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WorldSBK: Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki Clinches Fourth Straight Title

Kawasaki rider Jonathan Rea has dominated the 2018 Superbike World Championship season thus far.
He won his 8^th consecutive race win in Magny-Cours, France.
The victory means he has sealed the season with five races to go.

Reigning Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) champion, Johnathan Rea and Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) have clinched their fourth straight championship title.

The 2018 championship was sealed at the Magny-Cours circuit in France this weekend when Rea won Race 1 (there are two races per round). It was Rea’s 8^th consecutive and 13^th total victory of the year.

Judging from the results, Rea and Kawasaki made the least mistakes for the rest to capitalize on. The Northern Irish rider finished only twice off the podium and retired once so far. Besides the 13 wins, he finished second on three occasions and once in third.

In terms of statistics, Rea had won 63% of the races and was on the podium for 86% after 23 races this season. He now has the chance of setting a new record for the most wins in a season.

Jonathan Rea wins #4 – Courtesy of WorldSBK

Rea is only the second racer to win four WSBK titles after Carl Fogarty, but he is the first to achieve the milestone back-to-back.

Pundits are quick to point out that Rea’s amazing achievement is due to other teams lacking full factory support and that his competitors’ bikes are pretty old to some extent. If this is true, we shall see how the new Ducati Panigale V4 does next year in the hands of Chaz Davies and Alvaro Bautista. Honda is also rumored to be coming up with a new V4-powered CBR1000RR.

In the meantime however, the man of the moment is Jonathan Rea, who is the current King of Superbikes. Long live the King!

2018 Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe is coming to Malaysia! RM72,372

Kawasaki Motors Malaysia (KMSB) has officially previewed the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe here in Malaysia.
The preview was held at The Gasket Alley PJ in conjunction with the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Kuala Lumpur 2018.
KMSB has priced the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe at RM72,372 (recommended sales price with 10% SST).

In conjunction with the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Kuala Lumpur 2018, Kawasaki Motors Malaysia (KMSB) took the opportunity to preview their latest upcoming machine to the modern classic crowd which is the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe. The preview was held in at Tiga Supply Co. located at the heart of The Gasket Alley, Petaling Jaya. (more…)

Bonneville Salt Flats Needs Urgent Restoring

The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA has been the site where countless speed records have been created and broken.
The salt has been disappearing since the 60’s until now.
The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has initiated a call-to-action lobbying campaign.

We’ve seen videos and pictures of motorcycles, cars and all sorts of vehicles roll over the pasty white salt that stick to their tyres and wheel on the Bonneville Salt Flats, on their way to set new speed records.

The ancient dried sea bed has been the site where countless land speed records had been set, usually during the Bonneville Speed Week.

But the surface has definitely been deteriorating over the last few decades. Experts believe the crust has been dissipating and lost some 50 metric Tonne of salt between 1960 and 1988 alone. It is indeed alarming to compare old and new satellite photos of the site.

Satellite picture of the Salt Flats circa 1970

While it’s somewhat true that the large number of vehicles running on the flats have caused the surface to deteriorate, the biggest contributor to its destruction is brine extraction for table salt production.

The experts had also suggested taking action, but those actions need to be carefully planned, given the fragile environment. The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) informed that tests by BLM and a mining company have shown that pumping up to 2 million metric Tonne of brine back on the flats could restore its thickness.

Satellite image of the Salt Flats in 2018

The project needs lots of money and needs the Congress to approve. That is why the AMA is appealing to the American public and speed heads to lobby the government.

While it was racers who raced against time in the past on Bonneville, it is Bonnevilles turn to race against time. Let us hope the AMA and public’s lobbying works out.

Jorge Lorenzo Will Try to Race in Buriram, Thailand

Ducati MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo suffered injuries to his right foot from the crash in Aragon GP.
He was launched into the air and landed on his foot.
He announced that he will try to compete at Buriram, Thailand.

Ducati MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo announced that he will try to race in the next round at the Buriram Circuit in Thailand next weekend.

He made the announcement after another round of medical check-ups on his right foot.

Lorenzo was launched high into the air in a highside at the first corner immediately after the start of the Aragon GP last Sunday. He landed awkwardly on his right foot before being clouted twice (fortunately at low speed) by his own bike.

It was over before it began for @lorenzo99 at the #AragonGP ? pic.twitter.com/yqKHBiTmoT

— MotoGP™? (@MotoGP) September 24, 2018

He was stretchered off the track’s runoff area to the Clinica Mobile where he was found to have suffered a dislocated big toe and compound fracture in the second metatarsal of his right foot.

Lorenzo would go on to blame Marc Marquez for the crash through multiple tweets, although his team members disagreed with him (off the record, of course).

Ducati announced that the latest check-up revealed that he’s “recovering well,” although the foot was “still swollen.”

The triple MotoGP champion will assess if the pain is tolerable to race at Buriram.

Ducati report that the latest check showed Lorenzo’s injuries are ‘recovering.

TESTED: 2019 Ducati Scrambler Icon – “True Italian Spirit”

The updated 2019 Ducati Scrambler Icon was recently launched earlier this month.
Styling updates together with internal changes have turned the 2019 Ducati Scrambler Icon into a more premium package.
We travelled to Italy to experience the updated Icon that is now safer and more comfortable without sacrificing any of the fun factors.

There are not that many things in life that most folks consider as ‘complete’. And yet when they are found, it brings a level of joy only known to the beholder no matter how big or small that thing may be.

From a simple delicious pack of nasi lemak with a whole egg inside or listening to the world’s most perfect song (it’s ‘Paranoid Android’ by Radiohead, if you’re wondering), this very feeling is massively difficult to replicate on a machine like the motorcycle. (more…)

What Motorcycles Does Deadpool Ride?

Ryan Reynolds, the superstar who portrayed Marvel Comics’ Deadpool is an avid biker.
He fancies café racers and customs.
He de-stresses by riding his motorcycles.

Okay, okay, it’s not what motorcycles Deadpool rides in the movies, but what superstar Ryan Reynolds who plays the (anti) hero rides.

Ryan Reynolds has actually been in the show business since 1991 but it was arguably the Deadpool franchise which made him an A-list celebrity. Anyway, it was revealed that he loved motorcycles more than cars in a number of interviews.

His character in The Hitman’s Bodyguard rode a Triumph Speed Triple, after all.

He told Men’s Health, “I love the fact when you’re on a motorcycle, riding a motorcycle is the only thing you’re doing.” Great advice on how to unwind from a busy schedule and parenthood.

Right, let’s take a look at what are in Deadpo… Reynolds’ collection.

Customized Triumph Thruxton

Reynold’s Triumph Thruxton is one of his most famous bikes and he was instrumental in the customization process. Triumph had presented the actor the bike but he wanted Kott Motorcycles of Los Angeles to build it to look like the old Thruxton.

Check out this short film called Invite the Unexpected.

Customized 1964 Triumph 650 “Nine O’ Clock Gun”

The Nine O’ Clock Gun is a naval cannon which fired every night at, you guessed it, 9pm everyday in his native Vancouver, Canada. It was designed and built by Factory Metal Works.

Triumph Bonneville and Triumph Tiger

Reynolds bought the modern Bonneville and the classic Tiger (not the Tiger 800 or Tiger 1200 adventure bikes) sometime in 2005.

If it’s not apparent yet, Reynolds loves café racers so these two were his first choices as he could customize them himself.

Speaking on Triumph’s For the Ride lifestyle microsite, he revealed that, “There aren’t many material things in life you can really invest in, but with a motorcycle it’s emotional. I’ve put a lot of time, energy and thought into my Bonnie.”

And he sure did put a lot of riding miles into the Bonneville, “My Bonneville is a bike that has taken me safety across the country on a least three occasions and there’s no substitute for the feeling that accompanies me on a long ride.”

Ducati Paul Smart Limited Edition

Reynolds had been spotted riding on a Ducati Paul Smart Limited Edition, the successor of the 1972 Ducati 750 Imola which commemorated the rider Paul Smart’s all-important victory at the Imola 200 race.

Although his collection isn’t as extensive as Jay Leno’s, who knows it may grow bigger soon.

Bikesrepublic

Latest News

Kawasaki rider Jonathan Rea has dominated the 2018 Superbike World Championship season thus far.

He won his 8th consecutive race win in Magny-Cours, France.

The victory means he has sealed the season with five races to go.

Kawasaki Motors Malaysia (KMSB) has officially previewed the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe here in Malaysia.

The preview was held at The Gasket Alley PJ in conjunction with the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Kuala Lumpur 2018.

KMSB has priced the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe at RM72,372 (recommended sales price with 10% SST).

The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA has been the site where countless speed records have been created and broken.

The salt has been disappearing since the 60’s until now.

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has initiated a call-to-action lobbying campaign.

Ducati MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo suffered injuries to his right foot from the crash in Aragon GP.

He was launched into the air and landed on his foot.

He announced that he will try to compete at Buriram, Thailand.

The updated 2019 Ducati Scrambler Icon was recently launched earlier this month.

Styling updates together with internal changes have turned the 2019 Ducati Scrambler Icon into a more premium package.

We travelled to Italy to experience the updated Icon that is now safer and more comfortable without sacrificing any of the fun factors.

Ryan Reynolds, the superstar who portrayed Marvel Comics’ Deadpool is an avid biker.

He fancies café racers and customs.

He de-stresses by riding his motorcycles.

Customized Triumph Thruxton

Customized 1964 Triumph 650 “Nine O’ Clock Gun”

Triumph Bonneville and Triumph Tiger

Ducati Paul Smart Limited Edition

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He won his 8^th consecutive race win in Magny-Cours, France.