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Bethel, Connecticut, July 21, 2001 - Cannondale will begin manufacturing 2002 models next week featuring OPTIMUM Power Technology's innovative GP Control fuel-injection system, company officials announced today. The GP Control system will ultimately be featured on all eight 2002 ATV and motorcycle models as they debut in the coming months. The GP Control system is a state-of-the-art electronic fuel-injection and engine management system that can be easily and extensively customized to maximize performance. The system features new hardware, including a flash memory programmable SAGEM MC1000 ECU (Engine Control Unit), and software including a base fuel-injection map tuned exclusively for Cannondale's radical 432cc four-stroke engine. Cannondale is in its second year of manufacturing motorsports products with electronic fuel-injection. According to Cannondale Founder and President Joe Montgomery, the addition of the GP Control system is a major step forward for the company. "Beyond all the usual benefits associated with fuel-injection, the GP Control system gives our engines an unprecedented degree of tuneability," said Montgomery. "It's like our engine management system has gone from a Radio Shack calculator to a Cray supercomputer." Electronic fuel-injection is superior to standard carburetion because it monitors, and automatically compensates for changes in, temperature and air pressure to constantly deliver the proper fuel/air mixture to the engine. This results in improved horsepower, better throttle response, improved cold and hot starts, reduced stalling, and better idling. Maintenance is also simplified, since fuel-injection replaces a standard carburetor that would normally need to be re-jetted for changes in altitude or seasonal changes in weather. DRAMATICALLY ENHANCED TUNEABILITY The GP Control system offers a range of tuneability that carburetors and other fuel-injection systems can't possibly match. Cannondale motorsports dealers, for example, can easily replace the base map that comes programmed into the GP Control system with one of several optional maps. Motorsports dealers who purchase software available from OPTIMUM will also have the ability to customize individual maps to suit a rider's preferences. However, that's only the start of the incredible range of customization offered by the GP Control system. Customers who purchase an optional accessory kit, and who own a PC or hand-held Pocket PC computer, can easily customize their engines by either altering the base map or downloading alternative maps from OPTIMUM's web site. With the purchase of additional upgrades, including a handlebar-mounted Map Select switch with LED light cluster, riders can store up to three different maps in the ECU which they can choose from "on-the-fly" during a race. The ultimate upgrade is the handlebar-mounted Rider Trim. Unlike the Map Select switch, however, the Rider Trim allows on-the-fly modifications to base maps. The rider can then easily toggle back to the base map to quickly compare performance between it and the modified map - all without stopping. OPTIMUM Power Technology is a global company with ten years experience developing the world's most innovative recreational vehicle engine management systems. OPTIMUM has offices in the United States, England and Northern Ireland. Cannondale is the world's premier manufacturer of high-performance bicycles, and an emerging presence in the off-road motorsports industry. The company will sell a total of four off-road motorcycle models and four ATVs in its 2002 motorsports line. All eight models will feature lightweight aluminum frames, and all utilize a fuel-injected, electric-start engine with a one-piece crankcase, cassette transmission, separate engine and clutch oils, and a reversed cylinder head with dual overhead-cams. Cannondale is based in Bethel, Connecticut, and operates subsidiaries in Europe, Japan and Australia. The company manufactures all of its motorcycles, ATVs and bicycles at its two factories in southwestern Pennsylvania.
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