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Art of Speed Malaysia 2017 ready to roar this 29-30 July 2017 at MAEPS, Serdang

The Art of Speed Malaysia 2017 returns for its sixth installation this year; bigger and better than ever before with over 1,000 custom vehicles gathering on 29 and 30 July 2017 at MAEPS, Serdang.

There will be custom bikes, cars, exhibitions, test rides, activities, famous international motoring figures, performances and many more for all attendees at this year’s AOS.

Best of all, THREE motorcycles will given away in the two-day exhibition period which are a brand new CMC XY400, Harley-Davidson Street Rod 750 and a fully customised twin engine RXZ dragster dubbed the “RXZ Twinboss”.

The Art of Speed Malaysia 2017 is getting closer and closer to its big day on 29 and 30 July 2017. This sixth annual ‘Ol-Skool’ and ‘Kustom Kulture’ event brained by our very own people has been a major gathering for all motoring enthusiasts from different scenes and backgrounds into probably the most exciting two-day event Malaysia has to offer. (more…)

New colours for the 2018 Kawasaki Ninja 650 and Z650!

Kawasaki Japan has recently announced that their 2018 Kawasaki Ninja 650 and Z650 will be available in brand new colours.

The 2018 Ninja 650 will be available in two new colour schemes (Blue and Grey) while the 2018 Z650 will get three; Yellow, Z900-inspired Black and Green and a Matte Black and Green combo.

Apart from the new colours, Kawasaki Japan will also offer ‘performance’ and ‘touring’ packages for their 2018 middleweight bikes.

Kawasaki Japan has announced that their latest middleweight bikes which are the Kawasaki Ninja 650 ABS and Z650 ABS will be getting some new colours for 2018. Since the bike is still considerably new (and still very much updated as they can be with all their specifications), the next phase of bringing in more colours options seems like a good move to cater to a lot more riders’ preferences. (more…)

KTM announces updated 2017 KTM RC390 – now with ride-by-wire!

KTM has announced that their latest 2017 KTM RC390 will be getting a few important updates including a ride-by-wire throttle system.

Other updates include a power assist slipper clutch, side-mounted exhaust and bigger front disc brake for overall improved performance.

KTM has also stated that the new RC390 has better ergonomics with adjustable clutch and brake levers, wider side mirrors and redesigned seat for rider and pillion for greater comfort.

The leading Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM has announced that their 2017 KTM RC390 almost middleweight sports bike will be getting a few interesting upgrades that we’re sure will excite a few motoring enthusiasts in the scene. (more…)

Yamaha introduces updated N-Max 400 scooter!

Yamaha Malaysia may have just introduced the new NVX (which in all honesty, is a fantastic looking bike and superb value for money, click here to read about the NVX), but on the global front, Yamaha has just introduced another awesome looking scooter, the X-Max 400.

It is an update to the previous X-Max 400 with some styling and technical upgrades. In line with the current motorcycling fashion, the headlights offer LED tech and so does the rear.

The front now features new dual-clamp forks with 4.3 inches of travel, a feature mostly found in regular motorcycles, and houses 15-inch wheels with 120/70 sized tyres. The rear now offers twin shocks with 3.6 inches of travel and 13-inch wheels with 150/70 tyres.

As for stopping power, dual front disc brakes with 267mm rotors cover the front, while the rear is handled by a single 267mm rear disc. ABS is offered as standard on the X-Max 400, and it also comes with a parking brake as a standard feature.

The overall weight is down by 5 kilograms, with a new total overall weight of 210kg’s. The seat height is also taller than before and the undersea storage area has also expanded. Yamaha says that it can now fit two full-face helmets. There is also new storage space up front by the leg shields.

The updated Yamaha X-Max 400 also features other goodies like the aforementioned twin LED headlights and LED taillight, an adjustable windscreen, adjustable handlebars and a keyless ignition system, the latter is also offered as standard on the new NVX.

But though the new Yamaha X-Max 400 is a fantastic looking bike with plenty of awesome features, the sad reality is that there is very little to no chance at all of it being offered in Malaysia.

With our licensing structure making it difficult and expensive for regular commuters to obtain the B full license required for bikes above 250cc, Yamaha Malaysia (Hong Leong Yamaha) will find very little reason to offer it in Malaysia if sales is going to be mediocre.

It is for that reason that bike makers like Yamaha, Kawasaki and Honda are currently focusing on bikes 250cc and below as there are more people with B2 license rather than B full.

Are there Malaysians competing in the 2017 Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race? YES, THREE!

The 40^th Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race will once again see riders and teams from all over the world fighting for one of the greatest motorcycle endurance races of all time from 27 to 30 July 2017.

This year’s race marks the race’s 40^th anniversary where three Malaysians will be competing; Moto2 rider Hafizh Syahrin, current ARRC rider Azlan Shah and 2016 ARRC champion Zaqhwan Zaidi.

Hafizh Syahrin will race together with Team Kagayama on board the Suzuki GSX-R1000, Zaqhwan Zaidi with Team Satu HATI on board the latest Honda CBR1000RR and Azlan Shah will be racing with Team Green and their infamous Kawasaki ZX-10R.

The countdown to the 40^th Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race is getting closer and closer. One of the world’s most iconic motorcycle endurance race sponsored by Coca Cola will run its course from 27 July 2017 to 30 July 2017. (more…)

WorldSBK reverse grid format NOT WORKING?

Some folks have been arguing that the latest WorldSBK reverse grid format has not been working out as well as they had hoped it would be.

The plan was to get the podium finishers of Race 1 to start in reverse order from the third row in hopes that they would other riders and teams a fighting chance was doomed from the beginning.

Almost 94% of the podium finishes so far has been filled by Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes from Kawasaki Racing Team together with Chaz Davies and Marco Melandri from Aruba.it Racing – Ducati.

According to a recent report made by MCN, the big guns over at WorldSBK are seriously contemplating on whether to scrap the reverse grid system which was introduced into the race series earlier this year. It seems that the format is not working out as well as they had hoped for. (more…)