1987 Suzuki Samurai Frame Tub Titled Project Rock Crawler on 2040-cars

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Japanese motorcycles moving into forced induction

While turbocharging and supercharging may be nothing new in the automotive industry, motorcycle engines are almost always naturally aspirated. But even that's beginning to change. At the Tokyo Motor Show last week, two major Japanese companies showed off new forced-induction motorbike engines.
Kawasaki rolled in with a supercharged four-cylinder motorbike engine. It offered little in the way of details, disclosing only that the turbine blades were developed in-house to withstand the heat and vibration of spooling up at motorbike speeds.
Suzuki is taking a different approach, however. Its Recursion concept bike packs a turbocharged 588cc two-cylinder engine with a turbocharger and intercooler. The compact package churns out just under 100 horsepower and 74 pound-feet of torque, packaged into a motorbike that weighs just 384 pounds dry.

Motorcyclist lucky to escape with life after 100-mph crash

A motorcyclist tried to run from the California Highway Patrol in San Diego in the wee hours of February 9, but things didn't quite work out as he planned. In fact, the fleeing rider is lucky to be alive after colliding with a Kia at over 100 miles per hour during, ending, rather abruptly, the pursuit. The video on The San Diego Union-Tribune below shows the collision, but you might need to watch it a few times to see what happens. The bike shoots by in a flash, and then there are suddenly sparks when the cycle hits the rear of the car. Watch the left side of shot to see the rider standing by the median after the crash. Police quickly arrive to the scene to apprehend him. The guy is wearing a helmet but understandably appears to be in pain after the high-speed accident. The crash ripped the front end off the rider's Suzuki, but the Kia's driver wasn't harmed – though clearly shaken. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, police took the motorcycle rider to the hospital to treat undisclosed injuries. What's Now: A motorcyclist going at least 100 mph slammed into the back of a car on I-805 early this morning. Remarkably, he was left standing on his own two feet before being arrested. Story: sdut.us/1TaOjDM Posted by The San Diego Union-Tribune on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 Related Video:

Suzuki and Daihatsu join Toyota electric vehicle venture

TOKYO — Suzuki Motor Corp and Daihatsu are joining a commercial electric vehicle coalition led by Toyota Motor Corp, the carmakers announced on Wednesday, helping the Japanese alliance expand its focus from trucks to smaller cars. The two automakers will each acquire a 10% stake in the joint venture, on par with Isuzu Motors and Hino Motors, while Toyota will hold a 60% stake, they said. "With Suzuki and Daihatsu joining the project and working together, we'll be able to expand our circle of cooperation to not only cover commercial vehicles but also mini vehicles," said Toyota President Akio Toyoda. "With this expansion, I believe that we'll be able to take one step closer to a better mobility society," Toyoda said. The move comes as Japanese automakers face growing competition from tech giants and other rivals making electric and driverless cars. Toyota, Isuzu and Hino launched the Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation in April to bolster their competitive edge in connected, commercial vehicles. Daihatsu's president Soichiro Okudaira said joining the pact and introducing connected, mini-commercial vehicles would allow data sharing, a major benefit for companies to provide better services to customers and improve logistics efficiency. (Reporting by Eimi Yamamitsu; Writing by Ritsuko Ando; Editing by Louise Heavens) Related Video: Green Suzuki Toyota Daihatsu Electric Akio Toyoda