“Steven Cole Smith AUTOMOTIVE - Orlando Sentinel” plus 4 more

Steven Cole Smith AUTOMOTIVE - Orlando Sentinel
Text size - Chicago Tribune
5 New Middleweight Cruiser Motorcycles: Comparison Test - Popular Mechanics
Groppetti tries new approach for motorcycle sales in Visalia - Visalia Times-Delta
State vies for Harley-Davidson site - Indianapolis Star

Steven Cole Smith AUTOMOTIVE - Orlando Sentinel

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 06:51 PM PDT

Steven Cole Smith AUTOMOTIVE

August 23, 2009

Ten years ago, Honda launched the S2000, a surprisingly traditional sports car from an untraditional company. The S2000 was rear-wheel drive, had a high-revving little engine and came only with a manual transmission. It was built in the image of the great old European sports cars, but it started every day and didn't leak oil.

Ten years before that, Mazda used that same philosophy for the Miata and still does. Honda figured there was a niche to be filled just up from the Miata. The S2000 was seven inches longer, two inches taller, more powerful and more expensive.

While the Miata survives, the 2009 model year is the last for the Honda S2000. Sales — never robust, but Honda never intended the S2000 to be a volume car — have tapered off to the point where the company figures it just wasn't worth building it anymore, and the fact that Honda sold only 68 of them in the U.S. in July supports that theory.

Even so, the S2000 remains one of the most invigorating, fun-to-drive cars you can buy at any price. The six-speed manual transmission is simply the best there is. Handling is taut, braking is strong and linear, and even though the 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine is rated at just 237 horsepower, it feels like a hundred more.

From the outside, the 2009 S2000 looks remarkably like that original 2000 model, and inside, changes have been similarly minor. The cockpit is snug but not cramped, though the seat doesn't go back far enough to suit drivers who are much more than 6 feet tall. Trunk space is shallow but adequate.

The original S2000's 2.0-liter engine revved to a motorcycle-like 9,000 rpm, which made in-town driving seem a little frantic. Several years ago Honda increased engine size to 2.2 liters, and while they actually trimmed the horsepower by three, it increased the torque, which is the measure of pulling power. Bottom line: You don't have to rev the engine as much to get going.

Fuel mileage, EPA-rated at 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, isn't bad for a car that is as much as home on a race track as it is on the road. But be aware that this is a genuine two-seater — if it won't fit in the trunk, it isn't going with you.

Base price of the S2000 is $34,995, but that's with every major feature offered except for a removable hard top, which adds $3,569 if you want one. I don't. This is a car to be driven with the top down, stereo off, preferably on twisty back roads that require a lot of shifting.

Fun? We don't talk about that so much anymore, but the S2000 delivers. For a little while longer, at least.

2009 Honda S2000
Base price: $34,995
Price as tested: $36,112
EPA rating: 18 miles per gallon city driving, 25 mpg highway
Details: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car with a 2.2-liter, 237-horsepower four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual transmission.

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Text size - Chicago Tribune

Posted: 22 Aug 2009 06:53 AM PDT

DOWNERS GROVE CAR SHOWS Friday Night Classic Car Shows return to downtown Downers Grove through Sept. 4. From 6 to 9 p.m. each Friday, cars will be on display on Main Street from Maple to Franklin. The August-September schedule is Fins, Aug. 28; and Award Winners, Sept. 4. Admission is free. Call 630-725-0991 or visit www.downtowndg.org.

WOMEN AND CYCLING The American Motorcyclist Association hosts its fifth International Women & Motorcycling Conference Aug. 19 through 22 in Keystone, Colo. Seminars include solo riding and touring, preparing for the ride and survival skills. Registration is $165 through Aug. 3, and $185 afterward. Visit www.womenandmotorcycling.com or call 800-AMA-JOIN (262-5646).

KIDSWORK POKER RUN The second annual KidsWork Poker Run and post-run party will be held Aug. 22. Registration opens at 10 a.m. at Chi-Town Harley-Davidson, 17801 S. La Grange Rd., Tinley Park, with the first bikes out at 11 a.m. Fee is $20 per rider and $10 per passenger. A post-run party from 3 to 7 p.m. will be held at Old Plank Trail Tavern, 113 Kansas St., Frankfort. Admission is $10. Proceeds benefit the KidsWork Children's Museum in Frankfort. E-mail julesburns@comcast.net, call Julie McDermed at 815-806-9506 or visit www.kidswork childrensmuseum.org.

DAY OUT WITH THOMAS Thomas the Tank Engine comes to the Illinois Railway Museum 22-23. Visitors age 2 and older will be able to take a 20-minute ride on a train pulled by Thomas. Tickets are $18. Hours at the museum in Union are 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit www.irm.org or call 815-923-4000 or 800-BIG-RAIL (244-7245).

MIDWEST TREFFEN The Chicago Volkswagen Organization hosts its 13th annual Midwest Treffen Aug. 22-23 at Oakton Community College, Des Plaines. The Autocross for VW and Audi cars starts with registration at 7:30 a.m. Aug. 22. Fee is $30. Fee for the car show from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 23 is $10 for club members and $20 for non-members. Spectator parking is $2 with the proceeds going to charity. Visit www. midwesttreffen.com.

MOOSEHEART BENEFIT Crazy T's of Northern Illinois Car Club is hosting a benefit car show Aug. 23 at the Mooseheart Child City and School, Ill. 31 and Randall Road, Batavia. The show, for everything from original cars to specialty vehicles to motorcycles, opens at 8 a.m. with registration, and trophies will be awarded at 3 p.m. Fee is $15; spectators are free. Visit www.crazyts.com or e-mail ritom15@yahoo.com.

MILITARY AIR SHOW The Palos Radio Control Flying Club hosts its annual Military Air Show Aug. 23. The free show, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 107th Street and La Grange Road, in Palos Hills, will feature pilots flying their radio-control World War II Warbirds. The planes will line up on the runway for spectator inspection at noon. Visit www.palosrc.com or e-mail dennis@palosrc.com.

BUG-A-PALOOZA Harsh Winters Volkswagen Club presents Bug-A-Palooza 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug 23. The all-VW show at D'Arcy Volkswagen, 2521 W Jefferson St., Joliet, will include a swap. Car and swap spaces are $10 each with proceeds benefiting Gigi's Playhouse, a Down Syndrome awareness center. Spectator admission is free. Visit www.harshwintersvw.com.

CRUZ-IN A Cruz-In is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 29 at Rockenbach Chevrolet in Grayslake. The free event is open to classic and performance cars. Call 847-752-6233.

MILK PAIL CAR SHOW The 11th annual Milk Pail Classic Car Show is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 30 at the restaurant on Ill. 25 just north of I-90 in Elgin. More than 200 cars are expected. Fee to show a car is $3. Spectator admission is free. Call 847-428-4693.

AUBURN CORD DUESENBERG BENEFIT The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum hosts its annual benefit dinner Sept. 3. The event, which starts at 6 p.m. in the museum in Auburn, Ind., will include silent and live auctions. Tickets are $125 each and are available by calling Jan Schippers at 260-925-1444. Visit www.automobilemuseum.org.

STEAM AND POWER SHOW The Hesston Steam Museum hosts its annual Steam and Power Show Sept. 4 through 7. The show, at the museum in LaPorte, Ind., features steam powered farm machinery and antique cars. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and free for kids 12 and younger. Train Fares are $5 for adults and $3 for kids 12 and younger. Seniors get half-price rides on Fridays. Visit hesston.org.

FIRST CHURCH CAR SHOW The 7th annual First Church Car Show is set for Sept. 5 at 127th Street and Bell Road, Lemont. (Rain date Sept. 14.) The show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. is open to all cars. Entry fee is $15, and spectator admission is free. E-mail TRMRACING@aol.com or call 708-460-1755.

SKIP'S GRAFFITI GOLD The 25th annual Skip's Graffiti Gold Car Show is set for Sept. 6 at the new Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake. The show, swap and corral will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and $2 for kids 6-11. Vendor spaces are $35, show cars $10-$15 and corral spots $25. Visit www.skipsusa.com or call 630-340-4744.

SCORE RALLYE The SCORE Rallye Team presents a gimmick car rallye Sept. 12. The event begins with registration at 6 p.m. at the Firestone Auto Center at Woodfield Mall, off Golf Road between Ill. 53 and Meacham Road. Fee is $15, with the first cars out at 7:15. Call 773-493-2517 or e-mail road-rallye@sbcglobal.net.

FALL CAR CORRAL Volo Auto Museum hosts its Fall Expo and Car Corral, open to 225 cars, Sept. 12. Registration is required for the free event, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 815-385-3644 or visit www.volocars.com.

DEERFIELD CAR SHOW The Deerfield Area Historical Society holds its annual Fallfest and Car Show Sept. 13. All show-quality cars from the 1970s and earlier are welcome from noon to 4 p.m. at the Historical Village. No registration is required, and admission is free. Contact scramer724@yahoo.com or 847-948-0680.

BRITISH CAR FEST The British Car Union hosts its 23nd annual Chicagoland British Car Festival Sept. 13 at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines. The festival, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., is open to all British marques, from Austin to Zephyr. Registration is $20 through Aug. 21 and $25 at the gate. Spectator admission is free. British motorcycles also will be on display. Visit www.britishcarunion.com or e-mail qualitas.jack@gmail.com.

BOULEVARD LAKEFRONT TOUR Registration is open for the annual Boulevard Lakefront Tour Sept. 13. Bicyclists can experience Daniel Burnham's dream on four routes: the 62-mile Ultimate Neighborhood, 35-mile Boulevard Tour Ride, 27-mile Beverly Cruise and 15-mile South Side Ramble. All routes s begin and end at the Midway Plaisance. Registration is $30, $25 for Active Transportation Alliance members and $12 for kids 17 and younger. Visit www.boulevardtour.org or call 312-427-3325, ext. 251.

CRUISE THE BACKLOT Downtown Skokie's Cruise the Backlot events are set for Sept. 16. The free cruise runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on the Village Green (parking lot between Village Hall and library. Visit www.cruisethebacklot.com.

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5 New Middleweight Cruiser Motorcycles: Comparison Test - Popular Mechanics

Posted: 19 Aug 2009 07:33 AM PDT

Motorcycles have an alter ego. On the outside, a husky cruiser bike may look like the two-wheel equivalent of a gas-guzzling muscle car. But despite the big chrome pipes, fat rear tire and bulging V-twin engine, bikes are fantastically fuel-efficient machines.

Even the heaviest, most powerful models deliver hybridlike economy. The smallest ones sip fuel at a pace that would make a Prius owner jealous. So a cool-looking, fun-to-ride cruiser can become a very unlikely and appealing alternative to a hybrid. Who says motorcycles are just weekend fun?

The best-selling of these fuel-efficient cruisers live in the rather nebulous middleweight class. Broadly ranging from 500 cc to 1000 cc, these bikes all pack traditional V-twin engines, pumped-up styling and loads of comfort. The middleweights are lighter, lower and much easier to ride than the big boys. So they won't overwhelm first-time riders. Yet many are rewarding enough for old pros, too. Best of all, these bikes are some of the sweetest bargains in motorcycling.

We gathered up five middleweight contenders from Yamaha (Star), Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki, and rode them nearly 350 miles through some of Southern California's best roads and worst traffic. Professional rider Danny Coe ran each bike through our battery of acceleration and braking tests at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona. And we brought along a seasoned passenger to test each bike's capability for two-up touring. Often it takes big torque to turn our heads. But in this test, we found that the smaller bikes had enough power, efficiency and comfort to impress.

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Groppetti tries new approach for motorcycle sales in Visalia - Visalia Times-Delta

Posted: 17 Aug 2009 04:46 PM PDT

Don Groppetti is trying a new way to sell motorcycles.

His Kawasaki motorcycle dealership at 730 E. Mineral King Ave. in Visalia will hold its first-ever liquidation auction from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. About 100 motorcycles, quads, SUVs, scooters and watercraft will be available, and Groppetti said he's willing to take losses to get the cash flowing.

"We just have a little extra inventory," said Groppetti, owner of Groppetti Automotive.

Most models will be 2008, Groppetti said, but some 2006 models will be included.

"Motorcycles are different than cars in that there's not much distinction between model years," he said. "So, in a lot of cases, there's little or no change [from one year to the next]."

A preview is planned for 8 to 10:30 a.m. Friday at the showroom on Mineral King Avenue. A second preview will be held from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

The auction begins at 11 a.m.

No bids will be taken ahead of time, but an auction Web site has been set up at www.GAMotorSportsAuction.com with reduced pricing, he said. Though financing will be available at the auction, Groppetti said he's "hoping to bring some cash buyers out."

"The motorcycle business is not much different than the car business, and financing is a challenge," he said. "It has certainly taken its toll on traffic."

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State vies for Harley-Davidson site - Indianapolis Star

Posted: 20 Aug 2009 07:03 AM PDT

Indiana is trying to edge out Kentucky and Tennessee and land a Harley-Davidson motorcycle assembly plant that could employ at least 1,000 workers.

Economic development leaders in Indiana have met with executives of the motorcycle company and touted the state's pro-business tax climate, a state official confirmed Wednesday.

Harley-Davidson, based in Milwaukee, has told Pennsylvania union officials that it has begun to study the future for its aged production complex at York, Pa.

The company, the nation's premier motorcycle maker, employs 2,800 in a complex about 200 miles west of Philadelphia that accounts for more than half of its motorcycle output.

Relocating part or all of the complex to Indiana could be the state's largest industrial windfall since Honda opened in October in Greensburg with 900 workers on its Civic assembly line.

Harley-Davidson officials appear to be interested in Indiana sites that include property in Shelby County northwest of Shelbyville along I-74, said an Indiana businessman familiar with the state's economic development activities.

In Shelby County, economic development official Dan Theobald said no company identified as Harley-Davidson is considering the area for a project.

It is not unusual for county leaders to work with anonymous prospects whose names are divulged only after they are certain the site is suitable for a plant.

In Pennsylvania, the York Daily Record reported Harley-Davidson officials confirmed sites in Shelbyville, Ky., and Murfreesboro, Tenn., and that two unidentified states are being considered.

The project appears almost certain to produce offers for heavy tax incentives from politicians eager to land the jobs. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has committed $15 million and promised more to secure jobs in York.

Incentives for large automotive plants have ranged from $168,600 per worker at Mercedes' Alabama plant to $55,000 at the Subaru plant that opened in 1989 in Lafayette. Incentives consist largely of training grants, tax breaks and, especially, government-funded road, water and rail upgrades. Incentives at Honda Greensburg totaled $70,750 per worker based on the addition of a second shift bringing employment to 2,050.

By that measure, a motorcycle plant with 1,000 workers could get incentives of about $70 million.

Harley-Davidson officials have put little emphasis on securing incentives from Pennsylvania but insist the York complex's future hinges on cutting production costs.

Earlier this year, the company disclosed a "two-path" study that will consider relocating work or revamping York. The study is under way. Much of the complex dates to a World War II bomb-making facility that is regarded as less efficient than modern industrial plants.

The company also has approached International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 175, which represents most workers in the plant, about changing work rules and encouraging less absenteeism.

Local 175 won a 12 percent pay raise over three years after a two-week strike in 2007 that disrupted the company's other production operations at Milwaukee and Kansas City, Mo.