For IFRD 2024, we hung out rolling with an superior crew of ladies on a collection of Can-Am three-wheelers.
Tag Archives: crew
Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey: Cost and Uses
The Osprey is operated by a four-person crew consisting of two pilots and two flight engineers. It is utilized for various missions including combat, combat support, combat service support, and Special Operations. The main function of the Osprey is to transport troops, equipment, and supplies from assault ships and land bases in an amphibious manner. The Air Force and U.S. Special Operations Command use the CV-22 for Spec Ops, while the Navy utilizes the HV-22 for Combat Search and Rescue and fleet logistics support. The Marines are also replacing their aging fleet of CH-46E Sea Knight and CH-53D Sea Stallion medium-lift helicopters with the Osprey. The MV-22 will be integrated into all Marine Corps medium-lift active duty and reserve tactical squadrons, the medium-lift training squadron (FRS), and the executive support squadron (HMX).
The Osprey has been deployed globally for a variety of missions such as combat operations, humanitarian efforts, peacekeeping, and regional stability initiatives. It has been utilized in conflict zones including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, parts of Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region for military exercises and other purposes. During missions, the Osprey primarily operates in fixed-wing mode, reducing wear and tear and operational costs. It is also designed to fly at higher altitudes than traditional helicopters, providing longer line-of-sight communications and stronger command and control for the crew.
“`html RAWRR MANTIS STREET LEGAL EMOTO DUAL-SPORT ANNOUNCED: 2024 74-VOLT MANTIS “S”
Rawrr has surprised the world with the introduction of the first ever street-legal lightweight eMoto. The dual-sport machine will be available in three different styles: Silver, Black, and Desert Storm. Rawrr aims to have the motorcycles on dealer floors in early 2024. Below, you can find the official information and images:
Rawrr eMoto reveals the new 2024 72-Volt Rawrr Mantis S
The first-ever street-legal lightweight eMoto
Irvine, California: November 7th, 2023 – Rawrr eMoto, a pioneering lightweight-electric motorcycle company known for creating new riding categories, proudly introduces the 72V Rawrr Mantis S. The S version builds on the success of the original Mantis lightweight-electric motorcycle, featuring impressive power, handling, and versatility while meeting on-road requirements in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, and Central/South America. The Mantis S is fully DOT and ECE compliant, marking a first for eMotos.
Rawrr worked directly with governing bodies during the development of the Mantis S to ensure it meets on-road requirements. This allows enthusiasts and riders to legally experience the thrill of the Mantis platform on the street, a feat that was not previously possible in most countries. Ignoring regulations has led to bans and bike impoundments, but Rawrr has now paved the way for legal street riding with the Mantis S.
The Rawrr Mantis platform has established itself as the leader in lightweight-electric off-road handling and durability. Designed and manufactured at a Rawrr-owned factory by a team of experienced off-road and motocross riders, the Mantis stands out for its category-leading balance, superior handling, state-of-the-art suspension, and responsive brakes. With the introduction of the S version, Rawrr is creating a new category of riding and reinforcing its position at the forefront of the lightweight eMoto category, staying true to its purpose of empowering riders to go anywhere with ease.
The 72-volt Mantis S is available for pre-orders at Rawrr dealers now and will be in stock in March, 2024
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Chevy Silverado Prerunner Vs Monster Truck Is A Wild Off-Road Drag Race
The Hoonigan crew has taken their racing off-road with a new 1,000-foot dirt track filled with jumps, whoops, and hills. In the first video of this series, we witness a drag race that is bound to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The race starts off with a monstrous 1937 Ford dubbed “Flyboy” by its owner, Devon Villeneuve. This beast is equipped with massive tractor tires, towering suspension components, and a 9.0-liter Chevrolet V8 engine topped with a supercharger. Running on alcohol, it churns out an incredible 1,600 to 1,800 horsepower. It’s safe to say that this truck is absolutely insane.
In comparison, the Chevrolet Silverado Prerunner appears tamer with its tube chassis construction. Built by Kenny Falconer, this pickup features a turbocharged LS V8 engine that produces 615 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque to the wheels. Though it doesn’t sit as high as the monster truck, it is designed to tackle any terrain with ease.
The racing action is absolutely thrilling. Following the rules of “This vs. That,” the competition consists of a best-of-three series starting with a heads-up race. Don’t let the monster truck’s early lead discourage you, as the Prerunner has its own surprises in store.
We won’t spoil the results for you, but let’s just say that each race is incredibly close. Both trucks demonstrate unique strengths and weaknesses throughout different sections of the course. This promises an exciting future for this gritty series.
Watch how a tow truck saves a Ram 3500 Dually from a precarious position in a ditch
In the world of commercial trucks, the Ram 3500 Crew Cab dually is one of the largest. Imagine a four-door truck with an eight-foot bed and a 14-foot wheelbase, making it nearly 22 feet long. Unfortunately, the driver of this truck miscalculated while navigating an intersection, resulting in the backside of the dually getting stuck several feet into the air.
This dramatic scene was captured in a video by Towtruck_Dustin on YouTube. Thankfully, no injuries were reported from this incident, and the Ram was able to drive away under its own power after being rescued. This indicates that any damage to the undercarriage was likely not severe.
The successful recovery of the Ram can be attributed to the skill of the tow truck operator. While it may seem simple to just winch the truck straight backward, that could potentially cause additional damage to the passenger side of the truck, which is stuck down in the ditch. Instead, the operator uses extra gear to pull the back of the truck down while also applying rearward force. This lifts the front of the truck out of the ditch without causing any damage and ensures that the truck doesn’t get caught on any objects in the ditch, such as a drainage culvert.
The entire operation takes approximately 15 minutes and involves the use of just one tow cable. Once the truck is upright, the Ram driver gently backs away from the ditch, and everything is back to normal. This may seem like an easy recovery, but it requires experience and expertise to safely and effectively handle an 8,000-pound, 22-foot truck on the verge of a rollover.
AEO POWERSPORTS CR500 PROJECT: 2-STROKE TUESDAY
AEO Powersports has restored a 1992 Honda CR500 and it is the focus of this week’s Two-Stroke Tuesday. The restoration project involved using products from top companies like Works Connection, Hinson, Dunlop, ODI, Motion Pro, Dubya USA, and FMF. The finished CR500 is truly captivating and surpasses what can be captured in pictures alone.
Works Connection’s aluminum skid plates, which have a classic motocross design, are still available for the CR500. Works Connection’s long-standing products continue to be produced even after many years.
The CR500 power plant, complete with Nickel Wurks fastener kits from Specbolt, is a true masterpiece.
Dubya USA offers a variety of wheel combinations that can fit any dirt bike, and they can also refurbish OEM sets to make them better than new. The AEO CR500 wheel set features black HAAN hubs with stainless steel spokes and gold DID Dirtstar STX-X rims built at Dubya USA’s headquarters in Southern California.
The ODI CFT Handlebars are mounted on new top clamp systems, and Motion Pro offers a selection of replacement throttle assemblies for various machines. The Vortex SE replaces OEM throttles on many Japanese 2-strokes and can be used with ODI grips with cam “C” or the new style lock-on ODI grips.
The REP/AEO suspension team installed a modern WP Cone Valve Fork on the front of the CR500 and reworked the rear shock to match. The installation of the WP components is so clean that it looks factory-made.
FMF has been making pipes for the Honda CR500 since the 90s. The Gold Series Fatty and Power Core 2 silencer combination is just as classic as the CR500 itself.
The Sunstar Works Triplestar aluminum sprocket, made of 7075 T6 construction with hard anodized coating, offers extra strength. The DID ERT3 gold chain is designed to be lightweight and withstand abuse.
The aluminum tank on the 90s era machine is a standout feature. XFUN in Europe handmakes the tank to original OEM Honda specifications. For US customers, aluminum tanks for various two-stroke machines can be purchased through www.motomandistributing.com.
Overall, the CR500 restoration by AEO Powersports is a true work of art.
Owner of 2022 Chevrolet Silverado Displeased with Electrical Problems After 10,000 Miles
The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado LT, equipped with a 5.3-liter V8 engine and a crew cab body, is currently priced at around $54,000 on Chevy’s website. This price does not include additional features such as a rear-view camera, tonneau cover, or multi-function tailgate. Therefore, purchasing a Silverado with these amenities for $6,000 less is a fantastic deal.
In the embedded video above, the owner of this truck shares his experience after buying a 2022 Silverado LT for $48,000 last year. Over the past year, he has driven over 10,000 miles and uploaded a video on his YouTube channel to discuss the positives and negatives of owning this vehicle.
Firstly, the owner appreciates the exterior design of the full-size truck. He also praises the footstep features embedded in the rear bumper and the multi-function tailgate, which can open in various ways and includes a step for easier access to the truck bed. However, the owner points out that when a hitch is installed, the tailgate step cannot be fully utilized because it touches the upper half of the tailgate.
Small And Midsize Trucks Struggle in IIHS Crash Testing, Fail to Earn Top Scores
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently conducted crash tests on five small crew cab pickups. Unfortunately, these trucks did not perform well in the agency’s updated moderate overlap front evaluation, especially when it came to rear passenger safety. Not a single truck received the highest score of Good.
Here are the vehicles tested and their respective scores, listed from best to worst:
| Model | Score |
| 2022-23 Nissan Frontier crew cab | Acceptable |
| 2022-23 Ford Ranger crew cab | Marginal |
| 2022 Chevrolet Colorado crew cab | Poor |
| 2022-23 Jeep Gladiator | Poor |
| 2022-23 Toyota Tacoma crew cab | Poor |
All of these trucks demonstrated good safety performance for the driver. However, the issue that led to the low scores was the safety of rear passengers. According to the IIHS, the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota Tacoma had a problem where the restraints in the back seat allowed the dummy’s head to come too close to the front seatback.
The Jeep Gladiator had a different issue. It lacked a side curtain airbag, increasing the risk of the rear dummy hitting something inside the cabin during a collision.
Another concern was identified in the Ford Ranger, where the rear dummy slid under the lap belt, moving from the pelvis to the abdomen. This increased the risk of internal injuries.
“Our updated moderate overlap front crash test proved to be challenging for small pickups,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “A common problem was that the rear passenger dummy’s head came dangerously close to the front seatback, and in many cases, dummy measurements indicated a risk of neck or chest injuries. All these things tell us that the rear seat belts need improvement.”
The IIHS implemented the revised moderate overlap front test in response to its discovery that the risk of fatal injuries was higher for rear occupants compared to those in the front. The institute believes this is because automakers have primarily focused on optimizing driver safety.
These trucks are not the only vehicles to struggle with the more challenging crash test. In the case of small cars, none of them received a Good score when evaluated by the IIHS. On the other hand, four midsize SUVs earned Good ratings, while two small SUVs scored the top grade in the same test.
MOTOWHIPS “INSTIGATOR” & “TROUBLEMAKER” GAS GAS MC250 PROJECTS: 2-STROKE TUESDAY
Last year, Motowhips collaborated with Justin and his team to create a Gas Gas MC250 for the Mammoth Mountain Motocross. Due to the popularity of the “Chain Reaction” build, they decided to take it a step further this year by building two Gas Gas MC250 2-stroke bikes. Let’s take an exclusive first look at “The Motowhips Twins.” The #13 bike is called “Instigator” and will be raced by Matas Inda, while the #9 bike is named “Troublemaker” and will be piloted by Chase Marquier. Both builds feature components from top companies such as Dunlop, FMF, Motul, Renthal, WP Pro Components, Hinson, Faster USA, DID, SKDA, and more. Take a pictorial tour of both machines, and stay tuned for more details about each bike.
The Controversial Tech Behind The Missing Titanic Submersible
CBS reporter David Pogue was part of a Titan crew in 2022, during which he revealed some concerning details about the design of the submersible vessel. Pogue mentioned that the vessel was operated using a modified Logitech F710 wireless game controller, with custom sticks replacing the direction joysticks for improved navigation.
There is a comparison to be made with the U.S. Navy’s use of Xbox 360 controllers for its submarines. However, there is an important distinction: the Navy utilizes the controller to operate periscopes, not for maneuvering the submarine itself. Furthermore, the Logitech F710 is an inexpensive controller that was first introduced over a decade ago. Given the gravity of the situation, it seems peculiar to rely on such an old and economical controller for such a critical task.
Additionally, the submersible reportedly only has a single button inside for turning it on, with the rest of the control systems relying on computers and digital displays. This is similar to the trend in modern cars, where buttons and dials are being replaced by touch screens. While this design was intended to make operating the submersible easier, it could become problematic if the vessel loses all electrical power, especially since it relies on Starlink for communications.