Posted by cmos @ Tue 22 Dec, 09, 05:31PM under Petrol Fumes
I read this today : Officially Official: Petronas Signs 5-Year Agreement To Partner Mercedes in Formula One I went like... whoa... now this is something. Then I read this slightly later today : Alex Yoong Disappointed At New Mercedes-Petronas Deal I was like... er... DUH. Shame? Wot Shame? Even Stevie Wonder oso can see which is the better deal la... :P Tony Fernandes... do prove us wrong next year!!!
Posted by cmos @ Mon 16 Nov, 09, 06:55PM under Petrol Fumes
It's been ages since I caught up with the local biking scene. So this may not come as fresh news to you guys. Suzuki have always sought to suprise, and they didn't dissapoint again with the launch of their latest moped (sometime early this year), the Belang R150. You may scoff... pif... another kapchai... but damn... just look at the fookin specs.
Engine type 4-stroke, air-cooled, DOHC Imagine, just 15 years ago, 100cc is mighty plenty (think EX5). But moped engine sizes have since grown upwards of 50%, currently 150cc. Oil cooled. Front, rear discs. LOOKIT THE SIZE OF THE FOOKIN FRONT DISC. Monoshock rear... the list goes on.  One glance at the powerplant, and I dare swear it's the same unit found on the FXR 150 (think Motuki, which mind you... is still in mint condition). However, the redline seems to have dropped by around 1000rpm judging by the pic I found of the tacho on the net. 11500rpm isn't something to scoff at though. It's also 6 speeder similar to it's older sibling. With a kerb weight of only 108kgs (the FXR150 is a full lardy 10kgs more)... I'm pretty sure it'll go like a bat out of hell. It even comes with a gimmicky Suzuki Drive Mode Switch (SDMS) System; but I doubt it works as advertised... I mean... come on... it's still carburated... no way it can achieve a similar system like in superbikes, unless it's fuel injected so that the ECU can control different fuel maps. But still interesting. I once thought the glory days of insane kaphais (think Yamaha SS, Suzuki RG sports) were dead after manufacturers abandoned zingy 2-stroke engines (the Yamaha 125Z continues carrying the torch, but it's kinda lonely these days). But it seems that 4 strokes can be interesting as well, with the ever rising engine capacity, currently at a ridiculous size for a moped. I'm pretty sure 4 stroke mopeds will one day evolve heavily enough to bring back the 'syiokness' in kapchai riding. Till then, I'll stick wiv Motuki.
Posted by cmos @ Mon 27 Apr, 09, 03:36PM under Petrol Fumes
One sentence to state my case. DO NOT FOOKIN TRUST THE DAMN BATTERY LIFE INDICATOR ON THESE BLARDY BATTERIES.
Posted by cmos @ Fri 03 Apr, 09, 04:23PM under Petrol Fumes
Everyone who drives need an oil change every once in a while. And I have been feeding my 4-wheeled-local-piece-of-crap semi synthetics lubricants since the first day I was handed the keys. And I dare say, although every piece of plastic cladding which was fabricated by the useless local subcons are now falling apart, the engine is still humming along smoothly, like baby oil on a baby's bottom. Why semi synthetics? I think it's the best compromise between cost and protection for the engine. It's not obscenely expensive like fully synthetic oils like Mobil one, yet it protects much better than mineral oils while giving more mileage between changes. Here're some of the oils I've tried and my opinions of their performance. These are my thoughts alone, so take it with a pinch of salt. 1. Petronas Syntium 800
Malaysia boleh. This local semi synthetic blend from Petronas was the first oil my car came with. It's a pretty good oil, but tends to go black rather fast. But it usually comes bundled with really good freebies, so I'm guilty of buying this oil every once in a while just for the gifts.
2. Caltex Havoline
One of my top favorite engine oils. It's rather thin, so it doesn't bog down your engine like some other brands. And it hold itself well throughout between oil changes. Only gripe is it's rather pricey when bought at petrol stations.
3. Shell Helix Plus
Ho hum engine oil. It does it's job well, but that's it. Nothing special, nothing amazing.
4. Nasa
I don't exactly have a pic of this engine oil I bought from one of the workshops I sent my car to. And that has to be the last time I entrusted the choice of engine oil used on my car by the mechanic. Doesn't matter that Nasa was formulated using Amedikan technology... I hated this oil. Like the Syntium, it blackens rather quickly. But the worst part was that it kinda bogged my engine down. I immediately changed the oil way before the stipulated time.
5. Mobil Formula S
I kinda used the Formula S by chance. I saw a 4 litre pack on sale at one of the hypermarts so I bought a pack. And I'm very happy with this oil running in my engine. Like the Havoline, this synthetic oil felt light, thus enabling the engine to rev freely. Definitely will stick to this brand on the next oil change.
Posted by cmos @ Thu 22 Jan, 09, 07:07PM under Petrol Fumes
In 1999, Nissan was facing one heck of a financial crisis; not unlike one which is plaguing the big three in the States at the moment. But they managed to pull through in one of the most spectacular turnarounds in the industry... ever. And this could be largely credited to this one man.
Carlos Ghosn. Now don't be fooled by the Mr. Bean-like similarities. THIS IS ONE BADASS FRENCH DUDE. He's the current CEO for Nissan. And this marafaker is also the CEO for Renault. He's considered a cult like hero of sorts, among the automotive circle for his seemingly Midas-touch in bringing back almost dead companies. Heck, he even has a Jap manga fashioned outta him... how many bosses can claim to have such a thing?
The current super awesome Nissan GTR? Credit this dude for putting it into production. However, things doesn't seem to be all rosy lately. Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd, which is the largest car plant in the United Kingdom and the most productive in Europe, are showing signs of times ahead. With production far outpacing demand, the factory parking lot is currently overwhelmed with too much stock. So what do they do?
Yeah. Fill the UK Nissan test track up to the brim with unsold stock of assembled cars. Meaning Nissan won't be able to use the damn track to test any new cars. No testing meaning less new cars to expect in future. Crom was right. 2012 indeed.
Posted by cmos @ Tue 23 Dec, 08, 06:20PM under Petrol Fumes
Yesterday, during lunchtime, the little pony, the sunshine, the ikan bakar and myself felt a little itchy after a meal of yong tau hu. Since the Honda distributor was only a stone's throw from where we were, I drove the bestets over to have a look at the latest Honda City 2009; which was launched sometime ago in Thailand (we M'sians are always a neglected lot... :P ). I was never really a fan of the fourth generation flowerhorn City; which sold like hot papadams over here in nasi kandar land. It had that love it or hate it kinda look, but there were never any doubts that the interior was leaps and bounds better than the competition. Add in the super frugal iDSI engine plus the buttery smooth CVT transmission, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out why it was a winner. The newest incarnation of the City thankfully threw the flowerhorn concept out of the window, and adopted a new design philosophy called the "Arrowshoot" form. I hav no idea what the fark that means, but it sure as heck look much better than it's predesessor.
The Honda designer for this new City seemed to have enjoyed Michael Bay's Transformers so much, he decided to pay homage to Optimus Prime by grafting his mug onto the front of the City.
Works well enough for me though... it looks badass.
The back was a little bit confusing though. It had hints of the old Toyota Vios, and also I dare say a bit of German's finest, the beemer 3 series. Still, the whole exterior package looks good. The doors slam with a thud; but not as solidly reassuring as I would have liked it. But this can't be faulted since the City is after all an entry level offering from Honda.
I'm glad Honda decided to drop the damn beige theme for the interior. And all black interior looks so much better. Unfortunately, when I felt the fabric used for the seats, there seems to be a slight drop in terms of quality. The old City's seats felt more upmarket compared to this one.
The steering incorporated the new design cues which first saw light on the new Civic. Which looks absolutely smashing, and felt even better when you place your hands on it. No complaints here.
The dashboard was a little bit of a letdown after all the hoop-la. It was downright sipek plain and boring. But, you can't fault it in terms of clarity, and it should do it's job well, conveying info to the driver.
One of the most pleasant suprises was Honda's decision to include USB connectivity to it's built-in audio headunit. The USB connector is neatly stored in the front cupholder compartment, and allows you to connect any external MP3 player/iPOD to the headunit. Coolness. Unfortunately, another small dissapointment; no climate control.
Pop open the hood and there're more suprises in store for the potential buyer.
The biggest being Honda's decision to drop the iDSI version of the engine. In it's place is a newly revised unit, incorporating iVTEC technology instead. Which is great since it now pushes out a stonking 120 ponies from the dinky 1.5litre displacement. Unfortunately, Honda also dropped the awesome CVT transmission (ok... awesome might be pushing it...). In it's place, is a regular torque converter type transmission, although it does pack in a class leading 5 gears. Transmission losses should be higher though... Paddle shift is available in the 1.5E... woot! My fellow Ah Bengs... rejoice!!!
A quick look under the bonnet shows something interesting. Looks like Honda might have skimped a little on the insulation. How much engine noise creeping into the cabin is going to be a question mark. I can't validate this since I did not go for a test drive this time round. If you're planning to get this new City, do have a look at it in person. My opinions are solely based on what I saw and felt. Which could differ from person to person. But one thing is for sure. This car is gonna sell faster than a freshly baked batch of Rotiboy.
Posted by cmos @ Fri 19 Dec, 08, 06:28PM under Petrol Fumes
It's nice to know, when you're facing crappy days... there're plenty of gwailo ricer jakuns like these on youtube, who could easily help brighten your day... ;)
Posted by cmos @ Fri 28 Nov, 08, 09:11PM under Petrol Fumes
Picture this. You get into the car. You wedge your butt into the car seat. Your left hand searches blindly for the seat belt. A momentary lapse of concentration leaves 3 of your left fingers perching precariously on the frame edge of your car. Your right hand subconciously yank on the car door and the whole thing closes with a solid 'thud'. Together with the aforementioned fingers. Wonder how it feel like? Let's just say it feels more way more wonderful than Daniel Craig having his balls tenderly whipped in Casino Royale. The sudden jolt of masochistic pain suprisingly supressed my instinctive need to scream like a white panty schoolgirl. But for the first time in my life, I was thankful I wasn't driving a German marque. If I did, I would probably be seeing the tips of those fingers complementing the asthetic yellow parking markers at my office carpark. Luckily, the quality control for 8 year old Proton cars allow for gap tolerances the size of a Guatemalan sinkhole. Which explains why I still have all my digits when I reopened the car door. Baka.  |
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Self-appointed torch bearer for the blur community; since 2003. My old online journal can be found here. Completed Work : MSN-06S Sinanju  GN-002 Gundam Dynames  GAT-X105 Aile Strike Gundam  Shin Musha Gundam  GN-001/hs-A01 Gundam Avalanche Exia Work in Progress :  RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Still in Box :  MBF-P03 Gundam Astray Blue Frame 2nd L  Powered by (from Nov 2009)
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