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

Do You Change the Engine Oil Filter at Every Service?

Every four-stroke engine is equipped with an engine oil filter. Question is, do you change it during every oil service?

We brought this up as there are owners who say they only do so during every alternate service or it depends on the type of use oil they use i.e. mineral, semi-synthetic, fully-synthetic.

Let us take a look at what the oil filter does before we proceed further.

The functions of the engine oil filter:

As its name suggests, the filter traps impurities and foreign agents in the engine oil. It does so that these foreign objects are not circulated around the engine together with the oil.

Oil is pumped through the filter and the filtered oil exits it to continue circulating around the engine.

The sources of impurities and foreign objects include:

Metal shavings due to surface interactions of moving parts. Some of these shavings may be very fine or even microscopic for the eyes to detect.
Carbon, soot, acidic compounds resulting from combustion of fuel. This is one reason why the oil turns dark.
Fine dust that made its way through the air filter.

What happens if the filter is not replaced?

An old filter will get clogged from too much dirt, impurities, and foreign objects.
Consequently, oil flow gets blocked from flowing through the filter.
Loss of engine power since there is not enough lubrication.
Some of the impurities end up being sent around the engine, resulting in accelerated wear.

When to replace the filter?

It is best to adhere to the recommended intervals set by your vehicle’s manufacturer. Besides, the old oil left in the old filter will corrupt the new oil, resulting in less protection for your engine and the new oil breaking down quicker.

Conversely, the oil and filter must be changed regardless of mileage if you take your bike out for an extreme excursion, such as a race, trackday, or off-road riding.

Do not overlook the importance of the oil filter. And do use a genuine filter. It does not cost as much as an engine rebuild.

Diesel Price Expected to Increase 71% after Subsidy Removal

The price of diesel fuel is expected to increase by 71% when the government removes its subsidy completely.

A simulation by SME Bank shows that diesel price could be between RM3.25 to RM 3.67 per litre as the global price of petroleum remains high, when the government reverts to a free-float mechanism based on global oil prices. The current price is RM2.15 per litre.

They also said that an increase of 1% in diesel price contributes to a 0.1% rise in Consumer Price Index (CPI), hence elevating inflation by another 7.1%. Producer Price Index (PPI) is also expected to rise sharply, although it was not mentioned in the report.

Both CPI and PPI constitute domestic retail prices affected by inflation.

All these fancy words mean that businesses and industries will find higher operating costs across all sectors and industries especially transportation, construction, retail, agriculture, and manufacturing.

While some companies are expected to absorb some of this rise, it is more realistic to expect them passing the costs down to consumers.

SME Bank, in their conclusion, expects the removal of diesel subsidies to be partial to allow the M40 and B40 groups to continue using subsidised fuel, that the total removal only affects diesel users for now as it accounts for 44% of fuel subsidies, and that Sabah and Sarawak are excluded from the removal.

Brembo Hypure Caliper to Debut

The new Brembo Hypure caliper is set to debut later this year.

What is there to say about the brand, Brembo? Even non-motorcycle enthusiasts already know the brand, so much so that some even refer to ANY brake caliper as “Brembo.” So, we might as well just skip the brand introduction and go right to this product.

The Brembo Hypure is fully intended for high-end supersport bikes. Conversely the earlier Stylema had been used on all types of bikes from supersports to even dual-purpose bikes. As such, what the Hypure delivers is a combination braking power, better feel at the lever, and light weight.

Highlights of the Brembo Hypure:

10% lighter weight than the competition. Weight savings in this area means your bike has less unsprung mass, hence less inertia to contend with, resulting in better handling.
Brembo says this was achieved by their experience and new design tools to distribute aluminium in the right places.
Consequently, stiffness remains the same despite lower weight, and improved cooling.
Reduces pad wear through a new spring, pad, and pin system, besides a specially crafted bearing surface between the caliper and pads.
The company says that with this system, the pads move without resistance toward the disc at the start of braking. When the lever is released, the pads move away quickly from the disc to reduce friction.

The Brembo Hypure was teased at EICMA last year and will be fitted as original equipment to a new and upcoming supersport motorcycle. Speculation is it will either be on the 2025 KTM 990 RC R or Yamaha YZF-R9, or even both.

Anyhow, our advice is to use special locking bolts for your motorcycle’s brake calipers.

KTM 990 RC R Incoming!

Thousands of Litres of Cooking Oil Spilled on Karak Highway

Thousands of liters of cooking oil was spilled on the Karak Highway yesterday.

The spill was caused by a tanker truck carrying a load of used cooking oil when it was involved in an accident at Kilometer 36.8 of the highway near Genting Sempah.

Gombak District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Noor Ariffin Mohamad Nasir, said the police received a report regarding the incident at about 9pm.

“The result of the investigation found that the incident happened at 2pm with a 50-year-old man driving the tanker from Kuantan to Port Klang, Selangor.

“It was raining heavily when he arrived at the location. He lost control of his truck and it hit the metal road barrier.”

He said the driver was uninjured and the case was investigated according to Rule 10 LN 166/59.

We would like to advise users of the highway, especially those riding motorcycles to be careful when in the area as the road surface may still be slippery. Anyway, the corners on the Karak Highway are certainly inviting, but there have been many unwanted incidents.

Indian MotoGP 2024 Maybe Dropped due to Non-Payment

The Indian MotoGP 2024 round may be dropped.

Autosport revealed that the local promoter, Fairview Sports has not made payments to the “local vendors and MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sport.” However, Fairview is given time until 20 May to sort out the matter.

The Indian MotoGP 2024 was set to return the second time from 19 to 22 September. Its cancellation could very well mean Kazakhstan taking over the slot. The Kazakh round was to begin on 16 June but was postponed due to massive floods.

The 2024 MotoGP calendar will see a reduction back to 20 rounds should the Indian MotoGP gets cancelled. The Argentinian round was cancelled before the start of the season, bringing the total down to 21.

Last year’s inaugural GP in the country also saw difficulties as the Buddh circuit was only ready and certified at the last moments, but remained dirty when MotoGP arrived. Riders also raised concerns that the track’s undulating and flowing layout had inadequate run-off areas.

Speaking of arrival, several riders’ and team personnel’s Visa approvals were also delayed causing the riders to miss out on several promotional events.

India is currently the world’s largest motorcycle market hence is an important stop for the manufacturers and MotoGP.

8 Reasons why Riding Solo is More Fun

It is true that riding in a convoy has its appeal such as camaraderie among friends who have the same love for motorcycles. However, there are times when riding solo is more fun. Everyone needs some time away, anyhow.

1. Alone with our thoughts

This is the main reason some bikers like to ride solo. It is time to get away from the toxic partner, the screaming kids, the unappreciative boss, etc., etc. Riding solo gives you a clarity of mind and who knows, you may discover the answer to that nagging problem.

2. No peer pressure

Peer pressure is real during group rides and it is not confined to riding fast, but also riding too slow. It is not uncommon for the faster riders to berate the slower ones (who chose to ride at a relaxed pace), or vice versa. We may even get riders who seem to challenge us to a race. Such group dynamics create a dangerous riding environment. Riding solo does away with peer pressure.

3. Our own pace and schedule

Riding solo means we ride at our own pace and adhering to our own schedule (or not). There is no one to harass us if we put on our gear slowly. Or stopping every few minutes. Or having to chase someone else’s schedule.

4. Stop whenever we want

We decide when we want to stop. Or pull over whenever you see a beautiful view such a sunset. Or a green carpet of paddy fields. Just stop, take in the view. No one will complain.

5. Start whenever we want

As much as we like taking our own time, we also hate those who take too much of our time. Strange but true, is it not? We will ALWAYS find that one friend who takes forever to gear up (only to stop the entire convoy because he forgot something). Or that guy who needs to stop and pee every 15 minutes. Or the group that constantly stops to eat even before the engine is anywhere near lukewarm. So instead of taking 4 hours to reach your intended destination, it took 8 hours. The answer? Ride solo.

6. Idiot riders

Sometimes riding in a group sets a rider’s ego loose to show off such as pulling wheelies. Or teasing the local ladies and earning the ire of the residents (It actually happened on one of our trips to Thailand!). Or some guys who decided to go another way, getting lost, and holding up the entire group by hours as we go look for them while they look for us.

7. Safety

The safety aspect is derived from not riding with idiots. We can mitigate our own risks instead of putting our lives and limbs in the hands of others. You may get one rider who constantly speeds up then slotting in, another rider who insists of riding several centimetres from you like as if it is a Blue Angels’ display. Ride solo and ride relaxed rather than worrying about the safety of the others and ours.

8. Change of mind

Imagine riding and you suddenly get a craving for food you have not eaten for some time. Or decide to spend the night in a nice town that appeals to our fancies. Just do it because you do not need to consult with anyone.

BONUS: Practice your riding skills

Trying to practice your skills during a group ride is not a smart thing to do since there are other bikes around. Also, we can bet there will be several others around to impart the wrong advice which would be detrimental to our riding and safety. Riding solo lets you practice your own skill sets.

Bikesrepublic

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