Honda has released a short teaser video showing the “Project N.S.C.” which stands for the Honda Neo Sports Cafe.
The 31-second clip doesn’t show much except for a few specs such as LED headlight and indicators plus flat handlebar with a faint sound of an inline-four engine in the background.
The release date has been announced on 6 November 2017 which is during the EICMA 2017 or Milan Motorcycle Show.
As we head closer and closer to the big international motorcycle show in Milan, Italy that is EICMA 2017 (Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori) or the Milan Motorcycle Show, manufacturers are slowly releasing their teaser videos to give us a taste on what it’s going to be like. (more…)
Watch our first impression video on the soon to be launched Modenas Dominar 400!
This is the Bajaj Dominar 400 – a single cylinder 373cc motorcycle hailed by Bajaj as a sports touring bike. It may look all nice and docile, and that is because it really is a friendly bike to ride.
In a recent visit to the Bajaj factory in Pune, India, we were given the opportunity to ride the bike around the company’s test track – a 2.9 kilometre track with a one km long straight, banking, sharp and flowing corners, basically everything that will test the capability of any motorcycle.
The Dominar was wonderful on track, predictable and accurate. The standard tyres it came with however were not quite up to mark, but the tyres will be replaced with Metzeler tyres when this bike arrives in Malaysia, so that’s not a problem then. It is a wonder why Bajaj would call the Dominar a tourer, because it really could be a middle-weight naked sports bike. But then again, this is also a bike that seems to be quite happy to do it all.
So why were we riding this bike and why are we telling you about it?
Lets go back to the month of May this year when Modenas launched three new models, and announced its collaboration with the world’s third biggest motorcycle maker – Bajaj.
Back then Modenas introduced the Pulsar RS200 sports bike, its naked variant the Pulsar N200, as well as the V15, a cafe racer like motorcycle designed for everyday use and impressive fuel economy. These were all Bajaj bikes sold in Malaysia under the Modenas brand.
Many were quick to criticise Modenas for rebadging Indian motorcycles instead of building their own. People usually are quick to have an opinion before actually understanding the topic in hand.
Rebadging makes perfect sense these days and many car and bike manufacturers do it. Why take on the huge capital and time investment when others have already done it? Bajaj had the perfect bikes for the Malaysian market, and Modenas had the image as well as the after sales capability to support the bikes in Malaysia. It was a match made in heaven, and Modenas has since sold about 2,000 bikes in just four months. This Modenas-Bajaj collaboration is a success, but in the words of hipsters today – haters gonna hate anyway!
The Bajaj Dominar 400 is going to be introduced to Malaysia around the first quarter of 2018. It is the bike that will take Modenas upmarket past their usual models, and it will be the first big bike introduced since the Jaguh of the 90s.
The 373cc, triple spark plug, single-cylinder engine means that the Dominar 400 will square off against the likes of the KTM 390 Duke and the BMW G310R. But with a price tag that is expected to be well below RM25,000, the Dominar 400 is the motorcycle that both KTM and BMW should pay attention to next year.
In fact, it is interesting to note that the engines for both the Dominar and the KTM 390 Duke are built side-by-side at the Bajaj plant in Pune. The Dominar 400 offers 32hp and 35Nm of torque, while the gearbox is a six-speed unit coupled to a Slipper clutch ensuring the rear wheel never locks up. On the topic of safety, Dominar 400 also offers twin channel ABS – meaning both the front and rear wheel comes with ABS brakes.
First impressions of the bike are good, though the kerb weight stands at a hefty 182kg’s, the bike is happy to be flicked around corners. The suspension too is decent with telescopic forks up front with 43mm of travel, and an adjustable mono shock at the rear, giving you a decent amount of suspension customisation to suit your riding style.
The seat is on the plush side and will take care of your bottom on long rides, and the 13-litre tank should give you a range of about 300 kilometres before needing a refuel.
The Bajaj Dominar 400 is a very talented motorcycle and promises to be a good companion for those looking for a weekday workhorse and weekend warrior. Slap on a windshield and some Givi bags and it will also go the distance with you. Now all that stands in the way of this bike and huge success in Malaysia is the price tag, but with the team at Modenas determined to make this another success story – you can expect a very competitive price tag as well. Watch this space!
Shell Advance and Lazada is giving you an opportunity of a lifetime to meet five-time MotoGP World Champion and Ducati rider, Jorge Lorenzo.
Head over to Lazada and purchase a one-litre Shell Advance lubricants PLUS two cans of Monster Energy in one order invoice to be eligible for the contest.
Contest period from 3 October 2017 until 20 October 2017.
In conjunction with the upcoming Shell Advance Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix at the end of the month, Shell Advance together with Lazada is coming up with something very special for all you MotoGP fans especially if you support five-time World Champion Jorge Lorenzo. (more…)
Here are tips on how to ride through flash floods (or deep water)
Cardinal rule is to go slow
Throttle control and a cool head applies
The weather has been mighty unpredictable in the Klang Valley lately. The days invariably start with burning white sunlight and scorching heat, only to give way to sudden heavy downpours. If the downpours continue for more than two hours, we could find ourselves caught in flash floods.
Courtesy of Astro Awani
While it’s safest to sit out from riding in pouring rain and flooded roads, there’s no escaping it at times, especially around flood-prone areas where the roads remain flooded even after rain has stopped.
Here are our tips for riding through flash floods (and deep puddles of water).
1. Stop and Inspect
It’s just like adventure riding. No sane adventure rider will just banzai headlong into an unknown body of water without first inspecting its depth, potential hazards underwater and exit on the other side.
While you may not have to get off your bike and walk through floods on the road you travel on each day, you do need to stop and look for clues. If there’s another vehicle pushing through the water, note how deep it is. Observe if there’s a strong water current from one side of the road to the other.
If the water’s too deep or current’s too strong, forget it. Just wait for it to subside.
If you don’t already know the location of your engine’s air intake, now’s the good time to start. Check if it’s high enough above the water.
2. Stand Up
Riding through floods is no different from riding through a river when adventure or trail riding, so stand for better low-speed stability, meaning there’s more control when you crawl ahead at 10 to 20 km/h.
Courtesy of twistedthrottle
3. Go Slow and Straight
This goes without saying.
Throwing up a big splash may look spectacular in pictures but it isn’t a good practice in real world situations. Hitting a deep body of water at speed would most likely have the water act as a liquid brake/barrier. The bike will cut through the first few metres easily before coming to a sudden halt and causing the rider to lose control (or even thrown off).
They need to go a little slower than this. Courtesy of thestar
Keep your speed as low as possible and steady to keep the water’s bow wake below the height of the engine’s air intake. Remember, you’re riding a motorcycle, not a jetski.
It’s also best to stay off the sides of the road and ride in the middle of the lane.
4. Keep Moving
Don’t pull in the clutch or slam the throttle shut.
Maintain a steady throttle and speed in the gear you are in right now, even if you should feel a tyre or tyres kicking loose when contacting something in the water. In fact, you should open the throttle a bit more if that happens.
Courtesy of visordown
Roll off the throttle smoothly if you need to slow down more and stay off the brakes.
5. Exiting
Don’t gun it immediately after exiting the flood. You may increase your speed, but don’t slam open the throttle, without first giving the time for the water or whatever debris collected on the bike to “drop off.”
Also, with the bike still moving, drag the brakes lightly to clean them.
Courtesy of ultimatemotorcycling
6. Kill It!
But what if you hit, for example, a pothole and the bike goes down?
Make the effort to kill the engine before you lay the bike down into the water. You’d most probability have the time to do so, since you were riding at a slow speed, right? Right? Regardless, the engine should be shut down as quickly as possible.
Courtesy of smugsmug
An internal combustion engine is basically an air pump which sucks in air, adds fuel to it, compresses the mixture and sets it alight. But water is incompressible and non-combustible (duh!), and therefore has the potential of causing catastrophic engine damage.
Do not immediately attempt to start a motorcycle that has been lying underwater. Instead, you should pull out the spark plugs and the airbox cover to check for water ingress. If the spark plug electrodes are wet, do not reinstall them, but turn on the bike’s ignition and crank the starter a few times to push the water out of the combustion chamber.
Reinstall only when it’s sufficiently dry.
Conclusion
Riding through a flood isn’t difficult but one should do it with care and logic, obviously. Sticking to the above steps will have you home way ahead of car drivers, instead of ending up swimming in that filthy water. Think of it as urban adventure riding.
Travis Pastrana became the first ever person to backflip a motorcycle between two barges on the River Thames located in the United Kingdom.
The stunt was performed by the freestyle motorcross legend to promote the latest Nitro Circus international tour called the “You Got This Tour” which will begin next month.
Travis Pastrana is known for many extreme stunts including the first ever person to perform a double motorcycle backflip back in 2006.
Travis Pastrana (Image source: Grind TV)
A few days ago, legendary freestyle motorcross rider Travis Pastrana successfully performed a motorcycle backflip between two barges which are flat-bottomed boats positioned on the River Thames located in London, England. (more…)
Kawasaki Motors Malaysia Sdn Bhd (KMSB) is known for being actively involved in several activities and program as a way to give back to the community.
Events from road safety campaigns to Hari Raya Open Houses, KMSB has organised a number of programs as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Kawasaki Malaysia is also very particularly active this year in organising a special test ride road show across the country where they offer test rides plus free bike inspections.
Most companies nowadays are focused on bringing in the best products to the market as their main method of earning an income. It’s no different for Kawasaki Motors (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (KMSB) and their extensive list of outstanding bikes currently on sale. Apart from the bikes, did you know that Kawasaki Malaysia is also very active when it comes to giving back to the community? (more…)
