Honda's New CB1100 - Destined for the U.S.?

Hopefully, this recently issued design patent is proof that Honda's great retro CB1100 is destined for the United States. An image from the patent is below.

Mazda's New Direct Injection Diesel

Clean diesel may have lost some momentum to electric veichles, but many manufacturers are still pursuing it. According to this patent application, Maza has developed a new high efficiency direct injection diesel engine. An image from the patent application is below.

Honda's Robot Army

Robots are the future, and Honda loves robots. According to this patent application, Honda has developed a system where a task can be broadcast to a team (or army - if you will) of robots and then assigned to the robot most capable of executing the task with the lowest "cost" to efficiency. This way, a server can command this army of robots and have them efficiently execute tasks by priority. An image from the patent application is below.

Ford's Non-Hybrid Plug-in

The engineers at Ford are working on a new take on plug-in vehicles. According to this patent application, Ford is developing a plug-in type vehicle that uses battery energy to power all of the electrical systems on the vehicle, but not to supply any "motive" power to the vehicle itself. This eliminates the cost of adding an electric motor in parallel to the gas motor, yet still generates substantial fuel economy improvements. An image from the application is below.

Multi-Clutch R1 Coming From Yamaha

According to this patent application, Yamaha is hard at work to bring a multi-clutch transmission to the R1. Such an advance will be able to speed shift and get more power to the rear wheel faster. An image from the application is below.

Ford's Hatchback With Flip-Out Car Seat

It appears that Ford is working on a new five-door family sedan. According to this patent application, the vehicle will include integral infant car seats that fold back into the hatch. An image from the application is below.

Patent App Shows VW's 2 Wheel Intentions

It has long been rumored that VW is interested in entering the motorcycle segment. VW's recent deal with Suzuki gave many further proof for arguing that VW's intentions are more than just a rumor. Now comes this patent application for an anti-lock system for a two wheeled vehicle. The patent application describes the vehicle as being a bicycle, but it could also apply to a motorcycle. An image from the application is below.

BMW's New 4 Wheel Drive System

It looks as if BMW is getting serious about bringing true off-road utility to its X line of vehicles. According to this patent application, BMW has developed a new rear differential that will allow for a variable torque split between the front and rear axles to maximize usable power in low traction situations. An image from the patent application is below.

Buell's Final Invention

Buell Motorcycles was one of many victims of the current financial crisis. We at SWDELAW enjoyed our time riding Buell's products, especially the XB12R. As an homage to Buell, we bring you one of the final patent applications for that company, which just published here on April 10, 2010. Some images from the application, which is directed towards an integral radiator system, are below.

Bike Rack for Motorcycles

Finally, a way to strap my bicycle onto my motorcycle. A patent application for two wheel purists. An image is from the application is below.

S&S Designs New Air Cooled V-Twin Engine

There is almost nothing more American than the air-cooled V-Twin. Luckily, companies like S&S are continuing to invest time and research dollars in an effort to make sure stricter environmental regulations do not lead to the extinction of this icon. This patent application is a case in point. An image from the application is below.

BMW's New Supercharged Six

Looks like BMW's latest M models may be moving away from eight cylinder engines. According to this patent application, BMW is working on a supercharged flat six that will provide exceptional power with reduced emissions and increased fuel efficiency. A diagram of the new engine is below.

Indian Motorcycle Brand Is Reinvented

Looks like the fabled Indian Motorcycle brand is back - and not just as a kit company, but as an honest to goodness research based vehicle manufacturer. Just take a look at this patent application, which is the source of the image below.

HTC's New Multi-Touch UI

Looks like HTC is getting ready to turn the page on a new class of mobile device user interfaces - literally. According to this patent application, the new interface will let you navigate through your phone's menus like flipping pages in a book. You can even delete items by tearing out the page. Some images form the patent application are below.

Asimo Learns Karaoke

Looks like the latest all singing all dancing Asimo Robot from Honda will be able to do just that. According to this patent application, Asimo will be able to recognize a tune and sing its lyrics. Asimo will also be able to recognize the beat and dance along. An image from the patent application is below.

Honda Going After Ducati Hypermotard

Supermoto seems to be the sweet spot of this otherwise depressed motorcycle market. Just days after Ducati's launch of the new Hypermotard 796, this patent application reveals Honda's intention to go after the same target market. Images of this exciting new bike are below.