Motorcycles are a rite of passage for most young boys. It is the first true freedom they find to get out and go places and literally the first motorized vehicle many of them own because of the economics involved in owning a vehicle and the fact that most young boys are not well off financially.

The Yamaha YZF-R6 or the R6 as it is more commonly referred to is a sporty and fast bike that is going to excite almost anyone that sees it or rides on it. The heart pumping bike in 2006 touted a staggering 17500-RPM redline. If that were indeed the actual RPM of the engine, the bike would be up somewhere close to the performance of a high tech and high dollar formula one race car.

The bike is listed as having a 600 CC engine styled as a 4 stroke with 16 valves and liquid cooled, dual overhead cams and the new models incorporate titanium valves. It is fuel injected with a six-speed transmission and a final chain drive to get the torque to the rear wheel. There is a nearly 5 gallon tank that allows a decent cruising range and has a dry weight of only 366 pounds so it should be easy for anyone to maneuver.

It is styled like the traditional racing bikes and will turn almost any head that happens to see it streak by on the road or anyone simply walking by. It is a very attractive looking machine, which explains it’s almost immediate popularity when introduced back in 1999 and also explains why it continues its popularity today, ten years later.

These machines maintain their value and resell fairly well which makes them an anomaly in the motorized vehicle industry where only a handful of vehicles actually maintain worth. There is also a huge following out there of people who enjoy customizing this bike and so there is a plethora of after market accessories available for the bike so you can truly take the production machine, which is no slouch to look at, and make it an extension of your own personality by adding or subtracting parts that show who you are.

You can get everything from replacement fairings to bar ends to exhaust, seats, mirrors and lights that will go together to further accentuate the bike you have or to allow you to totally redesign the ride to be something no one else has. All of these modifications are bolt on parts so all you have to do is remove the old and replace with the new. That makes changing your look simple, sweet and fast and it’s something that you could almost do every year so it looks like you got a new bike every season. Wouldn’t that make all your friends jealous?

No matter what, the Yamaha YZF-R6 is a motorcycle that will allow you to look as good on it as it looks sitting there all alone and will get you from here to there in style.

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If you take note of the vehicles that run on the streets you’ll get to appreciate their uniqueness and individuality. The varying sizes, designs, and features set them apart from their contemporaries. A regular size four-door vehicle is easily categorized as a sedan, and a sporty looking car with retractable roof is recognized easily as a cabriolet. Now the question is this, what do you call a car which bears characteristics of an SUV and a Minivan? Yes, there is such a vehicle now. It’s called a Crossover. Ok, maybe you haven’t heard this term before, and instead you heard XUV or CUV (crossover utility vehicle) being used. All these terms pertain to one vehicle.

A Crossover is one of the most suitable cars for family use. Why? It’s because Crossovers combine great features of an SUV and a Minivan like tall interior packaging, high seating arrangement, and ground clearance. By all appearances, a Crossover looks like a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), but its handling is just like a car. Its physical attributes make it ideal for family use.

One most familiar example of a Crossover is the Honda CR-V. The ones you see on the road nowadays is actually the third generation Honda CR-V. The third generation is the redesigned version, definitely sleeker and more stylish than its predecessors. More than that, it is also equipped with better under-the-hood components and interior features.

The Honda CR-V is driven by a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine capable of generating 166 HP and 161 ft-lbs. of torque. These engine qualities are more than enough for transporting a family to any destination they need to go. This model in particular features captain’s chairs and huge rear seats that can be reclined for comfort. There are eight cup holders for each child’s favorite drink. This ensures no spills on the carpet. Grand entertainment is also offered in the interior as the CR-V. This means no more boredom for kids when going on long trips. Right on the center console lays a 6 Disc CD changer with a PC Card slot. A rear backup camera is even included; I guess this is another safety feature.

Handling is easy because it’s equipped with stability control, antilock brakes, and side-curtain air bags. When tested, the CR-V rated a 10 out 10 in terms of frontal, 10 out of 10 for side, and 4 out of 5 for rollover. See, with these results, the Honda CR-V is still one of the best family vehicles to have.

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Welding Certification tests are numbered by position and joint type. For instance a 1 G indicates a flat position groove weld. The 1 means flat position, and the G indicates a groove weld.

I saw a video the other day that advertised a mobile welding lab that was used to train and certify welders.

A few students as well as the instructor were interviewed and described the 8 weeks of welding training that led up to welding certification tests in the 1G position.

What?

That's right, 8 weeks of welding training per process to be able to certify in a 1 G weld test.

I don't get it. After 8 weeks of training in a welding process, why can't the welder pass some other positions like 3G and 4G welding tests?

Did you know that a 3G plate test combined with a 4G plate test certifies a welder in ALL positions?

That's all positions. Like 1G , 2G, 3G, and 4G. as well as every position of fillet welds imaginable too.

A 1G welding test certifies a welder to weld in how many positions? One ! that's it ...just one.

You get a lot more bang for your buck by training welders to certify in both the 3G and 4G positions.

Another issue is that 1G welding tests typically don't have very good pass rates.

You know why?

Gravity. That's right., gravity is working against you and not for you. Gravity lets the slag flow ahead of the arc on a 1G welding test and if you are not careful, it can cause cold lap and slag inclusions.

Gravity works For you and not against you on a 3G vertical plate welding test.

Gravity keeps the flux behind the arc. The arc is then allowed to do its thing and penetrate into the base metal. As long as you maintain enough amperage and a tight arc, things will go well on a 3G vertical plate test.

The AWS (American Welding Society) classifies the 1G position welding test as the easiest.

I disagree with that when it comes to beveled groove welds.

I believe 2G horizontal and 3G vertical welding certification tests have better pass rates when it comes to a bend test or x ray testing.

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