Honda Announces New Assignments In Motorcycle Division
Effective the beginning of April, a number of American Honda Motorcycle Division associates at the senior manager, manager and associate levels will assume new roles and responsibilities.
“Respect for the individual is the foundation of our Honda philosophy,” Bob Gurga, vice president, Motorcycle Division, said. “These changes support the ongoing development and expansion of our associates’ skill sets, contribution to the company and knowledge transfer, and reinforce key areas of our business in anticipation of future growth in both the two-wheel and four-wheel powersport markets. Ultimately, these changes are designed to enhance the consumer experience with all Honda powersports products. These new staff assignments prepare American Honda’s Motorcycle Division to maximize our sales, service and marketing support to attract new Honda customers and retain our existing customers.”
New assignments include:
- Wayne Toyota, senior manager, Dealer Network & Business Support (formerly senior manager, Motorcycle Marketing)
- Mike Snyder, senior manager, Motorcycle Marketing (formerly senior manager, Auto Business Operations)
- Dan Wright, senior manager, Motorcycle Service (formerly senior manager, Motorcycle Field Sales)
- Gary Higgins, senior manager, Motorcycle Product Planning (formerly senior manager, Motorcycle Service)
- Chuck Miller, senior manager, Motorcycle Field Sales (formerly senior manager, Motorcycle Product Planning)
- Bill Savino, manager, Four-Wheel Product Planning (formerly manager, Motorcycle Press)
- Susan Fairchild, manager, Motorcycle Social Media Marketing (formerly manager, Acura Service Marketing)
- Lee Edmunds, manager of Motorcycle Marketing Communications (formerly manager, Motorcycle Advertising)
EPA Acknowledges That Ethanol Damages Engines
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has publicly acknowledged that ethanol in gasoline can damage internal combustion engines by increasing exhaust temperatures and indirectly causing component failures, the American Motorcyclist Association reports.
The EPA statements are found in a rule proposal issued by the Federal Trade Commission regarding a new label for pumps that supply fuel blends high in ethanol.
According to the EPA, "[e]thanol impacts motor vehicles in two primary ways. First ... ethanol enleans the [air/fuel] ratio (increases the proportion of oxygen relative to hydrocarbons) which can lead to increased exhaust gas temperatures and potentially increase incremental deterioration of emission control hardware and performance over time, possibly causing catalyst failure. Second, ethanol can cause materials compatibility issues, which may lead to other component failures.
"In motorcycles and nonroad products [using E15 and higher ethanol blends], EPA raised engine-failure concerns from overheating."
These EPA statements, contained in the FTC document, back the long-held position of the AMA.
"The American Motorcyclist Association has fought the distribution of E15 fuel blends in an effort to protect motorcycle and all-terrain vehicles from the damage that ethanol causes," Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations, said. "Now the EPA acknowledges that ethanol itself is harmful to emissions hardware and other components on all motor vehicles. It is time for the federal government to pause, take a hard look at this product and change its entire approach to ethanol in fuels."
E15 is a gasoline formulation that contains up to 15 percent ethanol by volume.
None of the estimated 22 million motorcycles and ATVs currently in operation can use fuels with blends higher than 10 percent ethanol. Doing so could void the manufacturer's warranty, in addition to causing damage to the vehicle.
The AMA applauded the EPA's decision in its proposed rule to roll back the requirement for wider distribution and use of E15 under its Renewable Fuel Standard.
The AMA also is concerned about the continued availability of E10 blends and E0 fuels—gasoline with zero ethanol content—if E15 is allowed to permeate the marketplace.
Dirt Toys Magazine Launches YouTube Channel
We’re excited to finally have a place to keep all the edited clips of the hours of footage we’ve taken over the years as Dirt Toys Magazine now has its own YouTube channel.
The actual web address is www.youtube.com/channel/UCiR8BawD8PhtPrFJt0cBt2A, but it’s much easier to just go to YouTube and type in Dirt Toys Magazine, which will take you to our landing page.
We currently have several videos there—including some from past Rally on the Rocks rides—and will be adding more on a regular basis.
We hope you enjoy them. And if you have any suggestions, shoot us an e-mail.
