Motorcycle news, Motorcycle reviews from Malaysia, Asia and the world

“Obey the Law” JPJ Warns RXZ Members 6.0 Organiser and Participants

The Road Transport Department (JPJ) reminds the organizers and participants of the RXZ Members 6.0 event that will start in Terengganu today to comply with the rules and conditions set by the authorities, as agreed between the two parties previously.

JPJ Director General Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli said that his party also has no plans to implement roadblocks (SJR) to ensure the smooth running of the program, which is entering its sixth year.

“This time, Terengganu JPJ together with Terengganu Police and other relevant authorities took the initial step by holding discussions with the organizers and providing clear guidelines regarding the organization of the program.

“We have given the conditions that need to be complied with, and JPJ will work with the police to monitor the rally so that it takes place as directed,” he said.

Among the conditions that need to be complied with are ensuring that the motorcyclist has a driving license and road tax, that the motorcycle is not physically modified which is illegal and that the motorcycle plate complies with the specified specifications in addition to the motorcycle exhaust not being modified.

“JPJ does not intentionally want to find fault, in fact we also want the program to run smoothly but at the same time, we also need to ensure that all other road users are safe not only those who participate in the assembly,” he added.

Previously, Terengganu Police Chief Datuk Mohd Khairi Khairudin reportedly said that he had given clear guidelines to the organizers through four series of coordination meetings with other departments including Kuala Terengganu City Council (MBKT), JPJ Terengganu and East Coast Highway 2 (LPT2) and organizers need to comply if they want the program to continue next year.

The RXZ Members 6.0 program which will be held at the Terengganu Motor Circuit, Gong Badak, Kuala Nerus today until Saturday is expected to attract the participation of 80,000 participants from all over the country.

5 Things we Liked About the Triumph Speed 400 – Test and Review

Being a moto-journalist since 1998 and having test ridden so many motorcycles, I am constantly being asked which is my favourite or which one will I recommend to own. And since this is the review of the new Triumph Speed 400, it is a forgone conclusion to a now rhetorical reason, right? Well, you need to read to the end to find out, just like a Coen Brothers’ movie.

What is the Triumph Speed 400?

The Speed 400 is one of two variants in Triumph’s new 400cc range, the result of their cooperation with Bajaj Auto which began many years ago. The range is seen as the entry level point into the Triumph family, and both take on the shape of the modern-classic Bonneville.

The 400 range which consists of this Speed 400 and the Scrambler 400 X are powered a 398cc, single-cylinder, DOHC, 4-valve engine which produces 39.5hp at 8,000 RPM ad 37.5Nm of torque at 6,500 RPM. Make no mistake, this is a Triumph-spec engine, unlike the one which powers the Dominar 400 which shares some of its architecture with the KTM 390 Duke’s.

Perhaps we need to reiterate that this lineup is built by Bajaj, but the bikes are definitely Triumphs.

What we liked, Number 5: The simplicity

Before motorcycles were segmented and micro-segmented into different categories, the Bonneville’s type of motorcycles were the only motorcycles, hence you can label it as a “standard motorcycle.” They were pure in the sense that there are two wheels, an engine, a fuel tank, a seat, a handlebar, footpegs.

Point is, motorcycles were uncluttered, uncomplicated, and in other words, simple. You only needed to jump on it, start, and go.

The Triumph Speed 400 embodies this perfectly. There is no need to fettle with the engine mapping, level of traction control, connect your smartphone.

Just ride.

What we liked, Number 4: Its specification

While this seems like a contradiction to Number 5, it is a necessity. The Speed 400 may be an entry-level model, but it has some “hidden” modern features.

The engine is modern throughout and features EFI and liquid-cooling, and is Euro 5-compliant. Likewise, the suspension consists of upside-down forks (albeit unadjustable) and a monoshock at the back, similar to the Bajaj Dominar 400’s. The instrument panel looks classic with a large speedometer, but there is a small tachometer at the side. There is traction control which can be switched on or off, but no ride mode. Brakes are Bybre and ABS is dual-channel. There is also a USB charging port, cleverly placed behind and just underneath the instrument panel.

What we liked, Number 3: That engine

It pulled really hard. It revved so quickly that it gobbled up the first three gears instantly, causing us to run into the rev limiter the first time we hammered down. It even continued to push the bike hard in 6th from 6,000 RPM and onwards to its top speed of around 160km/h.

The good spread of torque is a character of all Triumph motorcycles, letting you accelerate hard from whichever point you currently are in the rev range, in any gear. Consequently, it made short work of riding in traffic or up our KL-Genting Highlands test route.

It needed more gear-shifting than bigger bikes when we tested it by going up the Genting Highlands road, but the torque was always present for punching out of slower corners. But because it is a smaller capacity, it never overwhelms and you are not afraid to open up, compared to bigger capacity bikes where you have to judge your throttle, braking, steering actions judiciously or risk going wide.

The throttle response was smooth – again, a trait of all Triumphs – meaning the bike reacts exactly to the twist of the wrist. And this made it so much fun hammering the bike up and down Genting Highlands.

It even cruised happily at 130km/h (8,000 RPM) all day without sounding like the engine will explode.

What we liked Number 2: Its handling!

We have said this over and over again: Triumph makes the best handling bikes and we are glad that the Speed 400 is no exception. In fact, it is the best handling Triumph!

All we needed to do was, for want of a better word, chuck the bike into any corner. See the corner, chuck it in. See another corner, chuck it in. The wide handlebar made countersteering a cinch because it responded immediately to our inputs.

The suspension may seem rudimentary but it absolutely soaked up all the bumps and holes on that road. We were a little apprehensive at first but discovered that no amount of road imperfection apart from speed bumps could throw the bike off its cornering line.

First victim to discover this was a VW Golf R32 driver who tried to race us. He was gone in just two corners. Another Proton X50 driver thought he could do the same, even by attempting to squeeze us off our cornering line. He was also despatched after two corners.

On the way down, a KTM 390 Duke rider gave chase but was left behind after the section consisting of “S” bends. Next was a group consisting of a Honda CBR250R, Yamaha YZF-R25, and several Yamaha Y16ZRs. They could not keep up after we chucked the Speed 400 through that one particularly tricky slippery and reducing radius left-hander.

On the SPE, a BMW R 1200 GS rider saw us in his mirrors and opened up. Of course, we could not keep up in a straight line due to the huge engine power deficit, yet we managed to cling on behind him in the corners as we chucked the bike around at speeds between 120-130km/h without even going off throttle. He was surprised to see us still behind when the road straightened out and he rolled out to see what bike it was.

How we wished we could paint the silhouettes of our “kills” on the side of the tank, just like how fighter pilots do!

Now, this would not have been even a blip of a talking point if the Speed 400 was a sportbike, but it is not – it is a modern classic standard. Comparing it to the likes of the 390 Duke, the Duke needs more commitment and a skilled and experienced rider to ride it fast, whereas we think almost anyone can be fast on the Speed 400. Heck, I do not think I went up and down Genting this fast even on the Triumph Street Triple 765 RS!

To put it into perspective, it was like riding a 250cc naked bike with well-sorted suspension, great throttle response, and smooth torque.

What we liked, Number 1: Accessibility and practicality

Great features, engine, handling, all wrapped up in an accessible and practical package. The seat is low and comfortable, with the handlebars placed at just the right height. The brakes were good although it needed a slightly harder pull, the clutch action was smooooooth. The gears slotted in solidly. The bike was light on paper and could be felt immediately. It went fast immediately when we wanted to be fast, and cruised serenely when we wanted to relax.

You could install a tank bag and side bags for touring. The engine is fuel efficient, wringing out 300+km from 12 litres.

And all these, for just RM26,900 (selling price) which puts it as a power player in the 250cc-400cc segment.

Shortcomings

Of course there were, but they probably due to rider preferences and riding styles.

Firstly, the first three gears where too short and the space from third to fourth a little wide. That left us changing up and down between third and fourth while in traffic. This can be fixed by swapping the stock front sprocket out to one with one tooth bigger, or dropping two teeth out back. It should make the engine run at lower revs during cruises, and help with rolling speeds into corners.

Secondly, we detected iffy fuel injected between 5,000-6,000 RPM on partial throttle in all gears. We circumvented this by either using a higher gear in lower RPMs, and lower gear above those RPMs. Still, it should not exist for a Triumph.

Thirdly, the bike tended to squirm during hard braking due to the aggressive steering angle (24.3 degrees). However, this was cured by clamping our inner thighs hard onto the sides of the fuel tank. That said, they bike does not like being trail braked into corners due to its rearward weight distribution, consequence of its riding position. It also waggled the handlebar in really high-speed corners. We suspect this can be easily fixed by increasing the rear shock’s preload to move more weight to the front.

However, these are just (very) minor niggles to detract from the overall enjoyment of riding the bike. We had to come up with these for the sake of a balanced review.

Closing

Coming back to the opening, can I place the Triumph Speed 400 as one of my personal favourites? And would I recommend buying it?

YES. And YES.

Berjaya Sompo Insurance Strengthens Commitment To Motorcyclists

Berjaya Sompo Insurance Strengthens Its Commitment to Motorcyclists With Participation in Yamaha GenBlu Carnival

As part of its continuous commitment to promoting rider safety, Berjaya Sompo Insurance recently took part in the “Yamaha GenBlu Carnival”, which was held at Bandar Medini, Puteri Iskandar, Johor, on August 25, 2024.

The fifth edition of the carnival attracted over 16,008 motorcyclists, officially securing a spot in the Malaysia Book of Records for being the largest Yamaha motorcycle gathering event. (more…)

Glossary of Motorcycle Terms – “H”

Continuing with our Glossary of Motorcycle Terms, moving to those that begin with the letter “H.”

Hammer down: To accelerate quickly or ride aggressively.

Handlebars: Where the rider places his hands to control the motorcycle’s steering. There are several variations of handlebars for different riding postures and uses i.e. touring, racing, cruising, etc.

Hang-off: The action by the rider moving his body mass to the inside and off the motorcycle when taking a corner. More commonly called the kneedown, or at least when the knee does touch the road.

Hardtail: A motorcycle with no rear suspension.

Head: No, not the toilet, but a short name for the engine’s cylinder head.

Header: The “front” part of the exhaust system with attaches to the engine block. It then leads to the downpipe/downtube, to the catalytic converter and finally, the muffler/silencer.

Headlight/s: The main light or lights at the front of the motorcycle for illumination and to provide more visibility to other road users.

Heat: High temperatures whether relating to the bike, or whether, or just anything to do with temperature. It also means the police or authorities in American movies.

Highside: A motorcycle crash involving the rear wheel temporarily losing traction and suddenly regaining traction, and throwing the rider over the bike’s handlebars, as opposed to the “lowside” where the bike and rider drop onto the ground.

Holeshot: Racing term used in motorcycle racing referring to the rider who takes the lead and reaches the first corner or turn ahead of the other competitors immediately after the start of the race.

Holeshot device: First used in motocross, this device locks down the forks down to let the rider have better control at the start. Pressing the brake dips the forks down further and disengages the device for normal suspension operation. The device was subsequently adopted first by Ducati in MotoGP. However, the MotoGP holeshot device lowers both the front and rear of the bike, to lower its centre of gravity hence limit wheelies when the motorcycle accelerates hard from the start line, practically turning the bike into a dragster.

Hooning: Hooning is a term that is often used to describe reckless and irresponsible behaviour on a motorcycle or any other vehicle. It refers to engaging in dangerous stunts, excessive speeding, and disregarding traffic laws and safety regulations. Hooning typically involves wheelies, stoppies, burnouts, drifting, and other high-risk maneuvers. Otherwise known as “rempit” in Malaysia.

Horn: Audible device used to warn others.

Horsepower (HP): A unit of measurement that quantifies the power output of an engine. It indicates the rate at which the engine can perform work i.e. the maximum amount of work produced by an engine. The higher the horsepower, or engine speed, the more power the engine can generate.

MotoGP Rider Communications to be Introduced in 2025

MotoGP rider communications will be introduced in 2025, after such system was proposed since three years ago.

Further tests had been carried out by Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo after the Spanish GP at Jerez earlier this year. Following that, Dorna will introduce the system in stages. The first stage involves a one-way communication feature, allowing the new race director in 2025, Simon Crafar to communicate with the riders. Messages are expected to be concise to not distract the riders.

It was probably determined that the currect method of sending short messages to the motorcycles’ display is not adequate.

A meeting between Dorna and riders were held last Thursday just prior to the San Marino GP. The former laid out plans for phase two of radio communications, involving a two-way communication system between the rider and team and/or race direction, like that in Formula 1.

The system was tested again during the post-San Marino GP tests, but Bagnaia complained of discomforts wearing the gear. However, there are riders who wanted the system to be implemented, including Aleix Espargaro.

Such proposal for rider-team communications has also divided MotoGP fans. On one side, proponents say that MotoGP is a prototype racing championship and there are motorcycle communications devices in the market, anyhow. Detractors say that it will er… detract from the pure spirit of racing, where the rider skills and race craft are the most important factors rather than the race racing being determined by the team and engineers from the pits.

Glossary of Motorcycle Terms – “G”

Here is the list of motorcycle terms beginning with the letter “G.”

Gas: A state for matter, but more commonly the short form of gasoline i.e. petrol, usually used by those in the American continents.

Gear Ratio: The ratio between the number of teeth on two meshing gears in the transmission. Gear ratios determine the relationship between engine speed (RPM) and the motorcycle’s speed. Lower gear ratios provide more torque at lower speeds, while higher gear ratios allow higher speeds at lower engine RPM.

Gearbox: Also known as transmission. This “box” or unit contains the gears, hence ratios for the rider to select the appropriate gear or “speed” for different riding conditions.

Giggle Gas: Defined as a slang term meaning nitrous oxide or “NOS” connected to the fuel system to boost acceleration performance. The reason it is called “giggle gas” is because it was first intended as a gas to relax patients into a state of euphoria, which includes laughter.

Gixxer: Suzuki GSX-R series of motorcycles.

Gore-Tex: Gore-Tex is a waterproof and breathable fabric is highly regarded for its advanced membrane technology. This membrane is designed to prevent water from penetrating while allowing sweat and moisture to escape, making it an ideal material for motorcycle rain gear. Gore-Tex is known for its durability and is commonly used in high-performance outdoor apparel. Its ability to keep riders dry and comfortable during wet rides has made it a popular choice among motorcycle enthusiasts.

GPS (Global Positioning System): A navigation system that uses satellite signals to provide accurate positioning and navigation information. GPS devices or smartphone apps can be used by riders to navigate unfamiliar routes or plan rides efficiently. Currently, there are a total 31 GPS satellites in the higher geosynchronous orbit 18,000km above the Earth. The position of the GPS device is triangulated by 3 satellites at any given time.

Gremlin: An unknown and persistent mechanical issue in a motorcycle.

Grey Market Bike: A term that describes a bike model never officially sold in a particular market locale but later privately imported in the “grey market.” Also known as parallel imports.