PANTERA SM200-BM New Sport Motorcycle Review

Model : SM200-BMBrand : PANTERAOrigin : Made In ChinaL X W X H(mm):1980 X 700 X 1160WHEEL BASE(mm):1375MIN.GROUND CLEARANCE(mm):245DEAD WEIGHT:120 KGSMAX.LOADING:150 KGSTOP SPEED:90 Km/hBRAKE TYPE:DISK/DISKFRONT TYRE SIZE:2.75-17REAR TYRE SIZE:110/90-16SEAT HEIGHT(mm):840FUEL TANK CAPACITY:11 LMAX.POWER:10Kw/8000r/minMAX.TORQUE:12N.m/7000r/minSTART MODE:ELECTRIC/KICKIGNITION:C.D.I.ENGINE

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Suzuki GSX-R1000 Review

Suzuki 2009 model at the launch held in Paris, the European Suzuki launches all-new GSX-R1000 K9. Boasts all-new compact engine, shorter wheelbase and a new style, the new GSX-R1000 raises the bar once again in the heat-disputed liter bike class.With significant changes in the engine department, the new GSX-R boasts a more over-square bore and stroke (74.5mm x 57.3mm), larger, titanium valves,

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Opel Insignia: Some very interesting comments from owners!!!

I have posted a couple of reviews for my Opel Insignia (a 5,000 km review and a 10,000 km review) and I have received some very interesting comments regarding problems, as well as cases where the dealers don't have a clue how to fix the damn thing. I would like to thank everyone for their time and for sharing their experiences. Especially, the 10,000 km review has some very interesting comments from Sweden and I just wanted to make everyone aware of it.

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Short review of my Apple MacBook Pro & Magic Mouse

I have my lovely MacBook Pro for almost a month now and although I am sure that there are still many features to discover and learn, I am going to write a short review.

It was back in 2000, when I first saw the iBook and I immediately wanted one. Since I wasn't much into computers back then, I tried to find out what was so special about Apple computers, but at the end, due to the fact that I needed to run engineering software, I didn't buy it. I could have used an emulator, but a solution like this wasn't adequate for running CAD & FEA software.

Anyway, since then I bought three laptops and one desktop pc, all with Windows OS, but in the meantime, since I couldn't stand the awful OS, I was also using Linux for my daily tasks. Now, since I am not working with FEA software anymore (bad choices in life...), I finally got my first Apple product, a top-spec 13.3" MacBook Pro. Needless to say that I couldn't resist buying the Magic Mouse as well.

When I first opened the box I was simply amazed. We are talking about serious quality here. Everything appears to be well thought out and simplicity is something you immediately start appreciating. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I have summarized below the pros and cons.

Apple MacBook Pro 13.3" (mid-2009 edition, 2.53GHz MB991LL/A)

+

built-in stereo speakers

LED-backlit widescreen

backlit keyboard

aluminium unibody enclosure

amazing small perforations created by laser drill

battery life + adaptive charging

battery charge indicator even when the laptop is switched off

MagSafe power port (meaning that the power connector is held in place magnetically) 

performance (it's fast!!!)

spotlight search functionality

cover flow view in Finder

dock appearance and magnification 

ease of program installation

you press the "shut down" button and after 2-3 seconds it's dead

... and many more amazing features that cannot be described... you have to use a Mac to understand

-

rather strange management of the photos by iPhoto. Picasa works much better for me
monthly installments on my credit card 

Apple Magic Mouse

+ 
multi-touch surface feels so good

scroll in any direction with one finger
functionality using MagicPrefs, such as customised taps etc.

"slow down when you're moving slow" kind of thing

-

rather small in size for my hand

mouse pointer speed was seriously slow, but using MouseZoom things got better

no carrying pouch
occasionally it loses connectivity *

* according to an article, this is related to the design of the MacBook Pro: "Unfortunately, the problem seems to be endemic to the design of the Mac Pro itself. It appears that the Mac Pro�s Bluetooth antenna is hidden on the underbelly of the machine, under a plastic cover. According to Mac site HardMac, this causes the Mac Pro to have much spottier Bluetooth reception than other computers with better placed Bluetooth antennas, and the Magic Mouse is particularly fussy about it."

Verdict

It worths every penny!!!

What's next?

An iPad of course, in order to replace my iPaq ;-)

READ MORE - Short review of my Apple MacBook Pro & Magic Mouse

10,000 km review of my Opel Insignia 1.6T Sport

Following the 5,000 km review of my Opel Insignia, now the time has come for the 10,000 km review. The are only two major things that need shorting out. As you may have read in the �Known technical issues of Opel Insignia� post,  the are some known technical problems with Insignias and I have got two of them.

The first one has to do with the fact that water accumulates in the sill area of front doors. I had noticed in the past after a car wash, but back then, the lad in the dealer said it's normal and happens in all cars, strangely though neither my Honda nor my Volvo had this issue.... Anyway, now that's winter, this phenomenon is frequent and in my next visit to the dealer, I will tell them to fix it.

Second and most irritating issue is the noise from the rear disc brakes. Opel knows about this and this is due to the defective brake pads used, causing also score marks on the rear brake discs. I haven't done anything yet, cause in some cars, the brake pads were replaced with ones having the same part number and the problem was never solved. So, I am waiting for the new ones to come, which hopefully will not suffer from the same problem.

Other minor issues resolved included greasing of the ignition lock, as the key was stack in a couple of occasions and didn't return into 'run' position, and elimination of the vibration under the navi display.

After having 8,500 km on the clock, I noticed also a drop in the average fuel consumption by a liter per 100 km.

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5,000 km review of my Opel Insignia 1.6T Sport

 

 

My Insignia has now more than 5,000 km on the clock and it's time for a short review.

The main thing is that I am really satisfied with the car and there is absolutely no regret in my selection. Considering  that the Sport trim level costs around �24-25K, it's definately a very good value for money.

Build and material quality is very good, with the only downsides being a rattle at the bottom of the navi screen and a couple of big panel gaps on the outside. In terms of ergonomics and functionality, no problems have been noticed.

Performance is good, as expected from a car with 180 hp, but bare in mind that it's almost 1.5 tonnes heavy and 4th, 5th and 6th gear rations are rather tall.

In terms of reliability so far, everything works fine. Only one of the flaps of the cup holder was replaced under warranty, but I bet that it was damaged over here prior the delivery. The only complicated thing about this car is the firmware updates. Those are available from Opel, but it's down to the main importer to decide which ones are mandatory. Getting the rest of them it's either up to the kindness of the dealer or a matter of paying.

This situation however became irritating, due to the fact that there was an issue on all 1.6T models with a very noticeable vibration when the engine was being switched off. This was solved with some updates, but finding a dealer to do it was a difficult task, since there was no notification sent to the dealers by the main importer. When the updates were installed, the engine response changed (now it seems to be smoother with no lag at all) and with no vibration anymore... but then cruise control stopped working as the technician cocked up the brake pedal sensor! A calibration of the sensor was required, after the updates, but because he was ignorant, not only the problem with the cruise control came up, but also the brake lights did not work!!!

Last but not least, original navi maps were completely crap and YM2010 cars are equipped with much better ones. I am not sure if the main importer has decided on how customers with the old maps will get the new ones installed, but thanks to a good salesman, a lot of people managed to get them at a meeting of the club...

LIKES

+ Exterior styling (... it looks even better in white!)

+ Interior design

+ Support and comfort of sports seats

+ It's relatively fast

+ A lot of kit

+ Sound of turbo

+ Braking performance
+ FlexRide suspension

+ Good quality
+ Value for money

+ Cheap spare parts

+ People are staring at it!!!

DISLIKES

- Sound system (CD500) is disappointing
- When changing from CD playback to radio, volume is not automatically adjusted

- Rattle at the bottom of the navi screen
- The fact that the car was delivered to me with a big scratch on the bumper
- A lot of Opel service points with lack of knowledge about Insignia. Don't they get any f@#%ing training???

Related posts: Known technical issues of Opel Insignia;   Information on Body Control Module (BCM) & Engine Control Module (ECM) from "Opel news & info" blog

READ MORE - 5,000 km review of my Opel Insignia 1.6T Sport