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

Bikesrepublic

Latest News

The Fine Art of Motorcycle Detailing – by Horus Detailing Studio, Glenmarie

Horus Detailing Studio is based in Glenmarie.
It specialises in car and motorcycle detailing.
Its products are fast becoming popular.
A Moto Guzzi V7 III Anniversario is one of the most difficult motorcycles to keep clean.
But the boys at Horus did a fantastic job at bringing out the shine to the acres of chrome on the bike.

Buying a motorcycle is one of life’s greatest pleasures. A motorcycle represents freedom, but in the modern sense that usually means freedom from getting stuck in traffic, freedom to go anywhere, and the spirit of adventure.

But what about maintaining the motorcycle? The mechanical parts are usually sorted out by a trusty mechanic or even the service centre from where the motorcycle was bought from.

But the aesthetics of the bike, well that is the owners prerogative.

Not too long ago, I bought a Moto Guzzi V7 III Anniversario, one of 1000 around the world. Being a limited edition model built to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, the motorcycle is fully decked out in chrome.

Everything from the tank to the mirrors and the mudguards is 100% chrome. And then there’s the saddle which is made out of plush brown leather.

I knew from the start that maintaining it was going to be difficult, but I didn’t know how difficult.

A ride in the rain resulted in the entire tank being blotched by rain spots. And with dirt being kicked up from the road, the chrome quickly becomes a dull shade of silver.

Maintaining it was, simply put, difficult.

Then I got a phone call one evening from a long lost friend – Mark.

“Horus have just opened a detailing shop bro, it is something I have been working on for a while now, come check it out,” said the enthusiastic voice over the phone.

Mark has always been one of those guys who you don’t see very often but you know is always there working on something awesome and always has a cool story to tell.

“I’ll come by tomorrow”, I responded.

Located at Temasya Glenmarie, Horus Premium Tints and Detailing Studio, the Malaysian dealer principal for Horus, specialises in everything needed to bring out the aesthetic shine in your car.

‘We started off in Singapore and did rather well, and now we’re in Malaysia with our good friend Azmi and looking to expand,” explained Mark.

On the topic of motorcycles, Horus did a fantastic job at working on the chrome and all the tiny bits. Detailing motorcycles is unlike a car, a bike has hundreds of tiny sensitive areas which if not handled carefully can be catastrophic.

The talented team at Horus consist of experienced bikers as well says that the entire process began with a an inspection of the bike, and from there the team planned out which Horus product to apply.

A bath with anti-static biodegradable shampoo started off the process followed by the usage of clay to remove heavy dirt.

This of course needed to be washed and wiped off before anything else could be done, so the Anniversario was cleaned and dried with a microfiber cloth.

From there the entire surface of the bike was wiped down with an alcohol based solvent which removes any excess oil and dirt. This was a necessary step as the next step involves paint correction to remove any scratches.

“We do that by using a medium cut polish, this retains the shine and removes small microscopic scratches. After that we leveled out the paint using a fine cut polish, this ensures the shine is consistent with zero paint defects,” explained Azmi Ismail, Managing Director of the Malaysia’s Horus dealer principal and another long time friend of mine.

From there, the entire process involved polishing with medium compound and the usage of solvents to remove any dirt and grime that may be tucked away deep inside the nooks and crannies of the bike.

To cap it all off, each component of the bike is cleaned with a microfiber cloth and a generous amount of Horus premium hybrid coating is applied to that extra shine.

It has been about three weeks now since I collected the bike. I have ridden the bike in the rain (in fact it rained right after I collected the bike) and it is now covered with dust again. But a quick swipe of a microfiber cloth immediately brings out the shine again.

Detailing motorcycles is a long tedious process, and not everyone can do it as it requires knowledge of the internal electronics of the bike. Am I happy with the final result? Im ecstatic with it, and for a bike as unique as the Anniversario, every bit of shine matters.

Horus Premium Tints and Coating is located at 32-G, Japan Penguasa B U1/53B, Temasya Glenmarie, Shah Alam, Malaysia. And can be contacted at 0122749586.

Franco Morbidelli Happy to Take PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team to First Top 5

Franco Morbidelli was happy to finish fifth in the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas over the weekend.
His teammate and rookie Fabio Quartararo crossed the line in seventh.
It was a great for the PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team.

While everyone was transfixed by Marc Marquez’s early departure and the subsequent battle between Valentino Rossi and Alex Rins, Franco Morbidelli rode to fifth in the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas over the weekend. It the first Top 5 finish for him and the new PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team.

Morbidelli fought hard against a resurgent Andrea Dovizioso of Mission Winnow Ducati but had to give way at the end. Dovizioso had qualified 13^thon the grid and fought his way up the field to eventually finish fourth. However, Morbidelli managed to defend his fifth position from Dovizioso’s team Danilo Petrucci.

It was Morbidelli’s best MotoGP result to date since joining the premier class last year.

“I’m very, very happy about this fifth position. We were starting a bit too far, because yesterday we had not a great qualifying. But I was confident that I could be fast in the race today” said the Italian.

His team was also very happy when MotoGP rookie Fabio Quartararo finished in seventh place, one behind Petrucci.

It was excellent results for the Malaysia-based team which didn’t exist a mere six months before the start of the 2019 season.

However, Morbidelli kept his pragmatic approach, saying that the team has to keep improving. “We need to work, we need to improve to get those 8 seconds here. Couple of seconds in Argentina. So we are missing something to get on the podium.”

Confirmed: Dakar Rally Moving to Saudi Arabia in 2020

The Dakar Rally is moving to Saudi Arabia beginning 2020.
The move is due to political and monetary concerns in South America.
Stay tuned for the press conference on 25^thApril.

The Dakar Rally is moving to Saudi Arabia beginning 2020, after months of speculation.

Rumours of the end of the series in South America began within weeks after the completion of the 2019 edition. There were also rumours of the race heading back to Africa, albeit in the south. Soon, an Instagram post claimed that the Saudis were lobbying to hold the race.

Confirmation of the move was confirmed by a Dakar Rally’s official Facebook post.

Africa had hosted the rally since the beginning but political upheavals in Mauritania forced the cancellation of the 2008 edition. The organizers decided to move to the South American continent, where the rally was held in Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.

However, more political and financial concerns dogged the Dakar, forcing it to be held in Peru along earlier this year.

That’s when rumours began circulating that it might head back to the African continent, but will take place in South Africa, Namibia, Angola and Botswana instead of in the historic northern regions.

But an Instagram post by a competitor identified the Saudi kingdom as the next venue. The rally will now cover part of the 3.6 million square kilometre Arabian desert.

The Dakar’s organizer Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) confirmed that they have inked a five-year deal with Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is now an addition as a motorsport venue in the Arabian Peninsula along with Qatar, Oman and United Arab Emirates.

A press conference will be held on 25^thApril to reveal the details of the 2020 Dakar Rally.

What Bikes do John Wick aka Keanu Reeves Own?

There are many celebrities who ride but John Wick a.k.a. Keanu Reeves had his own brand of motorcycles.
He also owns a number of rare motorcycles.
His company Arch Motorcycle builds futuristic custom bikes.

There’s no secret that that John Wick a.k.a. Keanu Reeves er… or is it Keanu Reeves a.k.a. John Wick loves motorcycles. But what bikes does he own?

There are many celebrities who love motorcycles and actually ride instead of just posing with them. The list is long and distinguished including Tom Cruise, Ryan Reynolds, Ewan McGregor, Orlando Bloom, Bear Grylls, Pink, Justin Timberlake, Alanis Morissette, Bradley Cooper, Michael Fassbender, Hugh Laurie, Richard Hammond, Jay Leno, Brad Pitt, David Beckham.

But there is only one among them who owns his brand of motorcycles, and that’s John… er.. Keanu Reeves.

In this interview with GQ Magazine, gives us an insight to Reeves’ passion. He showed us the 1973 Norton Commando 850 MK2A which he bought in 1987. The second bike is the 2004 Ducati 998 Reloaded Edition which was the feature bike in The Matrix: Reloaded. Ducati presented him the bike after to commemorate the film, resplendent in dark green.

He also listed the movies that he rode in such as Chain Reaction, My Own Private Idaho, and the upcoming John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum. (We’ve featured the article about the film’s trailer where John Wick battles assassins on a fleet of Yamaha MT-09s.)

Over to the motorcycle brand he co-founds and co-owns, Arch Motorcycle. It began as a customization contract for a Harley Dyna Wide Glide. The bike became the prototype of the first Arch Motorcycle model – the KRGT-1. Arch Motorcycle produces more than 200 machined aluminium components for the bike themselves, and only outsources the suspension, exhaust and engine.

He also spoked about the company’s next model called the Arch 1S. The bike is a sportier version of the KRGT-1. Reeves went on to show the Method 143 concept which utilizes a carbon fibre monocell chassis.

What other bikes does Reeves hope to own? The 1955 Vincent Black Shadow and Brough Superior. He also hopes to ride a MotoGP bike.

Group of Motorcyclists Hog Road and Refuse to Give Way

A group of motorcyclists were caught on video slipstreaming in a pack.
They also refused to give way to other traffic.
Needless to say, such acts are foolish.

We received some kurang ajar (read: barbaric) responses when we wrote an article about how us motorcyclists can irritate the public and other road users. But look at these guys. They hog the entire road and refuse to give way to other traffic.

A car driver caught the footage of a large group of motorcyclists on the East Coast Highway (LPT) pulling off this stupid stunt. The riders in the group seemed to relish in riding prone in each other’s slipstream to gain higher top speeds.

The poster also said that they refused to heed his warning after he sounded his horn. The video was posted to Info Roadblock and shared by another popular gossip portal. Consequently, it has since gone viral. This is not the way to achieve 15 seconds of fame. Predictably, Malaysians are well-known for their caustic comments including a few which threatened to “run over” such groups with their vehicles.

It’s a dangerous act to carry out even without blocking the traffic. A slip by one rider or a couple of guys hitting each other will send the whole group down. Needless to say, everyone will get hurt or worse, getting hit by other traffic. Say, a truck.

Not only that, it sullies the name of all motorcyclists. Drivers of other vehicles wouldn’t give a second wink to differentiate between the good guys and the bad guys: Everyone is the same! That’s the human nature to generalize everything he sees or hears about.

So, stop it, you fools!

2019 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory, More Details Emerge

The 2019 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory has been upgraded.
More details have emerged since its launch last year.
One of the main highlight is the Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 semi-active electronic suspension.

Updates to the 2019 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory was released last year alongside with the 2019 RS4 RR, from which the former is based on.

We’ve covered it before, but more details have emerged since over the upgrades the Tuono V4 1100 received.

Highlights:

The engine produces 175 bhp at 11,000 RPM and 121 Nm of torque.
Wet weight is only 209 kg.
Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 semi-active electronic suspension. (More on this.)
Bosch IMU-based traction control and ABS.
Other electronic riding aids include wheelie control, launch control, quickshifter, pit lane speed limiter and get this: Cruise control!

Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 semi-active electronic suspension:

The Ösuspension is the latest in electronic suspension evolution. It not only performs the preset duties of semi-active suspensions of the past, but the rider could tune it to achieve different objectives.

The Objective Based Tuning Interface allows you to tune, for example:

Less fork dive when you brake for a corner.
Softer damping in the middle of the corner for more grip.
Harder rear shock when you accelerate out of the corner.

The suspension system’s ECU takes readings from the suspension movement, brakes, throttle and IMU (lean angle, yaw angle) to formulate a solution for the current riding mode. Besides that, it not only works on the suspension, it works on the electronic Öhlins steering damper, too.

The rider can switch the system to manual mode. The suspension will then react accordingly to the present modes – Track, Sport, Road – selected by the rider.

This system was first seen on the Ducati Panigale V4 and V4 S.

Unfortunately, the Tuono V4 has always flown under the radar when it comes to naked sportbikes for some reason. That’s a real shame because it offers the raw performance that most bikes have damped out these days. Even the much-vaunted beast – the KTM 1290 Super Duke R – has mellowed, but not the Tuono. And we haven’t started on the V4 soundtrack yet!

This bike is the very essence of why we love bikes in the first place. In other words, that ability to leave everything behind including supercars without needing to sell both your kidneys.

When will it arrive it Malaysia? Soon, hopefully!