The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) no longer transports motorcycles above 125cc.
The ruling takes effect from 1stFebruary 2019.
There are Malaysian bikers who transport their bikes to Chiang Mai before riding to Mae Hong Son.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) announced that they will no longer transport motorcycles above 125cc. The ruling took effect from 1st February 2019.
There are Malaysian bikers who transport their motorcycles by rail through Thailand to their favourite destinations or jump-off points before continuing on their journeys. One popular destination is the northern city of Chiang Mai, from where they ride to Mae Hong Son (the infamous 1000 Corners).
Photo credit www.riderchris.com
Besides that, the bikers could relax or even sleep onboard the train instead of needing to spend 12 hours or more on the road. Doing so also saves from accruing fuel and accommodation costs along the way.
SRT did not assign reasons for the new ruling. Therefore, your speculations could be the same as ours.
This writer personally transported a BMW R 1200 GS on an SRT train in 2018. We boarded the overnight train in Bangkok bound for Hatyai. The porters weren’t friendly at all on that day for some reason and they had to lift the nearly 240kg beast into the cargo car by hand. We had to dismantle the luggage boxes and windscreen and brought them into the passenger car with us.
The 2020 BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy will take place in Middle Earth i.e. New Zealand.
The event is open to BMW motorcycle owners around the world.
Watch out for the Malaysian qualifying round!
The 2020 BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy will take place in Middle Earth a.k.a. New Zealand. Sorry for the Lord of the Rings reference.
The event has grown in prestige and participation over the years since its inception. Beginning from 2008 in Tunisia, it’s held bi-annually and has since visited in South Africa, Patagonia, Canada, Thailand and Mongolia. Yes, all riding paradises.
It is open to BMW motorcycle owners around the world. Each participating country holds their own qualification round to find their representatives prior to the international event. Malaysians have participated in the last two editions as part of the Southeast Asia Team and Southeast Asia Women’s Team. Each team consists of 3 persons. Participants of previous International GS Trophy are not allowed to return to the challenge. However, they are welcomed to coach their respective country’s candidates.
Inspired by BMW Motorrad’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Heiner Faust’s own experiences during a riding expedition in Central Asia, the competition challenge isn’t based on speed. Instead, the participants need to be skilled and smart riders, and rely on close teamwork.
That philosophy can be seen the types of challenges faced by the participants. They include pulling the bike out of a ditch, plugging a punctured tube, riding the bike through tough terrain and situations, so forth. Additionally, they have to answer questions about geography and navigation, and knowledge of their GS.
There will a total of 19 teams in 2020, representing 30 countries. There will also be an all-female international team.
BMW Motorrad did not mention if the teams will continue to ride the R 1200 GS or progress to the new R 1250 GS. However, our guess is for the former and it’ll be great to see them put to such tough tests during the event.
The Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin pays homage to the Africa Twin of the 90s.
This is Honda’s entrant in the heavyweight dual-sport market.
It’s big and tall, and biased towards off-road riding.
The “Africa Twin” moniker is one of the most celebrated names in motorcycling, so naturally, we were excited when Boon Siew Honda called us to pick up the new Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin.
Origins and Background
During the heydays of the Paris-Dakar Rally, the HRC-built NXR-750 tore up the Saharan dunes to four victories. It was no small feat. Being in the late-80s means there was no gimmickry of the modern bikes.
The first Honda Africa Twin was the XRV650, produced from 1988 to 1989, but the truly iconic XRV750 Africa Twin made its debut in 1989 for 1990 model year.
XRV650 Africa Twin
It is powered by a 752cc, four-sparkplug V-Twin (hence its name) and had all the trappings of an adventure bike including twin large headlamps, long-travel suspension, engine bash plate, wire spoked wheels, semi-off-road tyres. In short, it looked like it just got off the rally and straight into the dealerships.
XRV750 Africa Twin
Although the Africa Twin had stiff competition from the BMW R 100 GS, Yamaha Super Tenere, Cagiva Elefant, et al, the big Honda was a success. In fact, production carried on until 2003.
Introduction to the CRF1000L Africa Twin
Many fans and even motojournalists cheered when Honda announced their plans for a new Africa Twin. Heck, the romantics among us got teary-eyed when they recalled their exploits on the AT in the 90’s.
Designated as the CRF1000L Africa Twin, it’s a dual-sport more oriented towards off-road riding.
The new bike has a slim and tall front profile. Besides that, the front looks like an extended forehead above the tightly arranged headlamps. It’s the “Dakar styling” where a pace note scroller/GPS sits behind screen.
Moving back, the rear part of the bike from the head onwards invokes the profile of the XRV750. This is especially true when you view the back of the fuel tank and seat. Anyhow, we felt that Honda did a great job of amalgamating design elements of the old bike to the new.
Riding the CRF1000L Africa Twin
First impression? Oh my! This thing’s tall! We’ve tested plenty of tall dual-sport bikes, mind you. Of course, the Africa Twin isn’t as tall as motocrossers or enduros but it’s definitely the tallest among dual-sport bikes. Someone had adjusted the rear shock’s preload all the out to lower the rear end, but I still had to hang one leg in the air when I stopped.
I knew I should’ve worn my platform shoes. Just kidding.
However, traffic lights became my No. 1 enemy (for the moment). That’s because I had to first determine if the road was slanting to the left or right, before shifting my buttock and leg out while coming to a stop. The slim profile helped a lot, but the badly adjusted chassis meant that the handlebar was sitting too high up, making the bike feel like it’s carrying bricks on its fuel tank.
We decided to ride it to Kuantan together with the Honda X-Adv.
The engine’s torque was impressive, keeping the engine rolling at low revs at highway speeds. The 998cc parallel-Twin uses a 270oto mimic the firing order of a 90oV-Twin, so a smooth character was expected. It produces 94 bhp and 98 Nm of torque.
The AT picks up speed quick to the sound of a rumbling engine. Small pops accompanied the DCT upshifts.
But we wished the front end has a little more high-speed stability and the handlebar moved around at higher speeds. We could expect this of dual-sport bikes with high handlebars but the AT’s moved the most. Then again, this bike is biased towards off-roading.
As such, it didn’t like being slammed into corners. You need to brake and release early, coast a bit to let the chassis settle down before turning in. Similarly, you need to be super smooth with the gas during the lean to straight up transition. Being throttle happy will send the handlebar waggling back and forth.
These handling traits disappear when the road turns to no road. There’s a large button marked with a “G” (for gravel) right next to the instrument panel. Pressing that switches into gravel ride mode and the corresponding levels of electronic intervention.
The softly sprung suspension absorbed the bumps easily and the bike seemed to float. Again, the bike’s slim waist was advantageous as it lets you move around while standing up.
However, it still felt top heavy for me. It possibly has to do with my height. At 167cm, I’m probably too small for the bike. A person from 180cm and up ought to reap the benefits of its ergonomics.
DCT (Dual-Clutch Transmission)
Oh yes, the test unit was fitted with Honda’s proprietary DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission). It’s actually a semi-automatic/semi-manual gearbox. The rider could select D (Drive), S (Sport) or M (Manual). N (Neutral) position needs to be selected manually.
Shifting is via toggles on top and below the left switch cluster.
In D, the bike drives like a giant scooter. The transmission takes care of the upshifts and downshifts automatically. The rider can intervene at any time, but it upshifts early for smooth power and fuel savings
In S, shifting is still automatic but it will hold on to a gear until peak torque before shifting up. The gearbox will downshift when a certain limit is reached, and it will blip the throttle automatically. The rider can also intervene at any time.
In M, the rider is in charge of gear selection. The engine will also auto-blip the throttle when downshifting.
Riding the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin with DCT
Just like the VFR1200, the Africa Twin with DCT doesn’t feature a clutch lever and gear lever. This is when you have re-learn how to ride a motorcycle.
Using the fully automatic “D” feature was convenient but bear in mind that it shifts when you least expected it to. Like upshifting in the middle of a corner or downshift when you’re rolling to a stop. We found out the hard way.
DCT Lesson No. 1
I was riding with my wife as the pillion. The transmission was in D-mode, 2ndgear as I filtered past two rows of cars. It suddenly kicked down to 1stgear without warning. But since there was no clutch lever, it felt like the engine had cut out, followed by that sickening feeling of a bike toppling over.
There was a BMW 3-Series on our left, but thankfully my reflex kicked in and I pushed out my left elbow which landed on the car’s driver side window. It held the bike up from falling onto his car!
So, lesson learned. I tried S-mode for a while then decided to just use M-mode anytime I ride.
DCT lesson No. 2
Nearing my house, I shifted into 1st(you can’t shift into N when the bike’s moving) and stopped to let a car pass. I reapplied a little bit of throttle to drive the bike up to my gate.
BUT! The engine “caught” like what happens when you release the clutch lever with no engine RPM. It put out a “CLACK!” Again, no clutch lever. My reflex tried to reopen the throttle but it didn’t catch. The bike went over on the right side like a poor tree while blasts of profanities violated my neighbours’ ears. And I swear I didn’t touch the brakes!
It meant that you can’t pussyfoot with the throttle.
Conclusion
We know, it sounds like we didn’t enjoy ourselves with the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin. But we assure you that it was okay 75% of the time. It was too bad that the DCT and height needed too much concentration.
It’s a nice bike to ride if you’re an Africa Twin and Honda fan, not bad if otherwise.
The caveat is you need some time to learn it, especially if you opt for the DCT version. Besides that, the ergonomics really need some getting used to as it’s rather different from other dual-sport bikes we’ve ridden.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE
ENGINE TYPE
2-cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 8-valve, liquid-cooled, parallel-Twin with 270o crankshaft
DISPLACEMENT
998 cc
BORE x STROKE
92.0 mm x 75.1 mm
POWER
93.8 hp @ 7,500 RPM
TORQUE
98 Nm @ 6,000 RPM
COMPRESSION RATIO
N/A
TRANSMISSION
Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT)
FUEL SYSTEM
Electronic fuel injection with ride-by-wire throttle
CLUTCH
Multiple-plate wet clutch with slipper feature
CHASSIS
FRAME
N/A
FRONT SUSPENSION
Showa cartridge-type upside down ø 45 mm forks, adjustable for preload, compression damping and rebound damping
REAR SUSPENSION
Monoshock with Pro-Link Arm, remote gas reservoir, remote preload adjuster, adjustable for rebound damping
SUSPENSION TRAVEL FRONT/REAR
252 mm / 240 mm
FRONT BRAKE
2x radially-mounted 4-piston monobloc calipers, ø 310 mm floating discs
REAR BRAKE
1X single-piston floating caliper, ø 260 mm brake disc
Desmo Owners Club Malaysia members were treated to a special meet and greet session during the recent Sepang Winter Test.
They saw the new Desmosedici GP19 firsthand and met with Mission Winnow Ducati riders.
The members were rewarded with the fastest ever lap record at the circuit.
Desmo Owners Club Malaysia (DOCM) members got a special treat during the MotoGP 2019 Sepang Winter Test.
The special meet and greet session was organized by Ducati Malaysia in collaboration with Shell and the Mission Winnows Ducati Team. It was held on the final day of the Sepang Pre-Season Test.
The Ducati owners were given an exclusive peek into the race operations of the team as they prepare for the new MotoGP season. They were also given a guided tour of the pits to witness the new Desmosedici GP19, firsthand.
Ducati team riders Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci then met with the DOCM members during their break. Lucky club members were picked to attend an autograph session with the riders and team members.
It was a thoroughly rewarding and proud day for the Italian bike owners as Danilo Petrucci recorded the fastest time on the timesheets. His time of 1m 58.239s was almost 0.6s faster than the 1m 58.830s record set by Jorge Lorenzo in last year’s test. Petrucci’s record means it was the fastest motorcycle to ever circulate the Sepang International Circuit.
Including Petrucci, Ducati-mounted riders were the Top 4 fastest on the final day and breaking the old record also.
Another attraction during the session was a Panigale V4 S on display. The bike utilizes many of the technologies used in the Ducati MotoGP Desmosedici.
A court in Germany ruled in favour of Dainese in their airbag patent infringement suit against Alpinestars.
They first sued Alpinestars in 2015 for using a part of their D-air vest in the latter’s Tech-Air vest without payment for the patent.
They also filed litigations in Italy, UK and France.
The Munich Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Dainese in their airbag patent infringement suit against Alpinestars (A-stars).
The case had been going on since 2015. A German court found Alpinestars had infringed on the patent previously in 2017. A-Stars brought the case to the Munich Court of Appeals and they lost again. Their next and last course of action is to refer the case to the German Federal Supreme Court.
Dainese sued A-stars in 2015 after finding the latter had copied an essential part of the D-air vest. The part was then used in A-stars’ Tech-Air airbag vests, without payment to Dainese for licensing.
Alpinestars Tech-Air vest – Photo credit Alpinestars
A-stars could well be in deep trouble, pending the German Supreme Court appeal. Dainese did not only file litigations in Germany. They also sued A-stars in Italy, the United Kingdom and France. The litigation floodgates could swing open in those countries should they lose in the German Supreme Court.
The confusion started in 2015 when Dainese released the D-air technology as an open platform as a responsibility to rider safety. This meant that other riding gear manufacturers can use the technology in their own products. But that did not mean they shouldn’t pay Dainese to use the patented technology. Unfortunately, this was what A-stars did.
So, what happens now? If A-stars loses their last appeal, German riders may not be able to keep their Tech Air vests. There’s no word of the case in other countries, so far but we’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear of something.
MCN spied a new Triumph Daytona 765 undergoing tests.
Although the supersport market isn’t as boisterous as it was, fans of the Triumph Daytona wept when the model’s production ended in 2016. The manufacturer then launched the Street Triple 765 line-up to replace the 675 version, but there was no Daytona.
However, hopes rose again when Triumph announced and later revealed their Moto2 engine based on the Street Triple’s. Many had thought this was the giveaway to seeing a new Daytona.
Triumph Moto2 Prototype
Yet, the factory neither confirmed nor denied if a new bike is on the way, despite Triumph’s Chief Product Officer saying that it’ll be foolish not to consider the possibility given their involvement in Moto2. The keyword however, is demand. Why produce something for which there are very limited buyers?
Until now.
According to MCN, these pictures were shot in Spain last week. Judging from the pictures, everything seems to look the same as the Daytona 675R, apart from the solo seat and lack of passenger footpegs.
On the other hand, the engine covers unmistakably belong to the 765cc engine. It would do the Daytona great service if they adopt some of the engine parts from the Moto2 engine, turning the bike into a racier model than the Street Triple.
We don’t see the instrument panel in these pictures, but MCN says it should be a TFT screen like the Street Triple RS’s. Six-axis IMU-based lean sensitive traction control and cornering ABS should also be in the offering.
As for the chassis, the front forks look like they’re Öhlins NIX30 forks, while the rear shock ought to be an Öhlins TTX. The front brake calipers are the latest Brembo Stylema units, like those fitted to the Ducati Panigale V4/V4 S.
When can we expect the new Triumph Daytona 765? Best guess would be at the end of this year, since the Euro5 regulations begin in 2020.
