Shuff's General Chat Thread ... #73 - Talk about anything and everything...  

Kawasaki reveal new Z1000 R Edition for 2017

Kawasaki have just revealed an 'R Edition' version of their naked Z1000 street bruiser as a new-for-2017 model.

The new bike (surely they should have called it the Z1R?) is fully Euro4 compliant, while Kawasaki claim they’ve managed to hit the emissions targets without any drop-off in power or torque over the existing engine.

The Z1000 R Edition gets some superbike-level trinkets to spice it up, too. First up is the addition of a set of Brembo 310mm Brembo floating front discs, complete with lateral grooves for improved heat dissipation, which are gripped by a pair of fat Brembo M50 monobloc calipers. And feeding them fluid is a set of stainless steel braided brake lines for improved performance and consistency.

Adding a little more finesse to the Zed’s suspension is the addition of a flash of gold and yellow – in the form of an Öhlins S46DR1S fully-adjustable shock, with remote preload adjuster. While the hardware is unchanged at the front, Kawasaki say they’ve introduced revised settings to ensure it matches the rear Öhlins’ action.

In terms of electronics, there are revised ECU settings to deliver a smoother power curve, the addition of a digital gear position indicator, and an adjustable shift-light that illuminates the rev counter display as the preset rpm limit is reached.

The R Edition gets its own Metallic Spark Black and Metallic Graphite Grey paintscheme, with a ‘special graphic package’, seat material embossed with the Z logo and further individual touches adding to an incredible visual appearance.

The standard Z1000 will still also be available in 2017, and will come in two new colours: Metallic Spark Black and Golden Blazed Green as well as Candy Burnt Orange and Flat Ebony.

Pricing is due to be announced at Motorcycle Live (November 19-27), where show-goers will be able to see the new Zeds for the first time in the UK, while bikes are expected to arrive in dealers from January 2017 onwards.

You're rubbish

Passenger sets bus driver alight in Brisbane, police say

A Qld bus driver is dead after the bus caught fire on Friday morning.© Casey Briggs/ABC News A Qld bus driver is dead after the bus caught fire on Friday morning.
A bus driver has died after a passenger poured flammable liquid on him at a shopping centre bus stop at Moorooka in Brisbane's south, police say.

The incident in which the 29-year-old bus driver died occurred about 9:00am on Beaudesert Road.

One witness said she helped passengers, including some young children, get off the bus.

"They were lucky to survive," she said. "[They were] just small children, [their] mum was screaming.

"I was scared." Aster Benebru, the owner of a nearby bakery, said her shop on Beaudesert Road was closed at the time of the fire, but she gave a man an extinguisher to help battle the blaze.

"When I go I saw the bus burn, smoke coming [out]," she said.

Inbound lanes of Beaudesert Road have been closed with diversions in place.

Yesss. The only SUV that is nice and that I would buy would be the new Volvo XC90

Russia falls victim to massive hack which reveals it WAS pulling strings in Ukraine uprising following accusations Moscow was behind Hillary Clinton email leaks

More than a gigabyte of leaked emails released by a group of Ukrainian hackers from account used by Putin's adviser Vladislav Surkov
Cache published by CyberHunta reveals contacts between Surkov and the pro-Russia rebels fighting Ukrainian forces
Senior US intelligence official said the US had 'no role' in the hack
Email dump comes as US has accused Russia of recent hacks of Democratic party's emails to influence presidential election
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the published emails as a sham, saying Wednesday that Surkov does not use email
Ukraine's National Security Service said Wednesday the emails were real, although they added the files may have been tampered with

One of Russian president Vladimir Putin's top aides has fallen victim to a massive hack that appears to show close financial and political ties between Moscow and separatist rebels in Eastern Ukraine.

More than a gigabyte of leaked emails were released by a group of Ukrainian hackers from an account used by Putin's adviser Vladislav Surkov.

The cache published by the Ukrainian group CyberHunta reveals contacts between Surkov and the pro-Russia rebels fighting Ukrainian forces.

It also comes as the United States has accused Russia of coordinating the recent hacks of the Democratic party's emails to influence the outcome of the presidential election.

A senior US intelligence official told NBC News the US had 'no role' in the hack

Maks Czuperksi, head of the Digital Forensic Research Lab of the Atlantic Council (DFRL), which has searched through the released emails, called the hack 'serious.'

'We have seen so much happen to the United States, other countries at the hands of Russia,' Czuperski told NBC.
'Not so much to Russia. It was only a question of time that some of the anonymous guys like CyberHunta would come to strike them back.'

Ukraine's National Security Service said on Wednesday the emails were real, although they added the files may have been tampered with.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the published emails as a sham, saying Wednesday that Surkov does not use email.

The email address for Surkov does not appear to be a personal account, but instead an address used by Surkov's office and managed by his assistants
The hackers were apparently able to download the Outlook email accounts of Surkov's assistants which included inbox, outbox, drafts and deleted email.

The email address for Surkov does not appear to be a personal account, but instead an address used by Surkov's office and managed by his assistants.

One email sent from the account includes scans of passports belonging to Surkov, his wife and children.

Analyst Aric Toler from the Atlantic Council's DFRL also authenticated some material in the email dump by matching drafts sent to the account with almost identical articles that subsequently appeared in the Russian press.

The large quantity of routine messages included in the 2,337 emails, dating back to 2014, indicated much of it was genuine, Toler said.

The email cache includes messages sent to Surkov by separatist leader Denis Pushilin with rebel casualty lists and expenses for the operation of a press center in the rebel capital, Donetsk.

Another email from the office of Russian billionaire Konstantin Malofeev, who reportedly has ties to the rebels, contains a list of ministers in the separatist government prior to their official announcement.

A series of 2014 emails from Georgy Bryusov, deputy head of Russia's Wrestling Federation, includes a suggestion to create a nationalist group ready to 'fight and defeat' the Maidan, the Kiev square where pro-European protesters gathered before driving the nation's former Russia-friendly president from office.

It is unclear if Surkov responded.

Bryusov hung up the phone when asked by the AP if he wrote the messages.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine that erupted in April 2014 after Russia's annexation of Crimea has killed more than 9,600 people.

A 2015 agreement has helped reduce the scale of fighting, but clashes have continued and efforts to negotiate a political settlement have stalled.

Russian journalist Svetlana Babaeva told The Associated Press emails from her in the cache were genuine.

'I sent those emails,' Babaeva said, referring to three emails in the leak discussing arrangements for an off-the-record meeting between Surkov and editors at her publication.

Russian businessmen Evgeny Chichivarkin, who lives in London, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that emails attributed to him in the cache were genuine too.

The cache reveals contacts between President Vladimir Putin's adviser Vladislav Surkov and the pro-Russia rebels fighting Ukrainian forces. The conflict in eastern Ukraine (pictured) that erupted in April 2014 after Russia's annexation of Crimea has killed more than 9,600 people

An AP check has also proven that at least some of the phone numbers and email addresses from the cache are genuine.

Surkov, who is under Western sanctions for his role in the Ukraine crisis, has conducted negotiations with high-ranking U.S. officials over Ukraine and, earlier this month, accompanied Putin to Berlin for talks with leaders of Germany and France.

A longtime associate of Putin, Surkov had been a key architect of the Kremlin's domestic politics.

A US official told NBC News that the email dump confirmed much of what the US had already believed - that Russia was pulling the strings of the separatist movement in Ukraine at a micro-level.

Surkov had already appeared on the top of a list of Russians and Ukrainians placed under executive sanctions by President Obama in March 2014, citing his role in the Ukraine uprising, according to the US official.

Under the sanction, Surkov's US assets in the US were frozen and he was banned from entering the country, similar to sanctions imposed on him by the European Union.

Czuperski told NBC he believes there is likely more hacked material but he is not sure if the hackers will continually dump material like Wikileaks.

'It's all time and probability - how much effort you put in and how much effort the adversary puts in,' he said.

The Kremlin was propelled to the heart of US politics in July after Hillary Clinton's campaign blamed Moscow for a damaging leak of emails from the Democratic National Committee.

The emails were published by WikiLeaks, a publishing organization that advocates extreme government transparency.

Washington last week formally accused the Russian government of trying to 'interfere' in the 2016 White House race by hacking US political institutions, including the Democrats behind frontrunner Clinton.

Putin has vehemently rejected the accusations, saying they are meant to divert American voters from domestic problems.
'It's a lot easier to distract people's attention towards Russia's so-called hackers, spies, agents of influence and so on,' Putin said on Thursday.

The Kremlin strongman however adopted a hard line against cyber attacks, saying these are 'unacceptable'.

Putin has offered what appears to be veiled support for Trump, but he said on Thursday that claims the Kremlin would like to see the Republican candidate win were 'absolute nonsense.'

RAMBO is Getting a Feature Film Reboot Without Sylvester Stallone

Say it ain't so! Nu Image and Millennium Films are planning a reboot of the classic action film franchise Rambo. I'm a huge fan of Rambo and I've been waiting to see if Sylvester Stallone would ever make that fifth installment of the franchise, but it looks like that's dead now.

The worst part of the news is that Stallone will not be a part of the reboot. According to THR, this film will "see a younger actor inhabit the role. The company is looking at Rambo as a character akin to James Bond." Stallone is Rambo and replacing him with a new actor just seems utterly ridiculous.

The reboot will be called Rambo: New Blood and the production company has hired Brooks McLaren (XOXO) to write the script and Ariel Vromen (Criminal) to direct the movie.

There are no plot details to share right now but I imagine they plan to contemporize the story and character. I'm not too thrilled to hear that a classic franchise like Rambo is getting the reboot treatment, but I guess that's the kind of thing we should expect from Hollywood these days. Heaven forbid they try to come up with an original new action hero.

Power Test: Cast Manifolds vs. Headers - Engine Masters Ep. 15
Motor Trend Channel

Published on Oct 31, 2016
Cast-iron manifolds versus mid-length headers versus long-tube headers: Which one is best for you? In this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, we again look to our loyal fan base to feed us ideas of power tests they want to see. Obviously, the long-tube headers are going to make the most power, but we wanted to find out what the difference really is versus shorter headers or even cast manifolds, so we can make the right decisions about price, sound, and ground clearance. The engine tested here is a BluePrint Engines 6.0L LS-based crate engine with BluePrint heads, a stock intake, and a Comp Cams roller cam. Engine Masters is presented by AMSOIL and supported by Mr. Gasket and Earl’s Vapor Guard.

Notorious drifting wild man Ryan Tuerck had the wacky idea to put a Ferrari V8 into a Toyota 86, and the result is glorious.

WE are big fans of crazy engine swaps here at Wheels HQ. It might have something to do with working alongside those nutters at Street Machine, but the thought of a big, powerful engine wedged into a small, light chassis tickles us in all the right places.

The Toyota 86 is one car that is ripe for these sorts of modifications. High-powered LS V8 and 2JZ straight-six conversions thick on the ground for these cars, however what Formula D driver and all round rad dude Ryan Tuerck decided tread a different path with his 86 drift car.

Tuerck, who both competes in and daily-drives 86s powered by Toyota’s legendary 2JZ 3.0-litre turbo six (as featured in the last-gen Supra), got his hands on a Ferrari 458’s 4.5-litre V8, and has decided it would go perfectly with the little Japanese coupe.

Aptly dubbed the GT4586, the project has been gestating for a number of months. Over the weekend, Tuerck and his mates started the car for the first time.

Thankfully for us, the dudes at Donut Media were there to capture the awesome, and it is spectacular!

With some very fancy custom made headers and exhaust, the Ferrari 458 bellows a beautiful song.

We just cannot get enough of the sound this car makes, which is as much a credit to the maestros at Maranello as is it is to the fabricators that made up the custom exhaust system.

Oh, and did we mention the car shoots flames? Everything is cooler if it shoots flames. Fact.

The car isn’t finished yet, with the hood and other bodywork still yet to be completed.

It appears the Ferrari engine is mounted with the intakes pointing rearward, meaning Tuerck and co will need to figure out a way to make the thing breathe properly. Regardless, you can colour us excited for when this thing is finally finished and ready to shred rubber.

Ferrari engine in a Toyota

Published on Oct 29, 2016
Ryan Tuerck’s GT-4586 #GumoutBuild is taking shape. With only two days until SEMA, the Huddy Motorsport team breathes life into the naturally aspirated, Ferrari 458 V8. #GT4586

As usual, R&T have managed to run better number than anyone else. SVR is 3.0/11.2.

I think my decision is made.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/g6864...esults/?slide=1

MAN INVENTS “GRAPPLER” TO GRAB CARS DURING POLICE PURSUITS
by Jose Corona | November 5, 2016

When it comes to police pursuits, they can get mighty dangerous and out of hand. Every day, there are companies who are shooting to come up with something that will make the action just a little bit safer.

This invention is really unlike anything we’ve ever seen before but whether it will actually work or not is something that we will let you decide on your own.

The “Grappler” is a device that is used to nix the need for a pit maneuver. The basic premise of the machine is that it extends from the front of a police cruiser to be slid under a back tire and lock that tire up. We have to say that it looks like it would be effective based on the video demonstration.

Take a look at the machine and how it works for yourself and tell us if this is something that you could ever see being put to use in the police force today.

Two Apex street gang thugs to be DEPORTED after serving their time in youth detention

Members of the Apex gang are among others who have had visas revoked
173 criminals in Victoria alone have had visas cancelled in the past year
Means they will be deported or placed in immigration detention
Comes after migration laws were made much stricter by the government
By LEITH HUFFADINE FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA


Two members of the violent Apex street gang are set to be deported after their visas were revoked.

They're just a pair of offenders among 173 in Victoria alone who face deportation after their visas were cancelled in the past year due to their criminal activities.

The 19- and 20-year-olds, are serving time in youth detention and afterwards will be kicked out of Australia or placed in immigration detention, the Herald Sun reported.

There are allegedly two more members of the gang who are set to face the same punishment.

According to the newspaper, the duo who have already had their visas revoked are Sudanese-born Isaac Gatkuoth, 19, and a New Zealand-born member of the gang, 20.