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

Bikesrepublic

Latest News

Modenas To Launch The Dominar 250 Soon?

Modenas currently rebadged several Bajaj-made models for the Malaysian market including the Pulsar 200, Pulsar 160 and the popular Dominar 400.

The Dominar 250 features the same bodywork as the Dominar 400.
The quarter-litre sport-tourer makes 27hp and 23.5Nm.

However, in a latest development it has come to our knowledge that Modenas is set to expand its motorcycle range with the introduction of the Dominar 250.

Although no official announcement made just yet, we understand that the Dominar 250 could be introduce in Q2 2023.

The Dominar 250 made its official debut in India back in March 2020 and it looks to be one very respectable 250cc sport-touring model for the masses. Priced at Rs 1.60 lakh (around RM9,163 after direct conversion), it’s the perfect beginner’s bike for those looking to go the extra mile.

It’s also a considerable price cut compared to its bigger and more powerful sibling, the Dominar 400. We’re guessing that a lot of folks here in Malaysia would be interested in this particular model considering it carries a lot of the great specs of the Dominar 400 into its 250cc package (which also means that riders here won’t have to upgrade their riding license).

Fitted with a 250cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled DOHC engine taken from the KTM 250 Duke, the 2020 Bajaj Dominar 250 has been tuned to produce 27hp at 8,500rpm and 23.5Nm of max torque at 6,500rpm. All that power is transferred to the rear wheel via a six-speed manual transmission and all the emissions go through a double-barrel exhaust unit.

Housed within a beam type perimeter frame, the new Dominar 250 also comes with 37mm USD front forks, Multi-step adjustable Mono Shox rear suspension with Nitrox, dual-channel ABS (300mm front disc, 230mm rear disc), and 17-inch wheels.

Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition Confirmed For 2023

The news regarding the arrival of a more extreme version of Husqvarna’s Norden 901 first broke out in July 2022.

An extreme version of Husqvarna’s Norden 901 to land in 2023.
The “Expedition” could borrow much of its features from KTM’s 890 Adventure R.

At the time, dealers were given a private showing of a prototype version of the motorcycle.

However, the latest European type-approval documents have confirmed that the motorcycle is set for the 2023 unveiling.

Despite the bike’s first image already making its way to social media, Husqvarna is yet to make any official announcement.

Since the base Norden 901 is based on KTM’s 890 Adventure, we expect the “Expedition” version to use the 890 Adventure R as its basis. That said, it could feature a WP Xplor 48mm inverted front fork with 240mm of travel and a WP Xplor rear shock.

Also, the document confirms that no change is done to the engine meaning the Expedition gets the same 889cc LC8c parallel-twin engine that makes 103hp @ 8,000rpm.

However, the wheelbase is longer due to the longer front fork, while the bike’s overall weight also increases from 220kg to 229kg.

Based on the videos shared on Facebook, the Expedition stands apart from the standard Norden 901 thanks to new paint and graphics, soft luggage and alloy shields.

Wottan Storm-V Adventure Scooter Rolls Out In Europe – 125cc, 14hp

Spanish company, Wottan has entered the adventure scooter segment with the all-new 125cc Storm-V scooter.

Wottan enters the adventure scooter segment with its all-new Storm-V.
The Storm-V features features a single-cylinder 125cc engine.

Priced at just under GBP3,500 (RM18.3k), the Storm-V features a similar design concept as Honda’s X-ADV 750, including a tall windshield and a long travel suspension.

Mechanically, the Wottan Storm-V is equipped with a 125cc, single-cylinder, DOHC and liquid-cooled engine that makes 14hp.

Despite the small mill, the Storm-V is fitted with a 12.5L fuel tank. Wottan also claimed that the scooter is powerful, efficient and environmentally friendly.

Suspending the scooter is a 37mm telescopic fork at the front and double rear shock absorbers at the rear.

Meanwhile, braking is done via a 4-piston ABS/CBS calliper at the front with a 260mm disc and a single-piston ABS/CBS calliper at the rear with a 220mm disc.

As a practical scooter, the Storm-V also features two glove compartments at the front and an ample under-seat storage that can fit a full-face helmet.

The 2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally Enters Production

The newest family member of the Multistrada, the Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally has entered production and is set to arrived global dealership from February.

The 2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally features a new adaptive ride height function similar to the Harley-Davidson Pan America.
Equipped with longer suspension travel and a bigger fuel tank.

The Borgo Panigale factory announced the off-road-focused edition late in 2022 with the production only to begin this year.

While it carries the same Granturismo V4 engine as the base model, the Multistrada V4 Rally offers greater off-road capabilities thanks to an increase of 30mm of wheel travel on the Showa Skyhook suspension.

Also new on the Rally edition is an off-road specific mode that cuts the peak power to just 114hp – from the 170 peak power – which also reduced the electronic intervention particularly the traction control. This allows the Rally to offer better slip and slide while off-road.

In addition, the Rally also features a massive 30-liter fuel tank and low-speed deactivation of the engine’s rear cylinder bank.

Nonetheless, the Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally feature much of its equipment from the standard Multistrada V4 including a 6.5-inch TFT display.

According to Ducati, the Rally comes in three variants; Adventure Radar, Adventure Radar & Travel and Full Adventure.

The 2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally are available in ‘Ducati Red’ and ‘Brushed Aluminium and Black’ colour scheme.

KTM Working On Leaf Spring Suspension

The common leaf springs system has been around for centuries and the technology barely changed right until the early 1900s when car companies introduced shock absorbers.

KTM developing a new leaf spring suspension for future motorcycles.
The package is similar to Yamaha’s 1992-93 YZM250 0WE4 but with a different layout.

The same system is still applied today mainly for heavy vehicles such as lorries and pickups.

However, leaf springs have been applied to motorcycles before, particularly on modern motocross machines such as Yamaha’s 1992-93 YZM250 0WE4.

The bike used a single composite leaf at the rear with its front end clamped under the engine and the rear bolted on a linkage below the swingarm.

It looks like KTM is likely to bring leaf spring suspension into its upcoming motorcycles as confirmed by the latest patent application reported by CycleWorld.

Based on the images, the package is almost similar to Yamaha however it adopts a different layout.

That said, the leaf is in a nearly vertical orientation and is near the engine. The patent also confirms that a conventional damper will be used to control the rear suspension.

In addition, the system also allows for adjustability, whereby changing the length of the linkages can alter the suspension characteristic.

While the news might sound exciting but we could never tell whether the concept could make its way into production anytime soon.

(source: CycleWorld)

Risk Of Broken Gearbox Input Shaft, BMW Announced Recall For All 2019-2023 R 1250 GS

BMW North America has issued a safety recall for all 2019-2023 BMW R 1250 GS, R 1250 GS Adventure and R 1250 RTP due to the potential risk of a broken gearbox input shaft.

The massive recall involved the bike’s gearbox input shaft that could potentially broke due to overload.
The safety recall involved all 2019-2023 BMW R 1250 GS/GS Adventure and R 1250 RTP in North America.

The safety recall was announced on January 18, 2023, whereby the gearbox input shaft could break if become overloaded in certain situations.

According to BMW, all 18,489 units of motorcycles in North America are affected by the recall including 6,812 units of R 1250 GS, 9,401 units of R 1250 GS Adventure and 2,276 units of R 1250 RTP.

The recall was established after BMW received a complaint from a GS owner back in 2020 that his bike suffered a broken gearbox input shaft which also subsequently blocked the rear wheel.

Two similar incidents emerged not long afterwards.

However, the most concerning incident came in 2022, whereby two riders got into an accident due to similar instances with one of them suffering an injury.

The incident triggered BMW to intensify its analysis of the matter and determined that due to an abrupt difference between the engine speed and the rotational speed of the final drive component, the gearbox input shaft could overload and eventually break.

However, it is yet to be determined whether the incidents affect the same model currently on sale in Malaysia.