Alvaro Bautista and the new Ducati Panigale V4 R stomped the WorldSBK 2019 field in the opening race at Phillip Island, Australia.
He finished a whopping 14.9 ahead of the Jonathan Rea.
There were four different manufacturers in the Top Five at the finish line.
It was a fairy tale start for Alvaro Bautista and the Ducati Panigale V4 R as they won Race 1 of the opening round of Pirelli WorldSBK 2019 in Phillip Island, Australia.
Bautista and the Ducat blasted into the lead in Turn 3 on the opening lap. His race laps were so hot that he had opened up an 8-second lead by mid-race. He would eventually cross the finish line 14.9 seconds ahead of the second-placed rider.
He was the first rookie rider to win a WorldSBK race on his debut since Max Biaggi in 2007.
With Bautista clearing off into the horizon, he left his rivals to fight it out among themselves. However, unlike in previous years when four-time world champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) dominated his rivals, he had to fight tooth and nail with other riders this time around. His new teammate Leon Haslam provided the strongest challenge, with Alex Lowes in tow (PATA Yamaha WorldSBK Team).
Haslam managed to pass Rea only to crash later. The former remounted and finished 15th.
Further down the field, Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) battled hard against Toprak Razgatlioglu on his Turkish Puccetti Racing Kawasaki. Sykes’ bike visibly struggling to keep up with the Toprak’s down the straights.
Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) was another rider who put in an amazing ride. He fought his way up from midfield, first passing Michael van Der Mark for sixth place, before chasing down Sykes, Razgatlioglu, and Lowes who was in third. Melandri claimed the final podium spot, relegating Lowes to 4th.
van Der Mark moved up to 5that the finish, while Razgatlioglu kept Sykes behind for 6th.
The biggest story day of course, is about the dream debut of Bautista and the Panigale V4 R. his teammate Chaz Davies was still struggling to learn the new bike and finished in 10th.
The results mean there were four different manufacturers in the Top Five, including one privateer team (Melandri’s GRT Yamaha).
Race 2 and the new sprint race continue tomorrow (Sunday).
Harley-Davidson of Petaling Jaya is offering unbeatable deals for new Harley owners.
The purchase of a new Softail or Touring model entitles you to a 2-year factory warranty and RM 40,000 worth of Harley accessories, free-of-charge.
Interested parties may also enquire about the upcoming Thailand CKD Harleys at the HDPJ booth at the International Motomania of Kuala Lumpur.
But making things more interesting are special deals offered by Harley-Davidson of Petaling Jaya (HDPJ).
Because owning a Harley-Davidson should enjoyable through a free and independent lifestyle. The last one wants is the lifestyle putting a strain on his finances. As such, HDPJ has already worked out the best interest rates for buyers, besides setting up a full-fledged and professional aftersales service.
Wait, hold on, it gets even sweeter than that!
As part of making ownership enjoyable, purchase a new Harley and receive 2 years warranty. On top of that, you receive up to RM 40,000 worth of Harley-Davidson accessories, free of charge. Yes, RM 40,000. 40 Big Ones.
Which begs the question: Why buy “recond”? Prices for recond Harleys are different around RM 30,000 to new official units, that is true. But there’s no beating RM 40,000 worth of free accessories and 2 years factory warranty. It’s a no brainer.
This promotion is valid for new Softail and Touring model customers. Interested parties may also enquire about Harley’s upcoming Thailand CKD models at the International Motomania of Kuala Lumpur 2019.
The International Motomania of Kuala Lumpur features many great activities for bikers as well as families. So do drop by at the Harley-Davidson of Petaling Jaya booth there.
An Indian motorcyclist got into a double whammy traffic accident.
He miraculously survived the entire ordeal.
The accident highlights the importance of wearing a helmet at all times.
A motorcyclist in India received a double whammy in a traffic accident in what is known as “Jatuh ditampa tangga (hit by the ladder after falling down)” in the Malay language.
In the CCTV footage shared by the Daily Mail UK, a white car first stopped at an intersection before turning left into the rider’s path. The unfortunate rider hit the front of the car, sending him and his motorcycle flying down the road.
The motorcycle then hit a lamp post. As the rider got on to his feet, the lamp post came crashing down squarely on his head. The second impact sent him back down onto the ground.
Thankfully, the motorcyclist survived the ordeal as the helmet saved him.
According to the Daily Mail UK, the incident happened in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
The lives of 15 motorcyclists and pillions are lost every hour in India due to not wearing helmets. Indian law mandates wearing a helmet while riding but many still flout the regulations.
As for the rest of us, we keep stressing on the importance of wearing a good helmet at all times. Spending some money on a better helmet is a sound investment. Better to have one when you don’t need it, rather than need it in an accident but don’t have one.
The International Motomania of Kuala Lumpur 2019 (IMKL 2019) is happening right now and through the weekend.
It takes place at the Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC) near KLCC.
All bikes are welcome as there will be many activities, games, vendors and concerts throughout the event.
The annual International Motomania of Kuala Lumpur 2019 (IMKL 2019) is happening now and through the weekend in the capital.
The festival seeks to unite bikers regardless of creed, type and capacity of bike. In doing so, all bikers can relate to one another through the understanding of one another’s lifestyle.
IMKL isn’t like any other bike fests in Malaysia. The organizers have arranged a vast array of entertainment and programs for visitors.
Among the many activities are:
Retro motorcycle competition.
Custom motorcycle competition.
Battle of the Bands.
OSBMX Freestyle show.
Fun games for bikers.
Visit by lady bikers.
Plaque exchange among local and overseas custom builders.
Flag-off for the 365-day World Motorcycle Tour to the New York Peace Ride.
Lucky draws.
Concerts by Datuk Awie, Mus May, Bandi Amuk, Asheed Def Gab C, Nik Putra, Hatta Junction, Blank Gamma, Ali Lela, Dwan Olan.
Promotion booths including Harley-Davidson of Petaling Jaya.
Games and special promotions by Shell Lubricants.
It looks like a happening festival, alright! IMKL 2019 rocks from 9am to 12 midnight on Saturday, and 9.30am to 5pm on Sunday.
IMKL 2019 takes place at the Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC) along Jalan Ampang (near KLCC).
Next Bike Sdn Bhd is a subsidiary company of Naza Group and has been distributing Ducati bikes since 2008.
Ducati and Next Bike Sdn Bhd reaffirm their commitment to growing the brand in Malaysia.
Next Bike Sdn Bhd will relocate the Ducati Malaysia HQ to a new outlet in Petaling Jaya.
The new outlet will receive a RM3million upgrade and will feature state-of-the-art technology for servicing Ducatis and Scramblers.
Next Bike Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of one of Malaysia’s largest privately-owned companies, the Naza Group, has been distributing Ducati motorcycles since 2008. Over the years, Next Bike Sdn Bhd has built the Ducati brand to be among the most desired in Malaysia.
The company achieved this by offering a state-of-the-art showroom and service centre, a well-equipped and knowledgeable staff, attractive prices, an engaging online presence, and a superbly active owners club known as the Desmo Owners Club.
With this in place, the Ducati brand has enjoyed unprecedented success under the stewardship of Next Bike Sdn Bhd. Its most popular model has quite surprisingly been the Ducati Multistrada (above), followed by the Monster 821, Panigale V4 and the Hypermotard 939.
“Next Bike Sdn Bhd has always been and will always continue to be dedicated to building the Ducati brand in Malaysia. We want to offer our Ducati owners world-class aftersales service and we are always working on improving the ownership experience of Ducati riders,” said Nazman S.H.C Yusof (top, centre), Head of 2-Wheel Division, Naza Automotive Group.
Nazman has been with the Naza Group since 2012, and has helmed the two-wheel business for the company since 2018 and personally overlooks the progress and development of Ducati bikes in Malaysia.
Commenting on the relationship between Ducati and Next Bike Sdn Bhd, Mr Raffaele Fusilli (top, left), the Global Sales Director for Ducati Motor Holding, said, “The working experience with Naza has been successful for us. Naza is not only passionate for Ducati and the values it represents, but with Naza, Ducati can count on one of the most important business brands in Malaysia. We know we can rely on Naza to build Ducati in Malaysia.”
Mr Raffaele was in Malaysia for a meeting with the top management of Naza and also took some time out to meet select members of the media. He further commented, “Naza is in the right direction, the company is always looking for ways to grow and so is Ducati, so that makes Naza the right partner for us because we have common interests. Naza also focuses on making customers happy first and then only comes sales, which is in line with Ducati’s direction,” he concluded.
During the meeting, Nazman took the opportunity to introduce plans to continue Ducati’s exceptional growth in Malaysia, outlining plans for the first half of the year.
“2019 is going to be a year unlike any other for Ducati Malaysia, we will be introducing nine new models this year, but most importantly we will be moving to a new headquarters that will be purposefully designed to offer the very best of Ducati, its sub-brand Scrambler Ducati, as well as parts, accessories, apparel and riding gear,” said Nazman.
Ducati Malaysia will be relocating to the former Harley-Davidson KL showroom by the federal highway as part of a RM3million plan to re-energise the Ducati brand in Malaysia. Image source: WeMotor
He continued to say, “Next Bike Sdn Bhd has invested RM3 million into the new 3S centre which will be twice as big as the previous one. It will have a beautiful showroom that showcases the beauty of Ducati and Scrambler motorcycles, and most importantly it will focus on after sales. Ducati customers can expect to have their bikes serviced in an advanced workshop with the latest tools and equipment specially designed to service Ducati bikes. We also want to be a pioneer in rider and motorcycle safety, so we hope that this new centre will allow Ducati owners to come together to share ideas on riding and also to have programs that will help improve rider safety”
Nazman further added that there will be a new team set up specifically to build the Scrambler Ducati brand (above) in Malaysia and will operate independently of the Ducati team. This will be done to help grow the Scrambler brand in the country independently from the Ducati brand.
Next Bike Sdn Bhd is also looking to strengthen its position in the southern state of Johor; “We have always been in Johor, but we are looking to create a bigger presence through a new dealer. With Ducati Motor Holding, we are actively interviewing possible dealers and should be able to secure one soon. We already have 3 dealers in central Malaysia and one dealer in Penang, with a new dealer in the south, we are confident that we will reach a wider audience and this will in turn help to spur sales as well as create a positive ownership experience,” commented Nazman.
Ducati Malaysia seems set to enjoy strong results for 2019 with a well thought out plan. With that, it seems like there has never been a better time to own a Ducati. We for one absolutely loved the Scrambler Ducati 1100 Sport, read all about this fantastic machine by clicking here.
Indonesia will host the first MotoGP street races from 2021.
The new 4.32-km track will be in Mandalika, Lombok.
The new round will bring the MotoGP schedule to 21 races per year.
After years of debates and no-go’s, the Indonesia MotoGP is on for the first street races from 2021.
The event will be in the Mandalika district on the island of Lombok from 2021 to 2023. The state-owned Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (IDTC) and MotoGP promoter Dorna signed the agreement on 21stFebruary in Madrid, Spain.
The IDTC President, Abdulbar M. Mansoer, told Motosport.com that the FIM Safety Officer Franco Uncini approved the circuit’s design.
However, the new 4.32-km length and 18 corner track will be built from scratch unlike Monaco and Singapore. The track will become public roads after the MotoGP event.
Lombok circuit layout – Credit Motorsport.com
French Vinci Construction from France will begin work in September this year.
The entry of MotoGP into Indonesia is what Indonesia and Dorna had dreamed of for a long time, as the country represents the largest motorcycle market in the world. Indeed, this is the reason why the Repsol Honda chooses to launch their team there every year (apart from this year’s due to the Repsol-Honda 25th partnership anniversary).
Indonesia’s entry will bring the series to 21 races per season, after Finland’s entry in 2020.
It will be interesting to see how the new schedule pans out, for both the regular season and out-of-season tests.
