Between the lines on Honda’s massive investment in Cruise - Axios close icon Mobile toggle main menu Axios Mobile toggle complementary sections profile Search Close Save story Read more toggle Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Copy per | High Quality Fuel Injection Nozzle

The changes made to the 2019 Suzuki BFRC shock are a big improvement over the 2018 shock setup. We had to drop the sag down to 108mm to balance out the rear with the front. The softer and shorter rear shock spring takes a lot of load off the touchy front end and allows the Suzuki to absorb the small stuff that it ignored in 2018.

Driving is not an unrestricted ‘right’. That is why there are existing driver licensing, vehicle licensing and insurance requirements, as well as applicable laws regarding vehicle operation.

(4) Kawasaki KX450. The KX450 shares the basic Showa forks with Honda and Suzuki, but it is a much plusher fork than the other two. The spring rates on all three are 5.0 N/m, but the KX450 feels suppler because the fork oil height is lower. The KX450 forks are forgiving over small bumps but way too soft in the big stuff. The compression and rebound can help, but they are not a cure-all, as the soft forks make the balance of the bike feel off. Our simplest fix was to run one stock 5.0 N/m spring with one optional 5.2 N/m spring to make a hybrid 5.1 N/m spring that helped the forks ride higher in the stroke and balance out the chassis. There was still a bit of harshness in the middle of the stroke that we couldn’t iron out. 

1. Clutch. The clutch is weak. Get rid of the judder spring and small plate.2. Radiators. It overheats and boils water like a teapot as dirt gets stuck in the radiator guards.3. Exhaust. Can’t complain about the horsepower, but we don’t give any of the credit to the twice pipes. We also don’t like how far the head pipe sticks out. Some riders hit it when they put their leg out.4. Handling. It likes to turn but is very busy between corners.5. Weight. 238 pounds is exactly 15 pounds too much.6. Sound. On the 2-meter-max sound test, it blew 117.5 dB. That’s loud, but it passed the 94 dB Amateur sound test.7. Setup. We never had as much trouble getting a chassis to work in conjunction with the engine and suspension. This is a very sensitive bike.8. Forks. The fork aren’t as soft as the KX450 forks, yet they don’t have good bottoming resistance. Nobody likes to feel that harsh bottoming sensation.  

With the introduction of a hybrid interface, the unit can switch between mechanically and electric power. Users can thus achieve a higher average engine load and reduce fuel consumption by running only the necessary engines or generator sets dependent upon the operation mode, the company said. Reduced maintenance costs can also be achieved by running fewer hours on the main engines.

The interiors of the preproduction trucks we drove seemed to be standard Chevy fare. Nothing to complain about, but nothing new and special either. Except for this: Both new trucks we drove (the 5.3-liter V8 and 2.7-liter turbo models) were dramatically quieter in the cabin than the current model. Trim, fit, and finish, as well as the infotainment system, all seemed pretty standard. That may change as Chevy continues to roll out the 2019 Silverado in stages, however, and we were there to experience the engines, not evaluate the speakers.

According to Chevrolet, the trucks that seem to be affected are in what’s known as the salt belt states. The salt belt states include New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Maryland, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Washington DC, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Maine, Minnesota, Vermont, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. This is where the roads are salted during winter months.

This problem has been identified with the Chevrolet Silverado, as it is prone to a rusted out brake line that would cost buyers several hundreds of dollars a pop. The truck comes with some engine issues and mysterious clunking noises that comes from the powertrain.

Regarding safety devices there are many that I believe should be (and in some cases are mandatory): ABS, stability control/traction control, seatbelts, air bags, active head restraints, emergency braking, blind spot warning, Bluetooth. Some that I am not sure of such as lane departure. And some that I believe are largely unnecessary such as back up cameras. Yet there seem to be more defenders of back-up cameras than of the other more significant devices?

We then surmised that the seals in the master cylinder and slave cylinder were worn and should be replaced. We replaced both components and bled and adjusted the pedal. This solved the problem, and we sent our customer on his way.

Brake fluid was leaking all over the firewall and dripping down to my carpet. It then got on my shoes, which touched my pedals, so now I’ve got a stained carpet and disintegrated rubber pedal covers. Wonderful.

Several companies like B&M and TCI offer kits to do so, but it is a trial-and-error effort and requires the pressed-in governor cover to be removed each time to access the governor. Expect to spend half a day or more on this process.