Jenama motosikal Itali, Italjet, sebelum ini telah pun mengesahkan akan mula memasarkan model yang ternanti-nanti, Dragster 125 dan Dragster 200 bermula Disember 2021.
Seperti dijanjinkan Italjet telah pun memulakan pemasaran kedua-dua varian tersebut untuk pasaran Eropah dan Asia.
Bagaimanapun, dalam perkembangan terbaru, difahamkan pasaran Malaysia juga bakal menyambut ketibaan Italjet Dragster varian 125 tahun ini.
Menurut laporan Paultan.org, Italjet Dragster 125 itu dijanka tiba di Malaysia sekitar pertengahan 2022 oleh pengedar, Chear Global.
Skuter dengan gaya agresif dan ala ‘naked’ itu bingkas menarik perhatian ramai pihak sejak dipertontonkan kepada umum.
Namun, ekoran pandemik Covid-19 yang melanda pada tahun berikutnya telah memberi kekangan pada Italjet dalam memasarkan motosikal tersebut.
Bagaimanapun, jenama itu kembali beri jaminan bahawa Dragster akan mula dipasarkan pada Disember 2021 sebagai model 2022 ketika di EICMA, baru-baru ini.
Italjet Dragster ini akan ditawarkan dalam dua varian, 125cc dan 200cc.
Varian 125cc menghasilkan 13hp daripada enjin satu silinder dengan penyejukan cecair manakala enjin 200cc dengan standard Euro5 menawarkan 18hp.
Lebih menarik, Italjet Dragster ini juga ditawarkan dengan komponen berprestasi tinggi antaranya ekzos Akrapovic, sistem brek Brembo dan suspensi Öhlins.
Sementara itu, Italjet turut mendedahkan bakal lancar model elektrik pada separuh masa kedua 2022 dan akan dinamakan sebagai Dragster e01. – Paultan.org
Imagine having a scooter which you will never have to refuel again. All it asks is that you recharge it whenever needed, and will get you where ever you want in an urban setting.
We are talking about the new Kymco Like 125 EV.
With a near retro design, the Like 125 EV is capable of giving you a range of 199km on a single charge. It is powered by a 3,200 watt motor that gives the rider around 4.3 horsepower.
It has 27-litres of underseat storage, which is enough to store three batteries, which when combined, gives the 125 EV its spectacular range.
The batteries are from Kymco’s own Ionex battery technology, which the company claims needs just one hour to charge.
And if you wondering about battery fade, Kymco says each battery will be able to be charged roughly 1000 times over its lifetime.
What is the Ionex Battery?
Kymco introduced the Ionex as a response to Gogoro’s electric scooters complete domination of the Taiwanese market.
According to The Taipei Times in March of 2021, Gogoro sold 345,190 electric scooters as compared to Kymco’s 19,215.
This prompted Kymco’s president to announce that the Ionex will be a spin off brand to Kymco, much like Ducati’s Scrambler.
In Taiwan, the brand is known simply as Ionex, but around the world, it is known as Kymco Ionex.
One of the key factors to the success of both Gogoro and Ionex is the use of swappable battery stations. This is perfect to counter range anxiety, and is ideal for delivery riders who can simply walk in, swap batteries and get on their way again.
And so Ionex too has been rolling out swappable battery stations of its own, and plans to have 4,000 stations around Taiwan by the end of 2022.
To ensure it meets its target, Ionex has partnerships with four major local companies: President Chain Store, Chunghwa Telecom, Fubon Insurance, and Carrefour Taiwan.
All four existing companies have multiple locations around Taiwan, and provide the ideal location for Ionex swap stations to be built.
Back to the Kymco Like 125 EV
And it is this model that will ensure the success of the Kymco Like 125 EV, in Taiwan at least. But around the world, its good looks and feature packed body will increase its appeal.
The Like 125 EV weighs in at just 94 kilograms, and is able to connect to smartphones via an application to access information such as speed and battery levels. The display is of course fully digital.
As for its price, the Kymco Like 125 EV costs about 1,200 Euros, which is less than RM6,000, making it the perfect solution to urban mobility.
It is unlike that this model will be introduced in Malaysia since the charging infrastructure is still in its infancy, but for our readers based elsewhere – this is quite a good solution to electric urban mobility.
The all-new Honda ADV 350 is based on the Honda Forza 350 with the same eSP + engine, but with a twist.
Handling is managed by a 37mm Showa upside-down front fork with twin Showa rear shocks, while the ADV 350 also gets better ground clearance than the Forza 350.
There are also other amenities that add comfort and safety such as hand guards, a height-adjustable windshield, LED lights, a full LCD display screen.
There’s not all, there’s also a USB Type C charging connector, HSTC system and a RoadSync smartphone connectivity that displays all key information from your smart phone onto the LCD screen.
As for power, the ADV 350 is powered by Honda’s single-cylinder 330cc liquid cooled engine with fuel-injection. It also comes with Honda’s Smart Power + with Honda’s Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) and outputs 28.9 horsepower.
In typical Honda fashion, RideApart reports that the ADV 350 comes with three colours for starts – Spangle Silver Metallic, Mat Carbonic Gray Metallic, and Mat Carnelian Red Metallic finishes.
There is no news on whether it will make it to Malaysia as yet, but it could just be the case since this is the perfect opportunity for Boon Siew Honda to plug the gap in between the smallish ADV 150 and the pricey ADV 750.
Boutique performance motorcycle brand Brough Superior has introduced this uber cool bike called the Lawrence Nefud.
Costing over RM260,000 before taxes, the neo-classic is based on the Lawrence roadster shown above, which the Anglo/French company introduced back in 2021 as a nod to the company’s most famous customer – Captain T.E Lawrence or more famously known as Lawrence of Arabia.
The Lawrence Nefud is a limited-edition modern evolution of the iconic SS100 V-Twin introduced in 2014, which itself is based on the first SS100 first introduced back in 1919.
The Nefud is powered by the firm’s signature 997cc 102bhp liquid-cooled V-twin, titanium frame and a novel Hossack/Fior-style front suspension and conventional 19 and 17-inch wheels. It also features a new subframe and a new saddle to make it a two seater. The retro looks are further capped by the upswept exhausts and classic speedometer.
The retro styling of the Nefud is further accentuated by a more upright riding position with higher, trail-styled bars and lower foot pegs.
The semi-knobby tyres are Michelin Anakee’s and the entire design consist of blacked-out chassis components, a bash plate, fly screen, protective headlight grille with a special rust-red paint job inspired by desert sand.
If you are wondering what is up with that geeky name, we have already explained that it is sort of inspired by Lawrence of Arabia.
The Nefud name though is from the An Nefud desert in the Northern Arabian peninsular, which according to Brough, was much loved by Lawrence and is near the site of the Battle of Aqaba, one of Lawrence’s greatest victory during the Arabian revolt of 1917.
The 200kg Scrambler is unlikely to be seen anywhere in Malaysia or on any dirt roads, at its price it will most likely end up being a collectors item.
This is probably the most epic buy for collectors of rare bikes.
A 2016 Honda RC213V-S still in its original shipping crate is now the most expensive Japanese bike ever sold.
The street legal MotoGP replica has never been out of the crate and has just under 2 km on the odo meter. It has no signs of wear and tear or shipping damage anywhere.
Over 63 eager bidders lined up for the bike which could have resulted in the price being hiked up.
The RC213V-S is similar to the Honda RCV1000R that was raced in 2014 by the likes of Scott Redding.
The bike is powered by a 999cc liquid cooled V4 engine with an output of 215bhp.
There’s also a HRC Race Kit that turns it into a proper race machine with a supposed dry weight of just 170kg. The kit will add a further RM86,000 to the already stratospheric price of this Honda.
Has brake fade been an issue for you? Do you long for consistent brake feel without surprises when you brake hard into a corner?
Galfer, the Spanish brake systems specialist, has introduced its latest braking system called the Floatech floating system for race bikes.
The system aims to improve the two parts that make up a disc brake rather than just one.
Any disc brake usually comes in two parts:
1. The carrier – which you can usually see being bolted on to the wheel and is usually anodised.
2. The friction material – Or the actual disc where the brake pads usually clamp on to.
Both items are made of completely different materials because they do completely different things.
And one of the most common issues faced by a disc is is heat, which then results in the expansion of the disc in all directions.
When brakes overheat, you get the usual brake fade and such, and with the centrifugal forces pushing and pulling the disc – you get inconsistent braking pressure.
Enter Galfer and its latest technology.
Galfer has developed a new spring and pin system that connect the carrier to the brake rotor.
This consists of a titanium pin and sling-loaded washers that help to locate the disc.
The spring presses on and fixes the brake disc so that it does not move and is always in the same position and correctly aligned with the brake pads no matter what happens.
This simply yet innovative system effectively rids the brake system of all free movement faced by the majority of braking systems in the market.
This system also effectively eliminates the pad knock off (happens when the pad loses contact with the disc brakes) from occurring.
Galfer says the system will also provide perfect self-alignment even while the disc expands under heavy use.
In Galfer’s own words:
1.- IMPROVED THERMAL BEHAVIOUR: At high temperatures (above approx. 200 °C) the brake rotor tends to expand in all directions. The new GALFER Floatech® system makes it possible to control this growth and avoid potential problems caused by the rotor surface becoming blocked in relation to the hub.
2.- PERFECT DISC/PAD ALIGNMENT: The system allows the rotor to expand freely and avoids the loss of floatability by incorporating a set of parts that consists of washers and a pre-loaded spring. The spring presses on and fixes the brake rotor so that it maintains the same position at all times and is correctly aligned with the brake pads in any situation. This eliminates the free movement that occurs with the majority of racing disc brakes on the market and avoids the problem of the brake pads being applied in an uncontrolled way and causing braking difficulties, even when faced with the strong vibrations or gyroscopic forces that occur at high speeds.
The new Floatech® system ensures perfect self-alignment between the brake discs and pads at all times so that the caliper pistons always maintain the position set by the brake manufacturer and braking is far more stable.
3.- OPTIMISED STRUCTURE LEFT/RIGHT: Having studied the braking forces and the possibility of being able to design specific directional discs (left/right), it was possible to determine the key points for optimising the design of the disc hubs, providing greater rigidity with the minimum weight possible. GALFER has been innovative in the design of directional brake discs that are specific for each side of the wheel.
4.- IMPROVED THERMAL BREAK: The new gold-nitrided pin that joins the two parts of the disc brake (rotor and hub) is made of titanium and improves the thermal break between the two parts due to its low thermal conductivity. Other materials such as aluminium are more conductive and transfer heat more directly.
The new Galfer Floatech system has already been used by several MotoGP and WSBK riders during the 2021 season, including Italian rider Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) and South African Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros).
Galfer plans to extend this exclusive technology to all teams by the 2022 season and to make it accessible to the general public on medium and high-performance motorcycle in the medium term.
The movement towards electric motorcycles have some purist up in arms.
Most arguments are about the pure joy that the sound of an internal combustion engine has to offer.
While others also think that electric motorcycles look weird.
Well there are some really good looking electric motorcycles like the prototype MotoE bikes and some of the renderings we have seen from the likes of Ducati and KTM.
The latest one from Canadian electric motorcycle startup Damon Motors seems promising as well, check it out in the video below.
Damon Motors first made a name for itself with the introduction of the HyperSport two years ago, video below.
And at the recent 2022 CES electronics convention in Las Vegas, Damon Motors once again turned heads with the bike you see here – the HyperFighter.
Both the HyperSport and the HyperFighter are still in pre-production stages, but a representative from the company has confirmed that production of the HyperSport (below) will start in the first half of 2022, while the HyperFighter is set to be introduced in 2023.
Both bikes will be built in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The new HyperFighter will use the same basic underpinnings of the HyperSport but will take on a more aggressive “naked” design – something like Ducati’s Streetfighter.
Damon Motors promises the bikes will be feature packed.
For started a safety suite called CoPilot will be part of the package and utilises sensors, cameras and an AI system to alert the riders using haptic vibrations in the handlebars.
The CoPilot system will let the rider know that a car is in the blind spot or if they are following too close to a vehicle ahead.
There are also visual warnings in the form of LED lights in the dash.
Rider comfort too is a major priority for Damon Motors. The company has something called the Shift ergonomic system that allows a rider to change the position of the bike’s handlebars and footpads and others while riding is a major breakthrough for the motorcycle industry.
The Shift system can change the riding position of the HyperSport from a crouched down style road-racer to a more upright system for navigating urban traffic – all while riding.
You may think that that is not a big deal – but consider the fact that other bike makers too allow for a change in handle bar and seat position, but only with tools and when the bike is stationary.
On the Damon Motors motorcycles, these changes are done by small electric motors that change those elements on the fly.
In comparison to the HyperFighter, the moveable parts on the HyperSport include the handlebars, footpads and windscreen position all can be changed at the push of a button.
Some American journalist have tried the system and call it “both novel and effective.”
Powering the new HyperFighter is the same electric motor that powers the HyperSport, called the HyperDrive system (below).
This makes the battery a central load-bearing part of the motorcycle, making it a simple construction and saving weight at the same time.
The HyperDrive system received the Innovation Award Honoree at the 2022 CES show.
The difference between the HyperDrive set up and other electronic bikes is that the HyperDrive system uses a purpose-shaped central battery casing that surrounds the motor.
This is then attached directly to the suspension system, making this a “stressed member” of the motorcycle and sort of a spin on the monocoque frame idea.
This fresh new take on battery placement also allows Damon to load its bikes with 20kWh worth of batteries, giving the bikes longer range. In comparison, other electric motorcycle makers have battery capacities that top out at just over 16kWh.
But then again, Damon motors wants to also pack its bikes with up to 200hp, so longer range may be difficult with all that power.
The company says top speed will be over 240km/h while the 0-100km/h sprint will be seen off in under 3 seconds. All of these numbers too will suck on battery power quicker than anything else.
As for the price, Damon says that the HyperFighter will be available in three configurations.
1. Colossus is a limited 100-units only model and will feature special wheels and other premium trimming with from USD35,000 (MYR148,000 before taxes).
2. Unlimited 20 will be a trimmed down version of the Colossus and will retail for USD25,000 (RM105,000 before taxes).
3. Unlimited 15 will have a smaller 15kWh battery and 150hp and will be priced at USD19,000 (RM80,000 before taxes).
There’s no indication yet if Damon Motorcycles will be available in our part of the world anytime soon.
Seramai 100 pelajar sekolah tidak dapat hadir pada hari pertama penggal ketiga 2021/2022 selepas tren Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) tidak berhenti di Hentian Kuala Gris, Kelantan pada Ahad.
KTMB dalam satu kenyataan memaklumkan telah menggantung tugas pemandu tren yang terlibat dalam kejadian tersebut.
Menurut hasil siasatan oleh KTMB, mendapati tren Shuttle Timuran no.51 yang berlepas dari Stesen Tumpat jam 4.05 pagi tidak berhenti di Hentian Kuala Gris pada jam 7.08 pagi.
“KTMB memandang serius dan kesal dengan kejadian itu. Lebih kesal lagi, ia membabitkan 100 pelajar Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dabong yang baru memulakan semula sesi persekolahan, hari ini.
“Justeru, KTMB memohon maaf kepada pelajar, ibu bapa dan pihak sekolah yang terbabit, serta kesal atas kejadian yang berlaku,” jelas KTMB dalam satu kenyataan.
Pada masa sama, KTMB juga memberi jaminan kejadian tersebut tidak akan berulang.
Difahamkan, disebabkan tren tidak berhenti kesemua 100 pelajar yang berada di stesen tersebut terpaksa pulang semula ke rumah masing-masing. – BERNAMA
Musim 2021 MotoGP pastinya yang paling kucar kacir bagi karier Maverick Vinales.
Bukan sahaja kontraknya bersama Yamaha ditamatkan serta-merta malah pasukan kendalian Lin Jarvis itu turut menuduh Vinales dengan sengaja cuba merosakkan jentera YZR-M1 ketika di GP Styria.
Dalam pendedahan terbaru, Vinales mengakui kesilapan terbesarnya adalah meninggalkan Suzuki untuk sertai pasukan Yamaha pada 2017.
“Saya tidak berminat untuk bercakap tentang masa lalu tetapi memang jelas saya telah lakukan kesilapan.
“Meskipun kami mempunyai pasukan yang baik ketika itu namun Yamaha mempunyai jentera yang mampu menang jadi saya memilih jalan itu.
“Tetapi walaupun jentera M1 itu hebat tetapi kami tidak dapat mencari jalan bagaimana untuk mengendalikannya. Ada masa saya sukar dikalahkan tapi ada masa saya berada di belakang.
“Saya rasa tak tentu hala,” jelasnya.
Bekas juara dunia Moto3 itu naik ke kelas premier bersama Suzuki selepas mempamerkan prestasi mengagumkan di Moto2.
Vinales menghabiskan masa dua musim bersama Suzuki dan menghadirkan kemenangan sulung pasukan itu sejak 2007 ketika di GP Britain pada 2016.
Dia kemudiannya berangkat ke Yamaha bagi menggantikan tiga kali juara dunia MotoGP, Jorge Lorenzo yang beralih ke Ducati sebelum meninggalkan Yamaha pada pertengahan musim 2021 dan sertai Aprilia bagi musim 2022.
Bagaimanapun, ekoran kontraknya ditamatkan lebih awal, Vinales dibenarkan membuat penampilan bersama Aprilia sewaktu pusingan ke-13 di Aragon dalam usaha mencapai keserasian dengan jentera Aprilia RS-GP.
Baru-baru ini telah pun dilaporkan bahawa Yamaha mengesahkan bakal melancarkan skuter elektrik E01 dan E02 tahun ini.
Menguatkan lagi pendedahan itu, Yamaha telah pun mengadakan sesi ujian E01 bersama media di Jepun.
Sesi ujian bersama media itu merupakan inisiatif Yamaha dalam mendapatkan maklum balas dari kalangan petugas media mengenai skuter elektrik tersebut.
Meskipun jentera yang diuji itu sepenuhnya dilindungi dengan pelekat ‘camouflage’ namun berdasarkan gambar yang dimuat naik, beberapa ciri skuter E01 itu telah didedahkan.
Antaranya, Yamaha E01 ini turut dilengkapi lampu depan LED yang diinspirasikan daripada model YZF-R1 dan Tracer 9 GT.
Sementara itu, ruang panel depan pula menempatkan skrin paparan digital LCD yang dijangka akan dimuatkan dengan fungsi Y-Connect.
Sementara itu, Yamaha E01 ini juga didatangkan dengan cakera brek depan dan belakang, penyerap hentakan berkembar belakang, tayar 13-inci, ABS, mod menunggangn dan sistem tanpa kunci (keyless).
Menurut Yamaha, skuter elektrik E01 dan E02 akan dilancarkan sekitar tahun ini.
CFMoto merupakan antara pengeluar yang paling mencuri tumpuan sewaktu pameran EICMA 2021 di Milan yang berlangsung November tahun lalu.
Ini kerana jenama motosikal China itu memaparkan prototaip SR-C21 yang sekaligus menarik perhatian pengunjung.
Prototaip SR-C21 itu tampil dengan beberapa komponen premium antaranya brek Brembo, sistem ekzos SC Project dan paparan skrin TFT.
Pada masa sama, rata-rata berpendapat SR-C21 itu akan dikuasakan enjin LC8 790cc hasil kerjasama dengan KTM.
Dalam perkembangan terbaru, jentera prototaip itu telah pun dikesan menjalani ujian di China.
Bagaimanapun, dari segi imej dikongsikan, jentera tersebut ternyata kehilangan beberapa komponen premium yang terdapat pada versi prototaip.
Antaranya ekzos berkembar SC Project sebelum ini digantikan dengan ekzos tunggal yang ditempatkan di bahagian sisi manakala cakera brek berkembar dengan brek Brembo juga digantikan dengan cakera brek tunggal.
Namun, apa yang paling mengecewakan adalah SR-C21 itu akan dikuasakan enjin parallel-twin 450cc, berbeza dengan tanggapan awal yang berpendapat model itu akan dijana enjin LC8 790cc KTM.
Apa pun, dengan pendedahan terbaru ini menyaksikan CFMoto SR-C21 ini akan menjadi pesaing baharu bagi segmen sportsbike 400cc antaranya Kawasaki Ninja 400.
Bagi yang mengikuti perkembangan Rali Dakar 2022 yang sedang berlangsung ketika ini, pastinya nama pemandu Toyota Gazoo Racing, Giniel De Villiers antara mencuri tumpuan.
Ini kerana De Villiers telah terlibat dalam dua insiden perlanggaran membabitkan dua pelumba motosikal dalam dua peringkat perlumbaan.
Kemalangan bukan perkara baru mahupun mengejutkan di Rali Dakar namun apa yang membuatkan penganjur berang adalah tindakannya De Villiers yang langsung tidak memberhentikan kenderaannya dalam kedua-dua insiden.
De Villiers melanggar Cesar Zumaran sewaktu pelumba itu sedang cuba menghidupkan jentera KTM miliknya di Stage 1B. Kejadian tersebut turut dirakam dan tular di media sosial.
Pada Stage 2, De Villiers telah melanggar seorang pelumba motosikal Mohamedsaid Aoulad Ali dan berlalu pergi.
Meskipun Ali tidak sempat membaca plat kenderaan tersebut namun telemetri mengesahkan kereta tersebut milik De Villiers.
Berdasarkan kejadian kemalangan di Rali Dakar sebelum ini, adalah kebiasaan untuk si pelaku menjadi individu pertama yang menghulurkan bantuan kepada mangsa.
Namun dalam kes De Villiers, dia serta merta meneruskan perlumbaan tanpa menghiraukan pelumba yang dilanggarnya.
Meskipun De Villiers sekadar dikenakan penalti lima minit bagi kesalahan pertama namun penganjur membuat keputusan untuk menetapkan penalti lima jam bagi insiden kedua.
Penalti itu secara langsung membuat De Villiers tidak berpeluang untuk menduduki tempat yang baik bagi Rali Dakar edisi kali ini.
