Wahid Ooi, Author at BikesRepublic.com

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Wahid Ooi

Motorcyclist Killed After Hitting Car Door

A motorcyclist was killed after hitting a car door that was opened by a car driver in Kampung FELCRA Teratak Batu, Jalan Pasir Puteh-Machang yesterday.

Pasir Puteh District Police Chief, Superintendent Zaizul Rizal Zakaria said the driver of a Proton Persona stopped his car at the side of the road and opened the door to get out. At the same time, the victim riding a Honda Dash motorcycle from the same direction hit the car door before losing control and was thrown into the opposite lane.

Unfortunately, the victim was hit by a Perodua Alza that came from the opposite direction and crashed into the victim.

In the incident at 11.30 am, the 37-year-old victim died at the scene due to head injuries.

“The deceased victim was taken to Tengku Anis Hospital, Pasir Puteh for a post-mortem examination while the two car drivers were not injured.

“The case is being investigated in accordance with Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

“Any individual who has information regarding the incident can go to the nearest police station or contact the traffic investigating officer, Inspector Henry Dass Tevatus at 016-5072413,” said Superintendent Zaizul Rizal.

Penunggang Motosikal Maut Akibat Pemandu Buka Pintu Kereta

Seorang penunggang motosikal maut akibat terlanggar pintu kereta yang dibuka oleh pemandu kereta di Kampung FELCRA Teratak Batu, Jalan Pasir Puteh-Machang semalam.

Ketua Polis Daerah Pasir Puteh, Superintendan Zaizul Rizal Zakaria berkata, pemandu sebuah Proton Persona menghentikan keretanya di tepi jalan dan membuka pintu untuk keluar. Ketika itu, mangsa yang menaiki motosikal Honda Dash dari arah sama melanggar pintu kereta sebelum hilang kawalan dan tercampak ke laluan bertentangan.

Malangnya, mangsa dilanggar oleh sebuah Perodua Alza yang datang dari arah yang bertentangan dan merempuh mangsa.

Dalam kejadian jam 11.30 pagi, mangsa berusia 37 tahun meninggal dunia di tempat kejadian akibat kecederaan di bahagian kepala.

“Mangsa yang maut dibawa ke Hospital Tengku Anis, Pasir Puteh untuk bedah siasat manakala dua pemandu kereta tidak mengalami sebarang kecederaan.

“Kes disiasat mengikut Seksyen 41 (1) Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987.

“Mana-mana individu yang mempunyai maklumat berhubung kejadian boleh ke balai polis berhampiran atau berhubung terus dengan pegawai penyiasat trafik, Inspektor Henry Dass Tevatus di talian 016-5072413,” kata Superintendan Zaizul Rizal lagi.

Anxious Moment in Kembara Jelebu-Makkah, Wife Struck by AMS

We featured the news about a couple who are riding a motorcycle in the Kembara Jelebu-Makkah to perform the Hajj. They had to use the Himalayan Range route as the route through Myanmar was unsafe due to conflicts in that country. However, they faced an anxious moment when his wife was struck with AMS.

Mohd. Rahmat Mohammed Amin, 38, when contacted by Berita Harian, said they faced a worrying moment when his wife Nurazlinda Mohamad, 36, was struck with acute mountain syndrome (AMS) at an altitude of 5000 meters while passing through the Lhasa-Tibet route in the Himalayan Range.

“Thankfully, there were residents who happened to be passing through the route and helped my wife by giving her oxygen and taking her in a car.

“They forbade her to ride on a my motorbike and instead they put the wife in a car before being taken to a lower area on the route.

“Someone also gave my wife a glucose drink and now my wife’s condition is getting better,” he said.

Mohd. Rahmat said they had to endure riding in blizzard conditions with temperatures ranging from one to 0-degrees Celsius twice during the five days on the route,

With about 700km left before reaching the China-Nepal border, the cold weather had also disrupted the journey which was already a day later than the original schedule. Therefore, he will try to reach the border of Nepal on Monday.

He also hopes that Malaysians can pray for their affairs throughout the journey to be simplified so that they arrive safely in Makkah on May 5.

Mohd Rahmat and his wife started their motorcycle journey from Jelebu on March 19, crossing 13 countries covering a distance of 14,000km.

AMS occurs when a person is exposed to extreme altitude for more than 2 hours due to lack of oxygen. Please refer to the infographic from Mount Kinabalu’s Facebook page below.

Detik Cemas Kembara Jelebu-Makkah apabila Pasangan Diserang AMS

Kami telah memaparkan berita mengenai sepasang suami isteri yang berazam untuk menunggang motosikal dalam Kembara Jelebu-Makkah bagi menunaikan haji. Mereka terpaksa mengikuti laluan Banjaran Himalaya kerana laluan melalui Myanmar tidak selamat. Namun, mereka berdepan dengan detik cemas apabila isterinya diserang AMS.

Mohd Rahmat Mohammed Amin, 38 ketika dihubungi oleh Berita Harian berkata mereka berdepan detik mencemaskan apabila isterinya Nurazlinda Mohamad, 36 diserang gejala sindrom gunung kritikal (acute mountain syndrome/AMS) pada ketinggian 5,000 meter ketika melalui laluan Lhasa-Tibet di Banjaran Himalaya.

“Ketika dalam keadaan cemas ada penduduk yang kebetulan melalui laluan itu memberi pertolongan kepada isteri dengan memberi bantuan oksigen selain dibawa menaikki kereta.

“Mereka melarang isteri membonceng motosikal sebaliknya menumpangkan isteri dengan kereta sebelum dibawa ke kawasan lebih rendah di laluan itu.

“Ada juga yang memberi isteri saya minuman glukosa dan ketika ini keadaan isteri semakin baik,” katanya.

Mohd. Rahmat berkata sepanjang lima hari melalui laluan itu, dua kali dia menunggang dalam keadaan ribut salji dengan suhu dari satu hingga 0-darjah celsius.

Dengan berbaki kira-kira 700km sebelum sampai ke sempadan China-Nepal, cuaca sejuk turut mengganggu perjalanan yang sudah lewat sehari daripada jadual asal. Justeru itu dia akan berusaha untuk tiba di sempadan Nepal pada Isnin ini.

Beliau juga berharap rakyat Malaysia dapat mendoakan urusan mereka sepanjang perjalanan dipermudahkan supaya selamat tiba di Makkah pada 5 Mei ini.

Mohd Rahmat dan isteri memulakan perjalanan bermotosikal dari Jelebu pada 19 Mac lalu dengan merentas 13 negara meliputi jarak 14,000km.

AMS terjadi apabila seseorang didedahkan kepada ketinggian yang terlampau lebih dari 2 jam kerana kekurangan oksigen. Sila rujuk infografik daripada laman Facebook Mount Kinabalu di bawah.

MV Agusta Enduro Veloce telah Dilancarkan

MV Agusta Enduro Veloce telah dilancarkan. Ia bukanlah MV baharu, sebaliknya ia “hanya” nama ketiga untuk Lucky Explorer 9.5.

Ia pada mulanya dipanggil Lucky Explorer 9.5, sebagai penghormatan kepada Cagiva Elefant tajaan Lucky Strike yang memenangi Rali Dakar pada tahun 90-an. Tahun lepas, nama itu kemudiannya ditukar kepada LXP Orioli selepas Edi Orioli yang menunggang Elefant itu untuk kemenangan itu. Dan kini, MV Agusta Enduro Veloce pula. Pengeluaran akan bermula pada Mei 2024 dan dijangka tiba di bilik pameran pengedar luar negara sebelum akhir tahun.

Oleh itu, motosikal semasa adalah sama dengan LXP Orioli yang disebutkan di atas.

Ciri-ciri utama:

Enjin tiga silinder sebaris 931cc menghasilkan 124bhp dan 102Nm.
Enjin mempunyai aci engkol pusingan balas (counter-rotating crankshaft) untuk mengurangkan kesan giroskopik aci engkol.
Fork hadapan 48mm boleh laras sepenuhnya dan monoshock belakang boleh laras untuk pramuat sahaja yang memberikan gerakan 210mm.
Kaliper brek depan ialah Brembo Stylema yang mencengkam cakera 320mm.
Lapan tahap kawalan cengkaman iaitu lima untuk jalan raya, dua tetapan luar jalan dan satu untuk permukaan basah.
Penunggang boleh memasukkan sama ada dia menggunakan tayar on-road atau off-road dan sistem kawalan cengkaman akan mempunyai tetapan yang berbeza.
Ciri elektronik lain seperti kawalan brek enjin dengan dua tetapan, kawalan pelancaran, kawalan pelayaran, kawalan roda, ABS selekoh, kawalan lif roda belakang.
Empat mod tunggangan (ya, ia berasingan daripada kawalan cengkaman), Urban, Touring, Off-Road, Custom All-Terrain.
Data kawalan daya tarikan dimasukkan ke dalam IMU enam paksi.
Paparan TFT 7-inci, dan kawalan bar hendal lampu belakang MV Agusta biasa.
Pilihan warna adalah mana-mana warna yang anda mahukan asalkan Ago Red dan Ago Silver (two tone).
Harga jualan yang disyorkan di UK ialah £21,800 (RM130,789.10).

MV Agusta Enduro Veloce – The Final Form and New Name

The MV Agusta Enduro Veloce has been launched. It is a new MV, instead it is “just” the third name for the Lucky Explorer 9.5.

It was initially called the Lucky Explorer 9.5, as an homage to the Lucky Strike-sponsored Cagiva Elefant which won the Dakar Rally in the ‘90s. Last year, the name was then changed to the LXP Orioli after Edi Orioli who rode that Elefant to that victory. And now, the MV Agusta Enduro Veloce. Production will begin in May 2024 and are expected to arrive in overseas dealers’ showrooms before the end of the year.

As such, the current bike is the same as the aforementioned LXP Orioli.

Highlights:

931cc inline-three-cylinder engine producing the 124bhp and 102Nm.
The engine has a counter-rotating crankshaft to reduce the crankshaft’s gyroscopic effect.
Fully adjustable 48mm front forks and adjustable for preload only monoshock provide 210mm of travel.
Brake brake calipers are Brembo Stylema, gripping 320mm discs.
Eight levels of traction control i.e. five for road, two off-road settings, and one for wet surfaces.
The rider can input whether he is using on-road or off-road tyres and the traction control system will have distinctly different settings.
Other electronic features such as engine braking control with two settings, launch control, cruise control, wheelie control, cornering ABS, rear wheel lift control.
Four riding modes (yes, they are separate from traction control), Urban, Touring, Off-Road, Custom All-Terrain.
Traction control data is fed into a six-axis IMU.
A 7-inch TFT display, and the usual MV Agusta backlit handlebar controls.
Colour options are any colour you want as long as it is Ago Red and Ago Silver (two tone).
Recommended selling price in the UK is £21,800 (RM130,789.10).

Tidak akan ada Lima Pusingan MotoGP di Iberia – Dorna

Tidak akan ada lima pusingan MotoGP di Iberia pada masa hadapan, kata Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Dorna, Carmelo Ezpeleta.

Semenanjung Iberia terdiri daripada Sepanyol dan Portugal. Pada masa ini, mereka mempunyai bilangan pusingan MotoGP tertinggi di mana-mana rantau. Mereka ialah:

Grand Prix Portugal di Litar Antarabangsa Alrgarve.
Grand Prix Sepanyol di Litar Angel Nieto Jerez.
Grand Prix Catalunya di Litar Barcelona-Catalunya.
Grand Prix Aragon di Motorland Aragon.
Grand Prix Valencia di Litar Ricardo Tormo.

Sepanyol menjadi tuan rumah kepada empat GP, dan itu belum termasuk tiga sesi ujian sepanjang tahun. Monopoli sedemikian oleh satu negara menyebabkan peminat mempersoalkan keperluan dan sebabnya.

Walau bagaimanapun, akan berlaku perubahan dalam jadual kejohanan setelah MotoGP dibeli oleh Liberty Media. Sebagai pemilik baharu MotoGP mulai 2025, syarikat itu menyasarkan tambahan satu atau dua lagi Grand Prix di Amerika Syarikat.

Pusingan MotoGP di Amerika Syarikat merupakan satu perkara yang penting kerana negara itu merupakan pasaran motosikal utama, ditambah pula ia merupakan wakil tunggal kedua-dua benua Amerika selepas Argentina menarik diri.

Apapun, kalendar MotoGP sudah mencapai 22 pusingan yang maksimum. Ini bermakna tempat tertentu perlu memberi laluan untuk satu atau dua pusingan tambahan di Amerika. Justeru itu calon yang tersedia ialah mereka yang berada di semenanjung Iberia, atau lebih khusus, di Sepanyol kerana GP Portugal akan dikekalkan.

Ini disahkan oleh Ezpeleta apabila ditanya oleh GPOne.com, “Sudah tentu, tetapi tidak sehingga 2027. Kami tidak boleh mempunyai lebih daripada 22 Grand Prix setiap musim dan pastinya pada masa hadapan, tidak akan ada lima di Semenanjung Iberia.”

Selain Sepanyol, Itali merupakan satu lagi negara yang menganjurkan lebih daripada satu GP setahun, iaitu GP Itali di Mugello dan GP San Marino di Misano.

There Won’t be Five MotoGP Rounds in Iberia – Dorna

There will not be five MotoGP rounds in Iberia in the future, said Dorna’s CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta.

The Iberian peninsula consists of Spain and Portugal. As it currently stands, they have the highest number of MotoGP rounds of any region. They are:

Portugese Grand Prix at the Alrgarve International Circuit.
Spanish Grand Prix at the Angel Nieto Jerez Circuit.
Catalunya Grand Prix at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit.
Aragon Grand Prix at Motorland Aragon.
Valencia Grand Prix at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

Spain has four GPs, in addition to three test sessions year round. Such monopoly by a single country has fans questioning the need and reasons.

However, in light of Liberty Media’s purchase and the new owner of MotoGP from 2025, there will be a shakeup in the championship’s schedule. It is because the company is aiming for more than one Grand Prix in the United States.

The United States is an important calendar as the country is a major motorcycle market, plus it is the sole representative of both the American continents after Argentina’s withdrawal.

On the other hand, the calendar is already nearly at its maximum of 22 possible rounds. This means certain venues will need to make way for one or two additional American rounds. As such, the ready candidates would be those in the Iberian peninsula, or more specifically, Spain in order to retain the Portugese GP.

This was confirmed by Ezpeleta when asked by GPOne.com, ‘Definitely, but not until 2027. We cannot have more than 22 Grand Prix per season and certainly in the future, there will not be five in the Iberian Peninsula’.

Apart from Spain, Italy is the other country to host more than one GP per year, namely the Italian GP at Mugello and San Marino GP at Misano.

Aprilia Bersedia Pertahan Takhta Africa Eco Race

Aprilia bersedia untuk mempertahankan gelaran Africa Eco Race (AER) mereka yang dimenangi pada percubaan pertama mereka dengan motosikal Tuareg 660.

Pengeluar yang berpangkalan di Noale, Itali itu memenangi perlumbaan AER ke-15 pada Januari tahun ini, setelah Jacopo Cerutti menewaskan gandingan kegemaran Pol Tarres dan Alesssandro Botturi yang menunggang Yamaha Tenere T7.

Komitmen Aprilia terhadap AER menyusuli keputusan yang memberangsangkan dalam perlumbaan sulung Tuareg 660 dalam Rali Transanatolia (TAR) 2023. Walaupun Yamaha meraih kemenangan, Aprilia menduduki tempat ketiga hasil tunggangan Francesco Montanari.

Aprilia juga pernah memenangi Kejohanan Permotoran Itali (Italian Motorally Championship) bersama Cerutti pada 2023, selain daripada Perlumbaan Eko Afrika dan Rali Transanatolia. Pasukan itu juga akan mempertahankan gelaran ini.

Jacopo Cerutti berkata semasa pengumuman projek itu, “Kami menang pada penampilan sulung kami, jadi terdapat jangkaan tinggi. Matlamatnya adalah untuk memenangi Kejuaraan Itali sekali lagi dan berusaha untuk mencapai prestasi terbaik di Afrika. Saya memulakan latihan sejurus selepas Perlumbaan Eko Afrika , dan saya berasa dalam keadaan baik untuk musim baharu.”

Francesco Montanari menambah: “Saya sedang berlatih dan bersiap sekeras mungkin. Saya berharap dapat mengulangi prestasi tahun lalu dan meningkatkan keputusan saya, terutamanya dalam Perlumbaan Eko Afrika. Kami juga berazam untuk Kejohanan Itali, dan saya akan cuba melakukannya terbaik dari saya.”

Projek itu kini dipanggil Aprilia Tuareg Racing dan lebih bercita-cita tinggi daripada sebelumnya, maka mereka akan bersaing dalam:

Perlumbaan Eko Afrika dijadualkan pada 28 Disember 2024 – 12 Januari 2025.
Kejohanan Permotoran Itali bermula pada 20 April.
Serbuan Hellas Rally dari 24 Mei – 2 Jun.
Perhimpunan Transanatolia dijadualkan pada 31 Ogos – 7 September.

Massimo Rivola, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Aprilia Racing, berkata: “Selepas penampilan sulung yang luar biasa tahun lalu, di Itali dan di Afrika, jangkaan sangat tinggi. Matlamatnya adalah untuk mengesahkan kepimpinan kami dalam sektor baharu ini. Kami mempunyai nama bersejarah dan penting sebagai Tuareg, dan melihat motosikal yang cantik dan berkuasa di habitat semula jadinya adalah satu kebanggaan bagi Noale.”

Aprilia Ready to Defend Africa Eco Race Title

Aprilia is ready to defend their Africa Eco Race (AER) title which they won on their first attempt on the Tuareg 660.

The Noale-based manufacturer took the victory of the 15th AER race in January this year, which saw Jacopo Cerutti beating the favourite pairing of Pol Tarres and Alesssandro Botturi on the Yamaha Tenere T7.

Aprilia’s commitment to theAER followed an encouraging result in the Tuareg 660’s debut race in the 2023 Transanatolia Rally (TAR). Although Yamaha took the win, Aprilia finished third with Francesco Montanari riding.

Aprilia had also won the Italian Motorally Championship with Cerutti in 2023, apart from the Africa Eco Race and Transanatolia Rally. The team will also defend this title.

Jacopo Cerutti said during the announcement of the project, “We won on our debut, so expectations are high. The goal is to win the Italian Championship again and strive for the best possible performance in Africa. I started training immediately after the Africa Eco Race, and I feel in good shape for the new season.”

Francesco Montanari added: “I am training and preparing as hard as possible. I hope to repeat last year’s performance and improve my results, especially in the Africa Eco Race. We are also determined for the Italian Championship, and I’ll try to do my best.”

The project is now called Aprilia Tuareg Racing and is even more ambitious than before, with them competing in:

Africa Eco Race is scheduled for 28 December 2024 – 12 January 2025.
Italian Motorally Championship begins on 20 April.
Hellas Rally Raid from 24 May – 2 June
Transanatolia Rally scehduled for 31 August – September 7.

Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO, said: “After such an extraordinary debut last year, both in Italy and in Africa, expectations are very high. The goal is to confirm our leadership in this new sector. We have a historic and important name as Tuareg, and to see such a beautiful and powerful motorcycle in its natural habitat is a source of pride for Noale.”

Jualan Motosikal Thailand Menyusut 11 Peratus dalam Suku Pertama 2024

Jualan motosikal Thailand menyusut -11% (peratus) dalam suku pertama 2024.

Pasaran motosikal Kingdom telah menikmati pertumbuhan tiga tahun berturut-turut sebelum ini, menjadikannya pasaran motosikal keenam terbesar di dunia. Walau bagaimanapun, hanya 454,795 motosikal dijual (-11%) dalam tiga bulan pertama tahun ini.

Honda, walaupun masih mengekalkan kedudukan teratas mereka, melaporkan penurunan sebanyak -9.9%. Saingan terdekat mereka Yamaha telah kehilangan -10.6%. Mengikuti di tempat ketiga ialah Piaggio dengan penurunan sebanyak -29.6%, dan GPS jenama tempatan yang menyaksikan penurunan besar -52.2%.

Walau bagaimanapun, ia bukan semua malapetaka untuk beberapa jenama baru muncul seperti Lambretta yang menyaksikan peningkatan +29.8%, Lion +302%, dan EM +1,534%.

Penurunan itu bukan disebabkan oleh lebihan motosikal. Sebaliknya, ia berikutan keadaan ekonomi Thailand sekarang yang sudah pun mengalami kemelesetan akibat hutang isi rumah yang tinggi, kekurangan rangsangan (pelaburan) dan reformasi ekonomi. Ekonomi negara itu adalah yang paling perlahan di rantau ini.

Majlis Pembangunan Ekonomi dan Sosial Negara (NESDC) telah mengurangkan unjuran pertumbuhan 2024 untuk ekonomi Thailand kepada 2.2%-3.2%, daripada 2.7%-3.7% yang diramalkan pada November. Ramalan itu berdasarkan pertumbuhan KDNK sebanyak 1.7% pada Q4 2023, didorong oleh eksport dan pelaburan swasta, tetapi penurunan 3% dalam perbelanjaan kerajaan.

Beberapa saluran berita Thailand telah pun meramalkan penurunan jualan motosikal 2024 seawal Januari 2024.

Thailand ialah pangkalan pembuatan motosikal utama ke-5 terbesar dengan kapasiti untuk 2 juta motosikal, di belakang China (23 juta), India (20 juta), Indonesia (8 juta) dan Vietnam (3 juta).

Terdapat 7 pengeluar motosikal di Thailand. Mereka ialah Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, BMW, Triumph dan Ducati.

Thai Motorcycle Sales sees 11% Decrease

The Thai motorcycle industry sees an 11% decrease in the 1st quarter of 2024.

The Kingdom’s motorcycle market had enjoyed three years of consecutive growth previously, making it the sixth largest motorcycle market in the world. However, there were only 454,795 motorcycles sold (-11%) in the first three months of the year

Honda, while retaining their top spot, saw a decrease of -9.9%. Their closest rival Yamaha has lost -10.6%. Following in third was Piaggio with a decrease of -29.6%, and local brand GPS who sees a massive -52.2% drop.

However, it is not all doom and gloom for some emerging brands such as Lambretta who saw a +29.8% increase, Lion +302%, and EM +1,534%.

However, the drop is not due to over saturation. Instead, it is due to Thailand’s current economical state which is already in recession due to high household debts, lack of stimulus (investments) and economic reform. The country’s economy is the slowest in the region.

Despite hopes that the economy rebounds this year, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has reduced its 2024 growth forecast for Thailand’s economy to 2.2%-3.2%, from the 2.7%-3.7% predicted in November. The forecast was based on a 1.7% GDP growth in Q4 2023, driven by exports and private investment, but a 3% drop in government spending.

Several Thai news outlets had already predicted a decrease in 2024 motorcycle sales in as early as January 2024.

Thailand is the 5th largest major motorcycle manufacturing base with a capacity for 2 million motorcycles, behind China (23 million), India (20 million), Indonesia (8 million) and Vietnam (3 million).

There are 7 motorcycle manufacturers in Thailand. They are Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, BMW, Triumph and Ducati.