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SERVICE DEALER BUSINESS QUARTERLY Published April, June, September and December 2013
HONDA'S NEW MOWING RACING MACHINE Building a 130 mph motor cycling mowing quad line-trimming combo
IT was inevitable, that with Honda coming back to Formula 1, that the Top Gear lateral-thinkers should try and find a new angle.
So they have approached Honda engineers to build the world's fastest lawnmower. They are targeting a speed of 130mph (210km/hr). That would easily beat the current record of 96.5mph claimed by the US Gold Eagle team who regained the record after Countax claimed a new record with a machine driven by Don Wales three years ago.
Honda said it had taken on the project to promote its "sporty credentials". "The main engineering challenge stems from the need to retain the look of the lawnmower on which it is based, and the ability to still cut grass while achieving the speed and the handling characteristics required for this type of vehicle," said Peter Crolla, team manager at Team Dynamics - Honda's UK motor racing team partner - which is overseeing the project.
Top Gear Magazine said it had set a deadline of 17 June for the team to complete work on the machine, based on a Honda FH2620 lawn tractor (no longer available) which the team hope should be able to accelerate from 0-60mph in about four seconds
Honda has upgraded one of its mowers by replacing its engine with one normally used in motorcycles - a steering rack sourced from a Morris Minor car has been fitted to offer greater control, the mower's seat has been lowered, the wheels and tyres have been substituted with those of a quad bike, and the metal part of the chassis that normally holds the blades has been replaced with a glass fibre equivalent to make it lighter.
The original model featured metal blades, but they had to be removed as the engineers found it too complicated to connect them to the new engine - and the machine will become a high-speed line-trimmer with lengths of brake cable acting as cutting line.
"There's no scientific reason why we asked Honda to build this," said Piers Ward, senior road tester at Top Gear Magazine. "The grass needed mowing and everything on the market seemed a bit slow. Why take an hour to mow a football pitch when you can do it in five minutes?"
