Wahid Ooi, Author at BikesRepublic.com

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Wahid Ooi

KTM Adds GasGas to Portfolio

KTM has inked a joint venture with Spanish manufacturer GasGas.
The cooperation will see the co-development of trials, enduro and electric bikes in Spain.
While GasGas is predominantly known as a trials manufacturer, they manufacturer other offroad bikes as well.

KTM has inked a joint venture with Spanish manufacturer GasGas.

The deal was inked between KTM Industries AG and Black Toro Capital, the owners of GasGas Motorcycles.

The cooperation will see the co-development of trials, enduro and electric bikes in Spain. The press release also stated that production of GasGas bikes and Torot electric vehicles will continue in Girona, Spain. GaGas will also benefit from KTM’s extensive sales and distribution network.

KTM will have three brands under their umbrella i.e. KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas. However, the joint venture is subject to antitrust authorities’ approval.

Earlier, it was announced that KTM Industries Group will be known as the Pierer Mobility Group in the future. KTM is now Europe’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. Besides owning Husqvarna and the possibility of GasGas soon, the group also owns WP Suspension.

On the other hand, GasGas specializes in offroad motorcycles since their inception in 1985. Their first bike was a trials bike in 1985, followed by enduro and motocross bikes in 1989, before adding quads to their model line-up in 2002.

Since then, they are predominantly known as a trials bike manufacturer when Jordi Tarrés won three successive world trials championships in 1993, 1994 and 1995.

Additionally, they won the Trial Outdoor World Championship in 2005 and 2006 with Adam Raga. Raga also took the Trial Indoor World Championship in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

While they’ve made a name in trials, the company was also successful in enduro events. Paul Edmonson won two World Enduro Championships – the 125cc title in 1994 and 250cc title in 1996. Petteri Silvan then won the 250cc championship in 1999, followed by Petri Pohiamo in the 125cc class in 2003.

Rimba Raid 2020 at Mat Daling is Set

Rimba Raid 2020 is set to be held at Mat Daling from 24^thto 26^thJuly 2020.
The route is between 360 to 420 km.
The number of spots for competitors has grown to a total of 230.

Mark your calendars – Rimba Raid 2020 is set to be held at Mat Daling from 24^thto 26^thJuly 2020.

Details are scant at the moment, but here’s what we gathered from Rimba Raid’s official Facebook page:

ROUTE

360 to 420km route consisting mostly of jungles.
10% of consists of plantations with a mix of medium- and high-speed sections.
10% are technical but unlike Green Hell in Janda Baik.

DURATION

Day 1 for scrutineering.
Day 2 for race to Mat Daling.
Day 3 for a race to a yet determined venue.
Day 4 event ends.

NAVIGATION

Electronic roadbooks issued on GIVI mounts and brackets.
Secondary navigation tool are GPS units supplied by competitors themselves. This is mandatory.

CHANGE OF ELIGIBLE BIKES

Class C will be dropped.
An Enduro Rally Class consisting of Open to singles 250cc above will replace Class C.
FEs (four-stroke enduros) and TPIs (two-stroke transfer port injection) are eligible but subject to certain conditions.
Roadgoing trail bikes such as the Honda CRF-L, Kawasaki KLX, Suzuki DR can be fitted with bigger fuel tanks and other modifications.
Pure enduro bikes must be in near-stock configuration with standard fuel tanks (exhaust and suspension mods are acceptable).

ENTRY DETAILS

Entry fee will be announced later.

NUMBER OF COMPETITORS

Class A – 100
Class B – 30
Enduro Rally – 100

Rimba Raid has definitely gone from a hobby event to a full-fledged competition on the motorsport calendar. The number of competitors has grown tremendously and is attracting more and more overseas riders. However, Malaysian riders still hold the title as “Kings of the Jungle” up to this year’s event.

Rimba Raid could also be seen as the breeding ground for talent. Recently, the three members of the Malaysian team in team BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy had competed in Rimba Raid.

So, do join Rimba Raid and bring your family along to witness some of the best off-road action.

2019 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP Test & Review – Superbike (Re)defined?

The 2019 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP is all about rider confidence and usability.
Honda probably set out to produce an everyday superbike.
It’s wonderfully balanced and not slow at all.

I’ve to admit that my love for superbikes declined over the years. They’ve grown to be much faster, more focused and less compromising over the last decade. There’s nothing wrong with that; superbikes are meant to chase lap times, after all. Yes, my love for superbikes was reignited after attending California Superbike School Malaysia but superbikes are still superbikes. Those were the thoughts playing in my mind when I picked up the 2019 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP.

Introduction to the 2019 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade

The bike was beautiful and looked better than when it was launched indoors. The silver-coloured massive frame and swingarm, offset by the gold rims, topped off by red, white and blue HRC livery shone in the sunlight. Some may say that those headlights look like the Ducati Panigale’s but no, they really look distinctively CBR on this bike as it blended in with the overall design.

Climbing on, I was surprised to fit right in. Muscle memory had tried to push my arms lower down the front, but it turned out that the clip-ons were higher than other superbikes. When viewed from the side of the bike, the handlebars rise about 2.5cm higher than the seat line.

The footpegs were lower and set further front than all others. Another surprise was my foot finding the ground immediately instead of paddling around to check out the seat height. The seat was low for a superbike.

The sharp and narrow front profile necessitated a small TFT screen. But unlike some bikes we’ve tested, the screen has characters that were large enough to read for old eyes like mine. Even I could make out the smallest fonts that concern mileage and fuel consumption data.

One glance and I knew what RPM, which gear position and speed. The Honda Torque Control data sits on the bottom left side, displaying the MODE (there were three manufacturer presets and two user presets) and the levels of each parameter.

Changing the parameters was done through the MODE and selector buttons. It took only a couple of minutes to figure out, despite the lack of the user’s manual.

MODE 1 is akin to race mode. From left to right, power, traction control, wheelie control, engine braking and electronic suspension control are at their most performance-oriented settings. MODE 2 is like sport or road mode: The throttle engine is less punchy which higher levels of electronic assistance. MODE 3 is more like rain mode i.e. softer throttle response, highest level of traction control and softest suspension setting.

Changing any parameter will have the system revert to USER settings immediately, so you can easily customize any setting without getting lost.

That brings us to the electronic suspension. There were three levels of present damping A1, A2 and A3, plus one M for manual settings. A1 is the stiffest, A3 the softest.

Riding the CBR1000RR Fireblade SP

As with all inline-Four superbikes, the engine fired up with a roar as if you held the throttle open slightly. The exhaust wasn’t too loud nor too soft and had this distinctive warble when I blipped the throttle.

Clutch out and the bike rolled smoothly ahead even without throttle input.

But the throttle… Oh my. It was so direct it’s as if your right hand is working the throttle bodies, fuel pump and electronics at one go. There’s no slack in take up but then it didn’t snap the bike forward like the MT-09. Twist it a little more and the bike responds with more forward thrust; roll off and the bike slows down accordingly.

Then there’s that riding position. Seated correctly (please check out our video on the correct riding position here), there’s no pressure on the lower back at all. There wasn’t pressure on the wrists, either. But there has to be some part of the body taking the weight, right? Yes, the inner thighs but I found that I didn’t need to squeeze the fuel tank hard at all. The reason for this was due to the tank which was tapered toward the back. The front was wide and made clamping the knees on it much easier.

As we rode down Jalan Ipoh, I gritted my teeth in anticipation of getting kicked around on bumps. I started out in MODE 1 hence the A1 suspension mode. I was surprised that it was super compliant. Sure, there are other bikes that use the Ohlins NIX forks and Ohlins TTX shock, but there must be a different algorithm besides suspension internals for the CBR. It was almost as comfortable as an adventure bike with stiffer settings! I kid you not!

Sport riding

It was so much fun to ride around in MODE 1 that I left there. The powerband was superbly linear with no steps along the way and the smooth throttle action helped. The only indication that you’re about to go faster was the change in the exhaust note, from a droning vroom to warble mixed with a howl starting from 4,500 RPM. The bike punched through 160km/h, 200km/h, 250km/h and beyond easily without any white-knuckled moment. It was exceptionally stable in a straight line despite the short wheelbase.

Out on Karak Highway, the bike flowed through each corner. Although I was riding faster than before, it didn’t take much effort to lean the bike over. Its limits were so high that the bike stayed well off kneedown angles. Remember, less lean angle is safer.

Up Genting Highlands, I decided to get a bit more aggressive. Again, the bike didn’t protest and flicked left and right without the need to over commit.

The SP was fitted with ultra-sticky Bridgestone RS10 tyres. Bridgestones are stiffer in construction so I switched to USER 1 and adjusted the damping rate to A2. There’s was still plenty of feedback from either end and I always knew what the tyres were up to.

I had so much fun I rode up and down Genting four times in five days. I haven’t had this much fun since a long time ago… back in 2017 on a Triumph Street Triple RS.

Just like the RS, the SP will do anything you ask of it. Additionally, that super stable chassis mixed with a smooth throttle and linear powerband built immediate confidence for you to push harder and deeper into corners.

The quickshifter deserved its own praise. While everyone harps about a certain other sportbike’s, the SP’s quickshifter was so smooth it should be used as the model in moisturizer ads. Why pay those models when you have the CBR1000RR SP? On other bikes, using the quickshifter in the lower gears in low revs would usually have the system kicking hard and feeling as if the gearbox is going to split open, but not on the SP. Nope, uh uh.

Daily riding

Almost no one commutes daily on a superbike anymore, do they? Why? It’s like what I said in the beginning: Superbikes have gotten so focused that they are less comfortable and less compromising.

I fretted the thought of doing so on the SP initially, but it turned out to be unfounded.

The light steering, easy flickability and powerful brakes had me riding it like it was a 250cc bike. The bike’s very compact and there were other bikers who thought it was a 250 to 400cc bike.

Even my fear of U-turns was taken care of. On a superbike. I could hardly believe it either.

Touring

If the daily commute is difficult for sportbike riders, what more touring. Right?

Nope. I was so impressed with its comfort that I rode it all the way to Penang and back with a Harley-Davidson group and I didn’t feel like I had wrestled with a grizzly bear.

Conclusion

I felt that it’s a shame people are looking at superbikes by account of higher horsepower ratings on the spec sheet. In my opinion, power isn’t everything – it certainly isn’t everything if you aren’t enjoying the ride.

The CBR1000RR may have been updated but it retains the kind of controllability that endeared itself to “Rabbit” fans in the country and world over. It’s the manifest of Honda’s total rider control concept and it got me thinking about how much resources the manufacturer put into developing this one bike.

The 2019 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP certainly surprised me, despite having tested all the current 1000cc superbikes except for the 2019 BMW S 1000 RR. Heck, it even surprised all of our peers. Seriously.

Yes, again it has the lowest horsepower among the 1000cc superbikes. But what if you could only afford one 1000cc superbike? Which means you have to live with it for your daily commute, weekend Karak blasting, occasional track days and go touring?

Pick this one.

PHOTO GALLERY

BMW Files Patent for M Versions of S 1000 RR, S 1000 XR and R 1250 GS

BMW filed an application to trademark the M versions of the S 1000 RR, S 1000 XR and R 1250 GS.
The application stated the three models as “M 1000 RR,” “M 1000 XR,” and “M 1300 GS.”
An M bikes means performance parts or higher performance.

Hold on tight, BMW filed an application to trademark the M versions of the S 1000 RR, S 1000 XR and R 1250 GS.

However, according to Motorcycle.com, instead of retaining the first letter suffix of each model, the application replaced them with the letter “M” instead. Thus, the three models became known as the “M 1000 RR,” “M 1000 XR,” and “M 1300 GS.”

This will be unprecedented if the three are sold as such. That’s because BMW Motorrad has a great system of naming their bikes, since the first letter indicated the type of engine the bike uses, with the exception of their scooter line-up.

For example, “F” means parallel-Twin, “G” says single-cylinder, “K” inline-Six (used to cover inline-Fours but has since been taken over by “S”), “R” is for Boxer, “S” means inline-Four. Scooters are a departure from the norm, designated with a “C”.

“M” on the other hand is reserved for bikes that receive the “M package.” M division is BMW’s performance branch who tunes stock machines in fire-breathing beasts, at least for the cars. For example, the M3 compared to the normal 3-Series. In terms of bikes, the 2019 S 1000 RR received the M package which consists of performance parts such as carbon fibre wheels, lighter battery, sport seat, adjustable ride height, adjustable swingarm pivot, Pro ride mode and finished with a special M livery.

So, what would an M 1000 RR be like? No other detail was provided but we are definitely salivating at the thought of a higher performance S 1000 RR. The same goes for the S 1000 XR. Conversely, the M 1300 GS may be even more “adventure” than the normal R 1250 GS.

We’ll see what transpires. It may amount to nothing at all, but who knows.

Source: Motorcycle.com

Thailand May Ban Lane Splitting for Big Bikes

Malaysian bikers beware: Thailand may roll out a number of new rulings.
Lane splitting ban and an 80km/h speed limit for big bikes is being proposed.
Motorcycle license is required when renting a scooter.

Thailand Transport Ministry may ban lane splitting for big bikes and limit their speed to 80km/h in urban areas.

The country’s Deputy Permanent Secretary for Transport Chirute Vialachitra said that the ban would require big bike riders to wait for traffic lights behind other vehicles. The 80km/h speed limit applies to urban and community areas i.e. villages and towns.

Additionally, big bike riders are to undergo specially-designed tests to obtain their driving licenses. The government plans to set up special test fields and simulators for big bike riders. The simulations will present danger-prone situations to train riders on safety aspects.

But more importantly, foreign tourists are required to show their motorcycle license when renting motorcycles in the country. The requirement is already in existence but not enforced. This is in view of the spate of foreigner deaths while riding motorcycles.

A timeline for enacting the new rules has not been provided, said Mr. Chirute but will be finalized in 30 days before seeking cabinet approval. He hopes the new measures will be in place by year end.

Should the new ruling be approved, Malaysian bikers should beware of them when riding into Thailand.

Source: Bangkok Times

Research Recommends Saying “Bike” to Yourself When You See One

There are many reasons why car drivers don’t seem to see bikes.
But it’s usually due to how the human brain works.
A group of researchers recommend saying “bike” out loud to yourself when you see one.

Here we are, adhering to the ATGATT (all the gears all the time) rule, the headlights switched on and positioned in the lane for maximum visibility. Then we spot a driver waiting to exit her side of the junction. We know she sees us because we exchange glances.

Then she pulls right out in front of us with 10 metres to spare. It’s about this time when all the profanities of planet Earth, the galaxy and Proxima Centauri are spewed forth into the helmet’s chinbar.

Truth is, no driver wants the trouble of causing bodily harm to any biker (except for psychotic ones).

According to many researches, it’s all in the mind. Earlier, a study concluded that drivers could sometimes suffer from “inattentive blindness.” Their eyes saw the motorcycle, but their minds fail to register.

Now a new research from the University of Nottingham, UK says that drivers may suffer from “a short-term memory loss.”

They carried out tests with a BMW Mini and a driving simulator. The subjects consisted of both male and female subjects.

Tests found that the drivers actually saw the motorcycle, but somehow “forgot” that it’s there. It’s easy for drivers to be distracted by something and pull out in front of the bike. in 180 simulations, the subjects didn’t see a car 3 times and a motorcycle 16 times. Additionally, drivers tend to misjudge the distance and closing speed of motorcycles (this one we know very well).

The researchers have a solution to this problem. They recommended that the driver say, “Bike” out loud to himself when he sees one. Doing so will program the mind to register the motorcycle. It’s like reading out loud when you want to memorize the text.

We’ve kind of applied this in our daily lives when driving. Here, we would say, “Ada moto (there’s a bike).” Our spouses have also been helpful in this aspect.

Share this with your driving friends and see if it works.

“Safety Activist” Recommends that Kapchais are Banned

A “safety activist” recommended that the government ban kapchais from Malaysian roads.
He suggests electric scooters be used as the alternative.
It’s because electric scooters have limited range and lower speeds.

A “safety activist” recommended to the government that kapchais should be banned from Malaysian roads, reports Careta.my.

Speaking at a Malaysia Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) event, Sharhim Tamrin said that the government should consider electric scooters as the alternative, as they have limited range and top speeds of around 80km/h only.

He said this based on his findings that countries like China and Taiwan have banned kapchais. (The two countries did not “ban” kapchais, instead they urged the use of electic scooters as fuel is expensive and China especially didn’t want their economy to depend on petroleum. – Editor)

“I have, informally, proposed this to a number of government agencies. I will also send a (formal) proposal to the government to ban kapchais,” he said during a forum at the event.

A similar proposal was forwarded by Works Minister Fadilah Yusof in 2013, on the grounds of safety. He called for kapchais to be banned from entering highways.

Shahrim also mentioned the trend of 15- and 16-year-olds who likes to ride fast. He also called motorcycle manufacturers to task for advertising motorcycles as performance machines, which would influence the owners to ride fast and some to modify their bikes to go faster.

Assistant Director of Enforcement for the Traffic Investigations and Enforcement Department of the Royal Malaysia Police concurred that the government should ban motorcycles below 250cc.

According to him, there were more car accidents last year compared to motorcycles, but it’s the latter that contributed to higher death rates.

New KTM RC 390 Spotted Undergoing Tests

A new KTM RC 390 was spotted undergoing road tests.
Introduced in 2014, it needs an upgrade/redesign.
The new bike may be introduced for 2021.

As we speculated, all manufacturers are hard at work to produce new models by 2020 and 2021. But one bike which has gone under the radar for a long time is the KTM RC 390.

The bike made huge waves and sold like hotcakes when it was introduced back in 2014. Soon, they were everywhere. There were also RC 390-exclusive racing series and some owners took it to track days.

The bike was last updated in 2017. But 5 years is a long time (maybe too long) for the model’s product cycle in that cut throat segment.

So, as with the KTM 390 Duke test bike caught testing months ago, a prototype RC 390 was also spied over the weekend.

According to RideApart, the new bike will debut in 2021.

Changes to the new bike is immediately noticeable as KTM redesigned the bike: the front fairing has a similar profile, but the rest of the bodywork are different. Even the rear seat is different and takes a contemporary design instead of the current single-seat look.

Also gone is the lattice work of the rear subframe. The handlebars appear to be mounted higher for more comfortable ergonomics.

The new bike will of course be Euro 5 compliant, but there are no details yet if there are any power upgrades.

New 2020 Triumph Street Triple RS on the Way

A new 2020 Triumph Street Triple RS is one the way.
Triumph released a teaser video.
The new bike will be Euro 5 compliant and will feature new updates.

It’s confirmed: A new 2020 Triumph Street Triple RS is one the way.

As with the impending launch of new models, Triumph released a teaser video of the new Street Triple RS. Test mules had also been spotted a number of months earlier.

The video shows a heart-pounding run up to a corner while being accompanied by the triple’s distinctive and awesome soundtrack.

What we know is the new bike’s engine will be Euro 5 compliant but what we don’t know is what state of tune the engine will take on. As in our earlier report, the exhaust collector will house two catalytic converters.

There’s much speculation (hope, actually) that it’ll be fitted with some of the stuff from, or at least learned, from Triumph’s role as the sole engine supplier to the World Moto2 Championship. The current engine produces 121hp and 77.3Nm of torque. Will we see a hike to 135 horses? Please, please, please!

There will surely be updates in other areas, too.

The twin headlamps will take on a new look, there may be slight changes to the swingarm, and there’s a big chance that the instrument cluster will feature GoPro control a la the Scrambler 1200 XE.

The Street Triple RS remains this writer’s favourite all-time bike, so it’s interesting how the new bike will turn out on October 7th.

Aprilia GPR 250 Launched in China

The Aprilia GPR 250 was unveiled in China.
Its 249.2cc, single-cylinder engine produces 26.5hp and 22Nm.
Will it come to Malaysia?

Somewhat unexpected, the Aprilia GPR 250 was unveiled in China rather than in the traditional European markets first.

Aprilia has a long history with 250cc sportbikes, harking back to the glory days of the 2-stroke RS250 for the road. The bike capitalized on their outstanding success in the world 250cc GP in the hands of riders such as Tetsuya Harada, Loris Capirossi, Max Biaggi and one upstart by the name of Valentino Rossi.

However, their attention seemed to have shifted since they built the 1000cc Mille superbike, which culminated in the 1000cc RSV4 and finally the most recent RSV4 1100. Aprilia’s current MotoGP effort lends further weight to the RSV4.

But apparently Aprilia had not given up on lightweight sportbikes. They debuted the RS660 concept at EICMA last year and now this, the GPR 250.

One look and it’s apparent that it’s influenced by the RSV4 in many respects: The twin headlamps, swoopy bodywork, large twin-spar aluminium frame.

The 249.2cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke engine is claimed to produce 26.5hp and 22Nm of torque. The manufacturer claims a 150kg weight.

That power is on par with other 250cc single-cylinder sportbikes such as the Honda CBR250R, KTM RC 250 and TVS Apache RR 310. By comparison, two-cylinder machines such as the Kawasaki Ninja 250 and Yamaha YZF-R25 produce in the regions of 39hp and 36hp, respectively.

The Aprilia GPR 250 is slated for the Indian market soon. We wonder if it’ll ever come into Malaysia.

2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin Breaks Cover

The 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin has broken cover.
The bike was unveiled in Europe ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show.
Changes centre on the engine, ergonomics and electronics.

Just as we were waiting for the 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin to be officially launched at the Tokyo Motor Show next month, the bike has broken cover in Europe.

The styling looks just like the photos leaked most recently. The new bike retains its predecessor’s silhouette but with a number of differences. The “goggle” headlights have been restyled to look more aggressive, the “nose” carrying the headlights is higher, the handlebars are taller, and the seat is slightly lower.

Speaking of seat height, height can be adjusted to a lower position and there will also be a low seat option. Honda will also offer a higher seat for taller riders.

The main subject is the new engine, of course, which sees displacement bumped to 1,084cc. the bigger capacity brings a 7hp increase to 101hp from 94hp. Torque is rated at 104.4 Nm. The increase in capacity is necessary in order to produce higher power while expelling lower emissions.

Other updates to the engine include direct fuel injection with twin-spark plug combustion chambers; aluminium cylinder sleeves; redesigned cylinder heads; new ECU settings; revised valve timing; split radiators.

Honda claims that the new bike is lighter than the outgoing model: The manual gearbox version weighs 226kg while the DCT-equipped version tips the scales at 236kg.

In terms of electronics, the 2020 Africa Twin includes six riding modes: Tour, Urban, Gravel, Off-Road and two user settings. There is a new 6.5-inch TFT screen (set horizontally now) with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, wheelie control and Bluetooth connectivity. Honda has also added cruise control (yippee!).

The manual gearbox version retails for USD14,399 in the USA.

PHOTO GALLERY

Yamaha YZF-R15 Monster Energy GP Edition Coming to Malaysia – From RM12,618

The Yamaha YZF-R15 Monster Energy GP Edition is coming to Malaysia.
Its livery is exactly as the Yamaha MotoGP works bike’s.

The recommended basic selling price is from RM12,618.

The Yamaha YZF-R15 Monster Energy GP Edition is headed to Malaysia. The livery is derived directly from the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP works team.

Yamaha has always transferred their MotoGP liveries to their motorcycles in many markets including Malaysia. That started long ago with the 135 LC, then the Y15ZR, YZF-R25 and now the YZF-R15 (R15).

The Monster Energy GP edition was launched in the UK on the YZF-R125 months ago and it was high time for our turn.

What makes it special this time is the Monster Energy livery which was replicated by enthusiasts on their own. It was said that the Monster Energy sponsorship in MotoGP was brought along by Valentino Rossi. The energy drink sponsored him since the Movistar days.

The bike is mechanically identical to the standard R15. We found the standard bike good enough already anyway, so there’s no sense in disturbing its equilibrium.

However, to those who’ve not ridden the R15, the upside-down forks, chassis and 155cc VVT engine produce a lively and entertaining ride. You could even knee down in corners if ridden well.