plus 4, Berks man becomes fastest on two wheels - Mercury

Berks man becomes fastest on two wheels - Mercury
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly in the Car Industry - Resonator - European Car Magazine
Thank-You Notes - Battle Creek Enquirer
A sound measure for cycle noise - Chicago Tribune
Ultimate Finish - Winner of UK BizRate® Circle of Excellence Award - PRWeb

Berks man becomes fastest on two wheels - Mercury

Posted: 01 Nov 2009 03:11 AM PST

By Phil Ellingsworth Jr., Journal Register News Service

Chris Carr, of Fleetwood, recently broke a land speed record on a specially designed motorcycle. Carr holds up a picture of himself in the bike on the salt flats in Utah. Photo by Phil Ellingsworth Jr.

Being the fastest man on two wheels is quite an accomplishment for Fleetwood resident Chris Carr, one that makes him walk a little taller.

On Sept. 24, Carr, 42, drove a specially designed motorcycle, known as a Streamliner, a record 367.382 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. According to Carr, the record was not too difficult to break; the team only had to send the bike down the flats a couple of times.

"We rode two times and had the record," said Carr. "I gained more experience riding the bike this year than in the previous three."

With the ease in achieving the record came several obstacles. His wife, Pamela, said they encountered problems while in Utah. While trying to break the 359 mph set by their competitor, Top 1 Oil, the team encountered winds that knocked the Streamliner off course, parachutes that deployed early and a fire that damaged part of the bike.

"There were a lot of complications," said Pamela.

In 2006, BUB Racing Inc., the team Carr races for, set a land speed record of 350.884, but it was taken away two years later by rival team Top 1 Oil.

According to Carr, Top 1 Oil was also at the Salt Flats in September when Carr set the record. Carr said Top 1 Oil stayed out there after he achieved the record, but they were unable to surpass his most recent feat.

The speed the motorcycle is able to reach is attributed to its design. Carr said everything on the motorcycle is designed in-house by BUB Racing.

"The only thing that can be bought at an automotive store is the oil filter," said Carr.

The custom designed and built V4, double overhead cam 500 horsepower, 3000cc, liquid-cooled turbo charged engine has the potential to reach higher speeds than what was set a month ago.

"This motorcycle, mathematically, engineering, the bit, is capable of achieving 400 mph," said Carr.

Carr is no stranger to racing and the thrill of going fast. His enthusiasm for racing began at an early age, sparked by his father, who was an amateur racer.

When Carr was just 5 1/2 years old, he was given a motorcycle for Christmas. By age 6, he began racing in Northern California.

"I knew from an early age this was what I wanted to do," said Carr.

Turning that passion into a career, Carr is a seven-time Grand National Champion of dirt track racing. He is also the part owner of American Supercamp, which is a dirt track school that teaches students to ride on 100cc bikes.

Not only has racing helped him to accomplish records, but it was the way he met his wife. While at a race in Maryland, Carr met Pamela while signing autographs. The two exchanged phone numbers and, as they say, the rest is history.

Carr plans on enjoying his record for as long as he holds it, though he anticipates Top 1 Oil will try to break it.

"Land speed racing is something that never ends," said Carr.

Carr's record will undergo certification from the Federation Internationalle de Motorcycliste.

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The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly in the Car Industry - Resonator - European Car Magazine

Posted: 01 Nov 2009 02:06 AM PST

I don't have what most people would call a risky job. I take pictures of cars, boats, planes and motorcycles and write stories about them. Not a very dangerous line of work.

But as I look back, I begin to see a pattern of shadiness and criminality associated with certain sectors of the automotive business, a sort of violence I simply assumed was part of the car culture. I guess you could refer to it as the "dark underbelly" of the car world, that seedy place you've heard about but prefer not to visit.

I had barely gotten my feet wet at Argus Publishers when an editor asked me to photograph a man named Mickey Thompson and his new line of race tires. My cousins had worked for Mickey Thompson and his off-road racing venue. I knew he was important and I was nervously excited for the opportunity, the same way all young people are. It went great and I found Mr. Thompson to be a very inspiring, no-time-for-bullshit guy.

Just a few months later both he and his wife were murdered, and most likely the two triggermen as well. My cousins shrugged their shoulders like that's just the way it is.

And then there was the gentleman accused of stealing a competitor's carburetor design. He took a shotgun blast to the back of the head. Greg Brown, my former editor had me writing a piece on this gentleman's fuel induction system. I only had to finish it if the guy survived (he did).

I've photographed more than a few cars whose owners who were "unavailable".

"Oh, he's on vacation for the next 12 to 16 months (snicker-snicker)." Some were in jail, some had simply "disappeared." And these were nice cars too, Yenko Chevelles, slantnose Porsches, Pro-street Mustangs. Why didn't these guys want to be with their cars? Oh, because they're in Folsom or under the ground somewhere.

A certain part of the car business carries a stigma that both repulses and intrigues me. Perhaps it's simply the by-product of being around prestigious, high-value items. Or maybe not. A few years ago I found myself on the border of Canada and the U.S. I was doing a feature on the ultra-high performance VWs that seemed to flourish up there. I asked if we could find a wide-open area for photography. No problem, they knew the perfect spot. I'm pretty sure we were taking the same routes these guys used to ferry large quantities of "agricultural" products-trails bereft of border guards, passport checks and those cute dogs with a penchant for sniffing out hidden weed. Folks were doing the same thing in the in the 1940s with hopped up flathead Fords and homemade liquor.

New York was interesting too, especially during the import heyday of the late 90s. A few of these new "tuner shops" were most likely used to launder cash. There was a guy who kept a loaded Uzi sub-machine gun behind the counter "just in case". In case what, there's a run on lowering kits? I couldn't get out of there fast enough. If I'm gonna die, it's not going to be over a set of Honda springs.

I've been in shops where most of the hardware has been "borrowed", the serial number ground to the floor like so much dust. In fact, right down the street from me, a bent Porsche tuner rolled over on his longtime, best employee, sending him to San Quentin for three-to-five. This was the same guy who flat-out robbed me on a VW Bus engine rebuild. I shouldn't have been surprised. The guy's got no character, not even bad character. If you're going to be a thief, at least be honest about it.

In truth, I believe the car business as a whole has cleaned up its act. The internet and its inherent connectivity has done a great deal in helping to separate the bad guys from the good. We still have the odd lunatic crashing Ferraris in Malibu and slimy Lamborghini salesman selling their entire stock and skipping town with the proceeds (only to be caught two weeks later). But for the most part the air is much cleaner.

Are there still crooks in the car business? Probably. I'm just in no hurry to hang out with them, no matter how nice their ride is. There are far more good guys with great cars. And they don't need to wear ankle bracelets or Kevlar dinner jackets.
Les BidrawnEditoreuropean.car@sorc.com

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Thank-You Notes - Battle Creek Enquirer

Posted: 01 Nov 2009 01:37 AM PST

Race raises funds to build homes

A belated room full of roses are needed for those businesses and people who participated, sponsored and donated towards the first annual District 11 B1 of Michigan LIONS ROAR motorcycle race last month to raise funds to build Habitat for Humanity homes for the disabled.

We thank the following: The Ball Joint Sports Bar; Dark Horse Brewing Company; Graphic Embroidery; Serenity-the Wellness Center; Jewell Burkwalt Century 21; Bone Island Grille; Remarkable Health Scan; Sandy Woods State Farm Insurance; Law Offices of Schroeder, DeGraw, Kendall, Mayhill, DeGraw & Dickerson; Kellogg's Repair & Motorsports; Auto-Lab of Marshall; Roly-Poly Sandwiches in Jackson; B-One Bar in Jackson; Gary Fields Comedy Club Theatre (you'll be missed in Battle Creek); NAPA of Marshall; Applebee's in Marshall; Alwyn Downs Golf Course; Benny's Automotive Repair; Marshall Lanes; Altogether Hair & Beauty Sculpturing; Miller Lite/Silverfoam Distributing; Swan Creek Candle Company; Habitat For Humanity of Huron Valley; Homer Stagecoach Cafe; Hops Pharmacy; The Homer Lions Club; the Inter Lakes Lions Club; the Marshall Lions Club; the Battle Creek Cereal City Lions Club; the Battle Creek Host Lions Club; the Athens-Union City Lions Club; the Vandercook Lake Lions Club; Sweetwaters Donut Mill; Auto Zone in Marshall; Black Hawk Restaurant of Richland; Steve Swaton; the Dexter Lions Club, the Manchester Lions Club and the Jackson Eyeopeners Lions Club.

All 18 bikers who attended had a great time and provided good suggestions for next year. Special roses to them all.

Michigan Lions of District 11 B1 Habitat Committee

Neighborhood Watch meeting a success

I would like to thank all the Pennfield residents who took time on Oct. 15 to attend the Neighborhood Watch meting.

Our thanks to Grace Community Church for letting us have the community room. Also thanks to Megan Brennan for the nice speech on drug recovery and also to Joel Fulton with Freedom Firearms. Both were very interesting and people liked both of them. We learned a lot from both.

Also thanks to all who helped post signs and leave brochures at houses to make this meeting grow.

We will see you in April and bring your neighbors.

Alice J. Godde

Meeting coordinator

Battle Creek

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A sound measure for cycle noise - Chicago Tribune

Posted: 01 Nov 2009 12:00 AM PDT

Bob Weber Motormouth: Car care and repair

November 1, 2009

Loud pipes save lives.

Loud pipes risk rights.

There's truth to both statements.

Many a motorcyclist has been pulled over and issued a ticket for excessively loud pipes. But, without uniform exhaust noise standards, it's a tough case to make.

All motor vehicles must meet strict federal EPA noise limits before they are sold. Those limits have been suggested as the criteria for local laws, which would seem to make sense if they are applied when cyclists modify their bikes with aftermarket parts.

A proposal by the Motorcycle Industry Council and Society of Automotive Engineers would address that: a simple, quick, economical and science-based tool for identifying motorcycles with excessively loud exhaust systems in SAE document J2825, "Measurement of Exhaust Sound Pressure Levels of Stationary On-Highway Motorcycles."

"The new SAE standard provides a much-needed alternative to outright bans, restrictions and sound-test standards that vary state to state and city to city, frustrating riders, exhaust-system manufacturers and municipal governments alike," said MIC President Tim Buche. "With J2825, we can now have uniform standards and testing that's easy to administer."

The J2825 roadside test is conducted by holding a sound meter 20 inches behind the exhaust outlet, even with the outlet and at 45 degrees to the side. It includes an idle test and a "set rpm" test. The idle test is the easiest, but the set rpm test is the most effective in identifying excessively loud exhausts. Most aftermarket mufflers with baffles would pass, but straight pipes or shorties, the loudest and most annoying, would not.

"Overregulation in reaction to excessively loud exhaust systems is one of greatest threats to motorcycling," Buche said. "(We) finally have a stationary sound-test procedure for on-highway motorcycles that works very well and should be adopted across the country."

Regardless, it is always a good idea, as well as good manners, to keep your sound down in residential areas. Use small throttle openings, accelerate gently and avoid the temptation to twist your wrist.

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Ultimate Finish - Winner of UK BizRate® Circle of Excellence Award - PRWeb

Posted: 01 Nov 2009 12:29 AM PDT

Leading comparison shopping website, Shopzilla® Europe, rewards the very best online retailers with the UK BizRate® Circle of Excellence awards. The award recognises the online retailers that have provided outstanding customer experiences throughout the year, as rated by their customers.

Brands Hatch, Kent, (PRWeb UK/PRWEB ) November 1, 2009 -- Leading comparison shopping website, Shopzilla® Europe, rewards the very best online retailers with the UK BizRate® Circle of Excellence. The award recognises those online retailers that have provided outstanding customer experiences throughout the year, as rated by their customers.

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Ultimate Finish was proud to receive the honour, presented only to online stores rated by their buyers at a significantly higher level* than the network average across at least six of the seven key satisfaction metrics, for the time period August 2008 July 2009.

Circle of Excellence Satisfaction Metrics:

Overall Satisfaction at the Point of Sale
Product Selection
Ease of Finding what the customer is looking for
Repurchase Intent after order receipt
Product Met Expectations after order receipt
On-time Delivery
Customer Support

*based on statistical significance

Ultimate Finish joined Shopzilla in 2006 in order to facilitate and encourage feedback from customers, on all aspects of the business from service to product reviews:

"We appreciate that shopping online requires customers to place their trust in the company to deliver on their promises. Customer feedback allows us to sharpen our procedures so we can better service their needs. Having worked so hard to get the many facets of this business right it is fantastic to receive an award direct from our customers who clearly recognise that we value their business, and work to make their shopping experience as positive and enjoyable as possible." - UF Founder & Director, Jez Gilman.

Established and trading online since 1999, Ultimate Finish is a leading independent supplier of the finest car and motorcycle care products and accessories for the discerning automotive enthusiast.

Offering a variety of products from leading manufacturers such as Meguiars, Autoglym, Aqua Gleam, Michelin, PowerStart, and CTEK, Ultimate Finish provides comprehensive automotive care. Whether looking for a car battery charger or jump starter, or luxury items such as fully tailored car covers, customers are able to speak to the team who can provide advice across the whole range. All orders are shipped via courier and are therefore unaffected by the current significant postal disruptions. Other benefits include same day shipping for orders placed before 5pm, and free delivery on orders over £29.95.

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See the original story at: http://uk.prweb.com/releases/2009/11/prweb3131664.htm

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