Wahid Ooi, Author at BikesRepublic.com

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Wahid Ooi

Valentino Rossi Turns 40 Today

Valentino Rossi turns 40 years old today.
The nine-time world champion has won the 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and multiple MotoGP titles on the way.
His father Graziano says Vale can race until 46 years old, if he wants.

Nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi celebrates his 40^thbirthday today.

Coming up the ranks, he won the 125cc, 250cc, 500cc, and multiple MotoGP titles along the way. His career at the world now spans 22 years, starting from 1997.

We remembered Rossi being the gangly and plucky kid who couldn’t fit fully into his Aprilia RS125 and RS250, raising his bum over the rear seat hump as he attempted to flatten his body on the fuel tank on the straights.

We know he still wears leathers with lots of fluorescent yellow. MotoGP commentator, Julian Ryder once referred to Rossi as “a highlighter pen.” Flamboyance is his trademark, his character.

He still wears his bubbly outlook at press conferences and public appearances. But behind that devil-may-care attitude is a man driven to a single-minded purpose: To win. He used to do it at the expense of other riders, “rubbing” them out of the way. Ask Sete Gibernau, Casey Stoner and many more.

Playing mind games is his forte, although many say that he’s mellowed by age. Yet, he isn’t afraid to call a spade a spade including criticizing his long-time team Yamaha for the lackluster performance in the past two years. He still uses press conferences to burn his rivals with a smile, before resorting to diplomatic answers. In the past, look at how Rossi’s psychological warfare affected more so fellow Italian Max Biaggi than others. Rossi was a walking controversy magnet and he relished in it.

He even went on to be called many nicknames along the way, most recently “GOAT” for “Greatest of all Time.”

It’s all these “unconformities” that won him legions of fans around the world. Heck, bet he wouldn’t have trouble winning the race to be “President of the World.”

His domination in the early years of MotoGP may seem detrimental to some, but let’s face it, it drove other manufacturers mad in finding the answers to stop his march, which indirectly brought lots of new technology and development to the fore. Ironically, his winning streak was stopped by another manufacturer. His days at Ducati were considered a black hole in his career.

Pundits are now calling him “too old” for cut-throat world of MotoGP. But let’s face it, racing will be a lot less colourful without him around.

Happy Birthday, Valentino Rossi. Like your father said, let’s hope you keep racing and earn more wins along the way.

Valentino Rossi at 2019 SIC pre-season test – Photo credit MotoGP.com

Signed,
An old git like you

What Makes Ducati tick in MotoGP? We Speak to Gabriel Conti, Ducati MotoGP Team’s Telemetry Engineer

We spoke to Gabriel Conti, Ducati MotoGP Team’s Telemetry Engineer to know more about how the Ducati MotoGP Team uses data and information.
We found out that racing is not just about twisting the throttle to the max.
Data collected is used for bike setup and plan race strategies.

We spoke to Gabriel Conti, Ducati Telemetry Engineer in the factory Ducati MotoGP Team during the last Malaysian MotoGP. Ducati looked to have made a strong comeback in the second part of the season.

We also saw how the team’s riders Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo ride at high paces throughout, yet they still had enough rubber to push all out in the closing five laps. Was that due to tyres? Electronics?

BikesRepublic.com (BR): What was the strategy that allowed Ducati riders to being able to push at the end of races? Was that due to electronic strategies?
Gabriel Conti (GC): Technically it evolved from the tyres because there is one tyre supplier for everybody. We have to analyze what the tyres do and with the data we can look to manage the tyres better.

With a lot of data we are able to manage the situation. Unlike Formula 1, we cannot change strategies during the race. We cannot speak with the riders (there’s no 2-way radio), we cannot send data (to the bikes), we cannot read data (from the bikes). As such, it’s very important to start the race with the data (we have). We decide with a strategy before the race, so the rider knows what to do.

The engineers check the numbers through the night. We have two automatic machines to make the calculations for tyres, electronics and bike setup.

But the last part is in the hands of the riders.

What we do is setup the electronics for the bike to be not so strong for one lap but is strong throughout the race. So in the last 5 laps there’s enough tyre to push.

We start by gaining and using data from pre-season tests and setup the bike up with the data at the start of the season. As we go on, we gain data everytime the bike goes out and we develop the setup. The data we have stored is important especially for different weather conditions.

For example, if there’s rain throughout the weekend and no practice can take place, we already have the data to use.

Other journalist: How does this benefit in racing?
Gabriel Conti: The data helps to setup the bikes in terms of tyres, suspension, electronics, traction control, engine performance. So, data and the rider combination are so important. We are absolutely data-dependant in this competition.

Other journalist: What’s role does Net.App play in the Ducati Team?
Gabriel Conti: Data (collection) has increased in the last year. For example, I remember 2005, we don’t have so much data. We didn’t send it to the factory, we didn’t use so much of it.

But we started increasing after 2006, to have deeper analysis.

Now we are strong for the data (sic). What we have improved are “thinking machines” that are quicker than the engineer to analyze a lot of data. Now we are improving because we have many riders, and more data to choose the right strategies.

Rather than let the factory take time with the data, we want to move the factory to the track.

BikesRepublic.com: The standardized Inertia Measurement Unit (IMU) will used for the 2019 season. How will it play out for Ducati?
Gabriel Conti: I explain the situation. In the past, four years ago the electronics was different. Then we started with the (standardized) ECU hardware, but you can develop the software yourself. Then the ECU and software were standardized (in 2016 – Editor).

But the Japanese manufacturers still want “free” IMU. The IMU is not a sensor itself, but it has (data from) 6 sensors fed into it. Which means it there is an algorithm to calibrate (the different axis of movement) so this is becomes suspicious. So, in the end all manufacturers agreed to move to a standard IMU.

You can still calibrate the standard IMU but by how much we don’t know.

Other journalist: Can you share with us instances where you tell the riders to go faster based on the data you have?

Gabriel Conti: Ah! Many, many times! The riders will look at the data to compare with other riders or the riders of the past. For example, when we had Valentino Rossi, he compared himself to Casey Stoner. We have a performance index that we give at the end of every session to say to the rider where is stronger and where he’s not.

It’s not to say he should push, push, push but for him to see that he might miss something. Andrea Dovizioso is a very clever guy, not all riders can use numbers. He uses them to improve himself.

Other journalist: In Qatar 2018, Dovi won by 0.02 second.
Gabriel Conti: It was five years he lose by 0.02 second. In four years the gap to winner is less than one second. So you see 0.02 second is hard to find for the rider. Gigi (Dall’Igna) would say to us, “Pay attention to the thousandths” because the sum of a lot of thousandths can make you win or lose a race.

Other journalist: How much data are we talking about here?
Gabriel Conti: We generate like 100 Gigabyte of data per race these days.

CONCLUSION

Racing in MotoGP isn’t about going out there and twisting the throttle to the stop. There are so much more fascinating stuff that goes on behind the scenes that many of us could never ever have imagined!

The numbers that makeup lap times are made up of data. Where we see numbers, the engineers see information that can help the rider and team win.

So, the next time see the Ducati team win a race, think about how much data and information went into creating that victory.

Join us for Part 2 tomorrow as we unravel the secret of how NetApp plays a necessary role in Ducati’s victories.

JPJ: Don’t Run or be Blacklisted

The Road Transport Department of Malaysia (JPJ) has warned motorcyclists to not run from roadblocks.
The department will record those who did so for evidence.
They will then issue a notice before moving onto summoning and blacklisting those who did.

The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has issued a warning to road users, especially motorcyclists to not avoid roadblocks i.e. U-turn. Or risk being blacklisted.

We’ve seen it countless times: Motorcycles heading the opposite direction against the flow of traffic, attempting to get away from roadblocks up ahead. Doing puts not only the rider at risk but also other road users.

The department’s Melaka Director General Muhammad Firdaus Shariff said that they will first issue a notice to those found running away from roadblocks, before moving on to blacklisting them in accordance to Section 55 of the Road Transport Act 1987.

He added that his men will record those who U-turn from roadblocks as evidence.

“We will issue Notice 114 demanding the vehicle owner to present himself for questioning within 21 days. If he does not, we will issue a RM150 compound and he will be blacklisted.”

“Blacklisting” a vehicle means the owner could not renew his driving license and vehicle’s road tax.

The Director General made the statement during the closing of the Chinese New Ops 2019. The operations from 29 January to 12 February saw 1,236 summonses issued for various offences. Motorcycle owners were the biggest majority amongst other vehicle owners with 329 cases. Out of that number, the most infringements were due to “vehicle licensing” i.e. road tax.

Source and picture credit: https://www.hmetro.com.my/mutakhir/2019/02/423183/jika-lari-kena-senarai-hitam

Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC1 Racing Slicks for Small Capacity Bikes

The Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC1 racing slicks are available for small capacity bikes.
Sizes are 110/70-ZR17 front and 140/70-ZR rear.
They will be available by Round 1 of the 2019 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship.

Everyone’s favourite race and performance tyre brand, Pirelli has launched the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC1 V3 for smaller capacity bikes.

Smaller capacity classes are ever popular worldwide. We have the underbone a.k.a. cub prix class in Southeast Asia, before stepping up to the 250cc, 300cc and now 400cc classes. One of the biggest problems was finding the correct-sized tyres.

Pirelli recognizes this and debuts the Supercorsa racing slicks in 110/70-ZR17 front and 140/70-ZR17 rear sizes. The new tyres are made with the super-sticky SC1 compound. These are meant for 300cc and 400cc bikes, but the 250cc should find them useful, too.Indeed, Pirelli is the title sponsor and tyre provider for the World Superbike Championship which included the SuperSport 300 class.

Why the need for different tyres? Why not just use bigger rims to fit bigger sizes?

Smaller motorcycles do not have the weight and speed to create the type and of forces like big bikes do. As such, the tyres may not heat up enough and many not be able to retain the heat for optimum performance. Tyres designed for lighter bikes may have the same compounds as their bigger brothers but have slightly different construction.

The new tyres are now available in Europe and the US. BikesRepublic.com got in touch in with the Malaysian Pirelli official distributor Southeast Asia Parts for confirmation. According to them, these new tyres will be available by the first round of the 2019 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) 2019.

Get ready for even faster times in the Super 250 class!

*Note that these are racing slicks and the racetrack is the only place for them. Do not be foolish and mount them for road use!

SIC to Host FIM World Endurance Championship and FIA World Touring Car Races Double-Header Excitement in December

The Sepang International Circuit will host round 2 of the FIM World Endurance Championship and FIA World Touring Car double-header.
The event will take place from 13^thto 15^thDecember 2019.
Malaysian riders and drivers will take place in both motorcycle and auto races.

The Sepang International Circuit will host two international race events back-to-back in December 2019. The FIM World Endurance Championship and FIA World Touring Car Races double-header will end under the floodlights at the circuit.

As announced earlier, the prestigious FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) is set for its debut on Malaysian soil. This is the best opportunity to see your favourite superbikes being hammered to the limits for hours on end.

The 8 Hours of Sepang, as the event is called, will play host to the best Asian motorcycle endurance teams fight to qualify for the infamous Suzuka 8 Hours Grand Finale alongside regular EWC teams and riders.

The signature ferris wheel at Suzuka – courtesy of fimwec.com

Sepang is the 2^ndround of the 2019–2020 FIM EWC calendar; preceded by the Bol d’Or and superseded by the 24 Hueres Motos. The schedule is part of Eurosport Events’ reworked winter calendar.

In case you didn’t know, there were Malaysian riders who took part in last year’s Suzuka 8 Hours race. Zaqhwan Zaidi teamed with Indonesian Andi Farid Izdihar and Australian Tory Herfoss in the Honda Asia-Dream Racing Team to finish 7^th. The team is set to race in the event again this year.

There will be more Malaysia riders at the Sepang round this December. SIC CEO Dato’ Razlan Razali said that they will field the riders from the just-launched PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team and Khairul Idham Pawi from the Petronas Sprinta Racing Team.

Endurance racing is different from the usual “sprint” races from the aspect of the unknown, from which drama springs. For example, the leading bike may suddenly find the radiator leaking and the crew clamoring like madmen to fix the problem. Fans can expect to see the riders riding as if possessed to make up for lost positions.

But that’s not all. One the very next day, the FIA World Touring Car/OSCARO (WTCR) super-finale takes place under the floodlights for the inaugural time.

Razlan Razali, CEO, Sepang International Circuit, said: “With the departure of F1 in Malaysia, we were tasked to look into other world-class events to include in our annual calendar. Through fan voting and further feasibility study, FIM EWC and FIA WTCR were the top two selected events, both promoted by Eurosport Events.

“This special collaboration with Eurosport Events will make the race exclusive and one of a kind which will create history for Malaysia to host two world championships together in one weekend.

“Both races will take place until sunset and the chequered flag will be waived under the new SIC Circuit Lights. Tickets are now available for purchase through SIC’s website and we encourage all fans to come and witness these exciting world-class championships as they make their #RoadToMalaysia.”

Dato’ Razlan made the statements during the recent Petronas SIC Motorsports Association of Malaysia Award 2018.

Tickets for the FIA WTCR and FIM EWC double-header event are now on sale. Prices start from RM275 for the main grandstand and more information is available from the SIC website by following this link: https://www.sepangcircuit.com/ticketing/wtrc-ewc.

Vespa Notte Sprint 150 i-Get ABS and Vespa Notte GTS Super 300 ABS Launched

The Vespa Notte Sprint 150 i-Get ABS and Vespa Notte GTS Super 300 ABS were launched today in conjunction with Valentine’s Day.
“Notte” means “night” in Italian hence the “nocturnal” theme of the bikes.
The Notte GTS Super 300 ABS is priced from RM 29,000 while the Notte Sprint 150 ABS starts from RM 17,000.

Official Vespa distributor Naza Premira Sdn. Bhd. launched the Vespa Notte Sprint 150 i-Get ABS and Vespa Notte GTS Super 300 ABS today, in conjunction with Valentine’s Day.

“Notte” stands for “night” in Italian, hence both models were treated to black/black finishing. The black theme even applies to the classic “tie” shield at the front and mirrors. Also blacked out are the front shield, handlebar ends, passenger grab handle and retractable passenger footpegs on the GT Super 300 ABS. Other details exclusive to the Notte are the seats, glossy black rims and muffler guard.

Vespa calls the Notte GTS Super 300 ABS as the “perfect blend of nocturnal style and sporting character.” It features the most advanced Quasar engine platform. The engine is a 278.3cc, single-cylinder, fuel-injected, 4-valve and liquid-cooled unit. It produces a healthy 21 bhp (15.6 kW) at 7,750 RPM and 22 Nm of torque at 5,000 RPM.

Safety is handled by a dual-channel ABS and Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) traction control systems.

It is priced from RM 29,000.

As for the “world style icon and symbol of Italian lifestyle” Vespa Notte Sprint 150 i-Get ABS, the engine is a 150cc, single-cylinder, 3-valve, and fuel-injected powerplant. It produces 12.7 bhp (9.5 kW) at 7,750 RPM and 12.8 Nm of torque at 6,500 RPM. The bike also features a specially detailed exhaust besides transmission inner casing.

It is priced from RM 17,700.

Both models are available from authorized Vespa dealers nationwide.

Hafizh Syahrin Takes Petronas International Rider of the Year Award

Hafizh Syahrin wins Petronas International Rider of the Year Award for 2018.
He was announced the winner at the Petronas SIC Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) Award 2018 on Tuesday evening (12^thFebruary).
Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahatir Mohamad was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Malaysia’s MotoGP rider Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah won the Petronas International Rider of the Year Award at the Petronas SIC Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) Award 2018 on Tuesday evening (12^thFebruary).

He was also awarded the Malaysia Motorsports People’s Choice Award. The nominees and subsequently the winner of this category was determined by fans through online voting.

Hafizh became Malaysia’s first ever full-time MotoGP rider in 2018 when he was picked by Herve Poncharal to join his Monster Energy Yamaha Tech 3 team. His consistency meant that he led the MotoGP Rookie of the Year chase until a slew of crashes forced him to cede the title to 2017 Moto2 champion and fellow rookie, Franco Morbidelli by just four agonizing points. Hafizh’s best finish was an incredible 9^thin Argentina after starting from the 23^rdspot. But perhaps the most emotional result was in Malaysia where he stormed up from dead last on the grid to finish 10^th.

Other Malaysian motorsports achievers were also awarded at the gala event.

One rider, Danial Syahni Shahril was awared the KBS Motorsports Development Award by the Youth, Sports and Culture Minister YB Syed Saddiq. Danial was close to winning the final Asia Talent Cup race at SIC when a fellow competitor side-checked his bike. The bump caused him to fall into the path of another rider who smashed into his legs. Danial delivered an emotional note, “I’ve been in hospital for the last three months. Tonight, is the first day I am out of the hospital.” There’s perhaps justice for Danial as the offending rider was docked with a penalty and lost the race and ATC title to rival Billy Van Eerde.

On the four-wheeled front, Jazeman Jaafar won the Petronas International Driver of the Year award with fellow drivers Nabil Jeffri and Weiron Tan.

The trio was the first Asian driver team to win the fourth round of the World Endurance Championship at the 6 Hours of Fuji. They earned the entry to the 2018 Malaysia Motorsports Hall of Fame.

A total of 14 competitive awards were presented to teams and individuals over the course of the evening. Additionally, six honorees were inducted into the Hall of Fame including Kuan Huah Chin better known as Bulldog Kuan; go-kart driver Ng Wai Leong; and rally navigator Allen Oh.

Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahatir Mohamad was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award for his role in bringing Malaysia into a higher level in automotive and motorsports. It was Tun who started the first national car project, Proton and built the Sepang International Circuit.

Roll of Honour

Lifetime Achievement Award: Tun Dr Mahatir Mohamad
Inductees into the Malaysian Motorsports Hall of Fame: Allen Oh, Ng Wai Leong, Jazeman Jaafar, Nabil Jeffri, Weiron Tan, Kuan Huah Chin (Bulldog Kuan)
Petronas International Driver of the Year: Jazeman Jaafar (WEC)
Petronas International Rider of the Year: Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah (MotoGP)
SIC Best National Driver of the Year: Mark Darwin
SIC Best National Rider of the Year: Muhammad Helmi Azman
SIC Best National Team (2 Wheels): SCK Rapido Hi-Rev Honda Racing
SIC Best National Team (4 Wheels): Dream Chaser
Most Inspiring Female Motorsports Athlete: Leona Chin
SIC Best e-Motorsport Athlete: Ady Rahimy & Angeline Lee
Most Improved Driver of the Year: Brendan Paul Anthony
Most Improved Rider of the Year: Danial Syahmi Shahril
KBS Motorsports Development Award: Danial Syahmi Shahril
Malaysia Motorsports People’s Choice Award: Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah
SIC-MAM-SAM Media Award (Best Journalist): Sukhairi Thani – Berita Harian
SIC-MAM-SAM Media Award (Best Photographer): Ridzuan Rizal Ahmad – Utusan Malaysia
SIC-MAM-SAM Media Award (Best Electronic Media): Hasnida Hanim Ahmad Kamil and Aji Saregar – TV3

Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport – “The Scrambler Comes of Age”

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport is the flagship of the Scrambler range.
It features many top-of-the-shelve components.
It also has Bosch IMU-based Cornering Traction Control and Cornering ABS.

I made a sudden realization while riding the Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport, that the model line has come a long way after the first Scrambler Icon introduction in 2015.

Back then, we found that we needed to wrap our heads around riding a Ducati which didn’t feel like a err… Ducati. For the image and feel of traditional Ducatis have stuck with us: Stiff suspension and steering, seating position which offers our bums to the sky, etc. But most of all, Ducatis are RED.

We got even more confused when we rode out. The engine definitely sang like how Ducatis do but the suspension, handling, seating position were all “foreign.” Those were nothing bad, by the way. It just meant that we were trying to break out of red Ducati box. But we found ourselves attached to it by the end of the ride, as we started to understand the entire philosophy around the model.

Since then, the Scrambler line-up grew from the basic Icon to include different configurations including the Urban Enduro, Full Throttle, Classic, Café Racer and Desert Sled. A 400cc variant called the Sixty2 was also added. Ducati had sold 56,000 Scramblers by this point.

But now, Ducati introduced two new 1100cc models to top off the line. There are two variants, the 1100 Special and the 1100 Sport we tested here.

Introduction to the Scrambler 1100 Sport

The Scrambler 1100 Sport is considered the alpha-bike of the entire Scrambler range.

Its 1079cc, air-/oil-cooled, 2 valve-per-cylinder, L-Twin (90^oV-Twin) engine came from the Monster 1100 Evo. It produces 86 bhp and 88 Nm of torque.

However, the Sport stands out by featuring a pair of fully-adjustable and beefy 48mm Öhlins upside-down forks and an Öhlins monoshock. The shock is adjustable for preload and rebound damping. Additionally, the front brake calipers are Brembo M4.32 Monoblocs. These were the same calipers fitted to the Panigale 899.

The two 1100 models also utilize Bosch Cornering Traction Control and ABS. Additionally, there are three ride modes. ACTIVE gives direct throttle response; JOURNEY gives softer throttle response but full power and; CITY which limits power to 75 bhp and soft response. Choosing the different ride modes also alters the traction control (DTC) levels.

Lastly, the exhaust. While other Scramblers have low-slung exhaust pipe tips, the 1100 flaunts them by exiting high, underneath and to the sides of the passenger seat. Our test unit was fitted with the Termignoni option which puts both tips on the right side. They sounded good, so no complaints.

Riding the Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport

The seating position is still very much Ducati Scrambler – neutral and natural. But we particularly like the handlebar position which is the same as the Full Throttle’s and lower than the Icon’s. It put our torsos on a slightly forward cant over the fuel tank.

Open the throttle and it’s about the V-Twin torque that Ducati is famous for. Torque, torque, torque. Twist and go. But that didn’t mean the bike was a beast. On the contrary, the throttle response was really smooth and linear compared to even the 803cc engine.

What it did was build up speed almost surreptitiously. That’s actually a good thing because the rider won’t feel overwhelmed by the sudden rush of speed.

The gearbox is so much more improved now, giving that positive feel everytime a new gear went in. There’s no “hunting” feel like that on some other Ducatis and we didn’t miss one gear. But it was still pretty much a Ducati and will go chugga-chugga-chugga if you tried to lug it in too high a gear.

The wide handlebar gave us a lot of control of the front end since it provided more leverage. There’s no question about the handling since those Ohlins took care of everything. The 1100 Sport is more “sportily” sprung, without the floaty feel of the Icon. In fact, it handled much closer to a Monster.

See that decreasing radius corner? Take a wider entry and just chuck the bike in. Then slam open the throttle ignite the rockets out of the corner. Not the ideal way of riding we do but it showed us just what the bike is capable of. Such handling trait is especially useful when you ride through narrow roads such as up Genting Highlands, Ulu Yam, Titi Kelawang.

The suspension is what gave the confidence in corners, while the traction control worked in regulating the rear wheel’s reaction as you grab the throttle while leaned over.

Or in downtown KL.

Swing the bike left, swing the bike right. Accelerate hard while the mechanical orchestra sings to other road users, and rely on the strong brakes and great chassis to help shoot through gaps.

The Scrambler 1100 Sport wasn’t only good when in motion. Its classic yet muscular looks definitely turned heads wherever it went.

Conclusion

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport is a worthy flagship of the Scrambler line-up. The special bits add not only adds more cool to the bike but also expands its performance envelope.

Head over to Ducati Petaling Jaya to test ride the bike.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE
ENGINE TYPE	2-cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, air-/oil-cooled, Desmodromic, 2 valve-per-cylinder, L-Twin
DISPLACEMENT	1079 cc
BORE x STROKE	98 mm x 71 mm
POWER	86 bhp (63 kW) @ 7,500 RPM
TORQUE	88 Nm @ 4,750 RPM
COMPRESSION RATIO	11.1:1
TRANSMISSION	Constant mesh, 6 speed, straight-cut gears
FUEL SYSTEM	Electronic fuel injection with ride-by-wire throttle
CLUTCH	Multiple-plate wet clutch with slipper function, hydraulically operated
CHASSIS
FRAME	Tubular steel trellis
FRONT SUSPENSION	Öhlins upside-down ø 48 mm forks, fully adjustable
REAR SUSPENSION	Öhlins monoshock, spring preload and rebound damping adjustable
SUSPENSION TRAVEL FRONT/REAR	150 mm / 150 mm
FRONT BRAKE	2x Brembo M4.32 Monobloc 4-piston calipers, ø 320 mm floating discs
REAR BRAKE	1X single-piston floating caliper, ø 245 mm brake disc
ABS	Bosch Cornering ABS
TIRES FRONT/REAR	120/70 ZR-18; 180/55 ZR-17
STEERING HEAD ANGLE	24.5^o
TRAIL	111 mm
WHEEL BASE	1,514 mm
SEAT HEIGHT	810 mm
FUEL TANK CAPACITY	15 litres
WEIGHT (READY TO RIDE)	206 kg

PICTURE GALLERY

Man Drags Cat Behind Bike, Claims He Heard Voices

An Indonesian man tortured and dragged a cat behind a motorcycle.
The cat’s owner caught the act on video.
Police caught him later and he told them that he heard voices to kill the cat.

An Indonesian man was arrested for dragging a cat behind his motorcycle. He claims to have “head voices” telling him to torture the cat because it was evil.

Diefie Hafiez Maufalia was looking for her ginger-coloured cat, Mio, when she saw the horrific scene involving a familiar-looking cat. She was outraged at the act but was afraid to reprimand the man for fear of his reactions. So she whipped out her phone and shot the video of him dragging the cat behind his motorcycle.

“The passenger was the one who pulled the cat, but I wasn’t sure if the cat was still alive or not,” Diefie told Detik News (Indonesian media).

The 15-second video went viral and the police hunted down the perpetrator based on the motorcycle’s number plate.

They revealed an even more disturbing find after questioning.

The man had beaten the cat until it stopped moving before tying a rope around the poor animal’s neck and dragged him behind his accomplice’s motorcycle. He also claimed that he
“heard voices” telling him to carry out the macabre act.

Police sent him to the hospital afterwards to check on his mental state after he kept chaning his story during questioning.

Diefie said Mio has yet returned home.

MotoGP 2019: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing Launch

KTM has launched all their MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 teams for 2019.
There will be two teams in MotoGP, but both are using the same bikes.
They are Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing.

KTM launched their MotoGP teams tonight. They are known as the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing teams, respectively.

The “all-in” event also included KTM teams, bikes and riders from Moto2 and Moto3 classes. Additionally, KTM is represented by two teams on factory machinery.

In one corner is the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team, with Pol Espargaro and Johann Zarco as riders. This team’s KTM RC16 uses the traditional Red Bull KTM livery.

In the other corner is the Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing team, with our boy Hafizh Syahrin and Miguel Oliveira as riders. Their KTM RC16 are finished in a new orange, blue and silver livery. Hafizh promised during the special press conference and meet the fans session during the Sepang Winter Test, that the new livery will be replicated on a special edition KTM RC390 in Malaysia.

Both teams will contest on the factory KTM RC16, as the manufacturer is eager to collect twice the data in half the time in developing the bike. Although it still needs much development as Zarco said, Europe’s largest motorcycle maker could not shake their excitement.

After all, KTM’s morale and determination took a huge boost when Pol Espargaro put the bike on the podium for the first time last season in Valencia. Meanwhile, the retention of veteran KTM test rider Mika Kallio and signing of Dani Pedrosa as the new test rider will keep the program rolling at a high pace. Unfortunately, Pedrosa broke his collarbone and is out for three more months. However, KTM are allowed concessions for testing and development under MotoGP rules. Making full use of this leeway, KTM brought out several engines with different specs at Sepang.

The new bikes will hit the track from 20^thFebruary. Until then, let’s just enjoy the photos of the RC16 from both camps. All photos are from KTM and published in MotoGP.com.

MV Agusta F2 Moto2 Racer Unveiled

The MV Agusta F2 Moto2 race bike was unveiled yesterday.
It will use MV Agusta’s chassis with the Triumph Moto2 engine.
Riders are Stefano Manzi and Dominique Aegerter, after Romano Fenati was infamously dropped.

Forward Racing has unveiled the MV Agusta F2 Moto2 race bike.

It signifies the return of the Italian marque after a 42-year absence in GP racing. Forward Racing has a new title sponsor hence the change in colour scheme from black to red/white and the team being officially called MV Agusta Idea Lavoro Forward Racing.

The F2 features MV Agusta’s red-painted steel trellis frame mated to an aluminium swingarm. Suspension is supplied by Öhlins and the engine is the new Triumph 765cc triple.

Team riders Stefano Manzi and Dominique Aegerter unveiled the F2 alongside Giacomo Agostini’s MV Agusta 500cc 4-cylinder championship winning bike.

The team had first signed Romano Fenati to ride the bike this year. However, Fenati went to on to grab Manzi’s front brake lever at Misano after trading hard passes on track. He was immediately dropped from his old Moto2 team and banned for the entire season. MV Agusta CEO Giovanni Castiglioni followed up by declaring that he will not allow Fenati to ride his bikes.

The team will join other Moto2 contenders at the first pre-season tests at the Jerez Circuit in Spain from 20^thFebruary and the final test at Losail in Qatar from 1^stMarch. The 2019 MotoGP season kicks off on 10^thMarch.

850 Summonses Issued in 3 Hours at Two Locations

A total of 850 traffic summonses were issued by the Police and JPJ to motorcyclists at two different locations yesterday.
Offences include not using the motorcycle lane, riding without license, expired road tax, among others.
The number of offences is mind-bogging, to say the least.

Guthrie Corridor Highway

The Malaysian Traffic Police issued 232 summonses in just 3 hours to motorcyclists who did not use the motorcycle lane at Kilometre-2.5 of the Guthrie Corridor Highway. The news was reported by Kosmo! Online yesterday.

The Police sting was part of the Ops Selamat in conjunction with the Chinese New Year road safety campaign, which also involved the Road Transport Department (JPJ). While the number of motorcycle lane defaulters amounted to 232 summonses, a total of 375 were issued including other offences.

While the operations were conducted, there were several hardcore law breakers who turned back and rode against traffic flow to escape the roadblock. The Police resorted to chasing them down on their motorcycles.

One motorcyclist who rode 100 metres against traffic was chased down and found riding without a valid license.

Jalan Duta Toll Plaza

In a separate JPJ operation at the Jalan Duta Toll Plaza, a total of 475 summonses were issued while another 15 motorcycles were impounded from 9pm to 12 midnight. Offences range from not possessing valid license, not wearing a helmet, using non-regulation number plates and expired road tax.

850 summonses in the space of 3 hours each at two locations is an outrage! Where is this? Afghanistan? This is beyond alarming. What would other vehicle owners think of motorcyclists if this continues? And yet some motorcyclists are critical of how others drive.

While we do not like using the motorcycle lanes due to being shoddily designed and maintained, we still do use them when available. The need of doing so is due to both the law and safety from having to share space with larger vehicles.

Riding without valid license or road tax are offences because there is no insurance cover in case one gets into an accident. However, mishap or otherwise, the law is the law. Our roads will descend into utter chaos and anarchy if no one obeys traffic laws!

Source: Kosmo! Online. Please click on these links http://www.kosmo.com.my/negara/jpj-keluar-475-saman-dalam-operasi-motosikal-tahun-baru-cina-1.838686 and http://www.kosmo.com.my/negara/232-saman-tidak-gunakan-laluan-motosikal-dalam-tempoh-tiga-jam-1.838749 for the original photos.

Bikesrepublic

Wahid Ooi

Valentino Rossi turns 40 years old today.

The nine-time world champion has won the 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and multiple MotoGP titles on the way.

His father Graziano says Vale can race until 46 years old, if he wants.

We spoke to Gabriel Conti, Ducati MotoGP Team’s Telemetry Engineer to know more about how the Ducati MotoGP Team uses data and information.

We found out that racing is not just about twisting the throttle to the max.

Data collected is used for bike setup and plan race strategies.

CONCLUSION

The Road Transport Department of Malaysia (JPJ) has warned motorcyclists to not run from roadblocks.

The department will record those who did so for evidence.

They will then issue a notice before moving onto summoning and blacklisting those who did.

The Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC1 racing slicks are available for small capacity bikes.

Sizes are 110/70-ZR17 front and 140/70-ZR rear.

They will be available by Round 1 of the 2019 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship.

The Sepang International Circuit will host round 2 of the FIM World Endurance Championship and FIA World Touring Car double-header.

The event will take place from 13th to 15th December 2019.

Malaysian riders and drivers will take place in both motorcycle and auto races.

The Vespa Notte Sprint 150 i-Get ABS and Vespa Notte GTS Super 300 ABS were launched today in conjunction with Valentine’s Day.

“Notte” means “night” in Italian hence the “nocturnal” theme of the bikes.

The Notte GTS Super 300 ABS is priced from RM 29,000 while the Notte Sprint 150 ABS starts from RM 17,000.

Hafizh Syahrin wins Petronas International Rider of the Year Award for 2018.

He was announced the winner at the Petronas SIC Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) Award 2018 on Tuesday evening (12thFebruary).

Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahatir Mohamad was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Roll of Honour

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport is the flagship of the Scrambler range.

It features many top-of-the-shelve components.

It also has Bosch IMU-based Cornering Traction Control and Cornering ABS.

Introduction to the Scrambler 1100 Sport

Riding the Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport

Conclusion

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

PICTURE GALLERY

An Indonesian man tortured and dragged a cat behind a motorcycle.

The cat’s owner caught the act on video.

Police caught him later and he told them that he heard voices to kill the cat.

KTM has launched all their MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 teams for 2019.

There will be two teams in MotoGP, but both are using the same bikes.

They are Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing.

The MV Agusta F2 Moto2 race bike was unveiled yesterday.

It will use MV Agusta’s chassis with the Triumph Moto2 engine.

Riders are Stefano Manzi and Dominique Aegerter, after Romano Fenati was infamously dropped.

A total of 850 traffic summonses were issued by the Police and JPJ to motorcyclists at two different locations yesterday.

Offences include not using the motorcycle lane, riding without license, expired road tax, among others.

The number of offences is mind-bogging, to say the least.

Guthrie Corridor Highway

Jalan Duta Toll Plaza

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The event will take place from 13^thto 15^thDecember 2019.

He was announced the winner at the Petronas SIC Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) Award 2018 on Tuesday evening (12^thFebruary).