UK Marine Industry [Infographics]

Billhigham Marines releases its first {Infographics} about UK's leisure and small commercial marine industry. We tried to highlight some Interesting UK Stats

• 1.1 million boats/craft are owned by UK households
• 5.9% of UK adults went boating in 2011, which is 3.2 million adults

The Info graphics also highlights boating purposes and UK's adult boating activity participation in various events.

UK Marine Industry [Infographics]

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Tips for Outboard Motor and Inflatable Boat Repair

When you are going for an outboard motor and Inflatable repair, the primary thing to consider is that spark, fuel and compression are all working properly. Generally a gasoline fuel is used for an outboard motor and it is combusted to drive the pistons up and down. Spark is typically the ignition source that allows the fuel to combust. Compression is integrated in the cylinder that allows the pistons to move efficiently. Since each component has potential to perform in unexpected ways, outboard motor repair requires testing and verification of each part. Fuel issues can often be traced back to the ignition system in case the cylinder that is responsible for sending a pulse signal to the fuel pump is not working efficiently.

There are numerous types of outboard motors, hence the repair process may differ depending on the design as well. If the engine is not running properly a good place to execute the outboard motor repair process can be compression. Each spark plug should be separated and the testing device can be screwed into one of the plug holes. Then the engine can be cranked or turned over a couple of times until the needle over the gauge stops rising. In case, any of the cylinders are considerably lower than the others, this indicates there is perhaps a mechanical issue the outboard motor.

You can find more tips on outboard motor repair and get your boat repaired from a reputable online outboard motor repair service provider.

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What are Outboard Motors?

Outboard motors are typically used to push boats through the water at faster speeds. You can find these outboard motors along with ribs in a wide variety of power levels used for everything from small-sized rowboats to large-sized fishing boats. 

The outboard motors appear in both electric as well as gasoline powered versions. The electric versions are often smaller and deliver less horsepower in exchange for a noise-free ride. These outboard motors from Tohatsu, Mariner, Yamaha are beneficial for smaller watercrafts or for fishing to mitigate noise that may scare away fishes. On the contrary, gasoline powered outboard motors are quite noisy but can provide much more power. These begin as low as two or three horsepower for small watercraft and can reach well to hundreds to power large fishing boats. Another possibility to increase power is to have multiple outboards. It is certainly not uncommon to find large fishing boats powered by two or even four outboard motors all attached with the same steering wheel.

Outboard motors are usually durable and can often last for a longer period of time. However, appropriate care is required. The two biggest threats are carbon and heat. Boat owners must always ensure that the engine's cooling system is functioning to combat heat. With appropriate care, outboard motors can provide you several years of service.

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Ideal Outboard Boat Motors - Tohatsu, Mariner

Finding the ideal outboard boat motor requires careful consideration of various factors. The size of the boat and its desired usage are perhaps the most important ones.

Other considerations while selecting the right outboard motor includes the type of water on which the boat needs to be used along with the experience of the boat owner. It is advisable for boat owners to choose an outboard motor that is less powerful. The design of the outboard boat motor can also be a deciding factor since some boat motor designs are not available in all sizes. Tohatsu, Mariner, Mercury, Force, Johnson are some of the good manufactures of boat engines.

Fixing an oversized outboard boat motor on a boat can lead to several problems. One of the most common problems is the inability of the boat to come up on plane. Likewise, a smaller size motor can not generate the speed to allow a large boat to rise up out of the water. This can be a big safety issue, as the motor might not be able to push a large size boat against a strong current. This can result in unbalancing of the boat and harm to the boat owner.

It is often recommendable to an inexperienced boat owner to choose a smaller and less powerful boat motor. Purchasing a large motor might excite you at the initial stage but can lead to disaster.  A larger size boat moving at a top speed is easily affected by the smallest movement of the controls. Beginning with a smaller motor is a productive method to gain good amount of experience. Once you have mastered, the small size outboard motor can be traded with a replacement of a larger model.

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Affordable Inflatable Boats

The ergonomic design, safety and operational efficiency of inflatable boats make them very popular among professional and amateur boaters. Rigid inflatable boats are now coated with hypalon or a PVC material which makes them truly puncture resistant. So you can not only have kids aboard, but also your pet dog for a wholesome joy ride!

An outing by the river or seaside becomes more enjoyable when you can actually ride the waters and with rigid inflatable boats, such activities become safe and pleasant for the entire family. If you are planning for a short holiday by lovely waters, make sure that you pack the right gear for a nice time. There is a wide range of inflatable deals with products such as rigid inflatable boats, kayaks, propellers and outboard engines for inflatable boats. Inflatable boat are also easy to pack and carry!

If you are in search of some tailor made deals on inflatable boats and other marine equipment, Bill Higham Marine is the one stop shop for all your needs. You can browse through a collection of the best inflatables, RIBs and outboard engines from the most famous global brands including Yamaha, Parsun, Suzuki, Mariner and Flover among others. Let your shopping for inflatable deals begin at: www.billhigham.co.uk

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Rigid Inflatable Boats for Fun on the Waves

Rigid Inflatable Boats, also called RIBs are the latest rage in the world of power boating. RIB is a light weight, high performing, and high capacity boat constructed with a solid, well- shaped hull and flexible tubes at the gunwale. The inflatable collar of this boat makes it sufficiently buoyant even when a large quantity of water is splashed aboard. RIBs typically cope better with rough seas as they are hard to sink and better absorption of heavy loads by their flexible tubes adds to their efficiency.

The safety and operational efficiency of these boats has made them very popular amongst professional as well as amateur boaters. An outing or short vacation on the beach or by the river side can be made a lot more fun with boating. Indeed, what good is a beach or riverside trip without a joy ride on bubbly cool, waters? So add this delightful waters ports gear to your vacation kit and check out some good RIB deals. There is a wide range of sizes and engine horse power options available in the market if you are looking for RIBS for sale.

Bill Higham Marine has an array of the best RIBs, Inflatables and outboard engines from brands such as Mariner, Flover, and Tohatsu. Purchase yours at: http://www.billhigham.co.uk/

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Ribs – A Great Boating Innovation

Inflatable boats are the best thing to have happened to boat sports. Not only are they inexpensive and flexible in terms of storage, they have also proved to be of great utility for recreational diving and fishing activities. However, the stability of an inflatable boat is the deciding factor for the end user, and that depends entirely on the design and the material used on the flooring of the boat.

This problem of stability has been eliminated with the advent of RIBs, or Rigid Inflatable Boats, a brainchild of innovative boat designers who clubbed the positives of inflatable sports boats and those of rigid wood, fibre or metallic boats. A Rib is just like an inflatable boat on top, and like a rigid boat made of moulded fibreglass or aluminium at the bottom. And this hard bottom is what gives this kind of inflatable boat exceptional durability, and higher performance rates. So much so that some ribs can handle outboard motors even up to a 100 horsepower.

If you choose to purchase one of these smart utility boats, make sure you fit it with a suitable outboard motor as well. It could be either a 2 stroke outboard, or 4 stroke one. But whatever you choose, make sure you do your homework before picking your combination.

For more on information about quality and ribs for sale , visit: www.billhigham.co.uk

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Tohatsu Outboards

Outboard motors have been in the market for more than a hundred years now. The first four-stroke outboard motor was invented by Cameron Waterman as a student at Yale. He patented his innovation in 1905, and turned it into the first commercially viable outboard engine that ran on petroleum.

 Mass production of machines based on his design was already taking place by 1907. Waterman later sold his proprietorship off to Carl Kiekhaefer and his company Kiekhaefer Marine. Many give the credit of producing the first ready to use outboard motor to American-Norwegian inventor Ole Evinrude. However, Evinrude’s outboards actually came out two years later than Waterman’s, in 1909.

Today, there are quite a few options available in the market for quality outboard motors. But one brand has kept a consistent and reliable presence for as long as one can remember. Tohatsu outboards have led the market in the 2 stroke outboard motors arena for quite some time now. Their flagship TLDI range is known to perform like a 4 stroke engine when it comes to fuel mileage, providing the power and lightness of a 2 stroke engine at the same time. They have also been making waves, no pun intended, with their smaller 4 stroke range. Tohatsu outboards are well known for their affordable pricing as well, there products starting from less than GBP 550.

For more details, visit: www.billhigham.co.uk

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Main features of Tohatsu outboards

Tohatsu is one of the most reliable brands that deal in a wide range of 2 stroke and 4 stroke outboards. They design outboards to provide incredible oil and fuel savings by utilising an air helped direct fuel injection system to precisely mix air and fuel.

Some of the main features of Tohatsu outboards include

• Air supported direct fuel injection system that provides exceptional fuel economy
• Extremely silent operation
• Lightweight, compact and easy maintenance
• Low emission and efficient air compressor

Tohatsu outboards are durable, fuel efficient and has all the standard features that you need to have in your outboard .There is an outboard motor to fit everyone’s needs. Tohatsu outboards come in a wide range of models and different horsepower. Tohatsu’s four stroke series include many models to horsepower ranging from as much as 30 in MFS30 to as little as 2.5, in the MFS2.5.The brand’s 4 stroke line offers superior fuel economy when compared to its 2 stroke line. The company also claims that 4 stroke series has an excellent horsepower to weight ratio. The 2 stroke series of Tohatsu outboards weigh less than their 4 stroke counterparts and also cost less.

If you want to know more about Tohatsu outboards and Outboards for sale, please visit www.billhigham.co.uk

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Mariner Outboards – Buying the Right Outboards

Want to repower your craft with one of the best outboards?

If yes, then your foremost choice should be Mariner outboards. Mariner outboards have been the only choice of many professionals including Commercial Fishermen, Royal Navy and RNLI. These outboards now come with a 5 years optional warranty. This makes Mariner outboards more reliable and trustworthy than any other outboards for sale.

Mariner outboards are well known for their power and versatility. They come in various models, 2 or 4 strokes varying in horsepower, length of shaft and other upgrades. If you want to have an outboard motor that has a gear shifter integrated onto the tiller, you must go for a Mariner outboard. It is because these outboards for sale are the only brand that has a shifter built right into the twist tiller. Most of the latest Mariner outboards are highly efficient out performers and are SmartCraft enabled. They use a fuel injection system developed from the sophisticated multi-port technology of the motor industry. A 4 stroke Mariner outboard would provide you all the performance benefits that you want, plus astonishing levels of refinement.

Therefore, consider buying Mariner outboards for your inflatable to have a good experience.

If you want to buy 4 stroke Mariner outboards or want to know more about outboards for sale, please visit www.billhigham.co.uk

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Outboards for sale – Access a powerful boating experience

With rapidly developing technologies for reducing weights and increasing efficiency, it is really an exciting time for boat owners to buy outboards for sale for their use. Your inflatable boat will really have a fresh lease of life if you add affordable new power to it.

When you are buying outboards for sale, especially used outboards, the most important factor is buying from a reputable company. It is better to purchase an engine from a well established outboard engine dealer with a warranty than to get it for £100 cheaper from ebay and find that you have bought a lemon.... Today there are various outboards manufacturing companies who have guaranteed to live up to high standards of quality and dependability. They provide customers with access to a powerful boating experience.

Outboards for sale provide individuals the ability to outfit their water crafts with exactly the type of power they require. They provide an opportunity to enjoy every activity to maximum level on water. Nowadays, manufacturers have designed new outboards for sale keeping the needs of every type of users in consideration. Look for an engine that meets your requirement and budget, and if you need to spend a little more than you thought initially, it may save you hundreds in the longrun.

For more information on outboards for sale and Tohatsu outboards, please visit www.billhigham.co.uk

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Which outboard engine for a 3.4m inflatable boat cont’d

Ok, so you have chosen your application, be it displacement speeds, planing speeds with a light load, planing speeds with a heavy load, or watersports. Next lets look at which brands of engine I would recommend you choose for each application. Now I know we sell mariner outboards, parsun and Tohatsu outboards. But I will try to be as objective as possible - although I will choose these ultimately in some of the applications but for good reason!

For displacement speeds: if you want a VERY portable engine then go for the honda 2.3hp, its light - 13kg, and better built than the Suzuki, we NEVER see problems with the honda 2.3! If you want max power go for the tohatsu outboards or mariner 3.5hp (its the only 3.5 on the market and its very light @ 17kg). If you want the best value 2.5 on the market go for the parsun 2.6hp, don’t be put off by the new name, we sell over 50 of these per season and they are RELIABLE as hell!

For light load planing go for the Parsun 8hp or 9.8hp, its the lightest on the market (35kg) and also very reliable. If you want a premium brand, the next lightest is the mariner outboards / tohatsu 8 and 9.8hp offering, its only 2kg heavier than the parsun, and 3 kg lighter than its other nearest rival.

For fast planing you have a good choice of 20hp engines. The best is the honda 20hp, its light and excellent (although quite old technology). Otherwise the tohatsu 20hp is only 50kg, as is the mariner outboards 20hp.

There we go - in a nutshell, you should know which one you want now, so give us a call for some prices!! 0161 790 7678 bill higham marine.

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Which outboard should I fit to my 3.4m inflatable boat?

Its a question that people ask me all the time, so I thought I would address it here!

First of all what do you do with your boat? Is it a family runabout, do you need to pull toys with it? Does it even need to get on the plane? If you have a nice shiny new super yacht and you need a tender boat then you will be looking at 4 - 5 m ribs for sale. But if like the rest of us you just have a little inflatable boat for messing around with the family at weekend. Firstly we will look at the boat owner who does not need to get on the plane. The engine choice for this application is simple in my mind, 2.5hp - 3.5hp is all you need. Any more is over egging the pudding, you wont be going any faster, just using more fuel and making more noise, maybe making a bigger wave too. So stick to 2.5-3.5hp, this will push you at more than the boats max displacement speed of around 6mph.

Next up lets look at planing the boat, now with ribs for sale of the same size you will need slightly less hp, but with inflatable boats for this you will need a minimum of 6hp if you have only one light helmsman, and max 20hp if you want to tow wakeboarders etc. Asa rough rule for a 3.4m inflatable: an 8hp 4 stroke from tohatsu outboards will plane 1 adult and a couple of small kids. 10hp from mariner outboards will plane 2 adults, 15hp will plane 4 adults or tow kid on ringo etc. 20hp will fly and tow wakeboarder/skier as long as they aren’t over 10 stone. I will tell you which are the best engines to buy in my next blog.

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Tohatsu 15hp outboard review 4 stroke on inflatable boat

If you are thinking of re-powering your 3.5m inflatable boat, or buying a new inflatable boat package then you will doubtless be considering which is the best engine of choice for this application. Here you will have a quandary, because most of the major manufacturers have a good quality offering in this hp category. Some are a little lighter than others, the lightest 15hp outboard engine is the Suzuki at 44kg, then its the honda 15hp outboard engine @ 45kg, after that the Parsun 15hp 4 stroke comes in at 47kg. Then they get a bit on the heavy side really! The mariner/mercury/

tohatsu outboards offering is 52kg and the new yamaha 15hp outboard is also 52kg which one would say is not competitive, until one looks at the displacement figures:

Mariner/merc/tohatsu 15hp 350cc

Yamaha 15hp 360cc

Suzuki 15hp 300cc

Honda 15hp 350cc

Parsun 15hp 330cc

So if you have an airdeck lightweight, portable inflatable boat then you will want to go for the Suzuki, honda or Parsun. Whereas if you are looking for something that really packs a punch for a larger heavy duty boat then the merc/mariner/tohatsu outboards will be on the cards.

If you want the best UK prices on new outboard engines or if you are looking for a used outboard engine then check out bill higham marine in manchester, north west england, we have consistently the best deals on cheap outboard engines and inflatable boat packages. www.billhigham.co.uk or call 0161 790 7678 or email sales@billhigham.co.uk

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Have you been wondering which outboards for sale around the 90hp mark you should buy?

Well its a good question, there is a lot fog choice and it depends on what your application is. I will list the various options:

1. Mercury and Mariner outboards 90hp optimax, direct fuel injected 2 stroke - light weight (well 170kg so not that light actually), biggest cc of any 2 stroke in this range at 1.5L providing easily the most torque of the bunch - ideal for over laden ribs carrying divers. For a 4 stroke outboard engine to provide this much torque it would need to be over 2L!
2. Honda 90hp 4 stroke, tried and tested engine based on the civic car engine, this one has VVT and now EFI with BLAST technology so expect EXCELLENT fuel economy from these outboards for sale.
3. Yamaha F80 / F100hp 4 stroke outboard, yam dont make a 90hp so I grouped these together as they are hewn from the same block, both outboards for sale are 170kg with EFI, I would plumb for the F100 to get the most bang for the weight!
4. Suzuki DF90 lean burn on paper looks the best choice, it’s light - 155kg, its efficient too. But at only 1.5L it’s the smallest displacement for the 4 stroke outboards for sale so will be very ‘peaky’. Good for racing around, but not much good for pulling skiiers or getting a heavy or laden boat up on the plane.
5. Tohatsu outboards 90TLDI, the lightest engine of the bunch - just 141KG, to put things in perspective it’s the same weight as the 1993 mariner 90hp carburetted 2 stroke!! 1270 cc is a bit on the low side, but it’s a ‘stroker’ which means it will generate more torque than most of the 4 strokes above!

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Mariner & Tohatsu outboards new 4hp outboard test part 3

After the run in period was completely I lifted the engine out of the test tank, and came to realise that the new carry handle on the front and the grab handle on the back are well designed, if you carry your Tohatsu outboards using the front grab handle it is great, I have always liked to carry 4hp and upwards on the shoulder though, and this is also aided by a nice smooth underside to the back lower cowling. I went to pop the engine into the boot of the one series, which was already fairly well laden with the seapro 240 airdeck that was to be the test bed, and here we came across the stumbling block with this new engine design, the thing just would not fit in the boot as the tiller was in the way at every angle, its just too long, ideal if you need to keep the bow low on your inflatable boat but thats what tiller extensions are for!! At least they can be removed after use to reduce the dimensions of the engine. After a lot of jiggery pokery I managed to get the outboard motor into the car. At the lake, the trusty little seapro inflatable boat was deployed and inflated in 4 minutes with the genovo digital inflatable boat pump and the engine was fitted to the boat. The engine performed well, but it was identical to the old model other than the gearshift which I thought was excellent. If you have been looking at ribs for sale with a view to getting a tender of around 2.5m - 3.5m then this engine will be ideal to power it.

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Tohatsu, Mercury & Mariner outboards new MFS4C D S L engine test part 2

I have a little trick to get around this either fully or partially and it is performed thus: open the fuel tap but leave the vent on top of the cap closed, then hold the tiller and shake the engine from side to side vigorously for about 5 seconds, this releases gasses in the petrol and thus pressurises the fuel tank, pushing fuel through the system and filling the carb in the process. This done the cold engine will usually start 3rd pull. The new F4M from mariner outboards did exactly this and after a little initial choke it settled down for a few minutes at idle speed, it sounded fairly quiet, but no more so than the old model (of which I had one in the tank next to it for comparison) so not sure where this new induction system comes in - maybe just a sales ploy?

Ok, time to test the new fangled gearshift, tickover nice and slow, into forward gear, nice, not quite as positive as the direct gearshift handle on the side but not at all shabby, out of gear, positive again, into reverse (these have automatic reverse lockdown which is handy), all good so far. Now try to get the gears to crunch - I always do this on the tests as many laymen owners will not know to change gear quickly and positively on an outboard. A little clunking and grinding before dropping in positively, so about par for the course there. Run in at 2000rpm under load for 30 mins now, then off to the lake for a proper test!! ..... Continued in my second blog ......

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Boat review seapro ribs

Seapro have been around for 6 years now and in that time they have made some interesting models, but what is the quality like and where are they from? I caught up with simon higham, the designer and researcher for seapro to find out, and he came up with some interesting comments.
Q.There are a lot of new ribs for sale on the market, why should we buy a seapro?
A.Its a fair point, the new rib market is saturated, but seapro offer something unique, british designed boats, manufactured to exacting standards, using the best british GRP, german fabric, and italian fittings, at a price that UK built ribs can not approach.
Q.So they’re made in china then?
A.NO, we had some boats built in china by supposedly the best manufacturer out there, but the quality was just not up to british standards, so we now have out boats built in Egypt by tiger marine. They have been building ribs for 15 years and their workmanship and QC is excellent. So no, they aren’t chinese!!
Q.Seem to have touched a nerve there?
A.The chinese owe me a lot of money still as I had to replace 5 boats for customers who were rightly not satisfied with the end result, dont buy a chinese rib, they’re scrap in a year or 2.
Q.What boat do you use?
A. I am in the lucky position to test a new boat every season, last year my family and I were using a seapro 500 divemaster with 50hp from tohatsu outboards, this season it has been the seapro 600 divemaster with 125hp optimax from mariner outboards. These are new ribs for sale @ £10,000 and £18,000, they really represent the best buy to the UK public!

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Boat review, interview with seapro inflatables designer simon higham

Seapro not only make new ribs but they also manufacture a well respected  inflatble boat range, I asked simon higham what makes seapro inflatables better than the rest, and what’s round the corner?
Q.Seapro inflatable boats have been around for 5 or 6 years now, what sets them apart from other inflatables on the market?
A.Well two things really, firstly each boat is designed by an avid inflatable boat enthusiast (me), I have probably spent more time in inflatable boats being whizzed along by mariner outboards throughout my life than a helmsman on a D class lifeboat! And secondly the company motto of never settle for anything, period, there is no such thing as perfect, everything is always being tweaked and improved.
Q.Give an example.
A.Ok, 3 years ago I was sick of the hull hook and wave follow on our airdeck range, a customer at the london boatshow said to me, my seapro 340 airdeck inflatable and 9.8hp from tohatsu outboards package digs in at the back end when its at full speed periodically and it slows us down. I replied that all airdeck boats do, from any manufacturer, and he said well thats a design fault waiting to be fixed. I agreed with him. The next season we were the first inflatable boat manufacturers in the world to put a series of under mattress pressure plates along the length of our boats, this completely eliminated the problem. I gave the complaining customer a free boat as thanks for his kick up the arse!!

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Outboards for sale review: Tohatsu outboards 50hp TLDI review part II

So last week we had run in the tohatsu 50TLDI at loch Lomond and we were just about to start testing, we were moored at Inchmurin island and had a full day of watersports to look forward to, the seapro 500 divemaster RIB was ready to undergo some serious stress testing!! I thought I would ease the engine in gently so my son William was first up on the kneeboard, he was a newbie so I held the board in the water whilst my wife Caz helmed the boat with an experienced observer at her side, the engine pulled the boat out of the water easily and the speed was controlled to perfection, no flat spots at unwanted times like old school carburetted 2 strokes. After Will had his fill I decided to try the double ringo’s these should test the torque of this little lightweight 2 stroke to the max. So with me at the helm, one observer, and 2 adults in the rings (20 stone in the boat and 22 stone behind) I gunned it, the engine labored under full load at 3500 rpm, I thought this was too much for the engine, and I thought I may be about to regret not fitting a new mariner 60hp 4 stroke from our inventory of new outboards for sale, but the little plucky 50hp from tohatsu outboards kept on pulling and after 20 seconds or so the rings had emptied their sluices and up they popped. I was suitably impressed! After this stress test we decided to take some speed readings and I will tell you about this and fuel consumption in the next blog.

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