Four races. Four winners. All former champions.
Parity prevails among supercross racing's top riders as the series makes its second and final season stop at Angel Stadium on Saturday night.
After reigning champion Ryan Villopoto won the season opener Jan. 7 at Angel Stadium, 2010 champion Ryan Dungey won in Phoenix, two-time champ Chad Reed captured the Dodger Stadium race and another two-time title winner, James Stewart, won last weekend in Oakland.
The sport knew it had one of the deepest fields in history this year, but the early results still have surprised. The last time there were four different winners through four races was in 1976, before any of the current top riders was born.
As a result, all four are in contention again for this year's championship in the 17-race Monster Energy AMA Supercross series, the stadium version of motocross, or off road motorcycle racing.
Dungey and Reed are tied for the lead with 85 points each, while Villopoto is only two points behind and Stewart — who posted mostly mediocre finishes in the first three races — is now 12 points behind.
"We'll just keep building from here," Stewart said. "It was a rough three weeks for us but it was definitely good to come back at Oakland and get a victory."
Stewart's win in Oakland was his first since the 26-year-old Floridian moved this year to the Yamaha motorcycle team at Joe Gibbs Racing of NASCAR fame.
Stewart also will have extra incentive Saturday night. He's currently tied for the most career wins in Anaheim, eight, with seven-time supercross champion Jeremy McGrath and another victory would give Stewart the record outright.
McGrath also holds the career record for total supercross wins, 72, followed by Ricky Carmichael's 48 and Stewart's 43.
Villopoto, meanwhile, hopes for a repeat of his Anaheim win last month, when the 23-year-old Kawasaki rider from the Seattle area cruised to a 12-second victory over the second-place Reed.
2012年2月16日星期四
2012年2月6日星期一
Old light bulbs fading, but what will replace them?
ELGIN — There’s one trend we usually can count on in electrical equipment, from TV sets and radios to music players and telephones: As the years pass, it will become cheaper and cheaper, and more and more disposable.
But as a five-year-old federal law takes effect this month, Americans may have to get used to just the opposite when it comes to the light bulb.
The bulbs of the future will cost much more than the cheap, disposable incandescent bulbs we have been using since Thomas Edison figured out how to make one way back in 1879. But they also will last much longer — maybe even to the point of becoming built-in pieces of each lamp that last as long as the lamp does. And they will reduce our electric bills.
On New Year’s Day, the light-bulb business felt the first impact of the Energy Independence and Security Act, which had been passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007. The law was backed by an alliance of congressmen who wanted to reduce foreign energy imports and cut greenhouse gas emissions from making electricity.
The act aims to force consumers to switch over three years from their cherished, good-looking, cheap old incandescent bulbs and start using newfangled bulbs that consume less energy.
Beginning this past Jan. 1, the act forbids manufacturing or importing 100-watt and higher bulbs unless they put out at least 25 percent more light than the current incandescents. That rule expands to cover 75-watt bulbs in 2013, then 60- and 40-watt bulbs in 2014. Similar rules about specialized types of bulbs also go into effect in 2013 and 2014.
“Big changes are coming in lighting,” said Dave Stokes, a manager at the Ziegler’s Ace Hardware store in Huntley. “People have to start thinking in terms of lumens, the amount of light given off by a bulb, instead of just watts, the amount of power used by the bulb. People will start thinking in terms of lumens per watt the way they think now about miles per gallon. And just like the government used miles-per-gallon rules to force carmakers to make energy-efficient products, the lumens-per-watt rules are forcing manufacturers to make more efficient light bulbs.”
Political remorse
In mid-December Congress, stirred by complaints from consumers and rage against government controls, attacked the new bulb rules. When they passed a new omnibus spending bill, they didn’t include any money for the U.S. Department of Energy to enforce the new light-bulb rules.
“Let there be incandescent light and freedom. That’s the American way,” declared conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh.
But spokespersons for the lighting industry said the enforcement defunding will make no difference in their plans to phase out the old incandescents.
General Electric spokesman David A. Schuellerman told the Washington Post that the industry has already spent millions gearing up to build only new kinds of bulbs and that the December vote does not repeal the 2007 law.
“We still are required to abide by the (new) standards, and of course we intend to comply with our legal obligation,” he said.
“There is a lot of misinformation,” said Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy. “Retailers don’t have to take inventories of old bulbs off the shelves. The government is not going to come into homes to check. ... You’re still going to be able to buy incandescent bulbs. They’re just going to be 28 to 30 percent more efficient.”
Choose carefully
Well, that’s not quite the only difference between the old bulbs and their replacements, notes Steve Walker, manager of the Batteries Plus store in Elgin. The store’s owner decided a few weeks ago that this would be an opportune time to start selling a large selection of light bulbs in addition to its line of batteries.
Yes, the new styles will use less electricity and save big on your ComEd bill, Walker notes. But they also will cost more up front. They don’t all provide the same kind of warm-feeling, all-around colors we have gotten used to. And some types have enough mercury to require them to be recycled as semi-hazardous waste rather than just being tossed into the trash.
Walker said there are three types of bulbs competing to replace your old incandescents:
Halogen incandescent bulbs, which also use a material that glows hot and bright when an electric current passes through it but use a different kind of material than the tungsten filaments typically used in old-style bulbs. These use less power than the old bulbs but more than the other alternatives. For example, one halogen bulb offered for sale at Batteries Plus gives the same amount of light as an old-style 75-watter but draws only 53 watts.
Compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs, which are similar to the long tubes used for decades in office and store lighting and use hot gases to generate their light. The compact ones typically have a small tube wrapped into a spiral shape. If you think that’s ugly, or you have a lampshade designed to snap onto the old-style incandescent, CFLs now also come in a rounded shape that looks much like the old-style bulbs on the outside.
CFLs use less power than halogen incandescents. The one equivalent to an old-style 75 uses just 20 watts, in effect cutting your electric bill for using it by three-fourths. CFLs are the type that contain a small amount of mercury, an environmental hazard, but hardware stores and Batteries Plus will accept them for recycling.
LED light-emitting diode) bulbs, which are the most high tech bulbs of all. They are similar to the LEDs used in electronic dials and some brake lights, flashlights and traffic signals.
They’re the most efficient type of all from the standpoint of power use, but also are the least well developed at this point. Remember how dim those LED Christmas decorations seem to be? LEDs strain to achieve the same kind of brightness as a living-room lamp, and in fact the brightest LED available at Batteries Plus puts out only one-third as much light as a 75-watt incandescent bulb.
Varying prices
Prices, colors and life expectancies also vary considerably among the four types. At Batteries Plus, 75-watt incandescents can be had for 50 cents apiece if you buy them in a four-pack. The equivalent halogen fluorescent will cost you four times as much, or about $2 a bulb. The CFL equivalent is about $3.99, or twice as expensive as the halogen and eight times as much as the old-style incandescent.
And the LEDs? Don’t ask. At Batteries Plus, that biggest LED that produces only a third as much light as a 75-watt incandescent will set you back a whopping $34.99.
But the new styles may last so long that over the life of a lamp, the purchase price looks more reasonable. According to the website of Phillips Electronics, if an old-style bulb burns out in a given usage in one year, a halogen bulb in the same usage will last two years, a CFL will last seven to 11 years, and an LED bulb will burn on and on and on for at least 15 years.
Walker said some users have complained that CFLs burn out sooner than that, but he thinks that depends on how the bulb is being used.
“You need the right bulb for the right application,” Walker said. “If someone has a closet light that they switch on and off all the time for just a few seconds at a time, that will be hard on a CFL. But for a porch light that turns on once a day and stays on for hours, a CFL will last a long, long time.”
Add in the savings on your electric bill, and ComEd and the Alliance to Save Energy argue that using the newfangled, expensive-to-buy bulbs usually ends up saving money over the long run.
Also, ComEd will help you some with the purchase cost. Just a few years ago, the utility would provide its customers with free replacement bulbs that they could pick up at grocery stores such as Gromer’s in return for paying just a few dollars a year more on their power bills.
Now ComEd will provide a $1.25 rebate on each new bulb that qualifies for the Energy Star rating, up to 10 bulbs per customer. The customer fills out a rebate slip while purchasing the bulbs and the store even handles the chore of sending the forms in after giving the customer the instant rebate at the cash register.
One of the main customer complaints about the new bulbs is that they don’t duplicate the warm, homey colors of the old-style incandescents, which generate about the same color spectrum as a gas fire or a camp fire. Halogens and fluorescent lights often are described as too blue-ish or too green-ish or too glaring. But Walker said developers are rapidly improving the looks of the new light.
For example, CFLs now come in three color spectrums — “soft white,” “bright white” and “daylight.” Walker advises buyers to ask a store employee for advice on what looks best in a given situation.
Super bulb
Despite their current high price and limited intensity, Ziegler’s Stokes is convinced LEDs will be the bulb of the future. A retired Air Force officer, Stokes is familiar with the technology because he is both a hardware store manager and an amateur pilot.
“The first thing we’ll see is most people switching to halogen incandescents,” Stokes said. “Then they will go to compact fluorescents. But eventually everybody will be using LEDs. We just got one in (at ACE) that can replace a 40- or 60-watt incandescent and uses only 2 watts of power.”
Researchers are figuring out how to make LEDs brighter and brighter, Stokes said. “The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has now approved airplane landing lights made of LEDs. Of course, for my plane a new incandescent bulb costs $10, while to replace it with an LED would cost $280. But that price will go down.”
Walker said the Rockford Airport recently replaced its runway lights with LEDs, too — but then ran into an unexpected problem.
The reason incandescent bulbs use so much power is that they convert most of the electrical energy into heat instead of light.
“They found out the LEDs were so efficient and burn so cool that snow just piled up on the runway lights without melting until you couldn’t see the light anymore,” Walker said.
But as a five-year-old federal law takes effect this month, Americans may have to get used to just the opposite when it comes to the light bulb.
The bulbs of the future will cost much more than the cheap, disposable incandescent bulbs we have been using since Thomas Edison figured out how to make one way back in 1879. But they also will last much longer — maybe even to the point of becoming built-in pieces of each lamp that last as long as the lamp does. And they will reduce our electric bills.
On New Year’s Day, the light-bulb business felt the first impact of the Energy Independence and Security Act, which had been passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007. The law was backed by an alliance of congressmen who wanted to reduce foreign energy imports and cut greenhouse gas emissions from making electricity.
The act aims to force consumers to switch over three years from their cherished, good-looking, cheap old incandescent bulbs and start using newfangled bulbs that consume less energy.
Beginning this past Jan. 1, the act forbids manufacturing or importing 100-watt and higher bulbs unless they put out at least 25 percent more light than the current incandescents. That rule expands to cover 75-watt bulbs in 2013, then 60- and 40-watt bulbs in 2014. Similar rules about specialized types of bulbs also go into effect in 2013 and 2014.
“Big changes are coming in lighting,” said Dave Stokes, a manager at the Ziegler’s Ace Hardware store in Huntley. “People have to start thinking in terms of lumens, the amount of light given off by a bulb, instead of just watts, the amount of power used by the bulb. People will start thinking in terms of lumens per watt the way they think now about miles per gallon. And just like the government used miles-per-gallon rules to force carmakers to make energy-efficient products, the lumens-per-watt rules are forcing manufacturers to make more efficient light bulbs.”
Political remorse
In mid-December Congress, stirred by complaints from consumers and rage against government controls, attacked the new bulb rules. When they passed a new omnibus spending bill, they didn’t include any money for the U.S. Department of Energy to enforce the new light-bulb rules.
“Let there be incandescent light and freedom. That’s the American way,” declared conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh.
But spokespersons for the lighting industry said the enforcement defunding will make no difference in their plans to phase out the old incandescents.
General Electric spokesman David A. Schuellerman told the Washington Post that the industry has already spent millions gearing up to build only new kinds of bulbs and that the December vote does not repeal the 2007 law.
“We still are required to abide by the (new) standards, and of course we intend to comply with our legal obligation,” he said.
“There is a lot of misinformation,” said Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy. “Retailers don’t have to take inventories of old bulbs off the shelves. The government is not going to come into homes to check. ... You’re still going to be able to buy incandescent bulbs. They’re just going to be 28 to 30 percent more efficient.”
Choose carefully
Well, that’s not quite the only difference between the old bulbs and their replacements, notes Steve Walker, manager of the Batteries Plus store in Elgin. The store’s owner decided a few weeks ago that this would be an opportune time to start selling a large selection of light bulbs in addition to its line of batteries.
Yes, the new styles will use less electricity and save big on your ComEd bill, Walker notes. But they also will cost more up front. They don’t all provide the same kind of warm-feeling, all-around colors we have gotten used to. And some types have enough mercury to require them to be recycled as semi-hazardous waste rather than just being tossed into the trash.
Walker said there are three types of bulbs competing to replace your old incandescents:
Halogen incandescent bulbs, which also use a material that glows hot and bright when an electric current passes through it but use a different kind of material than the tungsten filaments typically used in old-style bulbs. These use less power than the old bulbs but more than the other alternatives. For example, one halogen bulb offered for sale at Batteries Plus gives the same amount of light as an old-style 75-watter but draws only 53 watts.
Compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs, which are similar to the long tubes used for decades in office and store lighting and use hot gases to generate their light. The compact ones typically have a small tube wrapped into a spiral shape. If you think that’s ugly, or you have a lampshade designed to snap onto the old-style incandescent, CFLs now also come in a rounded shape that looks much like the old-style bulbs on the outside.
CFLs use less power than halogen incandescents. The one equivalent to an old-style 75 uses just 20 watts, in effect cutting your electric bill for using it by three-fourths. CFLs are the type that contain a small amount of mercury, an environmental hazard, but hardware stores and Batteries Plus will accept them for recycling.
LED light-emitting diode) bulbs, which are the most high tech bulbs of all. They are similar to the LEDs used in electronic dials and some brake lights, flashlights and traffic signals.
They’re the most efficient type of all from the standpoint of power use, but also are the least well developed at this point. Remember how dim those LED Christmas decorations seem to be? LEDs strain to achieve the same kind of brightness as a living-room lamp, and in fact the brightest LED available at Batteries Plus puts out only one-third as much light as a 75-watt incandescent bulb.
Varying prices
Prices, colors and life expectancies also vary considerably among the four types. At Batteries Plus, 75-watt incandescents can be had for 50 cents apiece if you buy them in a four-pack. The equivalent halogen fluorescent will cost you four times as much, or about $2 a bulb. The CFL equivalent is about $3.99, or twice as expensive as the halogen and eight times as much as the old-style incandescent.
And the LEDs? Don’t ask. At Batteries Plus, that biggest LED that produces only a third as much light as a 75-watt incandescent will set you back a whopping $34.99.
But the new styles may last so long that over the life of a lamp, the purchase price looks more reasonable. According to the website of Phillips Electronics, if an old-style bulb burns out in a given usage in one year, a halogen bulb in the same usage will last two years, a CFL will last seven to 11 years, and an LED bulb will burn on and on and on for at least 15 years.
Walker said some users have complained that CFLs burn out sooner than that, but he thinks that depends on how the bulb is being used.
“You need the right bulb for the right application,” Walker said. “If someone has a closet light that they switch on and off all the time for just a few seconds at a time, that will be hard on a CFL. But for a porch light that turns on once a day and stays on for hours, a CFL will last a long, long time.”
Add in the savings on your electric bill, and ComEd and the Alliance to Save Energy argue that using the newfangled, expensive-to-buy bulbs usually ends up saving money over the long run.
Also, ComEd will help you some with the purchase cost. Just a few years ago, the utility would provide its customers with free replacement bulbs that they could pick up at grocery stores such as Gromer’s in return for paying just a few dollars a year more on their power bills.
Now ComEd will provide a $1.25 rebate on each new bulb that qualifies for the Energy Star rating, up to 10 bulbs per customer. The customer fills out a rebate slip while purchasing the bulbs and the store even handles the chore of sending the forms in after giving the customer the instant rebate at the cash register.
One of the main customer complaints about the new bulbs is that they don’t duplicate the warm, homey colors of the old-style incandescents, which generate about the same color spectrum as a gas fire or a camp fire. Halogens and fluorescent lights often are described as too blue-ish or too green-ish or too glaring. But Walker said developers are rapidly improving the looks of the new light.
For example, CFLs now come in three color spectrums — “soft white,” “bright white” and “daylight.” Walker advises buyers to ask a store employee for advice on what looks best in a given situation.
Super bulb
Despite their current high price and limited intensity, Ziegler’s Stokes is convinced LEDs will be the bulb of the future. A retired Air Force officer, Stokes is familiar with the technology because he is both a hardware store manager and an amateur pilot.
“The first thing we’ll see is most people switching to halogen incandescents,” Stokes said. “Then they will go to compact fluorescents. But eventually everybody will be using LEDs. We just got one in (at ACE) that can replace a 40- or 60-watt incandescent and uses only 2 watts of power.”
Researchers are figuring out how to make LEDs brighter and brighter, Stokes said. “The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has now approved airplane landing lights made of LEDs. Of course, for my plane a new incandescent bulb costs $10, while to replace it with an LED would cost $280. But that price will go down.”
Walker said the Rockford Airport recently replaced its runway lights with LEDs, too — but then ran into an unexpected problem.
The reason incandescent bulbs use so much power is that they convert most of the electrical energy into heat instead of light.
“They found out the LEDs were so efficient and burn so cool that snow just piled up on the runway lights without melting until you couldn’t see the light anymore,” Walker said.
NXP Extends LED Driver ICs for Compact-Non-Dimmable Lamps
EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS, Jan 26, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- NXP Semiconductors N.V. NXPI +1.41% today announced the availability of several new LED driver ICs in its SSL2108x family for compact, non-dimmable retrofit lamps, following the success of the SSL21081. With the addition of the SSL21082, SSL21083 and SSL21084, NXP now provides a single platform for lamp designers developing for 100V - 120V and 230V mains voltages, as well as all power ranges up to 25 W. Based on GreenChip(TM) technology, the SSL2108x family has been optimized for non-isolated topologies with high output voltages, and for applications in which compatibility with triac dimmers is not required.
Compact, non-dimmable LED lamps are growing in popularity, particularly in markets such as Japan, The SSL2108x family offers a best-in-class solution for these markets, with a high level of efficiency (up to 95% as measured on reference boards); a high level of integration (enabling easy design-in of a full application with only 14 components and a very small PCB area of 18 x 22 mm); and a very low electronic bill of materials (eBoM). The NXP SSL2108x family of devices also delivers tight LED current regulation (better than 5%); a full set of protections, including built-in LED temperature protection via input from an NTC temperature sensor; and an integrated MOSFET.
NXP will showcase the SSL2108x family at Strategies in Light in Santa Clara, California from February 7-9, 2012 (booth 511).
Compact, non-dimmable LED lamps are growing in popularity, particularly in markets such as Japan, The SSL2108x family offers a best-in-class solution for these markets, with a high level of efficiency (up to 95% as measured on reference boards); a high level of integration (enabling easy design-in of a full application with only 14 components and a very small PCB area of 18 x 22 mm); and a very low electronic bill of materials (eBoM). The NXP SSL2108x family of devices also delivers tight LED current regulation (better than 5%); a full set of protections, including built-in LED temperature protection via input from an NTC temperature sensor; and an integrated MOSFET.
NXP will showcase the SSL2108x family at Strategies in Light in Santa Clara, California from February 7-9, 2012 (booth 511).
How to Install an HID Conversion KIt
HID automotive lighting provides superior light output to standard tungsten filament bulbs, and HID bulbs are rated to last up to eight times longer than their conventional counterparts. These reasons, and the fact that they are available in a number of different colors, have made HID conversions a popular aftermarket upgrade. HID bulbs are available in most factory bulb sizes and may be installed in almost any vehicle. Before installing HID lighting, check with your local authorities as many communities have laws prohibiting HID lighting for on-road use.
1 Remove the factory headlight bulbs. If necessary, remove the factory headlight bezel as well.
2 Replace the factory headlight bulbs with HID bulbs. Be careful not to touch the HID bulb glass with bare hands, as the oils on human skin will heat up and damage to the bulb may occur.
3 Plug the HID bulbs into the ballasts provided with the HID kit. Test the HID ballast wiring for length, as HID lights use special wiring that cannot be extended.
4 Mount the ballasts as close to the headlight bulbs as possible. Use self-tapping screws and nylon wire ties to mount the ballasts securely to the vehicle. Do not mount the ballasts where they will be exposed to excessive amounts of moisture or heat. Once mounted, connect the factory headlight harness to the ballast to trigger the HIDs.
5 Test the HID xenon kit for proper operation. It may take up to 10 seconds for the bulbs to illuminate completely. Once correct operation is verified replace the headlight bezel.
1 Remove the factory headlight bulbs. If necessary, remove the factory headlight bezel as well.
2 Replace the factory headlight bulbs with HID bulbs. Be careful not to touch the HID bulb glass with bare hands, as the oils on human skin will heat up and damage to the bulb may occur.
3 Plug the HID bulbs into the ballasts provided with the HID kit. Test the HID ballast wiring for length, as HID lights use special wiring that cannot be extended.
4 Mount the ballasts as close to the headlight bulbs as possible. Use self-tapping screws and nylon wire ties to mount the ballasts securely to the vehicle. Do not mount the ballasts where they will be exposed to excessive amounts of moisture or heat. Once mounted, connect the factory headlight harness to the ballast to trigger the HIDs.
5 Test the HID xenon kit for proper operation. It may take up to 10 seconds for the bulbs to illuminate completely. Once correct operation is verified replace the headlight bezel.
Off-Road Funding Set For Approval
Renewed funding for motorized trails and a ban on funding for motorcycle-only checkpoints are included in a major federal transportation bill being considered by a key U.S. House committee, according to the AMA.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is expected to vote tomorrow on a transportation funding authorization bill - H.R. 7, the "American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act of 2012." If approved, the measure would go to the full House for a vote before moving to the Senate for consideration.
Since the Senate has its own version of the bill, the spending plan would eventually end up in a House-Senate conference committee where differences would be worked out before going back to both chambers for final approval, the AMA says.
The House measure includes $85 million a year through fiscal year 2016 for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP), which provides money to states to develop and maintain trails. Federal lawmakers had been looking at eliminating the dedicated funding for the program, which threatened to end the RTP.
"Motorcyclists and all-terrain vehicle riders by the thousands spoke, and federal lawmakers listened," said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations. "We want to thank the members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for their hard work in putting together this massive transportation bill, and for including provisions that benefit our members."
Funds for the RTP come from the federal Highway Trust Fund and represent a portion of the federal motor fuel excise tax collected from non-highway recreational fuel use. In other words, taxes generated by fuel used for off-highway vehicle recreation - by snowmobiles, ATVs, off-highway motorcycles and off-highway light trucks - fund the RTP.
The RTP provides funds to the states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both non-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The RTP is an assistance program of the U.S. Transportation Department's Federal Highway Administration. The RTP program benefits hiking, bicycling, in-line skating, equestrian use, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, off-road motorcycling, ATV riding, four-wheel driving, or using other off road motorcycle motorized vehicles.
Besides including RTP funding, the House measure bars the U.S. transportation secretary from providing grants to states and local governments for motorcycle-only checkpoints, which are opposed by the AMA. The AMA has been tracking the disturbing development of motorcycle-only checkpoints since they first appeared in New York several years ago.
"The AMA believes that strategies to promote motorcycle safety must be rooted in motorcycle crash prevention, and don't include arbitrarily pulling over riders and randomly subjecting them to roadside inspections," Allard said.
The House bill also provides funding for state motorcycle safety programs. The AMA has long promoted motorcycle rider education and motorist awareness programs as essential strategies to prevent cub motorcycle crashes.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is expected to vote tomorrow on a transportation funding authorization bill - H.R. 7, the "American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act of 2012." If approved, the measure would go to the full House for a vote before moving to the Senate for consideration.
Since the Senate has its own version of the bill, the spending plan would eventually end up in a House-Senate conference committee where differences would be worked out before going back to both chambers for final approval, the AMA says.
The House measure includes $85 million a year through fiscal year 2016 for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP), which provides money to states to develop and maintain trails. Federal lawmakers had been looking at eliminating the dedicated funding for the program, which threatened to end the RTP.
"Motorcyclists and all-terrain vehicle riders by the thousands spoke, and federal lawmakers listened," said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations. "We want to thank the members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for their hard work in putting together this massive transportation bill, and for including provisions that benefit our members."
Funds for the RTP come from the federal Highway Trust Fund and represent a portion of the federal motor fuel excise tax collected from non-highway recreational fuel use. In other words, taxes generated by fuel used for off-highway vehicle recreation - by snowmobiles, ATVs, off-highway motorcycles and off-highway light trucks - fund the RTP.
The RTP provides funds to the states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both non-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The RTP is an assistance program of the U.S. Transportation Department's Federal Highway Administration. The RTP program benefits hiking, bicycling, in-line skating, equestrian use, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, off-road motorcycling, ATV riding, four-wheel driving, or using other off road motorcycle motorized vehicles.
Besides including RTP funding, the House measure bars the U.S. transportation secretary from providing grants to states and local governments for motorcycle-only checkpoints, which are opposed by the AMA. The AMA has been tracking the disturbing development of motorcycle-only checkpoints since they first appeared in New York several years ago.
"The AMA believes that strategies to promote motorcycle safety must be rooted in motorcycle crash prevention, and don't include arbitrarily pulling over riders and randomly subjecting them to roadside inspections," Allard said.
The House bill also provides funding for state motorcycle safety programs. The AMA has long promoted motorcycle rider education and motorist awareness programs as essential strategies to prevent cub motorcycle crashes.
2012年2月1日星期三
2012 Yamaha AORC dates announced
Yamaha Motor Australia has continued its support of off road motorcycle Sport for another year, returning as the naming rights sponsor for the 2012 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC).
Yamaha Motor Australia's Motorsport Manager Ray Howard said he was looking forward to being a part of the AORC again in 2012.
"Yamaha Motor Australia (YMA) is pleased to be able to support the Australian Off-Road Championships," Howard said.
"The AORC is a cornerstone of the national dirt bike motorcycle calendar, and we believe that our sponsorship of the event plays an important role in nurturing Off-Road sport.
"2012 is a key year for Yamaha due to the release of the new WR450F. This model was the first modern era four-stroke Enduro bike and has built up a loyal following and YMA will be supporting two teams who will showcase the new model."
Series Coordinator Denise Hore is thrilled to have Yamaha on-board for the 2012 Championship.
"Yamaha's support of the AORC has been, and continues to be, outstanding," Ms Hore said.
"The support of Yamaha made the 2011 Series a reality in the face of tough times, and allowed our riders to get out there and do what they do best.
"Yamaha's ongoing support in 2012 will ensure our Championship and our sport remains strong."
Motorcycling Australia (MA) CEO David White is pleased to welcome Yamaha back for another year.
"I would like to thank Yamaha for their continued support of the AORC and their commitment to the development and continuation of Off-Road competition in Australia," White said.
"Yamaha has been an integral supporter of our Championship for many years, and we are excited they have chosen to get behind the Series again in 2012.
"We look forward to working with Yamaha throughout the year to deliver the 2012 Series for the Australian Enduro community."
The AORC is an annual epic battle, bringing hundreds of Enduro riders and their bikes face-to-face with the best and worst of the tough Aussie elements to race against the conditions and the clock.
2012 is shaping up to be a bumper year for the AORC, with the Championship given the green light to run as an expanded 12-round Series across four Aussie states.
The AORC caravan will travel to the traditional haunts of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, and make a return to Queensland after weather conditions in 2011 caused the Queensland rounds to be abandoned.
2012 will bring the challenge to the riders, with a spicy mix of Enduro, Cross Country and Sprint format rounds to be battled out on some of Australia's best terrain.
The 2012 Series will carry on the successful 2011 National and State combo, with all 12 Australian rounds to be run in conjunction with host State Championships.
The dates, venues and formats for the 2012 AORC can be found below.
Rd 1 and 2 - 25-26 Feb - Dungog - NSW - Enduro - Dungog MCC
Rd 3 and 4 - 31 May- 1 April - Wonthaggi - VIC - Cross Country/Sprint - Dandenong MCC
Rd 5 and 6 - 28-29 April - Coonabarabran - NSW - Cross Country/ - Sprint
Rd 7 and 8 - 19-20 May - Broadford - VIC - Cross Country/ - Sprint - MCRCV
Rd 9 and 10 - 28-29 July - Conondale - - Sprint/Sprint - Sunshine Coast MCC
Rd 11 and 12 - 25-26 August - Kapunda - SA - Cross Country/Sprint - Gawler MCC
Presentation - 26 August - Nurioopta - SA - Vines Hotel
Yamaha Motor Australia's Motorsport Manager Ray Howard said he was looking forward to being a part of the AORC again in 2012.
"Yamaha Motor Australia (YMA) is pleased to be able to support the Australian Off-Road Championships," Howard said.
"The AORC is a cornerstone of the national dirt bike motorcycle calendar, and we believe that our sponsorship of the event plays an important role in nurturing Off-Road sport.
"2012 is a key year for Yamaha due to the release of the new WR450F. This model was the first modern era four-stroke Enduro bike and has built up a loyal following and YMA will be supporting two teams who will showcase the new model."
Series Coordinator Denise Hore is thrilled to have Yamaha on-board for the 2012 Championship.
"Yamaha's support of the AORC has been, and continues to be, outstanding," Ms Hore said.
"The support of Yamaha made the 2011 Series a reality in the face of tough times, and allowed our riders to get out there and do what they do best.
"Yamaha's ongoing support in 2012 will ensure our Championship and our sport remains strong."
Motorcycling Australia (MA) CEO David White is pleased to welcome Yamaha back for another year.
"I would like to thank Yamaha for their continued support of the AORC and their commitment to the development and continuation of Off-Road competition in Australia," White said.
"Yamaha has been an integral supporter of our Championship for many years, and we are excited they have chosen to get behind the Series again in 2012.
"We look forward to working with Yamaha throughout the year to deliver the 2012 Series for the Australian Enduro community."
The AORC is an annual epic battle, bringing hundreds of Enduro riders and their bikes face-to-face with the best and worst of the tough Aussie elements to race against the conditions and the clock.
2012 is shaping up to be a bumper year for the AORC, with the Championship given the green light to run as an expanded 12-round Series across four Aussie states.
The AORC caravan will travel to the traditional haunts of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, and make a return to Queensland after weather conditions in 2011 caused the Queensland rounds to be abandoned.
2012 will bring the challenge to the riders, with a spicy mix of Enduro, Cross Country and Sprint format rounds to be battled out on some of Australia's best terrain.
The 2012 Series will carry on the successful 2011 National and State combo, with all 12 Australian rounds to be run in conjunction with host State Championships.
The dates, venues and formats for the 2012 AORC can be found below.
Rd 1 and 2 - 25-26 Feb - Dungog - NSW - Enduro - Dungog MCC
Rd 3 and 4 - 31 May- 1 April - Wonthaggi - VIC - Cross Country/Sprint - Dandenong MCC
Rd 5 and 6 - 28-29 April - Coonabarabran - NSW - Cross Country/ - Sprint
Rd 7 and 8 - 19-20 May - Broadford - VIC - Cross Country/ - Sprint - MCRCV
Rd 9 and 10 - 28-29 July - Conondale - - Sprint/Sprint - Sunshine Coast MCC
Rd 11 and 12 - 25-26 August - Kapunda - SA - Cross Country/Sprint - Gawler MCC
Presentation - 26 August - Nurioopta - SA - Vines Hotel
How to Install a Wireless Parking Sensor
All cars have a blind spot, and when backing out of a parking spot, something in this blind spot could be hit. Such a scenario has been tragically repeated when small children stand behind a car as it is backed out of a garage. The solution to this is a parking sensor. These increase your field of vision by detecting if there is something behind your car which you might hit backing out. The installation is simple, and it can take just one hour to do from start to finish.
1 Measure the center of your bumper with the measuring tape and mark it with the grease pencil.
2 Measure and mark two places between 12" and 24" to the left and right of the center of the bumper. These will be where the sensors will be mounted. The sensors need to be between 18" - 30" off the ground. It is best to put the sensors 24" off the ground.
3 Drag the plug with the display panel to where you want to mount the display panel. Attach the panel with the included double sided tape.
4 Look for holes made in your car that feed the wires from the lights into the rear of your car or the trunk. Fish the sensor wires through these holes. Enlarge the hole and line the edges with Zinc Galvanize if needed.
5 Place a piece of electrical tape over the spots marked with the grease pencil on the bumper for the sensors. Use the specialty drill bit included with the parking sensor kit to drill holes at these sites. Remove rough edges with a drill buffing bit and coat the edges of the holes with Zinc Galvanize if the bumper is metal.
6 Push the sensors from the back of the bumper until they are flush with the front.
7 Plug the wires from the display, sensors, and the power supply into the control box. Test the unit according to your manufacturer's instructions.
8 Choose a site to mount the control box, and attach it there with the double sided tape included.
1 Measure the center of your bumper with the measuring tape and mark it with the grease pencil.
2 Measure and mark two places between 12" and 24" to the left and right of the center of the bumper. These will be where the sensors will be mounted. The sensors need to be between 18" - 30" off the ground. It is best to put the sensors 24" off the ground.
3 Drag the plug with the display panel to where you want to mount the display panel. Attach the panel with the included double sided tape.
4 Look for holes made in your car that feed the wires from the lights into the rear of your car or the trunk. Fish the sensor wires through these holes. Enlarge the hole and line the edges with Zinc Galvanize if needed.
5 Place a piece of electrical tape over the spots marked with the grease pencil on the bumper for the sensors. Use the specialty drill bit included with the parking sensor kit to drill holes at these sites. Remove rough edges with a drill buffing bit and coat the edges of the holes with Zinc Galvanize if the bumper is metal.
6 Push the sensors from the back of the bumper until they are flush with the front.
7 Plug the wires from the display, sensors, and the power supply into the control box. Test the unit according to your manufacturer's instructions.
8 Choose a site to mount the control box, and attach it there with the double sided tape included.
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