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Episode 42: EPAnnoying?

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BMW Carbon frames:

BMW is bringing it’s expertise in car construction to the motorcycle line. Two patents for a new carbon fiber frame design have revealed that the company is willing to test the waters and make weight reductions of up to 40% compared to current frames.
According to Motorcyclenews.com, BMW leads the world in technology and capability to manufacture their carbon-based concepts. BMW cars like the i3 and i8 already use full monocoque unibodies, and the 7-series also has a carbon fiber passenger compartment safety cell. That means that there’s no doubt about the strength that carbon fiber provides.
As a side note, Austria has adopted the BMW i3 as a police cruiser, and the car is already used in the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. The largest customer order came from the Los Angeles Police Department, which will acquire 100 units.

This isn’t the first time that carbon fiber has been used to make frames by any means. John Britten’s motorcycles used carbon fiber for the frame and swing arm. Cagiva and Bimota also tried out carbon fiber, but with less success from what I could find. Then in 2009, Casey Stoner piloted the carbon fiber-framed GP9 Ducati for the 2009 season with a win at the Debut race.

Carbon fiber could be a solution to a problem that I mentioned many episodes ago – the fact that new technology brings about heavy components like modules, multiple ECUs, ABS hydraulic modulators, servos, etc. which all add weight to a motorcycle’s chassis. Therefore, a 40% reduction in weight with the same amount of structural rigidity and strength could be a real game changer in the evolution of motorcycle construction,
So, it’s no doubt that BMW will probably convert concept to product given their history of using it for car construction and possessing the capabilities to do so. The only question for me is when they will start production of bike using the technology. This coupled with the new CARB filings for the RnineT Racer and RnineT Pure could be exciting for the upcoming model year. I’ve already y guessed that 2017 will be a great year for new models based on the Euro4 regulations and factory obligations to comply.
Sources: http://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2015/august/bmw-developing-carbon-fibre-frames/
http://www.carscoops.com/2016/08/bmw-bringing-carbon-fiber-tech-to.html
http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/bikes/bmw-ninet-models-pure-racer-carb-filings/#more-118028

Super Sic’s racing number was retired by Dorna and MotoGP
source:
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2016/Sep/160908sic58retire.htm
Harley-Davidson spiraling downward. On the last couple of episodes, I’ve mentioned the turmoil that could be bringing America’s #1 selling bike manufacturer down. There’s the annual clutch issues, the ABS debacle, the recent Pro Super Tuner investigation and lawsuit… Pair those with the recent news of falling stock prices and declining sales and Harley-Davidson really has a few spinning plates on their hands.
Indian coming back into the fray doesn’t help either, as lead rider and GNC1 leader, Jared Mees has been testing the new Indian FTR750 and may make the jump to Indian as a rider on 2017.
Via an article on Pennlive.com by the Associated Press, the Company spokesman Michael DiMauro says about 1,300 union production employees at the York plant will remain after the 200 job cuts. He says the company is “getting closer to the final number.”
I was speaking to my co-worker about Harley-Davidson and the fact that they rely on sales of the touring line for their overall profit. These are bikes that start at $18,999 (Road King) and go up from there. In 2015 H-D experienced a 4.9% drop in EPS, and their net profit also dropped from $844.6M in 2014 to $752.2M for 2015. So far 2016 is following the trend with a 7.2% decrease in net profit for the first quarter, and they are down almost $20M compared to Q1 of last year. This is despite the numbers showing that unit sales are up 1.4% over Q1 of last year, suggesting that the cheaper models are selling better than the dressers, baggers, and trikes associated with Baby Boomers or aging consumers with established incomes.
The conclusion that I made with my co-worker is that they really need to rethink the product line-up, and keep marketing to hipsters and contractors. There’s still a market for Doctors or Lawyers, but it’s aging out and growing smaller. It should be noted that Honda also sells a Goldwing that retails for $30,000, but they also have sportbikes, MX, ADV/Dual sport, scooter, and ATV/SxS markets to lean on… not to mention generators, autos, and previously, water craft.

sources:
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/06/harley-davidson_lays_off_200_e.html
www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harley-davidson-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2015-results-300211052.html

From an article on Carscoops.com by Brad Anderson:
Honda has announced a $45 million investment into its South Carolina plant which will see the facility expand and add 250 new jobs.
The expansion will focus on the painting, welding, final assembly and material service areas and increase the footprint of the factory by 115,000 square feet.
Annually  the  factory produces about 266,000 Honda ATVs and almost 64,000 side-by-side vehicles, according to Carscoops.com
From an article in The L.A. Times by Charles Fleming:
Newcombs Ranch has made some policy changes recently that would put a smile on Steven Dubner and Robert Krulwich’s faces, but has left a sour taste in the mouth of weekend patrons. Newcombs Ranch is a restaurant and roadhouse that has been servicing travellers since1939. It’s located in the remote mountain range halfway between Los Angeles and Wrightwood in California, and as far as I know, it’s the only restaurant and watering hole in the hills up there.
Usually packed on the weekends, Newcombs Ranch is open for breakfast and lunch Thurs-Sun. Due to such large crowds on the weekends, they recently enacted some changes to offset the problems that crowds bring. Limited menu items, an 18% automatic gratuity, and charging for water are the main changes that have been brought to light in an L.A. Times article that was recently sent to me by our former news correspondent, Honee Bunz.
Here’s an explanation for the changes. Let’s start with the H₂O issue since it’s an issue for all of SoCal. Their water is supplied by an on-site well, and is usually not consumed when it’s provided for free. To counteract the waste, owner Fred Rundall started charging $1 for water. If you listen to Freakonomics, you’ll know that things that have at least $1 value assigned to them are perceived as more valuable than things that are given away for free. Therefore, if you really want or need water, a dollar probably doesn’t sound like too much. Then again, if other restaurants (who don’t rely on a local well, by the way) provide you water for free, you’re probably likely to feel like you’re getting ripped off or asked to pay an exuberant price. They also abbreviated the weekend menu choices, and this has put off some regulars. Not only have menu choices disappeared, but Rundall also decided not to offer decaffeinated coffee any longer. Why? Because according to the article in the L.A. Times, nobody asks for it.
Limiting the menu items may offer customers less meal options, but whether they know it or not, it also limits their wait times. With so many choices available and huge crowds of people ordering at the same time, you can imagine how long the small kitchen takes to get orders out.
By offering fewer choices, they can streamline the grill and get more of the same food cooked at the same time instead of managing 20 different small batch process meals. On a side note, they only do this on weekends, and after a certain number of patrons have entered the restaurant.
As for the 18% gratuity charge, it’s only applied on Sunday, which happens to be a very busy day for the ‘Ranch’…especially if there is MotoGP or MotoAmerica on the t.v.

Sources:
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-newcombs-ranch-changes-20160805-snap-story.html

EPAnnoying: Why is the EPA ruining our fun?

For Notes and writing on about this episode, click here.
There was a lot to write about!
This episode just touches on the EPA’s creation and founder. There was so much going on in the world politically that we could have gone down a rabbit hole. We tried to stay relevant to motorcycles and recreational land use.

That is also another topic that can be discussed at great length and spans centuries, so…. we won’t touch it just yet.

-Cheers!

Sources:
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/12/gallery-why-nixon-created-the-epa/67351/#slide1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon

http://todayinmotorcyclehistory.blogspot.com/2015_01_02_archive.html
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1969-1976/oil-embargo
http://thedollop.libsyn.com/167-the-history-of-ny-sanitation-with-guest-ronny-cheing

http://www.marketplace.org/2014/07/14/sustainability/we-used-be-china/la-smog-battle-against-air-pollution
http://www.zevfacts.com/zev-mandate.html
https://cqrcengage.com/amacycle/