The Ösuspension is the latest in electronic suspension evolution. It not only performs the preset duties of semi-active suspensions of the past, but the rider could tune it to achieve different objectives.
The Objective Based Tuning Interface allows you to tune, for example:
Less fork dive when you brake for a corner.
Softer damping in the middle of the corner for more grip.
Harder rear shock when you accelerate out of the corner.
The suspension system’s ECU takes readings from the suspension movement, brakes, throttle and IMU (lean angle, yaw angle) to formulate a solution for the current riding mode. Besides that, it not only works on the suspension, it works on the electronic Öhlins steering damper, too.
The rider can switch the system to manual mode. The suspension will then react accordingly to the present modes – Track, Sport, Road – selected by the rider.
This system was first seen on the Ducati Panigale V4 and V4 S.
Unfortunately, the Tuono V4 has always flown under the radar when it comes to naked sportbikes for some reason. That’s a real shame because it offers the raw performance that most bikes have damped out these days. Even the much-vaunted beast – the KTM 1290 Super Duke R – has mellowed, but not the Tuono. And we haven’t started on the V4 soundtrack yet!
This bike is the very essence of why we love bikes in the first place. In other words, that ability to leave everything behind including supercars without needing to sell both your kidneys.
Malaysian women bikers are set to Women Riders World Relay (WRWR).
Ladies of Harley and Anita Yusof (part of GIVI Bella) are involved.
GIVI Asia sponsored helmets and backpacks to some of the participants.
The ride begins on 27thApril 2019 led by Ladies of Harley from HDPJ.
It used to be that women bikers are a novelty among the motorcycling community. But the Women Riders World Relay (WRWR) is set to change that perception.
The “event” seeks to unite women riders the world over, as women riders from one country hand over a GPS “baton” to those in another. The relay also transcends the different cliques and types of motorcycles.
Tina Sharman, the Ripple Rally Ambassador clarified on a number of details:
The main WRWR is a worldwide event and will reach Malaysia in August.
In the the Global Relay, a baton is passed from woman to woman while travelling by motorcycle through 80 countries on a round-the-world route.
As such, the Global Relay consists of long day rides and the majority of them on highways to cover as much distance as possible. It is so to cover the entire globe within 1 year.
Therefore, the Global Relay requires registration, fees and signed waiver to participate.
In the Global Relay, men can join as companions but are not allowed to carry the baton. Conversely, it is up to the teams to invite male riders to the Ripple Relay.
On the other hand, the Ripple Relay is more leisurely and planned around the individual or team’s schedule. The only objective is to pass the flag around within 1 year.
No registration and fees are required for the Ripple Relays. Teams are only expected to communicate with other teams to pass the flag. The handover will be photographed and shared on social media.
Thereby, in support of the main relay, “Ripple Relays” are held in each country where rides are conducted throughout the year.
Consequently, instead of using the GPS baton, the Ripple Rally will hand over the Malaysian flag among various Team Leaders or Women Riding Clubs while travelling through the country.
The Malaysian flag will ultimately travel to London in February 2020 for the WRWR closing ceremony.
As such, Malaysian women bikers are set to join the event which begins on 27thApril 2019. The inaugural ride will be led by the Ladies of Harley from Harley-Davidson of Petaling Jaya. They will ride through Melaka, to highlight the attractions in the state.
A preview to the Malaysian ride was hosted recently by GIVI Asia Sdn. Bhd. GIVI Asia has been active in supporting women bikers in the country, having hosted a ladies-only ride and camp not too long ago. In fact, GIVI Asia’s brand ambassador is none other than Anita Yusof who rode her motorcycle around the world.
Present at the preview were Anita, the Ladies of Harley and ladies of other motorcycle groups. Sam Sharman, the Marketing Manager of GIVI Asia handed over GIVI helmets and backpacks to those present.
Nor Cillia (left) with Sam Sharman
BikesRepublic.com interviewed a number of the ladies including Tina Sharman (as Ambassador of the Ripple Rally), Sue Rahman and Nor Cillia Omar (of Ladies of Harley), plus Anita Yusof (representing GIVI Bella).
Tina Sharman
BikesRepublic.com:Can you tell us a little bit more about WRWR? Tina Sharman:WRWR was set up by Hayley Bell in 2018 in the UK. It’s to highlight that there are more and more women bikers in the world. However, there’s still very little in terms of support for women bikers, especially when it comes to riding gear.
Sumai with Sam
You go into a shop and you’ll find the gear are all for men. Instead, there are maybe 2 pieces and invariably in pink!
WRWR is a relay but carried out on motorcycles. The batons are GPS trackers, but it isn’t a “linear” relay. Instead it’s a “ripple relay” (like how ripples in water propagate outwards) which covers all corners of the globe. Besides that, the different groups in Malaysia will hand over the Malaysian flag.
Sumai is now currently arranging the groups, there are close to 15 of them. As part of ripple relay, they will take their own routes on different dates so that the rides don’t overlap. The Malaysian ride covers both West and East Malaysia.
We want this unity among all women bikers. This is the best platform.
There are many different routes being planned to cover all states in Malaysia. For example, Sumai will lead the off-road group, while Anita leads the GIVI Bellas. In doing so, we will also highlight the beauty of Malaysia to the overseas riders.
BikesRepublic.com:How far will each group ride, at average? Anita Yusof:We encourage ladies on all types of bikes and engine capacities, including those on kapchais. But they are still willing to ride long distance and camp. Some routes are over Labour Day weekend, so it depends.
The longest route will start from Ipoh – Kedah – Penang – Perlis – Kelantan – Terengganu – Cameron Highlands (Pahang).
BikesRepublic.com: Is there another underlying theme behind your participation in WRWR besides sisterhood? Tina Sharman: It’s also to show what we can do. The women riding scene really started in 2016, so it shows how far we’ve come within three years.
We will also contribute towards charity during the WRWR rides.
BikesRepublic.com:As for you Anita, which group will you be heading? Anita Yusof:I’ll be leading GIVI Bella. Sam (Sharman) of GIVI Asia had organized ride and camp trips for guys. After my ride in Africa I decided to approach him and propose ride and camp trips for ladies as well. He liked the idea, since we are GIVI Explorer. The theme is Explore, Enjoy. This is the way to promote the lifestyle of exploring and riding.
For the WRWR, GIVI Bella will ride to Pangkor Island to camp. GIVI Bella covers all ladies on all motorcycles.
Sue Rahman with Sam
BikesRepublic.com: Chilla (Nor Chilla Omar), can you tell us more about Ladies of Harley’s role in WRWR? Nor Chilla Omar: We (Ladies of Harley) will be the first to start the ride and we are very excited. We are trying to gather as many women bikers as we can, regardless of what bike they ride. We would like this sisterhood to grow and that more ladies will start riding.
We plan to start the ride from Harley-Davidson of Petaling Jaya (HDPJ) on 27th April. We will then ride to landmarks around Kuala Lumpur. We are planning to ride to the Sepang International Circuit, for the ladies to ride on the circuit itself. From there, we are going to ride along the trunk roads to Pantai Klebang and into Melaka.
It’s a great opportunity to show may we have in Malaysia including the gastronomical delights! We hope to draw the attention of the world to Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Malaysia.
Conclusion
So, ladies please block your calendars for the Women Riders World Relay! It’s going to be blast!
Shell Malaysia launched a new fuel storage tank and additional loading bay.
The move allows Shell Malaysia to meet the rising demand for Shell fuels in the Central region.
The tank has a 10 million litre capacity while the arms dispense 1,800 litres of fuel per minute.
Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn. Bhd. officially launched a new cutting-edge fuel storage tank and an additional loading bay at Westports, Port Klang. The expansion boosts Shell Malaysia’s capability in meeting the growing demand for Shell fuels in the Central region of Peninsular Malaysia.
The new tank, the tenth such facility owned by Shell at the terminal, was constructed under Phase 4 of the Shell Westports Terminal Expansion Plan. It was officially launched by Datuk Iain Lo, Chairman of Shell Malaysia and Datuk Ruben Emir Gnanalingam, Group Managing Director of Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd.
In addition to the new 10 million-litre storage tank, the expansion plan also included a new loading bay with six loading arms configured to dispense three key Shell fuel products – Fuelsave 95, V-Power 97 and Fuelsave Euro 5 Diesel – at a rate of 1,800 litres a minute. This increases the efficiency of loading processes for road tankers. The tankers now can be fully loaded in just 25 minutes, which significantly reduces the congestion at the Klang Valley Distribution Terminal (KVDT).
(L-R) Suresh Nair, Eddie Lee, Shairan Huzaini Husain, Datuk Iain Lo, Datuk Ruben Gnanalingam, Kevin Ranatunga launch Shell storage tank
“I am happy to announce that this new storage facility at Westport will enable Shell to meet the increasing demands for its products in Klang Valley. The efficient new facilities will enhance Shell’s competitiveness and ensure Shell’s ability to meet all customer needs,” said Datuk Iain Lo.
He also added that Shell has been fuelling Malaysia’s progress for the past 128 years and will continue to invest in strengthening its presence in the country by offering not just top-quality products, but also efficient services that meet the needs of consumers and businesses.
The storage tank is constructed using the innovative jack-up method instead of the traditional bottom-up process. Here, the top section of the tank including the roof is constructed first before being lifted with hydraulics, which enables the lower sections to be assembled. This minimises the use of scaffoldings, the need for workers to work at height and enabled construction to proceed safely and get completed ahead of schedule, despite space restrictions and ongoing activities in the vicinity.
The successful completion of Phase 4 of the Shell Westports Terminal Expansion Plan was a strong testament to the close co-operation and high safety standards adopted by the teams from Shell Malaysia, Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd, the project consultants and contractors.
Alex Rins won the MotoGP race at the 2019 Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas.
Marc Marquez crashed out with 12 laps to go.
Valentino Rossi finished second.
Marc Marquez had hoped for a perfect record at the Grand Prix of the Americas, but a mistake at Turn 12 destroyed that record, leaving Alex Rins to win.
He had done what he does best by taking the holeshot at the start and took off into the distance, followed by Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha), Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Jack Miller (Lamborghini Pramac Ducati) and Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar).
Marc Marquez – Photo credit MotoGP.com
Crutchlow would crash out with 15 laps to go, leaving the other three riders to battle for the remaining podium spots.
By 12 laps to go, Marquez led by 3.6 seconds and the race looked like it was going to be another boring procession. Suddenly a roar went up in the crowds and the TV screens showed a Repsol rider picking his bike off the ground. It turned out to be Marquez!
He tried time and again to pick his bike up but fell back down on the ground and finally gave up.
Replays showed that he had locked the front wheel while trail braking into the first gear Turn 12.
It was a bad day for the Repsol Honda team as Jorge Lorenzo’s bike broke down a lap later.
Marquez’s crash left a nail-biting battle between Valentino Rossi and Alex Rins. Rins had dispatched of Jack Miller. With 6 laps to go, Rins’s team sent a message to select “Mapping 3” and started to stalk Rossi closely.
Valentino Rossi – Photo credit MotoGP.com
Rins finally made a move with 4 laps to go. Rossi replied with a repass by couldn’t hold his line and that let Rins off the hook.
Rossi’s tyre’s were cooked by now but he didn’t let it go down without a fight. Rins was able to open up a lead of 0.7 second but Rossi managed to pull back 0.25 second in braking down to Turn 12. However, Rins was able to hold on and claim his very first MotoGP win.
Behind them, Jack Miller held on for his first podium in the dry and on a Ducati while keeping himself just out of reach of Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati). Dovizioso started the race from 13th on the grid.
Jack Miller – Photo credit MotoGP.com
Franco Morbidelli rounded out the Top 5.
The results of the race bring Dovizioso into the lead of the championship with 54 points, to Rossi’s 51, Rins’s 49 and Marquez’s 45. That’s 9 points covering four riders.
It was a day of redemption for Thomas Luthi as he won the Moto2 race at the Grand Prix of the Americas.
The Swiss rider gave up on riding in MotoGP after lackluster results and returned to the Moto2 with the Dynavolt Intact GP team.
It was his teammate Marcel Schrotter who took the holeshot at the start, followed by Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS). However, Marquez was able to force his way through a few corners later.
Marcel Schrotter – Photo credit MotoGP.com
But instead of managing to break away, he was hunted down Luthi who had overtaken Schrotter. Soon, the pair started trading places with Marquez. The latter even resorted to putting up some hard passes but Luthi preservered and made his move stick. Luthi didn’t book back from that point on and rode to his win.
Marquez began falling into the grasps of Schrotter. When the latter moved to overtake, Marquez responded with hard passes including bumping into Schrotter. But Marquez couldn’t defend anymore and Schrotter passed him to claim second.
Alex Marquez – Photo credit MotoGP.com
Marquez kept fading and was eventually passed by Jorge Navarro (Beta Tools Speed Up) who had Mattia Pasini (Flexbox HP 40) in tow.
Championship leader Jorge Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) crashed out after hitting the rear tyre of Jorge Martin’s (Red Bull KTM Ajo) out-of-control bike.
Aaron Canet won the Moto3 race at the Grand Prix of the Americas after a frantic final lap.
Early leader Tatsuki Suzuki crashed, setting the pack loose to battle for the win.
Canet and Masia now both lead the championship.
Spanish rider Aaron Canet won the Moto3 race at the Grand Prix of the Americas after a frantic final lap.
The race began with a high-speed train of riders but Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) took the lead and soon opened up a large gap. Eventual winner Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) kept up the pursuit and cleared himself from the pursing group.
Tatsuki Suzuki – Photo credit MotoGP.com
But with eight laps to go, riders started to crash including the returning Romano Fenati (VNE Snipers). He was caught out by the notorious bumps in Turn 18. Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PruestelGP) had nowhere to go and collected Fenati’s bike, sending him off the track as well.
Turn 18 also claimed another victim in the form of championship leader Kaito Toba.
Kaito Toba – Photo credit MotoGP.com
Up front, Suzuki seemed to have made a mistake with six laps to go, allowing the Canet to catch up, while the pursing group caught Canet in turn.
The pressure seemed to catch up with Suzuki. With just less than five laps to go, the Japanese rider entered a corner too fast and lost the rear end of his bike and crashed.
His misfortune set the pack free to battle among themselves. Andrea Migno (Bester Capital Dubai) overtook Canet into second while Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) slotted into third, followed by Jaume Masia (Migno’s teammate).
Jaume Masia – Photo credit MotoGP.com
A frantic battle ensued among the four, which included contact between Masia and Rodrigo which sent the latter backwards.
Canet planned his attack to perfection and overtook Migno with two laps to go. He would escape the fracas behind when Masia, Migno and Rodrigo started chopping among themselves.
Gabriel Rodrigo – Photo credit MotoGP.com
In the end, Canet cross the line first, followed by Masia, Migno and Rodrigo. Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completed the Top 5.
The results mean Jaume Masia and Aaron Canet leads the championship with 45 points each, while Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Niccolo Antonelli both hold second and third with 32 points each. Kaito Toba falls to fifth with 31 points.
BMW Motorrad Auto Bavaria held a special preview for Option 719 last night.
Option 719 is part of the BMW Motorrad Spezial ex-factory customization program.
Option 719 is currently available for R nineT, K-Series and C-Series line-ups.
BMW Motorrad Auto Bavaria held a special preview for Option 719 last night. The special event was held in conjunction with their BMW Motorrad Fest.
Auto Bavaria unveiled four R nineT’s with various Option 719 paintjobs. A customer, Dato’ Ariffudin Mokthtar also took delivery of an R nineT Pure finished in Black Storm/Metallic Auburn.
It was appropriate to debut Option 719 on the R nineT series, since it was designed to be customized. It is perhaps high time to launch the program as the Option 719 has been around for some time.
Option 719 is part of the BMW Motorrad Spezial ex-factory customization program. Owners could specify the special options for their BMW motorcycles prior to them arriving at the showroom or order the parts later. Depending on model, customers could choose from a catalog full of components such as billet brake fluid reservoir caps, engine covers, hand levers and paint jobs.
Customization is carried out by BMW’s in-house artisans such as those who carry out pinstriping, polishing, billet machining, seat leather stitching and so forth.
Customizing one’s bike with Option 719 accessories also means that the bike’s warranty isn’t voided. Besides that, the customer is assured of work being carried out by trained personnel, hence his bike isn’t butchered.
Option 719 is currently available for the R nineT, K-Series tourers, and C-Series urban mobility (read: scooter) line-up, but there are plans to expand it to include the adventure (GS) and sport (S 1000 RR) series.
You may obtain more information about Option 719 by following the BMW Motorrad Spezial webpage.
Suzuki Malaysia posted in their Facebook that the new 2019 Suzuki Katana has arrived!
However, there is no official pricing or further details.
A search in Mudah.my found posts from last month asking for RM 85,000.
Suzuki Malaysia posted in their Facebook page that the new 2019 Suzuki Katana has arrived on our shores!
Unfortunately, they did not include the price, nor did they announce of any media unveiling of the price. We contacted Suzuki Malaysia but they company if off for the weekend. We hope to receive a reply on Monda.
However, we did a quick search in Mudah.my and found a couple of postings from early April and late March 2019. Both listed the price as from RM 85,000. On the other hand, Suzuki UK listed its price at £11,399 (RM 61,741.80).
We are not certain if that is going to be the exact price, as it means the Katana will cost more than the GSX-1000S that it is based on.
Not having any details to go on is definitely annoying. There have been many complaints about Suzuki Malaysia not engaging the media to spread news about the products in the last two years. Not that we are expecting advertising (although we definitely welcome it!) or test rides, but there has not been one single press release, even.
Consequently, most enthusiasts in Malaysia could only count on IF the media ever produces any news about Suzuki’s motorcycles. We only keep pushing news to our readers because of our love for all bikes, otherwise everyone will be in the dark.
So, if you’re reading this Suzuki Malaysia, please send some details to us in the media.
There are rumors of a Bajaj Pulsar NS250 for 2020.
It will take the manufacturer into the 250cc segment.
There is no detail yet, but the new bike ought to be better equipped than the 200 line-up.
Rumours are running amok that a Bajaj Pulsar NS250 will be launched in India in 2020.
If it is true, the development follows the cancellation of the Pulsar NS180. The introduction of a 250cc model will bring Bajaj into the fray currently dominated by the likes of Kawasaki and Yamaha. Suzuki is also slated to introduce their own 250 soon.
As with the NS200 and RS200 that are developed based on the KTM 200 Duke and RC 200, the NS250 should also benefit from Bajaj’s joint venture with the Austrian manufacturer. Consequently, the engine dimensions ought to similar, if not identical, to the KTM’s. However, the tuning between the Bajaj and KTM engine may differ.
The picture below shows a rendering by SRK Designs and published by Indian Autos Blog.
The new 250 should be equipped with a dual-channel ABS ex-factory, if the manufacturer wants to place the bike among the premium brands. Besides, in Europe, all motorcycles 125cc and above are mandated to be equipped with ABS. Doing so also differentiates the 250 from the 200 models.
Norton teams up with Breitling to create the limited production Norton Breitling Sport.
Only 77 will be built.
Both companies have long heritage in their respective fields.
Norton is the offensive as the owners seek to bring the brand up to glory. They have just collaborated with luxury watchmaker Breitling to produce the Norton Breitling Sport.
The model is based on the Commando 961. Only 77 examples will be built, so each bike will be numbered. The Breitling Sport will er… sport a different seat, paint and trim.
Since Breitling is a timepiece maker, we can expect a line of watches to match the special model. Both brands have strong heritage: Norton started building bike parts in 1898 before venturing into building complete motorcycles in 1902. Breitling, on the other hand, was founded in 1884 by Léon Breitling.
Norton boss Stuart Garner said of the partnership: “I’ve always said that the key to a company’s success is to let the brand be the brand. This has been essential both at Norton Motorcycles and Breitling. We haven’t tried to change the nature of our brands or deny their histories. In fact, we revel in those histories and take inspiration from them while focusing on the future.”
Georges Kern, Breitling’s CEO says that his brand’s parallels with Norton Motorcycles are striking. “Both companies are innovative, entrepreneurial and have powerful legacies.” he says. “At the same time, we are looking ahead toward what we at Breitling call ‘our legendary future’.”
The Ducati Diavel 1260 S Materico is a design concept in conjunction with the Milan Design Week.
It was born from the meeting of designers Tom Dixon and from Ducati, Lamborghini, Pirelli and VW.
It is a one-off special and is displayed in designer Tom Dixon’s restaurant.
The Ducati Diavel 1260 S Materico is a design concept in conjunction with the Milan Design Week.
Instead of focusing on performance upgrades, the Materico highlights textures and materials. As such, the side panels are made from carbon fibre and lined with yellow trim; the seat cover is suede with yellow trim; black exhausts and new 10-spoke wheels.
The bike is a one-off creation. It is on display at The Manzoni in Milan. The establishment is a restaurant and showroom created by British designer Tom Dixon. The bike was born after a meeting between Dixon and designers including Ducati’s Andrea Ferraresi, Lamborghini’s Mitja Borket, Pirelli R&D Director Piero Misani and former VW design department head Walter de Silva.
Ferraresi said: “We wanted to pay homage to the incredibly artistic and creative Milan Design Week by making our Diavel 1260 more audacious and original than ever. The Diavel 1260 Materico brings out all the vividness of the used material and the painstaking attention to detail that, together with high-tech components, makes this bike such an effective blend of form and function.”
Patent filings show that Yamaha is working on producing a turbocharged twin.
Yamaha seeks to lower exhaust emissions by utilizing a turbo.
A turbo increases intake efficiency by forcing in more air.
Patent filings show that Yamaha is working on producing a turbocharged twin.
However, Yamaha’s turbocharging idea is to beat the Euro 5 emissions standard. To that end, the manufacturer seeks to use a smaller engine to reduce fuel consumption, while the turbo ups the power. Forced induction increases intake efficiency i.e. forces in more air.
The patent also shows that Yamaha is concentrating their effort in the turbo’s wastegate. The wastegate is a device which vents access pressure in the turbo’s compressor. In the patent, Yamaha aims to optimize the wastegate’s actuator to increase the “degree of freedom in the layout of the catalyst.” In layman terms, it means they can fit a bigger catalytic converter.
Turbocharging is not a new to the world of motorcycling. All Big Four manufacturers flirted with forced induction in the 80s. However, they were interested in coaxing more horsepower from smaller engines instead of being concerned with emissions. In the end, issues with turbo lag and cooling killed the turbo bikes.
Yet, we have the supercharged Kawasaki H2 30 years later.
Almost all diesel vehicles use turbocharging to force in more air and clean up exhaust emissions. The bonus is of course, more power and torque from the engine. The manufacturers overcome turbo lag by either utilizing dual turbochargers are turbochargers with variable geometry vanes (VGT). That is why Kawasaki opted for a supercharger instead. Let’s hope Yamaha can address the issue in their own way, too.
