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Honda asked for Takata inflator change without telling Feds

Honda and Takata could be in legal hot water after the automaker requested a design change to the supplier's airbag inflators in 2009 without notifying the government. According to internal documents obtained by Reuters, the updated parts had extra vents to reduce the force directed occupants if a rupture occurs. Automakers generally need to tell the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about any safety-related changes to their vehicles, but Honda argues to Reuters that the disclosure wasn't necessary in this case. The company wanted the changes to the parts to "protect against the possibility of future manufacturing errors – it was not an acknowledgement of a larger design flaw in the inflators," Honda spokesperson Chris Martin told Reuters. The revised components started going into some Honda models in 2011. However, a jury might not agree with Honda's position, and a lawyer could argue the company had a responsibility to report the alterations. There's already a pending class action lawsuit against automakers and Takata for violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, and there are many more from individuals. Among those is the case of a pregnant woman in Malaysia who died from a rupturing airbag. An investigation by the Independent Testing Coalition found three factors for the inflators'' rupturing. The use of ammonium nitrate is part of the problem, but the inflator's assembly doesn't keep moisture from reaching the chemical. If a vehicle is in a high humidity area, the danger is even worse. When they combine, these issues make the explosions more likely. Takata allegedly knew about the problem as far back as 2000 but hid the failures. Emails even reportedly showed workers joking about changing the data. Related Video:

Ugly Moto makes beautiful motorcycle art [w/video]

Ugly Moto is a horrible name for a company that makes such wonderful motorcycle art. The creation of artist Francis Ooi, the company's illustrations focus on some of the iconic racing bikes of the 1960s and 1970s.
The artwork has an elegant simplicity that really makes it pop. It would fit just about anywhere from a home office to the bedroom of a young gearhead. Ooi has completed six illustrations so far covering classic cycles from Honda, Ducati, Yamaha and even Harley-Davidson. According to his site, the Suzuki RGB500 ridden by Barry Sheene will be the next one released. All of the prints are priced at $65 and are limited to 100 copies. They are all about 16.53 inches by 23.58 inches in size.
According to his website, these prints are just a hobby for Ooi and his real career is as the creative director at an ad agency. He creates the illustrations on his Mac, and he estimates that each design with about 800 components and layers takes about a month to complete. You can get idea of the process involved in the time-lapse video below.

Acura organizes new business division to confront falling sedan sales

Honda and Acura North America have announced a major restructuring of operations in hopes of turning around Acura's flagging business. For 2013, sales for Acura's sedans dropped 10.4 percent, while its CUV sales grew by 21 percent. The newly formed Acura Business Planning Office will attempt to right the ship.
As part of the restructuring, Acura is promoting Erik Berkman from President of Honda R&D Americas to lead a new division called the Acura Business Planning Office. Berkman has been with Honda since 1982 and led development of the 2006 Accord. He was also the first US engineer to head North American research and development and has been head of Honda Performance Development since 2008. "Erik's appointment to the new Acura Business Planning Office is a clear indication of the high priority we place on Acura," said Honda spokesperson Jeffrey Smith to Automotive News.
American Honda Motor President and CEO Tetsuo Iwamura is also going to be working to improve the business. He has been elected chairman of American Honda's board, and has simultaneously taken the new position of Corporate Brand Officer to improve the management of the company's brands.