Monday, 31 August 2015

Positive move by Supreme Court towards toll collection

The Supreme Court on Thursday questioned the Central government over collecting toll tax for using the National Highways despite some roads being in a very bad shape.
“Why should people pay the toll? Should they pay toll for bad roads? If the roads are bad, it is because of lack of will and policy of the government. They should do something. If concessionaires are not repairing the roads, then also the government should make sure the work is done,” observed a bench led by Justice T S Thakur.
Taking strong exception to the condition of roads along various National Highways, the bench said that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways needed to justify the imposition of toll tax by making sure the roads were in good condition.
“Can you ask people to pay money for bad roads? You should first see that roads can provide convenient travel and then only toll tax can be levied,” said the bench.

Sunday, 30 August 2015

Who invented the first motorcycle?




Who invented the first motorcycle?" It seems like a simple question, but the answer is a bit complicated.




Motorcycles are descended from the "safety" bicycle, bicycles with front and rear wheels of the same size, with a pedal crank mechanism to drive the rear wheel. Those bicycles, in turn were descended from high-wheel bicycles. The high-wheelers were descended from an early type of push-bike, without pedals, propelled by the rider's feet pushing against the ground. These appeared around 1800, used iron-banded wagon wheels, and were called "bone-crushers," both for their jarring ride, and their tendency to toss their riders.





Daimler's wooden-framed "bone crusher"

Gottlieb Daimler (who later teamed up with Karl Benz to form the Daimler-Benz Corporation) is credited with building the first motorcycle in 1885, one wheel in the front and one in the back, although it had a smaller spring-loaded outrigger wheel on each side. It was constructed mostly of wood, with the wheels being of the iron-banded wooden-spoked wagon-type, definitely a "bone-crusher" chassis.
It was indeed powered by a single-cylinder Otto-cycle engine, and may have had a spray-type carburetor. (Daimler's assistant, Wilhelm Maybach was working on the invention of the spray carburetor at the time).
If one counts two wheels with steam propulsion as being a motorcycle, then the first one may have been American. One such machine was demonstrated at fairs and circuses in the eastern US in 1867, built by one Sylvester Howard Roper of Roxbury, Massachusetts. There is an existing example of a Roper machine, dated 1869. It's powered by a charcoal-fired two-cylinder engine, whose connecting rods directly drive a crank on the rear wheel. This machine predates the invention of the safety bicycle by many years, so its chassis is also based on the "bone-crusher" bike.




S. H. Roper's 1869 Steam-cycle

Most of the development during this earliest of eras concentrated on three and four-wheeled designs, since it was complex enough to get the machines running without having to worry about them falling over. The next really notable two-wheeler was the Millet of 1892. It used a 5-cylinder engine built as the hub of its rear wheel. The cylinders rotated with the wheel, and its crankshaft constituted the rear axle.
The first really successful production two-wheeler though, was the Hildebrand & Wolfmueller, patented in Munich in 1894. It had a step-through frame, with its fuel tank mounted on the downtube. The engine was a parallel-twin, mounted low on the frame, with its cylinders going fore-and-aft. The connecting rods connected directly to a crank on the rear axle, and instead of using heavy flywheels for energy storage between cylinder-firing, it used a pair of stout elastic bands, one on each side outboard of the cylinders, to help out on the compression strokes. It was water-cooled, and had a water tank/radiator built into the top of the rear fender.




The Mother of all motorcycle engines - the DeDion-Buton






The 5-cylinder Millet of 1892


In 1895, the French firm of DeDion-Buton built an engine that was to make the mass production and common use of motorcycles possible. It was a small, light, high revving four-stroke single, and used battery-and-coil ignition, doing away with the troublesome hot-tube. Bore and stroke figures of 50mm by 70mm gave a displacement of 138cc. A total loss lubrication system was employed to drip oil into the crankcase through a metering valve, which then sloshed around to lubricate and cool components before dumping it on the ground via a breather. DeDion-Buton used this 1/2 horsepower powerplant in roadgoing trikes, but the engine was copied and used by everybody, including Indian and Harley-Davidson in the U.S.




First American production motorcycle - 1898 Orient-Aster


Although a gentleman named Pennington built some machines around 1895 (it's uncertain whether any of them actually ran), the first US production motorcycle was the Orient-Aster, built by the Metz Company in Waltham, Massachusetts in 1898. It used an Aster engine that was a French-built copy of the DeDion-Buton, and predated Indian (1901) by three years, and Harley-Davidson (1902) by four.

Saturday, 29 August 2015

NEW MAHINDRA TUV300






Mahindra has till now only revealed the name and has released a few teaser images of the TUV300. Speaking on the announcement of the new SUV’s name, Pravin Shah, President & Chief Executive (Automotive), M&M Ltd. said,” The TUV300 is one of the most eagerly anticipated launches of this year. Signifying a true ‘Make-in-India’ product, the design of the TUV300 is inspired by a battle tank. We are confident that this product launch will create excitement in the market as well as amongst our customers.
Mahindra & Mahindra has also released a teaser image of the TUV300’s instrument panel ahead of its launch on September 10, 2015. The image reveals the three-spoke steering wheel of the compact SUV that features audio system controls and contoured palm grips. While, the instrument cluster sports a Multi-information display (MID) in the middle, a speedometer on right and a tachometer on the left. It gets two large dials with chrome highlights that add more to its sporty appeal.
Since the Mahindra TUV300 will be slightly more upmarket product than the Bolero, it will be more expensive. The TUV300 has been designed at Mahindra & Mahindra’s Kandivli-based Mumbai office with inputs from Pininfarina. Whereas the research & development of the SUV was carried out at Mahindra Research Valley (MRV) in Chennai
Design
The Mahindra TUV300’s design is claimed to be inspired by a battle tank. With raised shoulders, high front nose, flat roof, straight bonnet and high ground clearance, the Mahindra TUV 300 is expected to have an aggressive styling. Based on the new ladder frame chassis, the Mahindra TUV300 will be more compact and lighter than the Bolero. It’s the same platform that underpins the new Scorpio


















                                                                 
                                                              TUV300 TEASER





Friday, 28 August 2015

THROTTLE 97 - One of the best supercar family in Mumbai

                            
Throttle 97 one of the best SuperCar families in Mumbai.






Throttle 97 -The family of super car was started in March 2015 by some of the supercar fans from Mumbai.
Aman suggested Throttle & 97 was suggested by Daman so its called as
THROTTLE97.
The family of Throttle97 was started by few cars initially – B.M.W 650i , Audi R8 , Supra & Mercedes c63 and than few add on like m3 , Jaguar xkrs etc.
The family is still growing bigger .
Car owners drive especially on Sundays, Followed by two routes.

  •  Meetup at bandra n head to town using sealink and than cars r parked at starbucks at fort n followed by  photo shoot & heads to esternexpress freeway.


  •  Meetup at BKC & head to Palm Beach road after driving few kms head towards Kharghar


The family also has its own professional photographers .


  The first ride of THROTTLE97
















A tribute to Mr Paul Walker by one of its fan 
belong to THROTTLE97



















The mighty Germans


















All lined up


















THROTTLE97 is family with cool guys & Hot cars

Official instagram page #throttle97

RAINY DAY DRIVING TIPS



SAFETY TIPS
When driving on the freeway, drive in the center lanes as water tends to pool in the outside lanes.
Turn on your headlights! It will help you see better on foggy or rainy days and it will help other drivers see you!
Increase your following distance and watch for brake lights ahead.
Slow down – it takes longer to stop in wet weather. Plus the faster you drive, the greater the chances of hydroplaning!
Drive slowly through any puddle of uncertain depth. That way if it’s deeper than you thought, you can still back out!
Never drive through moving water if you can’t see the ground through it – you could be swept right off the road!

MAINTENANCE TIPS
Before it starts to rain, replace old or brittle wiper blades. Wiper blades are inexpensive and are very easy to change!
Check the tread and inflation of your tires. Properly maintained tires provide the added traction you will need on wet roads.
Consider carrying a portable car starter with you. That way, if your battery goes dead you can start your car from inside the vehicle rather than getting out of the car to do a conventional jump start with cables.

Thursday, 27 August 2015

Evolution of headlamps Gas burning lamps to Laser beam

From gas burning lamps in the 1880s to laser beams today, the humble headlight has undergone a massive transformation. We've charted its fascinating progress
Image via Jonathan Leung/Flickr

Headlights are one of the most prominent features of a car’s design. When you look at the face of a car, the headlights are its eyes, and are often key to influencing how we feel about the vehicle’s attitude; angled lights can make it look angry; rounded lights often denote a cuter character.
But as is so often the case with parts of a car, there’s far more to a headlight’s design than just its shape. Get up close to the assembly of a classic car, and you’ll often find a plain and simple ‘function over form’ unit. As technology has developed, however, designs have become more intricate, and the way in which your car illuminates the road has become more and more fascinating.
We’ve taken a look at how headlight technology has evolved:

The early days: acetylene


A carbide/acetylene lamp fitted to a bicycle. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Originally, headlights were powered by either acetylene or oil-fuelled lamps, however the former was preferred as it was more resistant to wind and rain. The lamp typically has a mirror behind the flame to help focus the light forwards, but it does not create a particularly focused beam. This makes it the preferred light source for cavers and miners, where an evenly-spread, widely-scattered light helps improve peripheral vision in pitch black conditions, but it is less effective in cars as the light scatters into the night sky.
Acetylene lights were introduced in the late 1880s, and were prevalent into the early 1900s, when electric lights become more feasible.

Electric headlights


"1930 Peerless restored by Brando Pistorius" by Joanne Pistorius. Via Commons.
Electric headlights were first introduced around 1900, but took about a decade to catch on as it was very difficult to create a dynamo small enough for the car that still produced enough power to light the bulb.
The first manufacturer to make electric headlights standard across its range was Peerless in 1904. Four years later, a company called Pockley Automobile Electric Lighting Syndicate offered a complete set of electrically-powered lights, which included headlights, sidelights and rear lights, all running from an eight volt battery. By 1912, Cadillac had integrated its electrical ignition system with its lighting setup to create the kind of electrical system we see today.
Sealed beam


"Jaguar E-type (serie III) - headlamp" by Matěj Baťha. Via Commons.
Sealed beam headlights were introduced in 1939, and use a parabolic reflector (a curved mirror that focuses the light), a filament, and a lens sealed together. This provided a more focused, brighter light source for cars, using a tungsten filament. The downsides to these bulbs were that they provided little light considering the amount of power they used, and the boiling filament could leave dark residues on the glass, limiting the amount of light passing through.
In 1962, the first vehicle-mounted halogen lamps were produced in Europe. These provided even brighter, longer lasting headlights, due to the way the halogen gas reacts with the tungsten. This process allowed incredibly high visibility, particularly on high beam settings.

High-intensity discharge (HID)



High-intensity discharge lamps produce light by creating an electrical arc between two metal electrodes through an inert gas, inside a glass bulb. The advantage of these bulbs is that they are far more efficient than traditional bulbs, as they create more light compared to the amount of electricity used.
Another advantage HIDs give is that because they produce more light relative to power consumed, the units could be smaller without impacting the light emitted. This gave designers more freedom to design headlights in more creative ways.
HIDs became popular in the early 2000s, and were quickly picked up by the aftermarket. The problem with this was that because HIDs create a brighter, more focused light source, fitting them to traditional light assemblies that scatter light caused problems with dazzling. HIDs require specific assemblies that ensure the light source is focused in the correct place.

Light-emitting diodes (LED)



"Audi TT 8S Matrix-LED-Scheinwerfer Abblendlicht LED-Tagfahrlicht" by Mario von Berg. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Light-emitting diodes are very useful light sources, as they’re bright, require very little energy to illuminate, and last an incredibly long time. The first automotive applications began in 2004, when they were used in the Audi A8’s daytime running lights.
In 2006, the Lexus LS 600h became the first car to use LEDs in low beam headlights, with high beams remaining as traditional filament bulbs. Just a year later, the V10 Audi R8 became the first car to use LEDs in every section of its headlight cluster.
Audi continued to pioneer LED technology, with its fascinating adaptive high beam technology. The way it works is by using 25 individual LEDs in each headlight, with the car able to switch off or dim individual diodes that are pointing at another car. This allows you to maintain full beam around the cars that surround you without blinding the drivers. The lights also use satellite navigation to check the way the road is winding ahead of you in order to direct the light towards a curve before you’ve even turned the wheel.

Lasers



The latest innovation in headlight technology uses laser beams. The BMW i8 became the first production car to go on sale with laser beams emitting from its front end.
The way it works is three diodes shoot blue laser beams into a prism, which focusses the lasers into one beam. This beam is passed through a phosphorous lens that transforms the light from blue to white, before hitting a reflector that redirects the beam out onto the road.
The laser unit is a whopping 30 per cent more efficient than LEDs, and can illuminate up to double the distance, at 2000 metres. It is not as focused as the LED light, so lasers are only used for high beams, while LEDs are used for low beams.
The Audi R8 LMX also uses lasers, however it uses four diodes instead of three, and works in tandem with LEDs. According to Audi, it provides a colour temperature of 5500 Kelvin, which is kind on the human eye and allows you to see more clearly. An intelligent camera also looks ahead and adapts the laser’s beam so as not to dazzle other drivers.

Maruti Swift Range extender

In an effort to lure buyers towards electric and hybrid vehicles in the country, the government of India recently introduced the FAME India Scheme - 'Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles in India' - as a part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan. Under the new scheme, the Government announced to offer incentives on electric and hybrid vehicles of upto Rs. 29,000 for two-wheelers and Rs. 1.38 lakh for cars.
Carmakers like Tata Motors andMaruti Suzuki are working on such products for the Indian market. One such product could be the Maruti Swift Range Extender, which has been showcased at multiple events including FAME. However, the company has clarified that it will develop its hybrid models only after getting further clarity about the schemes and incentives.
"The company will develop their hybrid models commercially only after getting further clarity on key aspects, including technology development fund, charging infrastructure and demand incentive.", said CV Raman, executive director (engineering),
The hybrid model of the Swift, called the Range Extender, was earlier being developed for a pilot project that was to be supplied to the Government of India. However, after this announcement, it seems that the company might launch it for the public as well. Powered with a 658cc, 3-cylinder petrol engine paired to a permanent magnet synchronous motor, the vehicle is claimed to return an impressive 48.2Km/l of mileage. The vehicle has an electric driving range of about 25.5 Kms. Despite being a smaller capacity engine, it is good for 73bhp.
The vehicle runs on 3 models - series hybrid, parallel hybrid and all-electric. In series hybrid model, the petrol powertrain works as a generator to power the lithium-ion battery which then powers the electric motor. In this mode, the petrol engine indirectly helps generate electricity to power the electric motor. In parallel hybrid mode, both - the petrol engine and the electric motor - provide power to the wheels.
The Swift Range Extender weighs 1,600 Kg, and takes 1.5 hours to completely charge the lithium-ion battery through a 200V socket.
Key Features - Infotainment system, push start/stop button, remote keyless entry and rear disc brakes.

Ferrari rolled out California T in India

Ferrari rolled out a new turbocharged variant of its famed California model, that dates back its origins to the 1950s, the California T, with a V8 engine at Rs 3.4 crore.
At Rs 3.5 crore, the California T is the cheapest Ferrari on sale in India. 
With this, the company has marked the beginning of its second stint in the country. 
Ferrari had exited India after its sole dealer Shreyans Group was found to have duped customers by taking booking tokens and not delivering cars to them and many customers complained of servicing issues. 

Hub steering Yezdi

The Yezdi brand was a legend of its time. Produced by Ideal Jawa from Mysore, the two stroke motorcycles under the Yezdi brand were powerful and simple two stroke machines that Indian motorcycle enthusiasts grew up with in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. While Ideal Jawa is now under, some enthusiasts have kept the Yezdis alive, in stock and modified form. Today, we take look at five more modified Yezdis from India and abroad.
Hub Steering Yezdi
[Images courtesy Team-BHP]
A Yezdi Classizc was an everyday bike when it was made and sold, and even up to the early noughties. Now, though spotting a Classic 250 on Indian roads is akin to spotting an exotic. To make the Classic even more exotic, a bunch of engineering students put together a hub steering at front.

Now, a hub steering eliminates dive during braking, making the motorcycle more stable. High end superbikes from the Bimota make usually are hub steered. By marrying exotic technology to the everyday Yezdi Classic, the students just built themselves an exotic, right here in India.

10 Fast & Fun-to-Drive Affordable Cars



Is it fast? Check. Is it fun to drive? Check. Is it affordable? Check. Want a fun car that can make you smile everyday but fits a tight budget of under 10 lakh rupees. You’ve got no less than 10 options in the Indian car market. A mixture of hatchbacks and sedans, this list encompasses everyday cars that will suit a wide range of budgets, from 4-10 lakh rupees.
Honda Brio







The Honda Brio is the India’s least priced pocket rocket that is also composed at high speeds. Now, this obviously means that the Maruti Alto K10 has to be left out. The Brio, with its 1.2 liter i-VTEC petrol motor pushing out 87 Bhp-110 Nm, and 920 kilogram kerb weight, makes for rapid acceleration. While top speed is limited to 140 Kph, the way the Brio gets here is what will make you smile. With prices starting from under 4 lakh rupees, you can’t ask for more, can you.
Maruti Swift Petrol






The Maruti Swift Petrol is one car that both you and your uncle can drive. Well, this hatchback’s an all-rowith under that has something for everyone, and this is precisely what makes the Swift so special. Throw in wider rubber, and the Swift Petrol will instantly become one of the most involving cars to drive in the sub-5 lakh rupee category. The car uses a 1.2 liter K-Series petrol engine with 86 Bhp and 112 Nm. The light 960 kilogram kerb weight, a slick 5 speed manual gearbox and a superb chassis balance are the willing weapons in thw Swift’s armoury.
Volkswagen Polo GT TSI





The Volkswagen Polo GT TSI is one of the fastest hatchbacks in the sub-10 lakh rupee category, and the car even shows a clean pair of heels to most C-Segment sedans. The Polo GT TSI is powered by a 1.2 liter turbocharged petrol engine, which is the major reason behind the car’s blistering performance. A 7 speed twin clutch automatic gearbox, with its blinding shift speeds makes the Polo even more involving to drive. Want a very fast hatchback that is very convenient too? The Polo GT TSI is the one for you.
Volkswagen Polo GT TDI





The Polo GT TDI is essentially the turbo petrol powered Polo’s diesel sibling. The GT TDI uses a 1.5 liter TDI turbo diesel engine that puts out 103 Bhp-250 Nm. Torque is what matters in diesel land and 250 Nm of it means that the Polo GT TDI is the torque bomb among the budget hatchbacks sold in India. Unlike its petrol sibling, the car uses a 5 speed manual gearbox. With a 0-100 Kph run dispatched in under 11 seconds, the Polo GT TDI is a case of performance with good fuel efficiency.
Fiat Punto Abarth





The Fiat Punto Abarth isn’t in Othe market yet, but will be available to hot hatchback enthusiasts in October this year. The reason why the Punto Abarth is in this list is easy to see, really. A 0-100 Kph timing of 9,58 seconds makes it faster than most C and D Segment sedans too. Couple this with a fast hydraulic steering, you have a car that is spades of fun both in the straight line and when the going gets very twisty. A solidly built car whose chief aim is to please the one with the happy right foot, the Punto Abarth will slot in under the 10 lakh rupee mark.
Honda City Petrol





The Honda City Petrol is a Jekyll and Hyde car. As long as you want it to serve as an everyday family car, it will, delivering reliability, comfort and low maintenance costs in good measure. When you’re in the mood for exercising your right foot at traffic light GPs, the City will deliver here too. The car is one of the quickest C-Segment sedans in the country, and the 1.5 liter i-VTEC petrol motor with 117 Bhp-145 Nm, is squarely responsible for this. The City Petrol is also quite affordable. You get the ABS and driver airbag equipped car for under 8 lakh rupees,
Volkswagen Vento TSI






The Vento is the sedan version of the Polo, and shares some engines with the latter. One such engine is the 1.2 liter TSI turbo petrol unit, about which we’ve already elaborated. The Vento TSI also uses the same 7 speed, twin clutch automatic gearbox as the Polo, giving the sedan the same blistering acceleration and responsiveness. If you want a more spacious car with thrilling performance, buy the Vento TSI. It’s everything that the Polo GT TSI is, in a larger, more comfortable package.
Volkswagen Vento Diesel DSG





The Volkswagen Vento Diesel is the Polo GT TDI in sedan form. Since the car’s heavier, it’s slightly slower than the Polo GT TDI. A balanced chassis and a taut suspension set up means that the Vento Diesel is fun to drive. The TDI turbo diesel engine’s copious torque gives the car enough poke across the rev band. While a 5 speed manual gearbox is standard, the party trick on the Vento Diesel is the 7 speed twin clutch DSG automatic gearbox. This gearbox makes the Vento Diesel more sportier than the Polo GT TDI.
Fiat Linea T-Jet





The Fiat Linea T-Jet is affordable turbo petrol power. Fiats are traditionally good handlers. The Linea goes a step ahead with a nice ride. The 1.4 liter T-Jet turbo petrol engine gives it enough poke to make for some really high speeds. The responsive hydraulic power steering that has loads of feel and the sublime chassis balance makes the Linea a top pick for petrol car enthusiasts on a budget. ABS is standard, and prices start at 8.08 lakh rupees.
Skoda Rapid Diesel





The Skoda Rapid Diesel is essentially a cheaper variant of the Volkswagen Vento Diesel, with a lower price tag to boot. It rides better too. The car is available with both 5 speed manual and 7 speed twin clutch automatic transmissions. If you like to drive, dig the Rapid’s styling and ride quality, and want to save some money, the diesel powered variant is the one to opt for. Prices start from 8.81 lakh rupees.