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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.

Liqui Moly Introduces New ‘Motorbike Detailer’

Liqui Moly has introduced a new product called the Motorbike Detailer, which functions exactly as the name implies.

Liqui Moly to display the new Motorbike Detailer at the 2023 Motor Bike Expo in Verona.
The new product not only add shine but also protects the paint for weeks.

The German brand also officially announced its presence at the 2023 Motor Bike Expo in Verona this weekend.

According to Liqui Moly, the ‘Motorbike Detailer’ helps minimise the effort required to achieve a good clean of your motorcycle without damaging the paint.

That said, the product can protect the paintwork for “several weeks” after its application. Also, the Motorbike Detailer not only adds shine, it also tackles dirty jobs, including dust, paw marks and even bird droppings.

The application is simple; the Motorbike Detailer is applied via a spray bottle. Interestingly, the product can be sprayed on dry and wet surfaces.

Alongside the Motorbike Detailer, Liqui Moly also introduced a ‘Polishing Microfiber Cloth’.

The Liqui Moly Motorbike Detailer and the Polishing Microfiber Cloth will be on display at the 2023 Motor Bike Expo in Verona, Italy, beginning today (27 January).

Bajaj Chetak Electric Scooter To Enter Europe In 2024 – KTM AG

The Bajaj Chetak electric scooter will go on sale in Europe in 2024 through KTM dealerships.

The Chetak electric scooter is Bajaj’s first attempt at electric two-wheelers.
The Chetak is currently on sale in 27 cities in India.

The confirmation news came from the top man in KTM AG, Stefan Pierer.

“We will be launching Chetak in 2024. It may hit roads post-March, as it is a starting time for the on-road season.

“The price point will be very competitive, and it will be taking on products from Chinese and Taiwanese companies. It will be across all central European markets,” said the CEO.

Interestingly, Pierer confirms that the electric scooter will continue to carry the Chetak brand due to its rich history.

“The second generation is a very nice product. We will use it as Chetak, it is a known brand, and we will be saving money on marketing and digitalisation.

“Secondly, Chetak stands for its famous history in India, and it will help us too,” he added.

Meanwhile, KTM is also developing its own 48-volt electric motorcycle alongside Bajaj.

However, detailed information regarding the project is still unavailable.

MotoGP: Jorge Martin Unveils All-New Alpinestars Helmet

Pramac Racing rider Jorge Martin showcased his all-new Alpinestars helmet ahead of the 2023 MotoGP season after making the switch from Shark Helmets.

Ducati’s Jorge Maritn has ditched his Shark Race R-Pro GP helmets for a brand-new Alpinestars lid.
Alpinestars is yet to released an official announcement regarding the FIM-approved helmets.

Although the Italian motorcycle gear company is no stranger to manufacturing motorcycle helmets, this is the first time that Alpinestars has designed and built a specific headgear for motorcycle racing.

Nevertheless, this isn’t the first time the new helmet appeared after MotoGP retiree Andrea Dovizioso was seen testing the pre-production model last year.

However, this is the first time the helmet has snapped in a full-finished and liveried-up version.

Although Martin’s helmet is packed with vibrant colours and graphics, the new helmet can be seen sporting a sizeable top-mounted air inlet. There’s also a large front-mounted chin mount flanked by air exhaust fitted on each side.

Interestingly, the side profile looks similar to Shoei’s X-Spirit III, although the brand’s new X-SPR Pro is replacing the former.

Unfortunately, Alpinestars has yet to release the official information regarding the new helmet, but with MotoGP to kick-off soon, beginning with the Sepang Test in February, we expect the brand to make an official announcement soon.