http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1287
Toyota President Akio Toyoda apologised to US lawmakers probing the automaker's safety record and ended the day in tears, in what Japanese politicians hoped was a first step towards rebuilding trust in the country's most valuable company.
Toyoda, peppered with questions about a massive recall that has rocked Toyota's reputation, told lawmakers he was "deeply sorry" for accidents and injuries involving its cars.
He said Toyota had lost its way during a period of fast growth but vowed to steer it back to the values that made it a watchword for quality.
Cheered by Toyota plant workers and dealers at an event organized by the automaker on Wednesday evening in Washington, Toyoda broke into tears under a giant display bearing the name of the company that his legendary grandfather founded.
"I believe that Toyota has always worked for the benefit of the United States," Toyoda said. "I tried to convey that message from the heart, but whether it was broadly understood or not, I don't know."
He also offered a sober assessment of the challenges still ahead: "We at Toyota are at a crossroad. We need to rethink everything about our operation."
Toyoda's appearance in Washington marked a dramatic peak in a safety crisis that broke a month ago with a series of recalls over unintended acceleration and braking problems that now include more than 8.5m vehicles globally.
Politicians in Japan are worried about the potential fallout from the crisis. Toyota, with a market value of about $125bn, is at the the heart of a massive supplier network that is vital to the economy's health.
Investors, who have knocked about $30bn of its market value in the past month, appeared to view Toyoda's hearing as a step forward. Toyota's stock rose 0.6% in Tokyo, outperforming a slight fall in the broader market.
"It was good that the Toyota president himself appeared before the panel and testified," Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told reporters in Tokyo on Thursday.
"I don't think this marks the end of everything. He spoke of working to make improvements. This is a matter involving cars, that affects people's lives, so the important thing is pay close attention to safety and to fulfil its aim to make improvements where they are needed. I'm hopeful and I think they will do so."
Japanese Trade Minister Masayuki Naoshima said Toyota's problems could have an impact on the image of Japanese products and that he wanted the car maker to win back consumer trust.
Electronics probed
The costs of the recall are set to grow with an agreement with New York state to speed customer repairs and provide alternative transportation, a pact likely to expand to other states.
Toyoda's efforts to reassure U.S. officials and consumers were undercut by a confrontation over a 2009 memo in which Toyota boasts of saving $100m by persuading safety regulators to accept a relatively cheap recall of floor mats implicated in the unintended acceleration.
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who preceded Toyoda before the committee, simply labeled recalled Toyota vehicles as "not safe."
Dressed in a gray, pinstriped suit, Toyoda said he, more than anyone, wanted Toyota cars to be safe. "My name is on every car," he said in English before using an interpreter to answer questions.
But Toyoda rejected the possibility that some of the acceleration problems are in the electronics rather than the recalled sticky accelerator mechanisms and floor mats that can trap the accelerator pedal.
Chris Gidez, director of risk management and crisis communications at Hill & Knowlton, said Toyoda gets points for coming from Japan to testify and judgments will not be made in just one hearing. "This is going to be a marathon for Toyota."
Five deaths
The unintended acceleration problems have been linked to five US deaths, with 29 other fatality reports being examined by US authorities.
Representative Paul Kanjorski, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, warned Toyoda that his company would have to pay for the deaths and injuries as U.S. lawsuits mount. "You will be called upon to pay compensation," Kanjorski said.
Rep. John Mica, a Florida Republican, called it an embarrassing day for regulators and for Toyota.
"I'm embarrassed for you, sir," Mica told Toyota's North American President Yoshimi Inaba, who was testifying with Toyoda. "I'm embarrassed for the thousands of Americans who work at 10 plants across the United States."
Toyota now faces a criminal investigation and a securities probe in the US as well as unresolved questions about hundreds of incidents of unintended acceleration reported by consumers.
The FBI raided the Detroit operations of three Japanese suppliers of electronic components to the auto industry on Wednesday. Denso Corp confirmed the raids were unrelated to the Toyota recalls.
Toyota has promised internal reforms, including a new committee on safety chaired by Toyoda himself.
Jim Press, a former North American chief for Toyota who left in 2007, said the company had become dominated by "anti-family, financially oriented pirates" and needed Toyoda at the helm.
"Akio Toyoda is not only up for the job, but he is the only person who can save Toyota," Press wrote in an e-mail to industry publication Automotive News.
Toyoda, who took just a few questions from reporters, only appeared to relax at the evening rally organised for Toyota dealers and workers.
One woman who works in a Toyota plant in Alabama, building engines, asked what she could do to help the company in its crisis. "Let's make a better car," Toyoda said, breaking into English.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hummer sale to Chinese collapses
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Yet another part of GM's fire sale to get rid of non-core brands has collapsed. A deal by GM to sell Hummer to China-based Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery has been cancelled after months of negotiations.
As a result, the Hummer brand will be wound down completely. Its remaining stock of under 2,500 units will be sold off, with warranties guaranteed by GM, and as many as 3,650 jobs in Indiana, Louisiana, and Michigan will likely be eliminated.
The two sides have been working in earnest since last summer, when GM announced they had a buyer for Hummer one day after their 2009 bankruptcy filing. Few details of the agreement have leaked out since, but it is believed the marque was sold for $150 million.
However, the Chinese company needed regulatory approval from China's national government, who declined the transaction in an ongoing effort to encourage smaller fuel efficient vehicles. "Tengzhong is disappointed that the transaction cannot be further pursued, but the company respects the outcome," the company said in a statement. "Tengzhong worked earnestly to achieve an acquisition that it believed to be a tremendous opportunity to acquire a global brand at an attractive price."
General Motors has failed in its attempt to sell Saturn and Opel/Vauxhall. The deal to sell Swedish brand Saab to Dutch supercar maker Spyker closed yesterday after months of turmoil.
"We are disappointed that the deal with Tengzhong could not be completed," said GM Vice President John Smith. "GM will now work closely with Hummer employees, dealers and suppliers to wind down the business in an orderly and responsible manner."
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GMSA unaffected by Hummer demise
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1289
The announcement by General Motors that it will wind-down the Hummer brand will have no impact on General Motors' operations in South Africa.
In a statement on Thursday, GMSA said while it no longer distributed and sold Hummer vehicles, it remained fully committed to looking after its customers.
"Hummer customers can be assured that we will continue to offer full after sales support and that we will honour all warranty agreements," GMSA spokeswoman Denise van Huyssteen said.
She said that GMSA halted Hummer H3 production in May 2009 and the process of consolidating manufacturing operations at the Struandale production facility had commenced.
On Wednesday, GMSA's parent company in the United States said the deal to sell Hummer to a Chinese automaker had fallen through, forcing the company to shut down the loss-making brand.
Hummer is the third brand that GM has had to wind-down following its bankruptcy.
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R5.5 billion for Gauteng's roads
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About R5.5 billion has been committed towards the construction and upgrading of roads in Gauteng, the provincial department of roads and transport said on Wednesday.
MEC Bheki Nkosi said in a statement that his department had entered into a partnership with its private sector partners, in which the money was committed to road works over the next five years.
"This plan will yield the construction and maintenance of 1 500km of provincial roads," he said.
By the end of this financial year, the department would have upgraded 80km of roads in Sharpeville, Refiloe, Mamelodi, Atteridgeville, Kagiso, Katlehong, Mohlakeng and Orlando.
The roads in these areas had been upgraded from gravel to tar, with the installation of storm water drainage systems.
Nkosi said the department will also construct pavements on high volume pedestrian roads within the 20 prioritised townships.
New number plates
The department also intended ensuring that at least 200 000 vehicles had the new aluminium number plates with security features by the end of October 2010.
This would partly involve a roll call of all vehicles in Gauteng to ensure that they were properly registered and licensed.
Nkosi said plans to root out corruption in driver's license testing centres were also underway with the installation of high-tech testing systems across Gauteng to reduce the dominance of human factors in test outcomes.
The department also planned to expand its centres for service delivery by entering into service level agreements with the South African post office on driver's license renewal sites.
Roads ready by April 2010
Meanwhile, Nkosi said the key strategic road network for smooth travel during the 2010 Fifa World Cup would be ready by the end of April.
These roads included the K29 Malibongwe Drive upgrade, which links Lanseria Airport with Johannesburg and Pretoria.
The upgrading of the Albertina Sisulu highway, which is a crucial gateway into the province from OR Tambo International Airport, would also be completed by the end of April 2010.
Nkosi said the department would complete the beautification of this route at the same time as the upgrading.
He also mentioned that the Gautrain project's phase one, which is the link between Sandton and the OR Tambo International Airport, was expected to be completed by June 2010.
"This presentation becomes our 2010/11 service delivery map for each of the programmes highlighted by the premier during her state of the province address on Monday," Nkosi said.
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2011 Porsche Cayenne Official Photos and Details
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Porsche will put the next generation Porsche Cayenne for sale in Europe on May 8. This will follow the SUV's world debut in Geneva next week, and its North American debut at the New York International Auto Show at the end of March.
U.S. customers wanting to pick up the S or the Turbo will have to wait until July. The Cayenne and Cayenne S Hybrid will not hit the North American market until the fall. Each of these will be released as a 2011 model.
Porsche will use a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 221 kW for the entry level model. The S-badged SUV uses a 4.8-liter V8 engine producing 294 kW, while the Cayenne Turbo uses the same engine with an additional twin-turbo unit. With the turbo, it produces 368 kW. Both V8 versions use 23% less fuel than the last version, while the V6 uses 20% less.
Meanwhile, the Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid makes use of a supercharged 245 kW 3.0-liter V6 engine and a 34 kW electric motor, to boost output to 279 kW and up to 580 Nm of torque at 1,000 rpm. The hybrid is capable of short all-electric drives at speeds up to 64 km/h. Fuel economy was not revealed, though it produces just 193 grams of CO2 per kilometer. This makes the Cayenne S Hybrid the cleanest Porsche vehicle in their current catalogue.
Look for the next-generation Porsche Cayenne to have an available eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission, start/stop, and significant weight savings. This can be seen on the Cayenne S which is 181 kg lighter than the current version.
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2011 VW CrossGolf Receives Facelift
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Volkswagen has announced a third world debut slated for the Geneva Motor Show. The company will introduce a new version of the Volkswagen CrossGolf at next week's automotive showcase.
Although the company refers to this as "the second generation CrossGolf," in reality the car represents little more than a facelift. Freshened up styling follows "the new Volkswagen Design DNA," and brings the car up to date with recent VW releases. The car features new front bumper, grille, integrated fog lights, and more. The car rides 20 mm higher, and on 17-inch alloy wheels, to allow for light off-roading.
When the facelifted Volkswagen CrossGolf comes to market in April, it will be available with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, which are both direct-injection and turbocharged. The five engines are topped by a 1.4-liter TSI produces about 118 kW and up to 240Nm, while the 2.0-liter TDI produces 103 kW and up to 320 Nm of torque.
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Toyota suppliers raided by FBI
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Toyota is unwittingly in bad headlines once again after three of its suppliers were raided by FBI agents on Tuesday. Denso, Yazaki and Tokai Rika had their offices searched by the law enforcement officers in what has been described as an investigation concerning anti-trust issues.
"The anti-trust division is investigating the possibility of anti-competitive cartel conduct of automotive electronic components suppliers," said Gina Talamona, deputy director of public affairs for the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. "We are coordinating with the European Commission and other foreign competition authorities."
Toyota is aware of the investigations. Denso supplies Toyota with a number of components, including accelerator pedal mechanisms, but says this particular investigation is unrelated to that matter. A Denso spokesperson also said the pedal module her company produces for Toyota is not a subject of the current recall which has seen up to 4.8 million vehicles being recalled.
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Switzer Details P800 Tuning Package for 911 Turbo
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Porsche developed their variable-vane "VTG" turbo technology to spool more quickly than conventional turbochargers, making their latest 997 Turbo models respond more like the naturally-aspirated V8 and V12 competition from Ferrari, Aston Martin, and others.
"When I first saw the new variable-vane technology the 997 Turbos, I was impressed," explains Tym Switzer. "The more I looked at the VTGs, though, when we flow-tested them and really started putting them to work, I began to realize that it would feasible to develop a turbocharger package that could match the VTG's responsiveness while out-performing them in the midrange and top end. That we were able to develop this package so quickly is a direct result of the incredible progress in aftermarket turbo technology that has taken place over the last few years. Our technology partners can deliver exactly the turbos we need to achieve the performance targets we specify for a given build - and we work together closely to achieve those targets with more run-after-run consistency than a factory VTG-based turbo can provide."
If Tym's name seems familiar, it's because Switzer Performance (the Ohio-based tuning firm that carries his name) has been making big waves in the tuning industry since their clients in Russia, the MidEast, and other world markets began posting videos of their match races all over YouTube last summer.
"We know a bit about making real-world power," adds Tym, "and once we decided to go beyond 515 kW with the efficiencies required for maximum consistency, reliability, and throttle-response, we realized it was time to move away from the VTGs, which are on the living edge at 552 kW and well beyond their practical, everyday limits."
Common internet wisdom holds that turbocharged engines are exercises in compromise. You can have quick-spooling turbos, and you can have turbos that pull hard to redline, but not both. Switzer's views on the matter? "While incredibly responsive, the VTGs do suffer from some weaknesses when the performance bar is raised significantly." Pointing to torque and horsepower curves that match the factory VTGs in initial spool up, then run away from the VTGs all the way to the P800's new 7500 rpm redline. "With the new P800, you can really have the cake and eat it, too, in a car that you can drive back and forth to the office without drama, and it will still deliver an incredible rush at the track."
First announced in August 2009, Switzer's P800 package for the 997 Turbo includes Switzer's competition-style exhaust and headers, electronic boost control, Switzer-specific TiAL Alpha turbochargers, MONSTER intercoolers, and an ECU software tune to bring it all together in a package that drives like a stock 997 TT ... until the go-pedal hits the floor. "The great thing about this package is that the power delivery is more linear than with the VTGs, so the P800 car is actually smoother than the factory TT, without any of the oscillation you get periodically from the DME's dynamic control of the vane mechanism on the VTG," explains Tym. "This is a great example of our tuning philosophy: we're not about peak power, we're about best power."
The P800 package is available now through Switzer Performance dealers.
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2011 Nissan Navara and Pathfinder Facelifts
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Nissan says the Navara has been Europe's best-selling pickup since its launch. It wants to keep that going by making the car and its SUV sibling more attractive.
Exterior changes include new front bumpers that give an extra 80mm to both vehicles, a new bonnet, a revised front grille, new headlamp styling and a different rear bumper. Also on offer are new 18-inch wheels to compliment existing ones.
The interior benefits from revised door trims, more tactile armrests and door pads, redesigned dials, the addition of chrome highlights and a new all-wheel-drive command control switch for the Pathfinder. Other nice items include the Nissan Connect Premium with a new high resolution touch screen, a 40GB hard drive and an optional Bose sound system.
Big news on the engine front is the new 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel developed in cooperation with partner Renault. It makes 170kW and peak torque of 550Nm from 1700rpm up to 2500rpm. Nissan says 500Nm is already on tap from 1500rpm.
The 2.5-litre dCi also went to engineering for some extra beef. Power has been upped to 140kW and torque is now 450Nm. It delivers an average of 8.5l/100km while C02 emissions are rated at 224 g/km.
Nissan unveils the facelift Navara and Pathfinder at Geneva 2010 and European sales start in April. Sales of models fitted with the V6 diesel only start around June.
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VW Golf V R32 with 202 kW by Senner Tuning
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Senner Tuning has a new package available for the Golf V R32.
The Ingelheim-based tuner starts things off with a power boost of 18 kW, dialing the R32 up to 202 kW and 339 Nm of torque. That power upgrade comes by way of a BMC Carbon Airbox, a stainless steel sport exhaust system, and, of course, a little ECU tuning.
The package also supplies the R32 with a new sport suspension - a B16 PSS10 - that can adjust compression and absorption rates. Senner Tuning also includes 3-piece alloy 20-inch rims - 8.5x20s for the front and 9.0x20s for the rear - fitted with Dunlop Sport Maxx tires (235/30 R20). Rounding out the undercarriage tuning are cross-drilled brake disks (heat treated) and performance brake pads.
For the body Senner Tuning provides a set of carbon fiber parts - front grill inserts, a roof spoiler, a rear diffuser and side-mirror housings. The R32 also gets LED daytime running lights in the air intake pockets of the bumper fascia.
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2011 BMW X5 Facelift with M Sport Package
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After more than a year of spy photos BMW finally revealed the X5 facelift. Set for launch this spring, the new X5 will feature more powerful engines as well as a distinctive new look. Additionally this M Sports package will be available to buyers at the same time as the standard facelift vehicles.
The package features 19-inch M light alloy wheels with a V-spoke design as standard, while 20-inch types can be had as options. The tailpipes included with the package are the trapezoid-shaped ones found in the normal X5 xDrive50i and are fitted for the "smaller" 6-cylinder models this time.
An M Aerodynamic package, M door sills and Individual roof rails in satin-finish chrome also form part of the new package. Sensors for the Park Distance Control and the new Side View system are integrated in the bumpers so customers don't lose those safety aspects.
The two front occupants will enjoy electrically-adjustable sports seats while the driver also gets to play with an M leather steering wheel. Check out the press release below for more details.
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Lawyers take on Road Accident Fund
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The Law Society of SA (LSSA) plans to challenge the Road Accident Fund Amendment Act's constitutionality in the High Court in Pretoria on Monday, a spokeswoman said on Thursday.
Barbara Whittle said the LSSA, joined by 10 other applicants, believed the act was unconstitutional as it removed road accident victims' common-law right to claim for fair compensation from the wrongdoer.
It also provided that only persons who suffered from "serious" injuries were entitled to claim general damages from the Road Accident Fund (RAF).
This excluded many claimants who might have suffered severely debilitating injuries from qualifying from claiming any compensation for pain and suffering and disfigurement from the RAF.
Claims capped
The act also capped a claimants claim against the RAF for past and future loss of income or support to R160 000 per year and restricted compensation for emergency treatment to a reduced tariff.
"(This) will be insufficient reasonably to ensure that accident victims will obtain emergency medical care where they need it," said Whittle.
In addition to this, the act limited claims for hospital and medical care to provincial hospital tariffs.
"This breaches road accident victims' right to security of their person, the right to an appropriate and effective remedy for breaches of that right, as well as the obligation of the state to respect, protect, promote and fulfil those rights," said Whittle.
Violates constitution
Whittle said the LSSA would submit the act was in violation of section 38 of the Constitution.
"No justification has been given for the deprivation or limitation of these rights and this is accordingly not justifiable in an open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom," she said.
The case is expected to start with applications by the ministers of health and finance to intervene as parties on the side of the respondents, the minister of transport and the Road Accident Fund.
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Yamaha launches R1200 GS slayer
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After much anticipation Yamaha has just released the first photos and specs of the company’s BMW R1200 GS rivalling 2010 XT1200Z Ténéré. Yamaha first showed the XT1200Z as a concept at the 2009 Toyko Motor Show when they unveiled a skeletal metal frame wrapped up in Bedouin-like cloth. Now, at last, the wraps have properly come off.
Powered by a 1,1199cm3 parallel twin (boasting 80.9kW and torque of 114.1Nm which is much on par with the BMW R1200 GS), the XT1200Z shares a lot of its technological innovation with Yamaha’s R1 supersport bike – most notably its crossplane crankshaft.
Whereas two cylinder engines with a flat plane crankshaft fires at consistently equal intervals, the crossplane crankshaft fires two cylinders at the normal intervals, and the next two straight after one another. Put differently, if a traditional four cylinder’s rhythm were played on a drum its beat would be “one, two, three, four” with combustion occurring on each number. The XT1200Z engine’s beat would be “one, two, three, one, two, one, one, two” with combustion taking place on each of the “one” beats.
By firing two cylinders in such short succession it essentially creates one long blast. What this means for you as a rider is that there is virtually no sluggishness in the delivery of torque and there is a very direct and linear connection between the throttle and the rear wheel (via an all-new shaft drive).
To help get the maximum power from the inline twin engine to the road (or washed out trail if that is more your bag), the XT1200Z has been treated to a three-mode traction control system which can easily be turned off when it’s time for some rear wheel steering on a loose surface.
The traction control module measures front and rear wheel speed, uses this data to determine when the rear wheel loses traction, and then modulates the ignition timing, the fuel injection and the ride-by-wire system to optimise rear grip.
ABS comes standard as part of the Ténéré’s electronic Unified Brake System which is “one of the most advanced braking systems Yamaha has ever built”. Unfortunately the ABS system cannot be switched off (unlike the traction control) as is possible on BMW’s GS bikes.
Still, the Super Ténéré is very much a go-anywhere adventure machine with spoked wheels, generous ground clearance and tough engine protection. The entire design is tuned to keep the bike’s mass low and central for perfect balance and light, agile handling at speed, and the riding position has been optimised for sitting or standing.
There is no doubt that the Super Ténéré is squarely aimed at the popular dual-purpose market that BMW has been successfully hogging for the last decade. This Yamaha has a much stronger off-road focus than competitors like the Triumph Tiger and Suzuki V-Strom and its built on a very firm Ténéré heritage which Yamaha established in the ’80s and ’90s.
Would you trade your 1200 GS in for a new XT1200Z?
Yamaha XT1200Z Super Ténéré Specifications
Engine:
Type: Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, inline 2-cylinder, 4-valve, fuel injected, twin spark engine
Displacement: 1199cm3
Bore x stroke: 98 x 79.5 mm
Compression ratio: 11.0:1
Firing intervals: 270- and 450-degree points
Max. Power: 80.9kW @7,250rpm
Max. Torque: 114.1 Nm @6,000 rpm
Lubrication system: Dry sump
Fuel supply system: Fuel Injection
Clutch type: Wet, multiple-disc diaphragm spring
Ignition system: Twin spark
Starter system: Electric
Transmission system: Constant mesh, 6-speed
Final transmission: Shaft
Throttle system: Yamaha Chip-Controlled Throttle (YCC-T)
Yamaha D-MODE: 2 modes, Sport (S) and Touring (T)
Traction control: 3 modes, TCS1, TCS2 and OFF
Exhaust System: 2-into-1
Chasis:
Frame: Steel tube backbone
Front suspension: Upside-down telescopic fork, 43 mm inner tube, adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping
Front wheel travel: 190 mm
Rear suspension: Monoshock, adjustable preload and rebound damping
Rear wheel travel: 190 mm
Front brake: Hydraulic Twin 310 mm wave discs, ABS/Unified Brake System
Rear brake: Hydraulic Single 282 mm wave disc
Front tyre: 110/80/19
Rear tyre: 150/70/17
Dimensions
Overall length: 2,250 mm
Overall width: 980 mm
Overall height: 1,410 mm
Seat height: Adjustable 845-870 mm
Wheelbase: 1,540 mm
Min. ground clearance: 205 mm
Wet weight: 261 kg (includes full oil and fuel tank):
Fuel capacity: 23 litres
Oil capacity: 4.2 litres
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