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

Kenny Roberts: MotoGP has never been better, Marquez can be beaten!

Kenny Roberts, or King Kenny, needs no introduction. The three time 500cc world champion is also the the first ever American to win a MotoGP race, and his riding style changed the way GP bikes are ridden.

In the year 2000, King Kenny was named a Grand Prix legend by the FIM.

So when King Kenny speaks, the world listens.

In a recent interview with crash.net (the excerpts of which are below) at the American MotoGP round in Circuit of the Americas, King Kenny was quoted as saying that MotoGP racing has never been better.

“Unbelievable. It’s never been better. I mean the talent of the riders, the equipment… MotoGP’s obviously the best show in the world now.”

Kenny, who turned to rider development and then team owner, is still intrigued by the technical side of MotoGP.

He says he loves the new aerodynamics packages on modern MotoGP bikes, “I was ahead of my time [with investing resources in aerodynamics] but we didn’t have enough money to make it all work.

“We had one of the three-cylinders designed by Lotus and it was ten miles an hour quicker at Barcelona down the straight, but it wouldn’t stop. And we didn’t have the budget with Lotus to find out why it wouldn’t stop.”

“It was a funny thing because you’d sit there and look at it going ‘why is the back end coming off the ground?’ No-one knew. There’s a lot to it. They’ve just scratched the surface, in my opinion.”

In the interview, Kenny also mentioned that any of the current top six bikes can be easily adapted to any riding style by a top rider.

“You can make the bike, whatever you need it to be,” he said. “It’s just work and setting the bike up.

“From the little bit I know, the Japanese could not ride my motorcycles because the steering head was too steep. They just couldn’t ride it. It would shake too much and if it shook, they didn’t like it. Eddie couldn’t ride it.

“I think that with any of the [current] motorcycles, with a little bit of work on it, you’d have the same thing. It’s a lot harder to ride. It’s a lot harder on your body. But you are faster. So I think any of them would do that.”

Kenny was legendary for his dirt-track riding style, so crash.net asked him if anyone on track reminds him of himself?

“No, you could never ride as hard as they ride now with my equipment,” he replied.

“If my ’80 bike, the first with aluminium, had the grip these bikes had it would go ‘boing’ and away it would go. Which it actually did with me a couple of times. If you had too much grip, the flex would be so much it would spring back. So with these [modern] tyres you couldn’t ride that motorcycle.

“I think, from my standpoint, Marquez probably comes closest to throwing the bike in. Making it turn. And exiting. Which is what I tried to do… I wasn’t quite as good at it!”

And does he think Marquez can be beaten?

“Yes [Marquez can be beaten] but it’s going to be him beating himself, it looks like to me. Somebody is going to have to really step up and put the pressure on him that he needs to make a mistake and right now I don’t see that happening…”

Click here to read the original interview where Kenny speaks about his surprise that Rossi is still racing at 40!

MotoGP Tech Expected for Next-Generation Yamaha YZF-R1

The next-generation Yamaha YZF-R1 is expected to feature MotoGP technology.
It may feature seamless transmission, VVT/L and counter-rotating crankshaft.
The YZF-R1 has remained unchanged for the last five years.

The current Yamaha YZF-R1 has gone pretty unchanged for the last five years since its. Introduction. But that’s about to change according to many motorcycle journalists, including us.

By contrast, all the superbikes running in the WorldSBK championship were updated within last few years, except for the Yamaha.

Could the upcoming Euro 5 emission standard be the determining factor? It might as well be, just as Honda is holding back the introduction of their next-generation CBR1000RR Fireblade. Euro 5 will cut emissions by half from the Euro 4 standard. Such reduction will no doubt rob engine power.

As such, the new YZF-R1 ought to feature variable valve timing and lift. The BMW S 1000 RR, Suzuki GSX-R1000RR are already utilizing the technology, and it’s strongly rumoured that the upcoming CBR1000RR will follow suit.

Yamaha has already employed VVT/L to their scooters as part of their Blue Core engine strategy, after all.

As for MotoGP tech, Yamaha submitted patents for a seamless transmission for the R1. The technology takes much explanation, but you can read about it here. If this comes to plan, Yamaha will be the first manufacturer to adopt it to a roadgoing bike.

Secondly, Yamaha was one of the first manufacturers to run a counter-rotating crankshaft in Grand Prix racing all the way back in the two-stroke era. It’s also employed in the in the current YZR-M1 MotoGP bike. A counter-rotating crankshaft reduces the effects of the wheels’ centrifugal force at high-speeds, making the bike easier to turn into corners. Ducati uses it in the Panigale V4 to devastating effect in WorldSBK.

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Source: AMCN

2019 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 Launched (from RM 45,900)

The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 were launched last night.
Both bikes share the same engine, chassis and running stock but with different styling.
The Interceptor 650 is priced from RM 45,900 while the Continental GT 650 is priced from RM 48,500.

Royal Enfield has always been known as the manufacturer who produces single-cylinder thumpers. However, the launch of the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 last night takes them up the capacity game.

Both models are powered by the same 648cc, air- and oil-cooled, DOHC, fuel-injected, parallel-Twin engine. It produces 47 hp at 7,250 RPM and a respectable 52 Nm of torque at 5,250 RPM. Producing maximum at lower RPMs means the engine requires the rider to ride at ease and ride the torque wave, rather than having to rev the lungs out of it. Apart from that, the 2,000 RPM separation between maximum horsepower and torque provides a “flexible” engine thereby giving the rider and impression of having power anywhere in the rev range.

The two models are differentiated by their respective styling. The Interceptor 650 is positioned as “standard” motorcycle. Consequently, it features a higher handlebar and flat seat for a more relaxed riding ergonomics. It also has a bigger fuel tank at 13.7 litres.

The Continental GT 650 takes on the café racer role, on the other hand. Hence, it features clip-on handlebars mounted beneath the top triple clamp, besides a subtly stepped seat. The combination provides a sportier riding position. The fuel tank is smaller at 12.5 litres.

Both models also share the same chassis and rolling stock. The forks are 41 mm conventional telescopic units, while the twin rear shocks have remote reservoirs. Both front and rear wheels are spoked 18-inchers. Braking duty is handled by ByBre calipers.

The Interceptor 650 is priced from RM 45,900 while the Continental GT 650 is priced from RM 48,500 (basic selling prices excluding road tax and registration).

Car Rear-Ends Motorcycle… and Blames the Motorcyclist

A car in (again) Singapore rear-ended a stopped motorcycle.
But the driver blamed the motorcyclist.
The video has since gone viral.

A car rear-ended a motorcycle, sending the rider and machine to the ground, but the driver refused to admist his fault.

The incident happened in yes, Singapore again. The post in ROADS.SG Facebook page described the location at the Teban Market intersection to Teban Gardens Road.

From the video submitted by Lim YK, the motorcycle had stopped for a long time at the three-way junction. He was waiting for the incoming traffic to clear before pulling out.

Along came a car bearing number plate SLF5020K which bumped into the bike’s rear left, sending the machine down. Good thing the rider kept his brakes on otherwise he would’ve been shunted into the main road and into the path of an oncoming bus!

But the kicker was the car driver blaming the motorcyclists, saying that it was the latter’s fault and refused to acknowledge his own harebrained driving.

The video shared on the page has since gone viral with everyone saying nasty things about the car driver. Some theorized that he was on his handphone. There were also who charged that he anticipated the bike taking off.

In our opinion, this hints strongly about inattention blindness i.e. the motorcycle didn’t register in his brain at all.

Whatever it was, the car driver should be hunted down and summoned.

Kawasaki Z900RS Café Test and Review, “Race to Starbucks”

The Kawasaki Z900RS Café caters to the classic café racer look.
Changes are cosmetic while everything is shared with the naked Z900RS.
However, the riding experience was rather different.

“Café racers” originally bikes modified from stock which owners bring to cafés to show off. There were no Starbucks in the 60s and 70s but restaurants and cafés such as Ace Café were the haunt of modified motorcycle riders. That’s in London, but we have plenty of mamaks here, intead. However, are bikes the Kawasaki Z900RS Café factory fads to milk the nostalgia?

First off, the Z900RS Café is the factory café racer variant of the Z900RS modern classic. Kawasaki calls the latter the soul successor to one of the most iconic bikes of all time, the 1972 Z1.

Conversely, the Z900RS Café is the tarted-up version with a headlight cowling, windscreen, forward handlebar and stepped-up seat. Kawasaki has (officially) called it the soul successor to the Kz1000R which dominated the AMA Superbike series in the hands of Freddie Spencer, Wayne Gardner, John Pace and of coure, Eddie Lawson.

The Z900 RS Café shares everything else including the engine, suspension, chassis and electronics. The 948cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16-valve engine produces 110 bhp at 8,500 RPM and 98.5 Nm of torque at a low 6,500 RPM.

The new handlebar puts the rider in a sportier riding position, hence more weight on the front wheel.

Firing up the engine let loose stirring “vroom” from the exhaust. To recap, Kawasaki made the exhaust system to mimic the note from the Z1. It even has that sound of a tuned inline-Four… “vroom… pause… vroom… pause”. Blipping the throttle returns a howl mixed with a growl.

The clutch take-up and throttle are still “eager.” Well, that’s a diplomatic way to say snatchy. You have to be vigilant otherwise the bike will just take off with your brain still sitting in the parking lot.

However, the sportier riding position lent a much better control over the front wheel. On the “standard” Z900RS, the front went light with hard acceleration.

Similarly, charging into corners was much easier on the Café. Now it’s not just sweeping corners but also those pesky sharp ones at intersections.

The suspension felt harsh and uncompliant at first, but it turned out that the previous tester had dialed in all the wrong settings. Imagine riding a bike with close to the forks adjusted to full compression damping and full rebound damping!

If that’s not enough, the rear shock had its preload set to the lowest (which gave the bike a low rear and high front akin to a cruiser). The shock’s rebound damping was also almost fully dialed all the way out. WTF!

Readjusting the suspension yielded a bike that’s easy to flick into corners and maneuver around traffic. Unfortunately, the rear suspension still hopped over sharp bumps. However, that wasn’t meant to say the bike’s suspension was bad. Instead, it as what we’ve always said that some Malaysian roads can be kidney-busting.

The inline-Four based on the naked Z900 is tuned for low-down and midrange torque, hence it shows especially when riding in heavy traffic. Filtering through at 60 km/h in fourth gear still leaves plenty of acceleration.

Blasting away was just a small throttle’s movement away, leaving everyting else to reverberate in the exhaust’s howl and burnt hydrocarbons.

Bad points? The fuel tank is old school as per the Z1 so it’s plenty wide between the knees. The uptick, though, it’s easier to grip it with your knees during hard braking and cornerning.

So, is the Kawasaki Z900RS Café merely a prettied-up bike? Well, depends on how you look at it. In our books, however, the revised riding position has made the bike much better. The snatchy throttle took lots of concentration at first, but you grow to manage it.

But its looks were definitely a head-turner. The headlamp cowling, plus the classic lime green paint with white stripe gave it that real old school Kawasaki look.

Just wished I had a Bell classic full-face and bomber leather jacket when I rode to Starbucks…

It’s priced from RM 72,372 (basic selling price inclusive of 10% SST).

PICTURE GALLERY

Oberdan Bezzi Creates an Aprilia Tuareg 900 Concept

Italian designer Oberdan Bezzi created this Aprilia Tuareg 900 concept.
The concept is based on the Shiver 900/Dorsoduro 900 the platform.
Aprilia is presently without a dual-sport model.

Aprilia is one manufacturer that’s missing a dual-sport model. That’s why Italian designer Obedan Bezzi created this Aprilia Tuareg 900 concept.

Aprilia used to boast a complete line-up in the catalogue, from 125cc right up 1000cc superbikes. But they’ve got only four volume production models now, all sport-based. Let’s see, there’s the Shiver 900 and Dorsoduro 900, besides the Tuono V4 1100 and RSV4 1100.

The Shiver 900 is upgraded from the Shiver 750 which was in the market for an incredible 15 years. Part of its longevity was its simplicity of operations and reliability. Yes, the Shiver 750 was one of the most reliable big bikes. It fills the role of a naked sportbike truly well.

However, Bezzi thinks it could be developed into a DP, merely by sticking to its current platform and adding long-travel suspension to it. A beautifully curvy bodywork completes the package.

The designer christened his creation aptly as the “Tuareg” after the semi-nomadic people who live in the Sahara Desert. Saying that the bike is fixes your wanderlust.

The 900cc V-Twin produces 93 horsepower and 89.5 Nm of torque, putting it squarely as a contender in the middleweight dual-sport segment. Its competition are the sublime Tiger 800, new BMW F 850 GS, and newer KTM 790 Adventure. So, his concept really does make sense.

So, will Aprilia take this as a cue? Another marque under the Piaggio umbrella, Moto Guzzi certainly did so with the V85 TT, after all.

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Latest News

The next-generation Yamaha YZF-R1 is expected to feature MotoGP technology.

It may feature seamless transmission, VVT/L and counter-rotating crankshaft.

The YZF-R1 has remained unchanged for the last five years.

The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 were launched last night.

Both bikes share the same engine, chassis and running stock but with different styling.

The Interceptor 650 is priced from RM 45,900 while the Continental GT 650 is priced from RM 48,500.

A car in (again) Singapore rear-ended a stopped motorcycle.

But the driver blamed the motorcyclist.

The video has since gone viral.

The Kawasaki Z900RS Café caters to the classic café racer look.

Changes are cosmetic while everything is shared with the naked Z900RS.

However, the riding experience was rather different.

PICTURE GALLERY

Italian designer Oberdan Bezzi created this Aprilia Tuareg 900 concept.

The concept is based on the Shiver 900/Dorsoduro 900 the platform.

Aprilia is presently without a dual-sport model.

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