Wahid Ooi, Author at BikesRepublic.com

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Wahid Ooi

New BMW S 1000 RR to Debut at BMW Motorrad Night Fuel Malaysia?

The sixth edition of the BMW Motorrad Night Fuel Malaysia will be held on 22^ndJune 2019.
It’s set to take place at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base at Sungai Besi.
Will we see the new S 1000 RR, R 1250 GS and R 1250 RT?

The sixth edition of the BMW Motorrad Night Fuel Malaysia will be held on 22^ndJune 2019. It’s set to take place at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base at Sungai Besi.

The BMW Motorrad Night Fuel Malaysia event has toured across Malaysia since 2016. This 2019 event is a return to Kuala Lumpur.

Celebrating the Making Life a Ride spirit, the BMW Motorrad Night Fuel Malaysia event is one of the largest gatherings of premium motorcycle enthusiasts from across the country and is open to all BMW Motorrad owners.

Held on Saturday, 22^ndJune 2019 at The Base, Sempang Airport, Royal Malaysian Air Force Base along the Sungai Besi area, the event will host a night filled with great food, music, camaraderie.

And as usual, the introduction of new motorcycles from BMW Motorrad Malaysia as well as a lucky draw chance to win a BMW Motorrad GS model. Our guess are the new S 1000 RR superbike, R 1250 GS and R 1250 RT, among others.

Sensational line-up of live performances includes the TC Buskers, Arjuna Band and a special performance by a legendary Malaysian Rock Legend!

Details of the event:

Date : 22^ndJune 2019, Saturday

Time : 7:00PM to 11:00PM

Venue : The Base, Sempang Airport, Royal Malaysian Air Force Base, 57100 Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur.

Ticket entry to the Sixth BMW Night Fuel Event Malaysia 2019 is at RM 90.00 via online registrations from now until Monday, 17^thJune 2019 and at RM 110.00 for walk-in registrations during the event itself. Visit BMW Motorrad Malaysia’s website HERE.

More details are also available on BMW Motorrad Malaysia’s Facebook page or call BMW VOICE at 1800-88-3000.

Anthony West Launches Tirade Against FIM

Anthony West launched an expletive-filled tirade against the FIM.
He also announced his retirement from motorcycle racing.
West rode for Kawasaki in MotoGP, QMMF in Moto2 and was a WorldSSP race winner.

Anthony West launched an expletive-filled tirade against the FIM. He also announced his retirement from motorcycle racing.

He posted in his Facebook page, “***k FIM I’m done with the sport. You’ll never see me on another motorcycle again in my life. You win you FIM dogs. Your (sic) really low s**t people who should have nothing to do with the sport. FIM have pushed me to lose my ride with Kawasaki here in Brazil. FIM have destroyed my life many times and have put me into depression to the point I wish I was dead. I’m done playing there (sic) bulls**t political games. ***k FIM.”

West was a permanent fixture in MotoGP riding in the Kawasaki team, besides being a WorldSSP winner. However, he has been banned for two years after testing positive for stimulants in his urine sample.

It wasn’t the first time he was tested positive with suspected illegal substance. The Australian was tested positive for methylhexaneamine, a substance in nasal decongestant but banned under the FIM Anti-Doping Code. That was when he competed in Moto2 for the QMMF team in Qatar 2012. He denied any wrongdoing but the FIM wasn’t impressed.

Unfortunately, it now appears that West may go down the route taken by fellow-Aussie rider Anthony Gobert.

Ducati Streetfighter V4 to Debut at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC)

A Ducati Streetfighter V4 teaser of its debut at the 2019 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) has appeared in the Ducati FB page.
The video ends with the messages “The gloves come off at Pikes Peak” and “Stay tuned June 13.”
Carlin Dunne is slated to ride a “Ducati Pikes Peak Prototipo” which heavily implies a Streetfighter V4 prototype.

A Ducati Streetfighter V4 teaser of its debut at the 2019 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) has appeared in the Ducati FB page. The video showed a few lines of a bike, before flashing to “The gloves come off at Pikes Peak” and instructing us to “Stay tuned June 13.”

Although the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb officially begins from 24^thJune with pre-race activities such as scrutineering, official practice and qualifying, the race proper begins on 30^thJune.

However, there are unsanctioned practices on 8^th, 9^th, 14^th, 15^thand 16^thJune for the competitors. Thus, the unveiling of the Streetfighter V4 happens on the eve of one of those tests.

Interestingly, the Streetfighter V4 isn’t found in the competitors’ listing. Instead, it’s described as “Ducati Pikes Peak Prototipo (prototype),” in the heavyweight category. Carlin Dunne who has won on Ducatis multiple times will ride the bike. Dunne also won last year on a Ducati Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak. However, his final time was 10 seconds off the record set by Chris Fillmore in 2018 on the KTM 1290 Super Duke R.

There exists beyond doubt that Ducati wants to not only retain the PPIHC crown but also set a new record. Indeed, a Streetfighter V4 prototype was spotted testing at a track last week.

The PPIHC is a 156-corner “track” up a hillside. The competitors (including cars, 4X4s, quads) start from sea level and wind their way up to the finish line at 4302.2 metres (14, 115 feet).

Superbikes were allowed a few years before but were subsequently banned due to a number of fatal crashes. “Motorcycles with one-piece, non-clip-on handlebars are allowed,” as the organizers put it.

So, stay tuned, indeed!

Sources: Ducati, PPIHC

Andrea Dovizioso Put in a Strong DTM Debut

Andrea Doviziso put in a fastest lap just 1.2 seconds off the fastest time in Race 1 of his DTM (Duetsche Tourenwagen Masters) debut at the Misano track, Italy.
It was Dovizioso’s one-off appearance in the German touring car championship, riving for the Audi Sport team.
He has a chance to better the result in Race 2 today.

Andrea Dovizioso put in a fastest lap just 1.2 seconds off the fastest time in Race 1 of his DTM (Duetsche Tourenwagen Masters) debut at the Misano track, Italy.

It was Dovizioso’s one-off appearance in the German touring car championship, riving for the Audi Sport team. Ducati logos feature prominently on the car as Audi owns the Ducati brand.

“Desmo” Dovi finished a credible 12^thposition after working up the field from 15^th. It was a commendable drive as he ended the race just one position behind his teammate Pietro Fittipaldi, who is also a Formula 1 test driver.

He has a chance to better the result in Race 2 today. The DTM series is a cut-throat racing series, featuring hard, no quarter given overtakes and ultra-competitive throughout. This is where German manufacturers battle it out for supremacy and bragging rights.

Dovizioso isn’t the first MotoGP rider to try his hands at auto racing. Fellow MotoGP competitors such as Valentino Rossi competes in rally racing annually. Other riders including Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo have also tested for auto racing teams.

The biggest challenge for two-wheel racers making the shift to four-wheels is usually about braking. As cars have four wheels that maintain contact to the tarmac at most times, brakes can be applied later and more aggressively compared to motorcycles. Another benefit of this is that racecars can carry much higher cornering speeds, too. Consequently, full-time riders need to concentrate more on breaking through this barrier.

Ewan McGregor is Moto Guzzi V85TT Ambassador

Superstar Ewan McGregor is the new Moto Guzzi V85TT ambassador.
He agreed to promote the bike only after testing and liking it.
McGregor is a long-time Moto Guzzi fan.

Superstar Ewan McGregor is the new Moto Guzzi V85TT ambassador.

The V85TT surprised us at how good it was to ride and has plenty of charm. But it wasn’t only us who liked the bike. Sales in Italy, France, Germany and the UK have surpassed expectations. Heck, it even surprised Moto Guzzi and Piaggio brass, so much so that production couldn’t keep up with demand.

Back to the story, Ewan McGregor is made the ambassador because he likes the bike. Product endorsements by celebrities is one thing but McGregor agreed to promote the V85TT on one caveat: That he has to ride the bike and like it first. And he did.

McGregor took part in the bike’s launch in southern Sicily, Italy and rode through all sorts of terrains.

It wasn’t the first instance of the actor’s involvement with Moto Guzzi, however. He had liked the brand for a long time. He stopped by at the manufacturer’s HQ in Madello del Lario at the shores of Lake Como in the middle of his road trip in the “Long Way Down.” He also took part in the 2013 launch of the California 1400 in Australia.

Does this mean McGregor will ride the Moto Guzzi V85TT, while his friend and partner Charlie Boorman will ride the Triumph Tiger 800 XCx/XCa (Boorman is Triumph’s ambassador) in the upcoming sequel to “Long Way Down”?

Aprilia RS660 Patents Leaked

The Aprilia RS660 may just kick start the middleweight supersport segment.
Its patent filings have been leaked online.
The production-ready bike should debut at EICMA 2019.

The Aprilia RS660 may just kick start the dormant middleweight supersport segment. At least, that’s what the manufacturer hopes. But are they serious in putting the concept into production? Patent filings in Australia seems to indicate as so.

The CAD drawings show a bike which adheres to the concept’s silhouette, with some differences.

Firstly, the forks look to be Sachs instead of the Ohlins fitted to the concept at EICMA 2018. The front brake calipers look to be “regular” monoblocs instead of Brembo Stylemas. The main reason for these has to be about cost savings, making the bike more affordable to the masses.

But bear in mind that Aprilia usually offers different versions of their bikes i.e. standard and Factory variants. In the case of the RSV4 and Tuono V4, the Factory variants are fully kitted out in the chassis and electronics departments. It could also be true for the RS660.

Good news is, the fairings take on aerobody applications. Going further, there’s been talk that the bike features an Aprilia Active Aerodynamics (A3) system. But what it does and how it works still remains to be seen.

Anyhow, the production model is slated to be released at EICMA this year. Hope we get to test the bike for its media introduction.

Q1 2019 Motorcycle Sales Up 23.6% in Europe

Motorcycle sales in Europe grew by 23% in Q1 2019.
The biggest growing markets were a number of former Eastern Bloc countries.
The traditional EU markets also grew.

While motorcycle sales is languishing in the United States and dropped markedly around the world, sales in Europe has actually picked up.

Q1 2019 sales picked up by a heady 23.6% in Europe against a 5% general drop worldwide. Even China and India saw a drop in the number of bikes moved, dragging down the worldwide market average.

The result surprised even KTM CEO Stefan Pierer, whose brand increased by 10%.

The fastest growing European markets were the former Eastern Bloc countries including Poland (+87.3%), Romania (+86.9%), Hungary +72%), Lithuania (+71%) and Slovakia (+54%). Many riders from other countries have taken to riding in these countries recently, perhaps sparking the local interest in motorcycles.

Traditional EU markets also saw growth including France (+31.8%), Italy (+17%), Spain (+19.1%), Germany (+22.1%), and the United Kingdom (+10%) despite Brexit fears.

By contrast, the Asian motorcycle market saw a drop of 9.9%. However, the ASEAN region recorded a 5.9% growth, spurred by a 15% increase in the Indonesian market. Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam recorded reductions, on the other hand.

Honda CRF850L Africa Twin Soon?

New rumours suggest that a new Honda CRF850L Africa Twin is in the works.
Honda is currently without a middleweight dual-sport model.
The rumours also say the new bike will debut for 2021.

Honda may be the Japanese manufacturer, but they have no middleweight adventure/dual-sport motorcycle to speak of. However, that may change soon if the rumours of a new Honda CRF850L Africa Twin turn out to be true.

Honda currently has the CRF250L, CRF250 Rally and CRF1000L Africa Twin (to be bumped up to 1100cc next year) in the lineup, currently. The only other bike with a gavel mode apart from the trio is the 750cc X-Adv scooter. There is the NC750X, but it isn’t a full-fledge dual-sport bike. So, that leaves an empty spot for a middleweight dual-sport. Honda knows this and acknowledge that they are missing out on the popularity of that segment.

A CRF850L Africa Twin ought to do well given a lower price tag than the CRF1100L. It would compete head-on against the Yamaha Ténéré700 in the American market. Besides that, the BMW F 850 GS/GS Adventure, Ducati Multistrada 950, KTM 790 Adventure/R, Triumph Tiger 800 XC/XR and new Moto Guzzi V85 TT will be the CRF850L’s rivals, too.

Our guess is that the CRF850L will not be equipped with the Dual Clutch Transmission to cut down on price and weight.

Rumours suggest that the new Honda will debut in late-2020 for the 2021 model year. Honda fans will definitely be looking forward to it.

What Happened to Valentino Rossi in Mugello?

Valentino Rossi struggled immensely at the Italian MotoGP round at Mugello.
He qualified a lowly 18^thafter making mistakes in Q1.
He went off the road once and finally crashed out during the race.

To recap, it was a horrible weekend for Valentino Rossi at Mugello. He qualified 18^thon the grid, went off the road once before ultimately crashing out altogether.

Rossi had won nine times at Mugello, after all. But even when Yamaha started suffering, he qualified in pole position and led the race in 2016, only to see his Yamaha YZR-M1’s engine blow up later in the race. A year later, he finished fourth despite an injury prior to the race. Lastly, he finished on the podium last year.\

But everything unraveled at the Italian MotoGP 2019.

Although it seems that Yamaha has solved the tyre degradation problem, the bike still lacks acceleration and top speed. This is especially critical at the Tuscany track where we saw how the Ducati and Honda took the top spots in qualifying.

In Q1, Rossi was caught together with Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar). Matters were complicated by the presence of Mission Winnow Ducati riders Andrea Dovizioso and Michele Pirro who found themselves in Q1, too, due to their botched FP3 session. Keep in mind that only two fastest riders will advance to Q2.

Rossi didn’t want to provide Rins with the all too important slipstream but neither did Rins to Rossi. Because if one did so, one rider will progress to Q2 while the other stays behind.

Then Rossi made a mistake at the end of the session. His bike developed a huge headshake while exiting a corner in fourth gear. When he braked for the last turn, the brake lever came back all the way to the handlebar. Rossi overshot the corner, thereby ruining his chance to set a good time and progress to Q2.

The headshake had forced the brake pads back like after how a mechanic pries the pads apart to re-install the calipers. Brembo has a system which brings the pads back in contact with the brake disc, but Rossi didn’t install it because the system yields a different feel at the brake lever.

In the end, Rins was stuck in 13^thwhile Rossi ended up in 18^th. Both Dovizioso and Pirro snuck into Q2.

Over to the race, Rossi came together with Joan Mir on the other Suzuki and both went into the gravel. The former kept the bike going and rejoined the race. He finally crashed at the Arrabbiata 2 corner from pushing too hard.

New Triumph-Bajaj Model to Debut in 2021?

Triumph and Bajaj signed an agreement in 2017 to produce smaller capacity bikes.
The new model ought to appear in 2021.
It will be made for the Indian market and we wonder if it will reach Malaysia.

Year 2020 will be probably the most interesting time for the motorcycle industry as manufacturers debut their new Euro 5 compliant models. Following that, the rumour of a new model born of the Triumph-Bajaj collaboration may debut not in 2020 but a year after.

Triumph and Bajaj signed a letter of intent back in August 2017 to develop and manufacture a sub-400cc to 600cc bike for the Indian market. In the deal, Triumph will design and develop the bike. Bajaj, on the other hand, will manufacture and sell it through their vast distribution and sales network.

However, the plan seemed to have been delayed in January this year as Bajaj wanted to focus on Husqvarna first.

Anyhow, Triumph have submitted the designs to Bajaj and the latter have already started mechanical development by the R&D team.

We spoke to Mr. Paul Stroud, Chief Commercial Officer of Triumph Motorcycles in February 2018 about the collaboration. More specifically, we asked if the new bike will be available in other markets besides India. Mr. Stroud commented that Triumph will survey other markets for the bike’s feasibility before making a further decision.

A “lightweight” Triumph will give Royal Enfield a run for its money. It may also offer the opportunity for riders who seek to enter the Triumph brand’s lifestyle but could not afford the dearer models, yet.

Free Petrol for Motorcyclists Today

Motorcyclists riding motorcycles below 150cc are entitled to free petrol today.
The program will be held today from 12pm to 4pm today.
The venue is at the Caltex station at Batu 8, Jalan Kepong, Kuala Lumpur.

Motorcyclists in Klang Valley can fill up their tanks with free petrol today. Activities will take place from 12pm at the Caltex petrol station along the 8^thMile (Batu 8), Jalan Kepong, Kuala Lumpur.

Kepong Member of Parliament, Lim Lip Eng said in a press release, “The Fill up With Free Petrol for Aidilfitri Program (Program Isi Petrol Percuma Sempena Aidilfitri) is held with the co-operation of Parti Amanah Negara (AMANAH) Kepong. It is to show our appreciation to the area’s constituents in celebrating the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri.”

AMANAH Head of Vendors in Kepong, Datuk Mohd. Noor Ali Bakar said that only motorcycles below 150cc are entitled to the program. It is an assistance to the B40 group to lighten their load as they prepare to head home for Hari Raya.

This program is a continuation to the free petrol for 300 food couriers the previous month.

The program ends at 4pm so make your way to the station, pronto!

Source: Harian Metro

Italian MotoGP 2019: Emotional First Win for Danilo Petrucci

Danilo Petrucci wins his first and emotional MotoGP race at the Italian MotoGP.
It was a thrilling race from start to end, but it was only decided on the last lap.
Alex Rins fought hard, but his Suzuki was outgunned by the Ducatis and Honda.

Danilo Petrucci has come agonizingly close to a win on many occasions, but he couldn’t have scored his maiden MotoGP race at a better place than at the Italian round in Mugello. Petrucci was having a fever coming into the race, making the win even sweeter.

It was a nail-biting race from the start, with eight riders battling for the lead. The front group included Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda), Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati), Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati), Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing), Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda), Fabio Quartaro (Petronas SRT) and Maverick Vinalez (Monster Energy Yamaha).

Marquez led into the first corner, stalked by the Ducati riders and Cal Cructchlow. But it soon developed into a slipstream race as the Ducatis made good on their supreme horsepower. Quartararo found himself swamped by the more powerful bikes and was ninth into the first turn.

The race settled down to a five-horse race by mid-point but Alex Rins overtook everyone and led the race for a number of laps, only to find his Suzuki outgunned by the Ducatis and Honda along Mugello’s long, long front straight.

Soon, Petrucci and Dovizioso overtook Marquez to set the pace. Behind Rins, Jack Miller started pushing, recording the fastest lap of the race. Unfortunately, the Australian made a mistake and crashed out at the chicanes.

That left Petrucci, Dovizioso, Marquez and Rins to battle it out until the end of the race.

Dovizioso stalked his teammate Petrucci before pouncing with three laps to go. But Petrucci fought back the next lap and held on until to start the last lap.

As Dovizioso slipstreamed Petrucci on the straight, Marquez played the role predator as he double-slipstreamed both rider and passed them into Turn One.

However, Marquez couldn’t hold on to his line and went wide mid-corner. Dovizioso slipped into the gap, but Petrucci didn’t give up and slotted inside Dovizioso turning it into three bikes abreast in the corner! Rins, holding ship in fourth probably thought he had a chance of the podium had all three crashed.

The move surprise Dovizioso who had to stand his bike up into Marquez, which forced Marquez into second and Dovizioso back into third.

Marquez kept up the pressure but Petrucci didn’t crack and held on through the last turn and past the finish line with the former in firmly in his slipstream.

Rins attempted a gutsy last gasp past on Dovizioso into the last turn but was again out-dragged to the checkered flag.

An emotional Petrucci apologized his teammate Dovizioso for the last lap move, but also thanked him for the support and assistance.

Nakagami rode a steady race to complete the top five. Maverick Vinalez fought up the field to cross the line in sixth, Mission Mission Winnow test rider Michele Pirro in seventh, Crutchlow faded to eighth at the end, Pol Espargaro made it to ninth on the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing bike, Quartararo eventually finishing tenth.

Valentino Rossi had a torrid weekend after qualifying 18^thbefore coming together with Francesco Bagnaia and running off the track. He managed to get back to racing but crashed out eventually.