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GIVI Malaysian Adventure 2019 Day Six – Kuantan to Melaka

The GIVI Malaysian Adventure 2019 convoy headed back to the west coast on Day Six.
First stop was Melaka, before heading to the GIVI Rimba Raid at Janda Baik 2019.
It was certainly heartwarming to see our visitor friends enjoying historic Melaka.

Day Six of the GIVI Malaysian Adventure 2019 was the stage when we cut back across to the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The GIVI Rimba Raid at Janda Baik 2019 event beckons.

But first, we will ride to the historic city of Melaka to spend a night.

Leaving Teluk Cempedak, Kuantan

Truth is, it seemed to not matter where we’d be riding to, as long as we leave the Hyatt Regency, Kuantan. Sure, most of the staff were friendly and the rooms were comfy, but there were a number of things they got wrong and refused to acknowledge. Personally, an episode left a bitter taste in my mouth during dinner. I asked a chef about what sauces was I looking at and he ignored me. I thought he didn’t hear me, but he walked a few metres away and yelled at a waiter to assist me.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

So, it was like that Animals’ song, “We Gotta Get Out of This Place.”

The Ride

This leg was supposed to be an uneventful, but the lead marshal took a wrong turn and led us down a route with corners stacked upon corners. The usual droning ride suddenly turned lively as each Explorer swept through corners. It’s said that and adventure is “when something unplanned happens,” this was a happy mistake! The pace was still controlled by the lead police car, however, so it was a safe ride.

But it certainly opened my eyes as a Malaysian that even foreign visitors could enjoy our roads so much. (We’ll upload the videos later.)

The biggest worry for us Malaysians is trying to get into Melaka, given the large amount traffic lights and heavy traffic. But the hardworking police escorts and marshals did an outstanding job of providing a smooth ride.

Joseph Perucca, GIVI’s Overseas Operational Director and organizer of the ride had advised us to ride as closely together as possible to minimize the length of the convoy, thereby minimizing the time the escorts need to block off traffic. It worked and the ride cleared each intersection in less than 30 seconds.

We found the large overhead bridge along Jalan Keroh and near the Bukit Beruang intersection is now operational. It’ll save lots of time on future trips.

We made it into the city under Melaka’s infamous blazing sun and stopped at the Ole Sayang Restaurant for lunch. The eatery served authentic Baba and Nonya cuisines such as otak-otak, sambal fish, etc.

I was seated next to Manuel De La Pena from Mexico. “What is otak-otak?” he asked. “It’s steamed fish meat,” I replied. “But what does otak-otak mean?” Oh dear… I was afraid to scare him off… “It means brain-brain… but it’s really just steamed fish.” So, he tried it and liked it. Phew.

We headed to A’Famosa after lunch. The local authorities had opened the gates for us to park in the square outside the ancient fort and Declaration of Independence building.

The Explorers hiked up the hill to St. Paul’s Cathedral on top of the hill and down to the Stadhuys on the opposite side. These sites represent just a small part of the UNESCO World Heritage city’s history, but it was a great introduction. A number of participants rode the multi-coloured trishaws back to the where we stopped.

We regrouped and rode to Zong Heng Motors.

The shop was the first authorized dealer apart from GIVI Points in the country. The staff welcomed us with fresh coconut water to help us cool down.

Zong Heng offers almost every item in GIVI’s catalog of products from riding jackets to the latest luggage and everything else in between. They had also “dressed” up a number of bikes on display with GIVI accessories. So, do make your way to Zong Heng motors to equip your bike.

It was finally time to say goodbye as we headed to The Majestic Melaka to check-in for the night. It might be easy to miss the hotel’s pre-war facade since it’s only two-stories high. But it’s actually connected to a modern ten-storie building at the back, where our rooms are. The rooms were cozy with lots of wood paneling but provides modern amenities. The staff were also very hospitable and helpful. They never failed to smile and greet us whenever they saw us.

From the 10^thFloor, we had a front seat view of a bend in the Melaka River, where Kampung Morten i.e. Kampung Melayu was situated. A few metres down the river was the Ghost Bridge. It’s macabrely called such because the Japanese invaders during World War II beheaded prisoners there and hurled the heads into the river.

Dinner was served in the restaurant on the second level of that old building. Having local food for dinner was a welcomed changed for us Malaysian and Asian Explorers. However, it was also good to see our visitors enjoying the dishes, too.

Most went to visit Jonker Walk after dinner. It would’ve been a short walk had we stayed at the originally planned Casa Del Rio (Ronald told me it means “River House” in Spanish), but the hotel couldn’t provide enough rooms. But fear not, it was just a RM 5 Grab Car ride.

We turned in early tonight as we’re headed to Janda Baik tomorrow.

PICTURE GALLERY

2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin Specs Leaked

Specifications of the 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin have been leaked.
The new bike promises more performance.
But will be heavier than their predecessors.

Rumour of a bigger 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin has been circulating for some time now. But now, some of its specs have been leaked early ahead of its unveiling.

It’s no secret that Honda has to update the Africa Twin. Although at 998cc, the engine produces “only” 94hp, on par with middleweight adventure bikes such as the Triumph Tiger 800 XR/XC line-up, BMW F 850 GS/GS Adventure, and KTM 790 Adventure.

The upgrades are also to prepare the Africa Twin to meet the upcoming Euro5 regulations.

First up, the engine capacity is bumped to 1084cc through an increase in piston stroke. Consequently, power is hiked from 101 hp from 94 hp, and torque from 99 Nm to 107 Nm. These figures far off those of the new BMW R 1250 GS/GS Adventure and especially of the KTM 1290 Super Adventure series, but Honda has always insisted on building bikes that are easy to ride through fewer horsepower.

The new Africa Twin may be offered in four models. They are the standard version with manual transmission; standard with Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT); Adventure Sports manual; and Adventure Sports with DCT.

The Adventure Sport models will have longer travel suspension. But most notably, they will have bigger fuel tanks compared to the standard models, the standard models utilize 19-liter tanks, while their Adventure Sport brethren will sport 24-litre fun juice capacity.

However, the 2020 model will be heavier than its predecessor. It was reported that the standard version with manual gearbox will weigh 238 kg, while the Adventure Sport manual tips the scales at 240 kg.

Adding DCT to the bike adds another 10 kg.

Gabit Saleh Wins at GIVI Rimba Raid Janda Baik 2019

Gabit Saleh won in the Class A category at GIVI Rimba Raid Janda Baik 2019.
He won on the KTM 1050 Adventure despite falling three times.
This was the biggest and best GIVI Rimba Raid to date.

Gabit Saleh won in the Class A category at GIVI Rimba Raid Janda Baik 2019, yesterday (Saturday, 27^thJuly).

Gabit is the defending champion from the GIVI Rimba Raid Mat Daling 2018. He rode his trusty KTM 1050 Adventure as KTM Malaysia’s factory rider.

Class A is the premier class of the competition and is for bikes above 800cc.

However, the win didn’t come easy. “Alhmadulillah I managed to defend the title. I was aiming to finish only, actually and didn’t think about winning actually,” the 2016 FIM Asia Supermoto Champion said. “The competition had gotten tougher since last year, especially with the entry of Jeremias Israel who represented the GIVI team.”

When GIVI Rimba Raid stalwart and organizer Dato’ Captain Nik Huzlan wasn’t joking when said the trail was going to be tough. In fact, he dubbed the third and final section as “The Green Hell.”

“The first section was easier with loose gravel, so I used the opportunity to make up time. I managed to catch up to Bee Wong. But the second section was difficult, but I didn’t expect it to be so hardcore! I was surprised to see the big rocks and river!” Gabit revealed. “Then I dropped in the second river. The fall snapped the front brake lever.”

But Gabit didn’t become champion because he gave up easily.

“I kept going and maintained a steady pace and caught Bee Wong again. At that point I started calculating the fact that Bee was the first rider to be flagged off, while I was the thirteenth. So, I knew that I had made good time and we crossed the finish line almost together.”

What was more incredible was him finishing in 48 minutes, 40.440 seconds despite dropping it three times. That speed was incredible enough on the road, but this was off-road!

GIVI Rimba Raid attaches a transponder to each bike for accurate timing. The participants are flagged off one at a time, hence the best time wins.

Each bike was equipped with a transponder

The two wires on the ground are the transponder sensors

Bee Wong was so close to winning the race but as always, he was cheerful of being able to finish at all, let alone in second place.

“It’s easy in the first stage but I was beat by the second due to the difficult and muddy terrain. I saw Gabit behind me a number of times, but he crashed each time. So, I decided to play safe and maintain a good pace,” he said.

Bee was riding one of only two of the new KTM 790 Adventure R currently in circulation in the country.

His brother, Alex Wong finished in third. He rode the same BMW F 800 GS as he did in the Mat Daling.

It was heartbreak, however, for Chilean and GIVI Explorer rider Jeremias Israel. He had shown great pace from the start by conquering the terrain and other riders on the new Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t his side.

“I was enjoying myself, smiling in my helmet and passing many guys on the trail,” he told us during the post-race interview. “Then I started coming downhill to a part which opened up wider and I decided to go faster. Ahead of me was another competitor, on a BMW R 1200 GS, perhaps. He started to struggle and paddle with his feet when he hit the puddle. Behind him was a marshal on a green bike (Kawasaki KLX150) and in a yellow vest. At that point, he decided to overtake the rider and moved wide, which was directly in my path. Since I already committed to the line, I had nowhere to go and laid the bike down.”

Jeremias Israel on the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE

The crash messed up his front brakes. “I picked the bike up and continued, but the brakes had pressure at one moment and none the next. It was too dangerous to continue that way. I feel bad for Triumph, but racing’s that way.”

But Jeremias has some good thoughts about GIVI Rimba Raid, “It was good to see all the guys with so much motivation that they’d bring their expensive bikes into the jungle. I met riders with many different skill levels but I’m sure they’ll improve by the next GIVI Rimba Raid.”

The trail was definitely tougher than at Mat Daling as many riders attested. While the trails at Mat Daling was 126-km long, it was only less than 60 km in Janda Baik. Many probably thought it was going to be too easy, but it was apparently otherwise. Apart from that, rains in the past two days had turned the ground soggy. Consequently, the start was delayed from the planned 9am to 11am in an attempt to let the sun dry out the track.

Of the 150 riders who started the event, 40 were stuck. There were 70 riders in the big dual-purpose Class A but only 17 finished.

Dato’ Captain Nik has said many times before, “I wanted to give the competitors a tough race, but not an impossible race.”

Gabit had this to say, “It was tough for me so I could only imagine how hard it was for the other guys, especially those on the big adventure bikes.”

“It was way tougher than in Mat Daling,” said Bee Wong, “That’s why I was pancit (exhausted) in the second sector.”

Jeremias had a different view, “It was okay, I guess. I’ve ridden in many races and countries such as The Dakar Rally, also in Colombia, Qatar and so forth. The weather was quite cooling in the jungle, too.”

In addition to Gabit, Bee and Jeremias, the Thai riders were the ones everyone looked out for. They had held qualifying rounds in their country and sent the top 20 of their best riders. Anusorn Ubonsuk finished fourth. One guy crashed heavily but nursed his injured hand and destroyed bike to the finish.

But no matter how you cut it, GIVI Rimba Raid has grown up to be a major event and brand. There were 150 participants from 16 countries, up from 105 of 11 nationalities. There were many more applications, but the organizers had to limit it to the final number of 150 due to space and logistical constraints.

GIVI’s support had also lent the big brand image that the race deserves. The hardworking crew were already on site 3 days before the event to set up. Another part of the crew had to also work in conjunction with the GIVI Malaysian Adventure 2019 ride. The epic ride consisted of 40 riders, among them GIVI’s dealers from 14 countries. Malaysia was selected this year to commemorate the brand’s 25^thanniversary in the country.

“Thank you GIVI, because the race has definitely grown a lot from before,” commented Gabit. “Also, thank you to Rimba Raid and my sponsors.”

The Tourism Board of Pahang also joined in this time, as it was an unprecedented opportunity to promote eco-tourism in the state.

There were also other classes in GIVI Rimba Raid. But this particular event included an exhibition race for buggies and quads. The Bombardier Maverick X turbocharged quads were a sight to behold!

Class B (for bikes 800cc and below) was won by Shamsul Azhar Bin Abu Hazim, better known as Acoi Pangkolo on the AJP7.

Class C for dirtbikes up to 250cc was won by Muhammad Hazlami Bin Mustapha Kamal.

As for the environment, GIVI Rimba Raid organizers worked hard to minimize the impact on the jungle as much as possible. No trees were cut down and no part of the trail was hewn. Bridges were built over certain streams. Riders were told to bring hydration packs instead of water bottles into the trail. They also employed a cleaning crew to sweep the trail for rubbish. The jungle will then return to its normal state within six months.

PICTURE GALLERY

2019 Harley-Davidson FXDR 114 launched at AOS 2019 – RM122,500

The Art of Speed Malaysia 2019 hosted the launch of the new 2019 Harley-Davidson FXDR 114 earlier today for the very first time here in the country. The model focusing on top-end performance paired with enhanced agility marks the new wave of Harley-Davidson bikes for the Malaysian market. (more…)

MV Agusta Partners Loncin to Produce 350cc to 500cc Motorcycles in China

MV Agusta partners with the Loncin Motor Company.
They will launch a four-model lineup, ranging between 350cc to 500cc.
The bikes will be designed in Italy and built in China.

MV Agusta partners with the Loncin Motor Company to launch a four-model lineup, ranging between 350cc to 500cc. The bikes will be designed in Italy and built in China,and expected to hit dealer showrooms by 2021.

The partnership will go further than small capacity bikes. MV’s Castiglioni Research Centre (CRC) will design 800cc bikes for Loncin’s high-end brand called Voge.

Partnerships of Western and Chinese manufacturers are becoming the norm lately, but it’s still a bit of a surprise to learn that MV Agusta is doing so, too. The move is surprising because MV Agusta has always been the – if not one of – Italy’s premium motorcycle manufacturers. We can probably hear current owners screaming sacrilegio (sacrilege) or infamia (infamy).

But think about this: Some Chinese manufacturers unabashedly knock off the designs of famous motorcycles, then build them with the quality of rice paper. We’ve seen copies of BMWs, Ducatis, even the Honda Gold Wing!

Suing the manufacturers who copy the designs take long periods of time and cost lots of money. For example, the case of Lambretta versus a Chinese manufacturer who copied the former’s bikes. Even then, Chinese makers seem to be immune from such intellectual property laws in their country.

Therefore, it may be easier for Western makers to join forces with their Chinese counterparts.

GIVI Malaysian Adventure 2019 Day Four and Five

The epic GIVI Malaysian Adventure 2019 convoy reached Kuala Terengganu on Monday (22^ndJuly), and the participants crossed over to Pulau Redang on Day Four the next day (23^rdJuly).
We crossed over to Pulau Redang and then back the mainland.
From there, we rode to Kuantan.

Day Four (23^rdJuly 2019)

The epic GIVI Malaysian Adventure 2019 convoy reached Kuala Terengganu on Monday (22^ndJuly), and the participants crossed over to Pulau Redang on Day Four the next day (23^rdJuly).

It was a short 46-km ride to boat jetty at Merang. The hardworking GIVI support crew loaded our luggage into their vans and brought them there, while we rode in all our Hevik riding gear and GIVI motorcycle equipment. Our luggage was then offloaded from the vans and moved into one boat.

We changed into our “beach gear” i.e. shorts, slippers/sneakers and t-shirts near the jetty. All our riding gear such as our GIVI helmets, and jackets, riding pants, gloves, plus boots went into the GIVI cases. It reminded us on how indispensable the GIVI cases and luggage are for bikers. You don’t have to drag your riding gear around when you get off your bike!

So, the group got into four boats and it was a race to Pulau Redang!

Thankfully, the sea was calm and our boat (which also included racer Jeremias Israel who kept goading the boat driver to give “full gas”) glided above the blue sea to arrive first, although we departed last! Woohoo!

The Taaras Beach & Resort transit vans were already waiting at the jetty. The resort was just 5 minutes away.

We were welcomed by every staff member who saw us, regardless that we were locals or foreigners. Kudos!

The foreign riders in the group didn’t take long to hit the beach and pool after lunch. A scuba diving foray was organized quickly and they went diving at one of Redang’s world-renowned coral reefs.

Another thing we liked very much about hotel is that it has a Turtle Lab, whose work is harvesting and hatching turtle babies. It’s a fully-equipped laboratory with high-tech equipment.

The sand on the beach was white and almost feels like powdered milk between the toes. It was blazing hot when we arrived so there weren’t many people. But it was a hive of activities later in the afternoon. Guests played beach volleyball, kids dived into the pool, couples sat facing the sea enjoying each other’s company, and many took to swimming in the sea.

Dinner was held right on the powdery white sands of the beach to a cooling sea breeze. We spent hours chatting the night away, not giving a thought about tomorrow’s trip.

Day Five (24^thJuly 2019)

We checked out late(r) the next day at 9am. Judging by the look on everyone’s face, no one wants to leave that beach and resort. Well, it’s just a teaser and we’re sure some will return.

Back at the jetty, we got back into our riding gear (still there in the cases) for the ride to Teluk Cempedak, Kuantan.

The ride was pretty straightforward but may it’s because many were still suffering from “Redang withdrawal.” We followed the coast to our destination but most of the seaside was hidden away by homes and hotels.

But lunch was definitely a memorable affair. We stopped at the Tanjung Jara Resort. The whole complex seemed to be converted from an old bungalow, hence providing a rustic Malaysian atmosphere. They served local foods, too, instead of the usual western fare.

The keropok lekor was the freshest and tastiest we Malaysians have consumed, the other dishes deserve five-star rating and desserts include a longan and sea coconut tongsui (sweet soup).

Back on our bikes, we rode past multiple bridges with awesome views of the rivers below. We also saw the massive PETRONAS Gas Processing Plant at Kerteh.