea came home fourth and fifth respectively. 2011 Rookie of the Year Jimmy Hebert, Rolfe, Chip Grenier, Dave Pembroke, and Cris Michaud rounded out the top ten.

The race was completed in 42 minutes and 24 seconds. The race was slowed by five minor cautions.


Sweet not only won his first Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic, but he also earned the fifth invite to the Bond Auto Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 22 joining Brian Hoar, Wayne Helliwell, Ben Ashline, and Karl Allard. He was also chosen as the Race to Read driver of the week, and celebrated with Thunder Road’s Race to Read raffle winner in victory lane.

In the Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen top-five point driver from 2011 Bobby Therrien of Hinesburg took a convincing victory winding his way through heavy lap traffic. He lapped the majority of the field after starting 10th in the 50 lap event, which saw no cautions. He was chased to the line by Brendan Moodie, Jr, Eric Badore, Jason Allen, and Shawn Fleury. David Finck, John Lambert, Jason Corliss, Mike Ziter, and Joel Hodgdon completed the top ten.

Jefferson, NH’s Nick Pilotte thrilled the crowd on his way to an Allen Lumber Street Stock victory in a three wide pass. It was the second straight Memorial Day weekend win for Pilotte. Will Hennequin and Garry Bashaw would survive a wild 5 laps at the end to place second and third. Alan Maynard and Dan Lathrop rounded out the top five.

Thunder Road continues its 2012 schedule with the first of two Sunday twilight events on Sunday, June 10 presented by Sherwin-Williams. Thunder Road’s regular three divisions will be joined by the New England Antique Racers.

The Vermont State Late Model Championship series will continue on Friday, June 8 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, VT.

50th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic
Thunder Road International Speedbowl
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Vermont State Late Model Championship
Pos. (Start) Driver, Hometown, Laps Completed
1. (8) Nick Sweet, Barre, VT, 100 Laps
2. (12) Phil Scott, Berlin, VT, 100 Laps
3. (16) Brent Dragon, Milton, VT, 100 Laps
4. (14) Brooks Clark, Fayston, VT, 100 Laps
5. (3) Scott Payea, Milton, VT, 100 Laps
6. (4) #Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown, VT, 100 Laps
7. (1) Ricky Rolfe, Albany Twp, ME, 100 Laps
8. (17) Chip Grenier, Graniteville, VT, 100 Laps
9. (23) Dave Pembroke, Middlesex, VT, 100 Laps
10. (5) Cris Michaud, E. Montpelier, VT, 100 Laps
11. (24) Trampas Demers, S. Burlington, VT, 100 Laps
12. (6) Mike Bailey, South Barre, VT, 100 Laps
13. (22) John Donahue, Graniteville, VT, 100 Laps
14. (26) Jim Morris, Barre, VT, 100 Laps
15. (19) Jamie Aube, No. Ferrisburg, VT, 100 Laps
16. (11) Brett Wheeler, Waterbury, VT, 100 Laps
17. (28) Grant Folsom, Waitsfield, VT, 99 Laps
18. (25) Cody Blake, Barre, VT, 99 Laps
19. (18) Joey Becker, Jeffersonville, VT, 99 Laps
20. (15) Matt White, Northfield, VT, 99 Laps
21. (13) Spencer MacPherson, Carleton Place, ON, 99 Laps
22. (20) Eric Chase, Milton, VT, 98 Laps
23. (2) Jerry Lesage, Winooski, VT, 57 Laps
24. (27) Ricky Roberts, Washington, VT, 39 Laps
25. (21) Dave Whitcomb, Essex Jct., VT, 39 Laps
26. (9) Jamie Fisher, Shelburne, VT, 7 Laps
27. (7) Jay Laquerre, Barre, VT, 2 Laps
28. (10) Lance Allen, Barre, VT, 2 Laps

Lap Leaders: Ricky Rolfe (1-2), Scott Payea (3-5), Rolfe (6), Payea (7-24), Rolfe (25-34), Payea (35-37), Rolfe (38-55), Phil Scott (56-68), Nick Sweet (69-100)
Time of Race: 42:24
Margin of Victory: 1.317 seconds
Cautions: 5 (Lap 0, 2, 54, 68, 71)
Heat Winners: Spencer Macpherson, Jay Laquerre, Nick Sweet
Consi Winners: Jamie Aube
Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen Feature Results
Pos. Car # Driver, Hometown
1. 4 Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg, VT
2. 94 Brendan Moodie, Wolcott, VT
3. 04 Eric Badore, Milton, VT
4. 29 Jason Allen, Barre, VT
5. 31 Shawn Fleury, Middlesex, VT
6. 90 David Finck, Barre, VT
7. 2 John Lambert, Northfield, VT
8. 61 Jason Corliss, Barre, VT
9. 26 Mike Ziter, Williamstown, VT
10. 36 Joel Hodgdon, Craftsbury, VT
11. 01 Mike Martin, Craftsbury Comm., VT
12. 27 Kyle Pembroke, Montpelier, VT
13. 21 Blair Bessett, Worcester, VT
14. 00 Joe Steffen, Grand Isle, VT
15. 11 Tucker Williams, Hyde Park, VT
16. 8 Mike Billado, Essex, VT
17. 68 #Jason Woodard, Waterbury Ctr., VT
18. 9 #Chris Roberts, Washington, VT
19. 22 Randy Gonyaw, S. Barre, VT
20. 10 Josh Demers, Middlesex, VT
21. 38 #Greg Adams Jr., Hardwick, VT
22. 1 Scott Coburn, Barre, VT
23. 64 Christopher Pelkey, S. Barre, VT
24. 7 Dan Reed, Essex, VT
25. 07 Dylan Payea, Henniker, NH
26. 55 Brian Delphia, Waterbury, VT

Allen Lumber Street Stocks
Pos. Car # Driver, Hometown
1. 11 Nick Pilotte, Jefferson, NH
2. 47 William Hennequin, Morrisville, VT
3. 92 Garry Bashaw, Lincoln, VT
4. 10 Alan Maynard, Fairfax, VT
5. 6 Daniel Lathrop, Morrisville, VT
6. 90 Cameron Ouellette, Barre, VT
7. 4 Ken Christman, Cabot, VT
8. 50 Tommy Smith, Williamstown, VT
9. 32 #Daniel Brassard, E. Randolph, VT
10. 33 #Kevin Wheatley, Brookfield, VT
11. 31 Bob Eldred, Waterbury, VT
12. 16 #Dean Switser Jr., Lyndonville, VT
13. 99 Ben Belanger, Whitefield, NH
14. 77 Dave Whitcomb, Elmore, VT
15. 3 Michael Gay, So. Burlington, VT
16. 39 Troy Kingsbury, Waitsfield, VT
17. 25 Jennifer Getty, Cambridge, VT
18. 46 #Paul Grant, E. Calais, VT
19. 51 Emily Packard, E. Montpelier, VT
20. 43 Jamie Davis, Wolcott, VT
21. 83 Bunker Hodgdon, Hardwick, VT
22. 28 Cassie Trendle, Georgia, VT
23. 24 Marvin Johnson, Essex Jct., VT
24. 70 Paul Giacherio, Washington, VT
25. 05 Donny Yates, N. Montpelier, VT
26. 8 #Kevin Dodge, Barre, VT
27. 71 Danny Emerson, E. Ryegate, VT
28. 09 Amanda Habel, Roxbury, VT
Sources: Thunder Road International Speedbowl PR

Brown and Gray are Colors of the Day at Legion Speedway Opener; Sunn and Donnelly Join Them in Victory Lane

WENTWORTH, NH – With Red, White and Blue on display for the Memorial Day Weekend opener at the newly refurbished Legion Speedway, Street Stock racer Mark Brown of Rumney joined Mini Sprint ace Brian Gray of Meredith along with Outlaw Mini Stock alumnus Josh Sunn of White River, Jct., VT and multi time Modified champ Chris Donnelly of Piermont in victory lane. A good crowd was on hand to watch the Sunday twilight event, which was sponsored by S.K. Bean’s Enfield Garage.
Brown had no trouble handling the short field in the Street Stock feature. He was able to fend off the advances of J.P. Vaillancourt, who fought an ill handing car for much of the race. Marc Jenot was third and James Travis, who towed all the way in from Shapleigh, ME was fourth.
In the early stages of the Papa Z’s 600cc Mini Sprint feature, Gray had his hands full with Rick Crooker knocking at the door. Crooker’s steed lacked Gray’s speed, however, and the distance between first and second increased as the race wore on. Luke Greenwood started fifth and advanced as far as third before retiring to the pits with a mechanical issue. Spencer Allen followed Gray and Crooker across the line. On Saturday, Allen had graduated from Kimball Union Academy in Meriden; he’s headed for the motorsports program at the University of Northwestern Ohio in the fall.


After scoring a dominating win in a Modified at Bear Ridge Speedway on Saturday night, Sunn returned to his Mini Stock roots to accomplish the same feat on Sunday evening at Legion Speedway. It was Mini Stock win number 86 for Sunn, who was piloting the ride usually driven by Danny Doyle. It was a peat and repeat event as second place finisher Rob Gioia had won in the Fast Four division at Bear Ridge on Saturday. Gioia’s teammate Andy Johnson capitalized on a well-timed caution flag to pit for a tire change and charge from the tail end of the field to finish third.
With only his wife Julie and their lovable basset hound for a crew, Donnelly drove a Tim Tucker owned car to a convincing victory in the Forward’s Garage Modifieds feature. Trevor Rocke raced from sixth to claim the runner-up spot while Travis Shinn charged from the tail end to finish third, after having been involved in an early race accident.
“This is the first time I’ve raced a Modified all year,” Donnelly said. “I came to support track owner Si Allen and promoters Wally and Janine Browne and to thank them for all the work they’ve done here at Legion Speedway along with Dan Bowne. They’ve put down a lot of new clay and, sure, there will be some issues with the surface while it gets worked in, but I’ve been coming here for years and the track has never had this much clay on it; they’ll get it right. I just can’t wait to come here with a Sprint Car because I know that the Sprint Cars will be quicker than quick.”
Twilight Sunday racing continues at the Legion Speedway this Sunday with a show sponsored by Al Crossman Trucking and Eastman’s Trophies. The action begins with hot laps at 4:15 pm and the first green flag at 5:00 for the Forward’s Garage Modifieds, the Papa Z’s Mini Sprints, the Street Stocks and the Outlaw Mini Stocks.
Adult admission is only $10, with Juniors and Seniors at $8.00. Kids 11 and under are free with an accompanying paid admission and money saving Family Pack is just $25. Parking is always free. Picturesquely placed in the Connecticut River Valley between the Green Mountains to the west and the White Mountains to the east, Legion Speedway is located on NH Route 25 at the Rumney/Wentworth town line and is easily reached via either I-93 or I-91.
Forward’s Garage Modified Feature: 1. Chris Donnelly, 2. Trevor Rocke, 3. Travis Shinn, 4. Jason Sanville, 5. Todd Petschke, 6. Allan Hammond, 7. Mark Williams, 8. David Heath, 9. Toby Stark, 10. Chad Turk, 11. Evan Kingsbury, 12. Jeff Elliot, 13 Fred Fecteau, 14. Corey Swinson, 15. Troy Comeau.
Papa Z’s Mini Sprint Feature: 1. Brian Gray, 2. Rich Crooker, 3. Spencer Allen, 4. Christine Boesch, 5. Dale Shallow, 6. Luke Greenwood, 7. Jamie Glidden, 8. Scott Preston, 9. Frankie Sweeney.
Street Stock Feature: 1. Mark Brown, 2. JP Vaillancourt, 3. Marc Jenot, 4. James Travis.
Outlaw Mini Stock Feature: 1. Josh Sunn, 2. Rob Gioia, 3. Alan Johnson, 4. Tony Shaw, 5. Chris Cole, 6. Derek Durkey, 7. James Davis, 8. Dave Durkey, 9. Dennis Thoroughgood.

Sources: Mark McKeon/Legion Speedway PR

Jon McKennedy to Run Hillbilly Racing Modified

Jon McKennedy of Chelmsford, MA will be adding more Modified racing to his busy schedule. McKennedy will run the remainder of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule for Hillbilly Racing. He will continue to drive Art Barry’s #2 on the Valenti Modified Racing Series along with a partial schedule of ISMA Supermodified racing.
Onr the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, McKennedy will be driving the Hill Enterprises/Coors Light Pontiac, a Race Works chassis car. He has experience with Race Works chassis from competing at Star and the VMRS in his own car over the past few seasons. ”I think that’s making the biggest difference," said crew chief David Hill. “He’s just used to the type of car, how they handle, what you got to do to him. (Our) setups were almost identical. It made the transition between me and him a whole lot quicker.”
The team is looking for stability with one driver. McKennedy is the sixth driver since 2008 to pilot the #79. “I think Jon can bring that to the table," said Hill. "Look what he’s done for Art Barry (VMRS points leader with two wins). "I think he can do the same in our car because he’s used to the chassis.” “I was pretty pleased that David would like me to run the car the rest of the year," said McKennedy. "I think it will be a good combination. Those cars I’m very familiar with the cars (because) I’ve driven (them) in the past.”
Hill complimented McKennedy’s feedback for making his job easier. “They got to be able to tell you why it’s loose – which parts loose or why it’s tight entering tight, center tight or tight up off. Jon seems to have that.” “Most of my racing career I’ve always been pretty hands on with my own setups," said McKennedy. " Over the years, I’ve found what I like as far as adjustments." … "I think as a driver it gives me a little bit of an advantage," said McKennedy. He cited the ability to explain how he wanted the car to feel and what changes were needed to help the car. "A lot of the notes that I apply to my car will certainly apply to his."
Hill said 15-20 cars can win any race. "Everybody has stepped up their program," said Hill. "Now a 10th place is still real good because of what you’re racing against." "I hope to get a couple of good wins with them and maybe down the road continue," said McKennedy.
McKennedy was considered by late team owner Roger Hill before the team chose Daniel Hemric. Hemric was able to run the Southern Modified Tour and Bowman-Gray weekly races without having to travel as much. "Jon’s name was the only one my dad was considering other than Daniel," said Hill. "I am trying to go by what my dad wanted to and do all the right things. Try and keep him happy. He ain't with us no more, but he’s still watching over us and you try to do everything that he would do."
“Racing’s always been in our family," said Hill. "I was watching an event there last night on Facebook. Somebody had sent me one (from) 1996. My dad had qualified on pole at North Wilkesboro.” … “You got to hear him talk. It was pretty emotional. It was pretty hard to watch with tears in your eyes but it just brings back all the love we’ve had for Modified racing.”
The team will focus on running the full NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule. “Our biggest focus, even though we’re third in points down south, is the northern tour," said Hill. … "We're still going to run what southern races we can but when there is a conflict we we’ll run north."
“It feels good to be fortunate this year to have some really good ride offers," said McKennedy. "I hope to make the best of them and see what happens down the road."

Yamaha plans cheapest motorcycle in line up

Japanese two-wheeler maker Yamaha Motor Co Ltd is looking at scaling up research and development (R&D) operations in India, with an aim to designing the country’s cheapest motorcycle indigenously and shoring up volumes in the fast-growing domestic market. “Until this year, basic development of products was being done by Yamaha at our headquarters in Japan. We have an R&D centre to make minor changes on models in India. In future, our R&D team should be independent and capable of developing a new motorcycle in the commuter segment,” said Hiroyuki Suzuki, chief executive officer and managing director of India Yamaha Motor.     The company is working out the investment required for stepping up R&D activities in the country. Yamaha’s new low-cost bike is expected to be priced at around $500 (Rs 27,500), cheaper than the entry-level motorcycle ‘Crux’, tagged at Rs 38,365. Market leader Hero MotoCorp Ltd’s ‘CD Dawn’ is the cheapest product in the category, starting at Rs 36,300 (ex-showroom, Delhi). Yamaha, at present, has marginal share in the low-cost commuter segment with the ‘YBR110’ and ‘Crux’, which together sells 5000-odd units every month. The move to develop a low-cost motorcycle comes close on the heels of compatriot Honda Motor Co Ltd (HMC) launching its cheapest motorcycle, the 110 cc ‘Dream Yuga’, in India. Priced at Rs 44,642 (ex-showroom, Delhi), the bike is expected to shore up Honda’s market share in the seven-million strong commuter segment in the country. “We will have production volume of two million units in 2016. Scooters will contribute 30 per cent to our overall sales, the 150 cc models will account for 40 per cent and the remaining numbers will come in from entry-level motorcycles,” Suzuki said. Overall, the company is eyeing a 10 per cent share in the Indian two-wheeler market by 2016. Yamaha recently announced plans to invest around Rs 1,500 crore to set up a new plant in Tamil Nadu and enhance capacity across its existing units. The new low-cost bike will be manufactured at Chennai and exported to markets in Africa.

Harley Davidson Road King Classic: Review, Specs, and Styling

The power of this Harley's high-performance air-cooled Twin Cam 96 engine makes short work of short and long journeys and the sound intimidates the senses. This year they have redesigned the frame and drive system of the 2009 Harley Davidson Road King Classic and rubber-mounted the 1584 cc Twin Cam to reduce vibration and sound.
The 2009 Harley Davidson Road King Classic includes Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection, has a primary chain drive with a 34/46 ratio, 4-piston fixed brakes front and rear and chrome, slash-up dual exhaust with end caps. Available in a basic vivid black, flame blue pearl, pewter pearl, and two-tone colors deep turquoise with antique white, and red hot sunglo with smoky gold.

The 2009 Harley Davidson Road King Classic has a seat height of 29.5 inches, ground clearance of 5.1 inches, wheelbase of 63.5 inches and a weight of 810 lbs. The powerplant of the Harley Davidson Road King Classic produces 92.6 ft lbs of torque @ 3500 rpm, has a bore/stroke of 3.75/4.38 inches and a mileage rating of 54 mpg on the highway and 35 mpg in the city. Also included with this Harley are chrome, laced steel wheels front and back or the option for chrome, profile laced aluminum wheels for the Harley enthusiast who wants a different look.

A tank-mounted electronic speedometer with odometer and time of day clock is included, along with a full instrument panel with dual trip meter, low fuel indicator light, low oil pressure indictor light, engine diagnostics readout and cruise control indicator light. ABS and Security System 6 are also optional on this Harley.

Harley Davidson Road King Review

The 2010 Harley Davidson Road King is a top of the line touring motorcycle featuring a one-piece, two-up Road King Classic seat. Designed to make riding comfortable and fun, the 2010 Harley Davidson Road King has 32 mm, 4-piston fixed front and rear brakes and a 6-speed Cruise Drive transmission with helical-cut 5th gear that makes shifting smoother and decreases transmission noise.
The 2010 Road King Features:

• Chrome, 2-1-2 dual exhaust is newly designed for 2010 with tapered mufflers
• Chrome, low-profile fuel tank console
• Rubber-mounted, air-cooled, black powder-coated Twin Cam 96 engine with chrome covers, Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection and 92.6 ft lbs of torque @ 3500 rpm
• Tank-mounted electronic speedometer with odometer and time of day clock
• Fuel gauge with low fuel warning and countdown feature
• Dual trip meter
• Low oil pressure indicator
• Engine diagnostics readout
• 6-speed indicator light
• Rated for 35 mpg on the highway and 54 mpg in the city
• Full-length floor boards with heel/toe shift levers and passenger pegs
• Stainless steel, ergonomic handlebar with a comfortable cross country riding position
• Black- 28-spoke cast aluminum wheels or optional chrome aluminum profile laced aluminum wheels
• Available in vivid black, flame blue pearl, red hot sunglow, and two-tone colors; scarlet red with vivid black and flame blue pearl with brilliant silver pearl
• Security system, cruise control, TLE sidecar and ABS are available options
• GTX saddlebags with common luggage and ignition lock
• Clear, large, quick-release detachable Lexan windshield

Road King Classic Review

The 2010 Road King Classic is a majestic motorcycle with cross-country comfort, style--featuring leather-wrapped hard saddlebags and a one-piece, two-up Road King classic seat sitting 26.9 inches from the ground.  A motorcycle designed to deliver a classic look with modern performance and power, the 2010 Road King Classic includes a chrome fuel tank console and rubber-mounted black powder-coated Twin Cam 96 engine with 92 ft lbs of torque @ 3500 rpm.

The 2010 Road King Classic includes

• Includes Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection
• Optional ABS and TLE sidecar with matching colors and style are available
• Chrome, 2-1-2 dual exhaust with slash-up end caps
• Redesigned rear fender with clean, sleek and stylish look
• 6-speed Cruise Drive transmission with helical-cut 5th gear for improved shifting and reduced transmission noise
• Chrome, laced steel wheels or optional chrome, profile laced aluminum wheels
• 32 mm, 4-piston fixed front and rear brakes
• Available in vivid black, brilliant silver pearl, flame blue pearl, red hot sunglo and two-tone colors; merlot sunglo with cherry red sunglo and white ice pearl with black ice pearl
• Tank-mounted electronic speedometer with odometer and clock
• Dual trip meter
• Security system and ABS are available options
• Low fuel indicator light and mileage countdown feature
• Low pressure indicator light
• Engine diagnostics readout
• 6-speed, high beam, directional light bar, low fuel warning, neutral, low oil pressure, and turn signal indicator lamps
• Electronic cruise control
• Large Hiawatha headlight and chrome nacelle
• Large, clear Lexan quick-release detachable windshield
• Push rod operated, overhead valves with hydraulic, self-adjusting lifters

Harley Davidson Street Glide Review

The 2010 Harley Davidson Street Glide is a bare essentials touring motorcycle with full-length floorboards, heel/toe shift levers, passenger pegs, and a reduced seat height with air-adjustable rear shocks.  Designed for long highway miles, the 2010 Street Glide includes an air-cooled 96 cubic inch Twin Cam 96 with 92.6 ft lbs of torque @ 3500 rpm and 6-speed Cruise Drive transmission with helical-cut 5th gear that makes shifting smoother and decreases transmission noise.

2010 Street Glide Features Include:

• New, cleaner fender with ground effects, Tri-line fender lights and LED license plate highlighter
• Clean rear fender with ground effects
• Lightly-smoked Electra Glide low-wind deflector with distinctive lines
• Large, 18-inch front wheel with custom style and look
• Bat-wing, fork-mounted fairing with integrated side mirror
• Black slotted 5-spoke cast aluminum wheels
• Chrome, 2-1 exhaust with the style and look of an older time
• Rated for 35 mpg on the highway and 54 mpg in the city
• 32 mm, 4-piston fixed front and rear brakes
• Optional equipment includes TLE sidecar with matching colors and style, cruise control, ABS, and security system
• Available in vivid black, scarlet red, brilliant silver pearl, black denim, red hot sunglo, and two-tone colors; merlot sunglo with cherry red and white ice pearl with black ice pearl.
• GTX saddlebags with common key for luggage lock and ignition
• Cruise control in available option
• Fairing-mounted electronic speedometer with odometer and time of day clock on CD player/stereeo
• Low fuel indicator light and countdown feature
• Engine diagnostics readout
• Front fender light, high beam, directional light bar, and neutral indicator lamps

Harley Davidson Touring Overview

The Harley Davidson touring family of iconic motorcycles is available in Road King and Electra Glide models, each with their own characteristic feel, style and appeal. The Road King models feature an old-time cruiser look straight out of the 1940s and 50s, when big twin ruled American roads. Electra Glide models include custom fork-mounted front fairings, like a Batwing with its characteristic style and shape or a Sharknose fairing and the unusual double headed lamp included with this fairing.
Harley Davidson's touring line of motorcycles can be identified by a few features which are characteristic of the Harley Davidson touring line of motorcycles, like spacious and ergonomic saddlebags, a frame with the steering head positioned in front of the forks and a rubber-mounted engine to reduce the amount of vibration the rider feels due to the engine. The frame used with the Harley Davidson touring line of motorcycles was totally redesigned in 2009, along with the swingarm, and a six gallon tank and Brembo brakes were also added.
For 2010, Harley Davidson's touring line of motorcycles are the Custom Road Glide and Electra Glide Ultra Limited models, along with new editions of the Harley Davidson Road King, Road King Classic, Street Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Ultra Classic Electra Glide.  New features on the 2010 Harley Davidson touring line up of motorcycles includes a new helical-cut 5th gear on the transmission that makes shifting smoother and reduces transmission noise, the option for a TLE sidecar and new seats for most of the 2010 Harley Davidson touring motorcycles. Specific changes include the 2010 Road King getting a new Lexan windshield and GTX saddlebags and new Lexan air deflectors, GTX saddlebags and Harman/Kardon Advanced Audio system included with the 2010 Ultra Classic Electra Glide.

Harley Davidson Touring Model Overview

The 2011 Harley-Davidson Touring models are an exceptional line of powerful motorcycles. For many years, it was the big hogs (dressers, touring bikes, whatever you chose to call them) and then the Sportsters. Surely there are those who, when you said Harley, knew nothing more than these big, V-twin machines. Back then, they had knuckle head motors, droopy leather saddle bags with fringes that scraped the ground when you rode, and a large seat that looked like it was made for a farm tractor, which could seat two, if absolutely necessary.
Although similar to past vehicles, the big Harley Touring bikes come in a wide variety of styles and colors. All are powered by the twin cam 1802cc engine. Bear in mind, each of these Harley-Davidson vehicles can be ordered with customization. Go to www.harley-davidson.com for a full 360-degree view.
Here's a short description of the eight 2011 Harley-Davidson Touring motorcycles.
Road King
The Road King is a comfortable road/street bike featuring a windshield, big chrome forks, twin rear tour-pak storage, and the famously large chrome Harley headlamp and twin side lamps. You can order it with chrome aluminum laced or cast wheels. The gas tank and massive front fender just beg for a great paint job. Own one for about $17,000.
Road King Classic
The Road King Classic had no windshield, shorter handlebars than the Road King, leather saddle bag-type rear storage, and wide white wall tires. A Classic, the bike also features steel laced or chrome aluminum laced wheels -- you choose. Besides some attractive solid colors, you can two tone your bike with Dark Candy Root Beer over Light Candy Root Beer. Or Psychedelic Purple over Vivid Black. Or Apple Green over Vivid Black. Prices for the Road King Classic begin at around $19,500.
Street Glide
The Street Glide is a street bike only in name because it has tour-pak storage, a faring and windshield, and enough mass to take you down any highway. Wheels are five-spoke cast aluminum and the front fender just begs to show off a custom color. Prices for the 2011 Street Glide start at about $19,000.
Road Glide Custom
This great touring bike comes standard with a Shark Nose fairing and top-quality, tour-pak type GTX saddlebags. Only solid colors here, including Vivid Black, Black Denim, Cool Blue Pearl and Sedona Orange. Your price: approximately $19,000.
Electra Glide Classic
Classic - more like classical - this phenomenal Electra Glide has a number of features standard. These include fairing, buddy seat and storage compartment, tour-pak type saddlebags, and solid chrome accent bars. Wheels choices are: cast aluminum or chrome aluminum profile laced. One two-tone paint scheme is available on the Electra Glide Classic: Cool Blue Pearl over Vivid Black; your other choices are beautiful solid colors. Buy one for about $19,000.
Ultra Classic Electra Glide
Now we're getting into the true King of the Road. The Ultra Classic Electra Glide has a full fairing plus windshield, buddy seat, eleven color choices, including two with complementary pin striping, and steel or aluminum wheels. Prices start at about $21,000.
Electra Glide Ultra Limited
Great electronics, full buddy seat, classic Electra Glide styling - riding in this Road Master compares favorably to piloting a cabin cruiser.  Available in just one solid color (Vivid Black), you have five two-tone color choices from the factory. Starting price is $23,699 MSRP.
Road Glide Ultra
With the Shark Nose fairing, this beauty sets you off immediately from the crowd. Another Electra Glide choice, the Road Glide Ultra features a large 6-gallon gas tank, hefty front fender, tour pak-type storage, full buddy seat, and classic paint. Its price is about $22,500.

Harley-Davidson FLTRU Road Glide Ultra Overview

The 2011 FLTRU Road Glide Ultra from Harley-Davidson is one of the best visual displays the company has ever made. It offers classic styling, with powerful upgrades you can experience and enjoy. This is a new bike to the Glide series and is much anticipated by the Harley-Davidson community. Though a large touring bike, this bike is easy to handle and offers even a beginning rider the ride of a lifetime.

Styling 

Because this is a new bike, the 2011 Road Glide Ultra offers a stylish, comfortable touring bike perfect for long trips. This includes the classic gas tank design, smooth lines and optimal comfort for riding long distances. Storage, comfort and other features mentioned offer an experience that only Harley-Davidson can provide.

New Features

This bike includes many features stock, including GTX saddlebags, cruise control, comfortable seat design, high output accessory connector, tour-pack and a 17" front wheel. Also featured are dual storage compartments with wind protection. The seat design offers not only comfort to the driver, but also premium comfort for the passenger rider.

Key Features 

The 2011 Road Glide Ultra has many of Harley-Davidson's classic motorcycle features, which have made it a leader in touring bikes around the world. Included in these features is a classically styled Harley-Davidson fuel tank, offering you ample space for custom paint and design to show off who you truly are. The tank also holds 6 gallons of fuel so you have more time between fuel stops. The classic styling continues with the vivid colors available and the pin striping down the side, all the way to the premium saddlebags.

Handling 

The 2011 Road Glide Ultra does take a bit of strength to get it up and going, but the ride is smooth and the handling is great once it's moving. It follows the road without the need for over-steering and helps any rider feel comfortable operating a touring style bike. Part of the enhanced driveability is due to the weight removed from the front fork, by moving the instrument cluster to the frame. The ABS offers a strong stop that eliminates panic braking, even for beginners.

Upgrades

This bike is such a complete base model that you made not even want to consider upgrades, but possible upgrades include chrome wheels and color options.

Pricing

The base model of this bike starts at $22,499 which comes stock with a great exhaust system, powerful motor, ABS and a security system. The base model is black with an upgrade price of $23,059 for Brilliant Silver Pearl, Cool Blue Pearl or Merlot Sunglo.

The 2011 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Ultra is a great touring bike, new to the H-D lineup that lives up to the company logo. With soft luggage liners, wrap around taillights, cruise control, storage pockets and other amenities, this is a bike you can spend a lot of time on and still feel comfortable every time you slip into the seat. The seat uses a foam-shaped bucket style for wraparound comfort that still helps you feel in control.

Harley Davidson Touring Tire Overview: Options and Recommendations

If you have a Harley Davidson Touring bike you probably will be in the market for tires at some point or another. More often than not the people who buy one of the touring models do so because they plan to ride a lot. Touring bikes often get more miles driven then a lot of other motorcycle and will likely go through tires more frequently. It's good to know that there are plenty of options out there when you are shopping for tires.
As with any motorcycle, you should never take a chance with worn or cheap tires on your Harley Davidson. Since a motorcycle has only two wheels instead of a car or truck's four, each tire represents a larger percentage of the stability. One of the reasons motorcycles are as maneuverable as they are is that they are inherently less stable than four wheeled vehicles. That also means that the tires are even more important for stability. For so many reasons, your tires are one of the most important pieces of safety equipment on your Harley Davidson. So, keeping quality tires on your bike is one of the best ways to insure both your motorcycle and your body against damage from crashes.

Avon Venom Tires

The Venom series from Avon are built specifically for cruising and touring bikes. The tread pattern is intended to facilitate a quiet ride and the tires are meant to run cooler and last longer than traditional motorcycle tires.

Bridgestone Exedra Touring Motorcycle Tires

Bridgestone makes a whole line of tires just for touring motorcycles. They are built not only to sustain the types of loads required by touring bikes, but from a special tread compound that maximizes both handling and wear mileage.

Continental Tour Tires

There are a number of different tires from Continental that are designed as tour tires. One is the Tour Ride series which are built to provide consistent handling under various road conditions. They also feature construct that is meant to maximize the longevity of the tire.

Dunlop D402 Harley Davidson Touring Motorcycle Tire

A three ply polyester casing over two fiberglass belts creates both enhanced load carrying capability and greater stability. Your Harley Davidson Touring bike is bigger than most motorcycles, so this extra strength is a great thing.

Metzeler ME880 XXL Tire

These tires are specifically built for the larger loads and special handling characteristics of larger cruiser bikes. That makes them another excellent choice.
Whatever option you choose, remember that there are a lot of different Harley Davidson touring bike models and model years. While each of these should be able to fit your bike, it's not guaranteed. Also, never ride your Harley Davidson (or any motorcycle for that matter) on tires that are not structurally sound. Insufficient tread and tire superstructure threaten the safety of your tires. That, in turn, threatens your safety on the motorcycle. It's just not worth it for the small investment that a good set of tires represent.

How to Change the Brake Pads for your Harley Davidson Touring

One of the most important maintenance procedures for any Harley Davidson Touring is the brake pad replacement. Brake pads on the Touring, like those on other vehicles, are designed to help the brakes to stop the vehicle efficiently and quickly. Without proper brake pads, the Touring becomes a dangerous vehicle on the road, both to the driver and to the other drivers in the area as well. In order to maintain proper safety levels, plan to change out the brake pads on your Touring every 2000 to 3000 miles. The procedure is easy and can be completed at home with a few basic tools and a brief period of time.
Step 1 -- Gather Materials
Collect the following tools and materials in order to change the brake pads on a Harley Davidson Touring:

• New brake pads
• Allen wrench
• Screwdriver set
• Cleaning spray
• Pliers

Step 2 -- Prep and Mount the Touring
It's important to wait for a few hours after riding until after the bike has cooled down in order to mount up the Touring for this project. Failing to do so may mean that the bike will be overheated, and you could cause injury to yourself trying to access the brake system at this time. Once the motorcycle is entirely cool, put it up on the mount such that you'll have access to both sides easily.
Step 3 -- Remove the Caliper Bolts
Use the Allen wrench to carefully remove the caliper bolts from the outside of the brake system. Set them aside in a safe place to be replaced and reinstalled on the bike later on. If your Touring has a retaining clip setup to hold the calipers in place instead of bolts, turn the clips by hand until they line up such that the ends of the clips stick out. Next, use the pliers to remove the clips and set them aside as well.
Step 4 -- Remove and Clean the Calipers
Pull out the calipers by hand and examine them for signs of damage. This can include cracks, general wear and tear and any other signs of abuse. If you detect any damage, discard the calipers and purchase new ones to replace on your vehicle. Otherwise, use the cleaning spray to clean the calipers of any dirt or debris that may be on them.
Step 5 -- Remove the Brake Pad and Clean the Pistons
Take out the brake pad on either side of the brake system by hand and discard it in an appropriate place and manner. Depress the brake pedal until all of the air has been forced out of the pistons and they're fully collapsed. Next, use your cleaning spray to clean up the brake caliper pistons and the spring setup. When you're done, use the screwdrivers to push the pistons back into the brake caliper set.
Step 6 -- Replace the Brake Pads and Close Up the System
Replace the brake pads with new pads and then place the calipers back in place. Put the caliper bolts or retaining clips back in place to hold the calipers steady. Use the Allen wrench to tighten up the brake pad calipers once again. Before you remove the bike from the mount, test out the brake pedal to be sure that it will depress properly.
Remove the bike from the mount and test out the brakes by driving it at a very slow speed and in a controlled way.
The parts necessary for this project are available at motorcycle repair shops or hardware stores.

The ABC's of EFI

by Karl Borum
(Kbore)

Harley-Davidson introduced Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) as a feature for Softail models in 2001. Obviously that proved successful, because the MoCo slowly rolled out EFI to all models. Today, almost all factory Harleys built in the US are fuel injected. So you ought to know a thing or two about EFI.

EFI has both pros and cons, but for street riders, EFI has mostly pros:

-Unlike carbureted models, EFI automatically adjusts for altitude
-EFI compensates for air temperature and is therefore more precise
-Better cold temperature starting
-No need for a choke
-More precise tuning is possible for a variety of engine modifications
-Fuel adjustments can be made for a wide range of engine modifications using an aftermarket EFI module

Precise tuning of the fuel flow by an aftermarket EFI module over a wide range of engine modifications is one of the more significant advantages to Electronic Fuel Injection. Precise tuning of the fuel flow is accomplished by adding (or subtracting) fuel using a fuel map. A stock Harley Davidson comes with a factory fuel map stored in the factory Electronic Control Module (ECM). An aftermarket EFI module "piggy backs" onto the factory ECM and adjusts the fuel map to better serve your particular needs.

A fuel map is simply a table of values that controls the fuel to the injectors at various throttle/ RPM settings. Fuel to the injectors is controlled by sending pulses to the fuel injectors to open them. Longer pulses mean more fuel. Shorter pulses mean less fuel. All fuel maps are determined by measuring the air to fuel ratio while the bike is under power, and making fuel adjustments to maintain a perfect (near perfect) air to fuel ratio.

An aftermarket EFI module intercepts the pulses coming from the factory ECM and makes them longer or shorter, depending on the aftermarket ECM's fuel map. So a fuel map is simply a "text" file with fuel injector values that determine when and how long the fuel injector squirts gas into the cylinder.

Air flow (air filter system), fuel flow (aftermarket cams) and exhaust (mufflers and pipes) all work together to create the fuel flow--or air to fuel ratio, to be exact. When any of these components are changed in a fuel injected engine, the air fuel ratio is likely changed as well, resulting in a less than optimal fuel mixture, i.e., richer or leaner. Very lean conditions resulting from modifications can actually fry your engine.

In a carbureted engine, the engine tuner would keep changing out needle jets to arrive at the "best" setting for optimal air fuel ratio over the throttle and RPM range. With an aftermarket EFI module, the technician can change the fuel map in the aftermarket module by adding or subtracting values in the fuel map, with a laptop or PC. And a more precise air/fuel mixture will result, across the power band (throttle and RPM ranges).

Here is where the two main EFI cons come in. First, because the "E" in EFI is "electronic", you can no longer push start your bike--ever. Don't even try (don't ask me how I know). For the ECM and EFI to work, you must have a charged battery (why do you think they call it electronic).

Second, an aftermarket EFI module is one more thing to trouble shoot when things go bad. A badly behaving EFI could render your ride into a boat. I know what you are thinking: "I'll just unplug the module, toss it in the saddle bag and be home for dinner". Unplug the module, yes, to see if the module is causing your problems. Ride without it? Absolutely not. Your EFI module modifies the factory fuel map, without it you could damage your engine, most likely by running too lean.

There is something you can do before hand to prevent engine damage if number two ever happens. A Harley-Davidson factory "performance map", loaded into the factory ECM, which closely approximates your set up (air cleaner / cam / exhaust / displacement...) can save you. If you have a Harley performance map loaded at the dealer, you CAN remove a faulty aftermarket ECM, and be home for dinner.

Any dealer worth his Bar and Shield can approximate your set-up with a factory upload. Have one loaded today and it may save you a tow to the dealer down the road. And if your module goes bad and no one has one for 250 miles, a Harley performance map--already loaded--can save you in more ways than one. Remember, your after market module will have to be mapped differently with an HD performance upload than with the factory ECM map. This is because the ECM module adds to an existing map. Make certain that your EFI module is mapped to your upgraded HD fuel map.

Electronic fuel injection may have its cons, however, EFI has far more advantages than disadvantages. You can upgrade your ride, one system at a time, with the same EFI module by simply remapping your module. Many fuel maps are available from both the manufacturers and on the internet.

Top 10 ways to Make Your Car Go Faster

We Americans love our cars. Our cars are rarely just a means of conveyance. We take pride in our cars and see status symbols within them.
There are expensive cars and cheap cars. Fast cars and economical cars. For most American men our first cars were used and a little run down. But we always wanted to find a way to get more from our cars. Most notably almost every guy wanted more speed out of their cars.
My personal experience with building a faster car was a 1969 Chevelle. I bought it with a 307 cubic inch engine and modest transmission and rear end gear ratio. It had some power, but for a car that was built in the time when all cars had actual frames under them, it was a heavy car, and it could barely out perform an old pickup truck.
By the time that I regrettably sold the car it had a custom built 454 in it. It would almost get the front tires off the ground from a dead start and would do 0-60 in 5.6 seconds.
In my case, I was able to get my car a lot faster by investing a huge amount of money on a completely different engine. This is not necessary these days. There are hundreds of aftermarket bolt on performance enhancing products and techniques that can be employed to make any modern car faster, more powerful and more efficient with fuel.
Since I obviously don’t know what kind of car you are about to beef up, I am going to keep the items in this list as generic as possible. If your car is still under factory warranty, you will need to ask the car manufacturer if any of these items will void your warranty.

10. Electric Fans

Somewhere between your engine and the radiator is a fan. This draws air through the radiator to keep your engine cool. On older cars this is a mechanical fan. It runs off of the engines power via a fan belt. These mechanical fans draw a surprisingly large amount of horsepower directly from your engine. By removing this mechanical fan and replacing it with an aftermarket electric fan, you have freed up some extra horsepower to reach the ground. Do some research; there are a plethora of aftermarket electric fan manufacturers out there. You will easily find one that fits just right in your car.

9. Electric Fuel Pump

Pictured above is a mechanical fuel pump. It is driven directly off of your engine. Usually powered by a lobe on your crankshaft, mechanical fuel pumps are one of those things that rob power that should be going to your drive wheels. So, for the same reason you want to convert your mechanical fan to an electric one, you should do the same for your fuel pump. If you upgrade both your fan and fuel pump, you may want to keep in mind that you are now drawing extra power from your battery and alternator. These may need to be upgraded now too.

8. Air Induction

Your engine pulls in air and mixes it with fuel. This mixture is burned and produces horsepower. So if you can increase the amount of cool dense air that your engine is able to pull in, you will produce more power. The fact is that most cars are manufactured with the air it pulls in limited for various reasons. There are several companies out there that make aftermarket air induction systems to bolt directly on to your car in an afternoon. K&N is the leader in this field. A couple of hundred bucks, a few simple tools and a Saturday afternoon and K&N will guarantee extra horsepower for your car. In most cases your fuel economy will increase as well, making this an aftermarket item that pays for itself.

7. Carburetors

If you are working with an older car, chances are that you have a carburetor. This is a device that mixes the air and gasoline into a vapor to be burned inside the engine. All newer cars will have some form of fuel injection, but if you do have a carburetor on your car, this is one of the easiest ways to increase your horsepower. If you have a 2 barrel carburetor, you should upgrade to a 4 barrel carburetor. There are a lot of carburetor manufacturers out there that build the performance parts you need to make your car faster. Most notably in America would me Edelbrock and Holley. To upgrade your carburetor from 2 to 4 barrel will also require you to install a new intake manifold. Doing all of this will cost a few bucks, but the difference will be very noticeable.

6. Fuel Injection

If you have an older engine that is carbureted, and a few bucks that you can afford to invest into making your car faster, converting to fuel injection may be for you. Edelbrock and Holley both offer bolt on multi port injection systems for most American engines. Because these systems are electronic and not mechanical like a carburetor, they are more precise. They will offer your engine more horsepower and better fuel economy. As the items in this list get more complicated, the cost of the upgrades also increases. Your ability to increase the speed of your car is usually only limited to the amount of money you are able to spend on your car.

5. Performance Chips

If you are trying to increase the performance of a newer car (‘90’s and up) You are most likely dealing with a car that was built with electronic fuel injection.
Electronic fuel injection is controlled by a ‘computer’ or chip of some sort. Well, as you may have guessed, there are companies out there that have figured out ways to enhance your cars performance by simply replacing or modifying the chips that control your engine.
These chip upgrades are very versatile with their applications. You can buy a preprogrammed chip or you can buy a chip and a programmer device that will allow you to modify the performance chips yourself. You can achieve better fuel mileage, better towing capabilities, better horsepower and of course better speed either off the starting line or in the top end.

4. Exhaust System

While most of the suggestions in this list are dealing with getting more air and fuel into your engine, another way to increase performance is by looking at ways to improve getting the exhaust out of your engine more efficiently. Removing your mufflers and adding glass packs will make your car a lot louder, but generally won’t offer any real performance. For most cars the exhaust system is choked down right at the engine itself in the stock exhaust manifolds.
By replacing your exhaust manifolds with “Headers” the weakest link is improved in your exhaust system. From that point back to your tailpipe, the general rule of thumb is the less restriction getting the exhaust out of your car, the better the performance will be.
While you may have 2 tailpipes at the back of your car, in most cases your exhaust is choked down to 1 catalytic converter then split back to 2 exhaust pipes towards the back of the car. For truly improved performance you will want true dual exhaust all the way back.
There are laws governing the removal of catalytic converts and the amount of noise you are allowed to produce. So when converting your choked down car into a true dual exhaust system, check your local laws regarding noise and catalytic converters. The converters are very expensive, so if you have to have them and you want 2 of them, it is going to cost a few bucks.

3. Turbochargers

While turbo chargers are stock equipment on almost all diesel engines, most people are not aware that you can install an aftermarket turbo charger on your gasoline engine for a great increase in performance. Essentially how a turbo charger works is, it uses the exhaust gasses to spin an impellor which builds a positive pressure of fresh air and forces that air into the intake to mix with the fuel. This upgrade is an expensive one. The turbo charger itself will cost around $1000.00 and to install it, you will have to modify both the air intake system and the exhaust system of your car.
There are companies that produce aftermarket turbo chargers for just about any car on the road today. If you have the cash, you can have a turbo charged car.

2. Nitrous Oxide

The principal is very simple. If you add Nitrous Oxide to your air and fuel the mixture becomes considerably more explosive and therefore greatly increases horsepower.
NOS is a company that specializes in this concept. No matter what kind of car or engine you have, there is an aftermarket NOS system that will inject your car with a burst of extra horsepower.
There are many different systems. You can have a dose of nitrous dumped into your air intake, or for the person who really wants a punch there are also systems that inject from multiple points directly into your intake manifold. You are limited only by how much money you are willing to spend.
A couple of things that you will want to consider before adding a nitrous system to your car is that too much nitrous will blow your engine apart. Depending on the type of engine you are running you need to be very careful with the amounts of time that nitrous is injected into your engine.
The laws governing the use of nitrous oxide vary from state to state. In many cases it is legal to have nitrous oxide in your car but not legal to use nitrous. So check your local laws and regulations before you fork out the cash for this upgrade to improve the speed of your car.

1. Superchargers

You will see giant superchargers sticking out of the top of drag racers and very beefed up classic muscle cars. There is nothing more impressive looking that you can do to your car than have one of these monsters poking out of the hood of your car.
But far more impressive than the appearance of a supercharger is the performance of a supercharger. These big breathing beasts will add a huge amount of power to your engine instantly.
In a nutshell, while stock engines depend on vacuum and atmospheric pressure to get the air fuel mixture into the combustion chamber of your engine, a supercharger physically compresses the air, making it denser and shoves it down your engines throat! It is kind of like a turbo charger on steroids.
There are several different types and styles of superchargers. The monster pictured above is the cream of the crop and requires a good old American V-8 engine to handle all that extra horsepower. There are smaller versions for most types of engines available out there for a wide variety of different cars. Many of them are low profile enough to stay under the hood. In the case of supercharger’s, bigger is better.
A couple of things to keep in mind if you are considering adding a mega-blower to your car;
They are very expensive. You could generally buy and entire new engine for less than the cost of a bolt on supercharger.
They are complex. These amazing devices don’t just come out of a box and bolt right on to the top of your engine. There are a lot of modifications that you will have to do to the engine to get them operational, not to mention you will have to cut a hole in the hood of your car.
There are legal issues as well. When I was considering adding one of these to my 1969 Chevelle in Wyoming I found out that it was illegal. It turned out that they were grandfathered in for use on ’68 or older cars. So be sure to check your local laws regarding superchargers. You may be able to install a smaller version in your area.

Automotive Intake Systems – The Basics

Aftermarket Intake Systems
Aftermarket intake systems inundate the market place and is usually one of the first “performance”upgrades that are installed. The premise of intake systems is to allow additional non-restricted airflow into the motor over what the factory intake can provide (either by design or intent). Below is an overview of intake options which are available to the consumer.
Cold Air Intake (CAI)
A CAI is a system used to bring down the temperature of the air going into an engine for the purpose of increasing power output as cooler air has more density for a given volume. A CAI generally works by introducing cooler air from outside, thus avoiding the consumption of heated air within the engine bay. However, the term “cold air intake” is often used to describe other methods of increasing oxygen to an engine, which may even increase the temperature of the air coming into an engine.
With the use of a (CAI) during driving in wet conditions, there may be the possibility of sucking up water due to the location of most filters for the CAI, which is usually inside of the fender well lining or mounted low within the engine bay. On the brighter side there are optional bypass valves, which is a filtered spacer that is positioned higher on the intake assembly, which may be installed. A bypass valve can prevent hydro-locking by providing an alternate route for air to come in (path of least resistance), thus eliminating the vacuum that causes water to be sucked in from a deep puddle or hole. Air only enters if the valve is sucked open as result of the vacuum pressure caused by a blocked filter at the bottom of the intake. When it comes to cold air intakes this is the “best of both worlds”.
Warm Air Intake (WAI)
A WAI is also a system used to increase the amount of the air going into a car for the purpose of increasing power output. A WAI operates on the same principal as the CAI, but the air is pulled from inside the engine bay as opposed to air taken from the restrictive Original Manufactures Equipment (OEM) air box. There is usually less likelihood of the WAI sucking up any water based on its location.It is safe to say most WAI systems will make less power than a CAI system due to the fact it is sucking in air from the hot engine bay.There are two versions of WAI.One is a Short Ram Intake system (SRI) and the other is a Long Ram Intake system (LRI).The SRI uses a short pipe with the filter itself sitting on the top of the engine bay while a LRI uses a longer tube for positioning the filter further away in order to potentially allow for a quasi-CAI configuration as it may have the capability to pull in somewhat cooler air. LRI intakes could suffer hydro-lock due to water as well if they are positioned low so you may want to consider a bypass if this is the case.
When is a CAI really a WAI?
Manufacturers usually call their aftermarket intake systems a CAI regardless of whether it is pulling in cooler air or not. This applies to Short Ram Intakes as well as Long Ram Intakes. A true CAI willhave a path to direct outside airflow whereas a WAI does not. Products like the Injen cold air intakes ystem are usually not true CAI’s as they are mounted near the radiator in some applications, thus there is usually no direct-air path to them. In these instances they are more of a WAI or a Quasi-CAI as the air temperature may be somewhat better than the location of a WAI. This is debatable.
Ram Air:The Myth?
Ram-air is a term that was initially made popular in the 60′s Muscle Car era.In effect, it was a method for pulling in outside air directly into the carburetor instead of having the vehicle utilize warmer air under the hood, thus more horsepower potential. The use of the term “Ram Air” can be miss-perceived with an assumption that these systems actually have the capability to force more air into the motor in order to increase performance.This is an incorrect assumption.Ram Air is simply a true CAI in that it has the ability to directly pull in outside air.The only real forms of forcing more air into an engine revolve around turbo and supercharger systems.
Bottom Line
Both systems will produce a different sound and may even give the impression they are actually making more power. Most systems are inexpensive and easy to install, even for those with no mechanical background. Just do some research on the particular system you wish to purchase and don’t believe all the hype of dyno proven results the manufacturer reports.
Article By:Michael (RED_DET), NICOclub.com techie and Nissan Enthusiast