Bikesrepublic

Wahid Ooi

  • The KTM Malaysia Orange Carnival held last month drew in a huge crowd.

  • A lucky draw was among the many activities held that day.

  • The lucky winner had picked up her Grand Prize, a 390 Duke at KTM Malaysia’s Lifestyle Showroom.

The recent KTM Malaysia Orange Carnival held on 28th July 2018 was a great success, despite overlapping with many other motorcycle events in West Malaysia.

The one-day event organized at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor Bahru, attracted thousands of attendees consisting of KTM owners, bikers of every brand and families.

KTM Malaysia Orange Carnival Begins in Johor on 28th July

Activities included test rides of KTM’s latest motorcycles, a Fun-Hana competition, service campaign, stunt shows, promotions and lucky draw. Besides those, the 2018 200 Duke Evo S was also launched during the carnival.

KTM Malaysia Launches 2018 KTM 200 Duke at KTM Orange Carnival

As for the lucky draw, KTM Malaysia offered a brand new KTM 390 Duke as the grand prize. This new model boasts the most powerful engine as well as being the best equipped in the sub-400cc category with a 5” TFT screen, WP upside-down forks and shock, radially-mounted 4-piston caliper.

The lucky winner was picked out during the carnival and the prize was handed over on 10th August 2018 at KTM Malaysia’s Lifestyle Centre in Kota Damansara.

Winner, Ms. Hayatun Nufus Binti Hoddri was present with her husband, Mr. Mohd. Firdaus Bin Ithnin.

“I couldn’t be happier, Alhamdulillah,” beams Hayatun, “I had just followed my husband to the Orange Carnival to look see, as he wanted to test out the new bikes and never expected to win the Grand Prize!”

Mohd. Firdaus reflected his wife’s joy, “It was the same for me. I still couldn’t believe it. I went to the carnival because I’ve always wanted to test the 1290 Super Duke R. I prefer naked motorcycles, KTM’s in particular, over the Yamaha YZF-R1 that I currently own.”

Will Hayatun be an addition to KTM Malaysia’s Dukers community? “Although we’ve travelled to many places on our current motorcycle, I can’t ride,” she admitted, “Although, I would love to learn to do so in the future, with my husband’s permission.”

The couple rode the new bike all the way back to Johor Bahru after the handover ceremony.

The Orange Carnival is slated to be held throughout the country, so stay tuned for the  next date!

  • Launched in 2015, the Kawasaki Ninja H2 was the fastest production motorcycle.

  • Other manufacturers have started to challenge the H2’s crown recently.

  • The 2019 Ninja H2 will have a more powerful engine, besides a host of other updates.

The Kawasaki Ninja H2 may be the baddest motorcycle when it was introduced in 2015, but it’s now time for an update. Yes, 3 years is eternity in sportbike-dom. So, to stay ahead of the competition, the 2019 Kawasaki Ninja H2’s engine will produce 231 bhp, for starters.

Granted, no other bike apart from its track-only H2R and sport-touring H2 SX cousins are supercharged, but the relentless march of technology and one-upmanship has seen bikes like the Ducati Panigale V4 take over as the most powerful road-legal bike.

Kawasaki engineers are adopting the technologies developed for the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX, such as a new air filter, intake chamber, spark plugs and ECU. The 2019 H2 will not be fitted with the balanced supercharger from the H2 SX, though. These updates result in 231 bhp, while remaining Euro 4 compliant.

It’s not the engine which received attention, as the new bike will be fitted with Bridgestone RS11 tyres and the new Brembo Stylema calipers that made their debut on the Ducati Panigale V4.

Other updates include a new TFT instrument panel which now includes Bluetooth connectivity.

One novel feature on the 2019 Ninja H2 is a new paint which Kawasaki says is “self-healing,” as in “touching up” minor scratches when the weather is sufficiently warm. Developed in-house, the manufacturer claims that it is superior to such paints currently used in the industry.

Additionally, Kawasaki is launching the “Rideology” app for the bike, which allow owners to check on basic vehicle information, fuel, battery condition, riding log, service interval updates and so forth.

Kawasaki is showing off the 2019 Ninja H2 right now at the Bonneville Salt Flats Speed Week right now.

Ninja H2™
  • A Triumph Scrambler 1200 have been speculated even from the time the 900cc version was launched.

  • Now Triumph has just launched a teaser video.

  • The new bike will be launched on 24th October 2018.

Talk about a déjà vu: We’ve just posted about the Triumph TR6 Trophy from The Great Escape and its successor the Street Scrambler, Triumph Motorcycles has just unleashed a trailer of the all-new Scrambler 1200.

Rumblings about a 1200cc Scrambler has been making rounds for a long time and many enthusiasts have been awaiting the launch since then.

1200cc Triumph Street Scrambler caught on camera?

The short 10-second video shows the new bike coming out of a jungle, before announcing the launch date as 24th October 2018.

The only well, speculations, we could work on are based on the video’s illustration. The bike wears knobbies and an under-engine skid plate. Woohoo!

But the things we are quite certain of would be the engine, which will be based on the current 1200cc, liquid-cooled parallel-Twin which powers the Bonnevilles Bobber and Bobber Black, Speedmaster, T120 and Thruxton/Thruxton R. Only thing we would not know which “tune” Triumph would choose, as the Thruxton is powered by the “High Power (HP)” version while the rest are of the “High Torque (HT)” tune.

There are also speculations that new 1215cc triple from the new Tiger 1200 may be utilised. It may be a possibility although we think it’s highly unlikely, given the Scrambler’s modern classic approach.

Here’s what Triumph has to say about the new bike: https://www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk/motorcycles/classic/bonneville-scrambler-1200

“A brand new Triumph modern classic is set to create a riding revolution with a whole new benchmark for what makes a scrambler great.

“The Scrambler 1200 marks the birth of a stunning new motorcycle generation. With never-before-seen levels of dual-purpose capability, this incredible full-on scrambler is as truly amazing off-road as it is on the road, doing everything an adventure bike can, and all with authentic scrambler style and attitude.

Because of the unprecedented worldwide interest in this next generation motorcycle, we’ve decided to release a series of exclusive insights into this genuine game-changer well in advance of its official launch.”

The 900cc version was released in 2017 to global accolade on its character and fun factor. We’ve since tested it and even rode it around more than once and are still fond of it. The 1200cc version should be a gamechanger to the genre, given Triumph’s propensity to infuse their bikes with great handling, linear power delivery and fun character.

By the way, Bikes Republic will be visiting the Triumph Motorcycles Ltd.’s factory during the time of the launch (thanks to Triumph Motorcycles Malaysia and UK), so we hope to bring the launch event to you “live.”

TESTED: Triumph Street Scrambler – “Escapism”

 

  • The BMW S 1000 R is the “roadster” version of the frenetic BMW S 1000 RR.

  • It is tuned for road-riding in particular but won’t be out of place on the racetrack.

  • Priced from RM 82,006.32 (basic selling price with 0% GST).

Yes, the 2018 BMW S 1000 R is the “seductive” (as in “naked’) version of the king of superbikes BMW S 1000 RR, but I felt like I was living in the world of the movie, Real Steel.

In 2020, human boxers are replaced by robots. But as with any competitive sport, what started out as a simple idea soon became a venture for large corporations hell-bent to win at all costs. This stratagem meant that the boxing robots became more and more sophisticated and robots of yesterdays were cast aside.

But as the story went along (as with any underdog feel-good movie), the protagonist’s son found a low-tech sparring bot that he soon named “Atom.” A sparring bot, like real-life sparring partners in boxing meant he had to suffer being bashed around by the superstar boxer on his (the superstar) way to bling, spinners, and er… ladies.

On the other hand, Atom the sparring bot was a stripped-down machine, meant only to fulfill its one intended role.

The S 1000 R was first released in 2014 to complement BMW Motorrad’s inline-Four sportbike lineup, which was headed by the rip-roaring S 1000 RR superbike.

2018 BMW S 1000 RR test & review – “German Masterpiece”

You could say that the S 1000 R is the stripped-down version of the S 1000 RR, fair enough, as there are many shared components, but BMW intended the former to be a “roadster” for the streets.

For starters, the engine is tuned for more low- to mid-range torque (as if the S 1000 RR’s tune isn’t torquey), making it useful for road riding. The R’s 160 bhp arrives at 11,000 RPM and 112 Nm torque at 9,250 RPM, while the RR’s 199 bhp is found at 13,500 RPM and 113 Nm torque at 10,500 RPM.

Secondly, this version we tested was in its basic configuration, hence it had Rain and Road ride modes only, no Dynamic Damping Control (DDC) electronic suspension. However, Race ABS and Automatic Stability Control (ASC), as well as shift assistant (quickshifter) and cruise control are standard.

First thing you’d notice is the ergonomics, of course. The wide tapered handlebar is set low but in a position that didn’t required you to stretch like a rubber band. My back and torso felt relaxed as I lowered myself into the seat with a satisfying sigh…

Typical of the S-series inline-Four engine, the powerplant idles with a symphony of its parts that produce forward motion. A soft tap on the gear lever engaged first gear while the clutch took up the power in a linear fashion.

Opening up the throttle past the halfway point predictably produced a forward thrust that turns your frown into an ear-to-ear grin. It pulls hard, oh yeah, but it doesn’t scare you like how some open-class naked sportbikes would.

We’ve ridden all bikes in the market that are equipped with quickshifters but BMW’s “shift assistant” still rules, if not technically then emotionally. Each shift was taken care of swiftly and more importantly, accurately without a harsh jolt. But it’s that signature “pop” from the exhaust that’ll get you. It soon became so addictive that you’d find yourself short-shifting through the gearbox just to enjoy the moment.

Oh yes, the shift assistant works for downshifts too. The engine doesn’t blip hard when you drop it down a cog but the engine’s electronics worked well in tandem with the slipper clutch to deliver jerk-free engagement without needing you to touch the clutch lever.

Forward motion was eerily linear, and the S 1000 R picked up speed so effortlessly that the only indication of speed is when you start to fly past traffic like someone had hit the pause button to freeze the world around you.

For more entertainment (or kicks), slow down to 60 km/h in sixth gear, then slam open the throttle. Some bikes we’ve ridden would judder like a Proton Saga taxi at this point. Instead, the S 1000 R seemed to create NOS from the air it sucked in and blasted forward. I BS you not. If you hold on to that throttle for a few more seconds, you’d be doing more than 200 km/h. Remember, 60 to 200 km/h in just a few seconds.

If going straight was impressive, you’d be fully sold when you hit the corners.

Heading down into the sharp right off-bridge from MEX to Bukit Jalil, the bike’s suspension had the tyres dig hard into the road. As soon as the front tyre pushed a little it was time to get back on the gas.

Cornering on the S 1000 R yielded its own sense of addiction: Starting from braking, the Brembos bit hard to a one fingered pull! The engine blipped itself during downshift “vroom,” “vroom.” Next, the wide handlebar translated my steering effort into leaning over instantly. Fourthly, the engine’s back torque (engine braking) was smoothly balanced to provide a smooth rolling speed in mid-corner. The exhaust gave a loud “POP” as I reached the apex and it was at this moment when the front tyre started to push, signaling throttle on. The bike responded to the continuous throttle action and started to stand up naturally. Soon, we blasted cleanly away from the corner while the left foot hooked another gear, and another, and another while relishing the accompanying pops and howl of the engine.

Instant gratification. You don’t even need to buy flowers, chocolates, expensive jewelry and a candlelit dinner for it.

It wasn’t just about going fast on the S 1000 R, otherwise there’s no point to BMW turning the S 1000 RR into this roadster.

The daily commute became fun since the bike had it all: Acceleration, brakes, light steering, agility and comfort (for a naked sportbike). It was also frugal on fuel if you ride at a sensible pace. The new S 1000 R exhibited a more gracious attitude in traffic, although it did feel like I was pressing the fast forward button on and off when I upped my aggression.

In all truth, the S 1000 R has become my favourite BMW S-series model. As much as I love the march of technology in motorcycles, I don’t mind having less of it. Furthermore, the S 1000 R’s limits are more easily attainable, especially for those who don’t ride regularly at the track. No, that didn’t mean you’ll outgrow it, instead you may accept it as the bike’s charming side and appreciate the fact that you’re a good rider on a good bike, instead of having a good bike but unsure if you’re a good rider.

I’m not knocking on the S 1000 RR and S 1000 XR but the R is also more practical for everyday use especially for someone with short legs like me.

Anything that I didn’t like? Yes, of course. The signature S 1000 buzz is there but you’ll get used to it.

In closing, the protagonist took that low-tech, stripped-down sparring robot which they found in the junkyard all the way to the top to meet the champion robot. The protagonist’s robot so nearly beat the super-advanced champion, by taking advantage of the latter’s technological advantages when they turned out to be disadvantages.

Hey, everyone loves an underdog. Just like the 2018 BMW S 1000 R.

2018 BMW S 1000 R

ENGINE  
ENGINE TYPE 4-stroke, DOHC, liquid-cooled, inline-Four
DISPLACEMENT 999 cc
BORE x STROKE 80.0 mm x 49.7 mm
POWER 160 hp (118kW) @ 11,000 RPM
TORQUE 112 Nm @ 9,250 RPM
COMPRESSION RATIO 12.0:1
TRANSMISSION Constant mesh, 6-speed with straight-cut gears
FUEL SYSTEM Electronic fuel injection with ride-by-wire throttle
CLUTCH Multiple-plate wet clutch, anti-hopping, cable-operated
CHASSIS  
FRAME Aluminium composite bridge frame, partially self-supporting engine
FRONT SUSPENSION Upside-down telescopic ø 46 mm forks, adjustable for compression and rebound damping
REAR SUSPENSION Monoshock, adjustable for rebound damping
SUSPENSION TRAVEL FRONT/REAR 120mm / 120 mm
FRONT BRAKE 2 X Radially-mounted 4-piston Brembo calipers, ø 320 mm floating discs
REAR BRAKE 1 X Single-piston caliper, ø 220 mm brake disc
ABS BMW Motorrad Race ABS
TIRES FRONT/REAR 120/70 ZR-17; 190/55 ZR-17
STEERING HEAD ANGLE 24.6o
TRAIL 98.5 mm
WHEEL BASE 1,439 mm
SEAT HEIGHT 814 mm
FUEL TANK CAPACITY 17.5 litres
WEIGHT (READY TO RIDE) 207 kg
  • Riding is fun, but we motorcyclists should never cultivate a feeling of entitlement.

  • Respect others to earn respect.

  • There are things we motorcyclists should never do.

Here’s the conclusion to the “Ten Things Motorcyclists Should Never Do” list. (Please click here for Part 1.)

Ten Things Motorcyclists Should Never Do (Part 1)

We are fully aware that we are all adults and that we can think for ourselves. But an advice and suggestion once in a while is good, for us included.

Anyway, to that guy who wears a songkok tinggi and commented with vulgar words rather than offering anything constructive, you are a munafik. If you can’t be intelligent, you should never a ride motorcycles and your kind of attitude is exactly why motorcyclists are despised by some in the populace. Stop riding. Stop driving. Take the train before you endanger other people.

Hoo-sah… Okay, let’s count to ten, shall we.

6. Parking haphazardly

Yes, motorcycle parking lots around the Klang Valley seemed to have been designed by someone who thinks motorcylces are as wide their tyres and as long as four paces to a US size-5 shoe. And yes, there are car drivers who park in motorcycle bays. But that doesn’t mean we can park haphazardly, too. Our favourite spots are on sidewalks, between parked cars and aside parked cars. Yes, I know you’re worried about your bike’s security. But that doesn’t mean motorcyclists have not lost their calipers while their bikes are parked at home, does it? Let’s try to be more civilized and be considerate. Let’s park our bikes properly and laugh at car drivers who can’t find parking (and still pay when they finally do).

7. Not locking up

Speaking about locking up, we should never trust the bike’s steering lock only, or worse not lock it at all, thinking that big bikes don’t get stolen. Thieves usually work in pairs: One jumps on your bike and his friend pushes along on his bike. Goodbye.

So, please lock up. Buy extra locks and chains, special bolts for your Brembo calipers.

8. Not using the motorcycle lane

Let’s get this straight. We HATE… no, we ABHOR using motorcycle lanes but if the law requires it, then we have to use it. Or take another route. No, we aren’t defending the indefensible, but there are other ways of letting the authorities know about just how the motorcycle lanes are. Riding in the middle of the highway amongst other vehicles is not an effective way to protest for one single reason: It’s dangerous! Riding amongst cars is the riskiest thing any motorcyclist could do, regardless of type motorcycle.

Of course, this discounts the fact if certain parts of a motorcycle lane are closed for contruction or impassable, but we should always use the designated lanes, otherwise.

Motorcycles Allowed on Federal Highway Due to Bike Lane Works

9. Hogging the overtaking lane

If we don’t like other vehicles hogging the overtaking lane, do you think other drivers appreciate us doing the same? We should either keep overtaking or stay in the left lane (remember what we learned in driving school? “Ikut kiri jika tidak memotong (keep left if not overtaking) to allow the faster vehicles to pass. For motorcycle convoys, there should be a runner who sits just in front of the sweeper. From his position, he could then ride up the column of bikes, instructing his buddies to move over to let faster vehicles pass. The vehicle passing you might be someone who wants to drive the wheels off his car but do remember that he might have an emergency to attend to.

10. Hallucinating

Surely you’ll agree with us. How many times have you seen a motorcyclist meandering around in the middle of the road, completely oblivious to everything around him, like he’s in some kind or trance or stupor? They’d sometimes swerve into the path of a car behind without even realizing it! Stop it. Or tell him to stop it if you know someone like this, because that’s exactly how to get rear ended and contribute to the national accident rate statistics. Concentrate while riding, there’s no other way to stay safe!

  • Ducati Motor Holdings is the latest to report a decline in sales.

  • It was in Q2 2018 which dropped more over the first half of 2018.

  • Ducati is just one of the manufacturers who are seeing the decline in a soft worldwide motorcycle market.

When analysts said regarded the worldwide motorcycle as “soft,” they weren’t kidding. Ducati Motor Holdings is the latest to announce a sales decline of 7.4% in the first half of 2018 compared to the same period last year.

Total units sold were 32,250 motorcycles, representing €448 million revenue for the Audi-held motorcycle brand.

To analyze further, Ducati’s second quarter sales were down by 8.9% compared to Q2 2017, translating to 20,319 units compared to 22,300 in the same quarter last year.

Sales in all segments took a hit except for the manufacturer’s sport category which includes the SuperSport and superbike models. This sport category is what keeps them doing reasonably well despite the slump in sales for the other models, as there was a 29% increase with 7,683 units sold in the first half of this year.

That report leads to the Panigale V4 being the key driving force. Sportbikes are dead? We don’t think so. The manufacturer had also iterated that the Mutlistrada 1260 had also performed well.

2018 Ducati Panigale V4S Test & Review

Ducati did not reveal their performance in individual markets, however. However, we do know that the Italian motorcycle market is seeing a resurgence of late, driving up not just Ducati’s sales but also BMW as we reported earlier.

BMW Motorrad Q2 Sales Decline

Will 2018 see the end of Ducati’s eight-year sales increase? In fact, Ducati barely grew in 2017. Do note that this current motorcycle sales slump hit all other manufacturers, too. In our opinion, the industry-wide slump shows that it’s not due to one brand being more popular that the other.

Ducati sold over 55,800 bikes worldwide in 2017!

And of another intriguing note is how will VW Group treat this news (although we feel they won’t divest in Ducati yet).

VW Hints of Selling Ducati (Again)?

It’ll be interesting to see what the other European manufacturers such as KTM and Triumph will report, as they had been doing very well for many years. Triumph, in particular, has seen great growth year-on-year.

  • Ex-British Talent Cup rider, John McPhee is rumoured to be riding for the SIC Moto3 team next year.

  • McPhee made a huge impression in his debut season.

  • It all depends on whether Ayumu Sasaki or Adam Norrodin heads up to SIC’s Moto2 team.

There has been much talk about John McPhee joining the SIC (Sepang International Circuit) Moto 3 Racing Team for the 2019 season, despite the Scotsman remaining tight-lipped about his future.

“It certainly looks like I’ll be continuing in Moto3, although it was nice that there were a couple of Moto2 offers there,” he told Crash.net, “Hopefully I should know for sure in the next couple of weeks, which team it’ll be and which bike I’ll be on.”

The Scotsman made a great impression in his first Moto3 season last year by regularly challenging for the lead and running in the top 10. He went on to win his first race at the 2017 Czech Republic Grand Prix, in addition to a total of five career podium finishes including at the Sachsenring recently.

He eventually finished seventh overall in his first season with the Dorna-funded British Talent Cup team, and was then moved to the CIP Green Powerteam for the 2018 season. He was without a ride at the beginning of the 2018 season after the project ended.

The SIC Moto3 seats are currently occupied by Asia Talent Cup Champion Ayumu Sasaki and our local boy, Adam Norrodin. Needless to say, both riders would want to move up to SIC’s Moto2 team, which has Niki Tuuli as the sole rider. SIC could very well expand the team to two bikes and riders for 2019.

Besides that, SIC will also run a MotoGP team from next year. The rider line-up has to be announced, they are set to do officially do so later at the Silverstone round.

  • India has become the largest motorcycle market, beating out China in 2017.

  • A total 17.7 million motorcycles were sold during last year.

  • Benelli is the latest manufacturer to open up a factory in the sub-continent.

Chinese-owned Italian brand, Benelli will be the latest manufacturer to set up a motorcycle factory in India. India is currently the world’s largest motorcycle market.

Benelli is setting up the plant near Hyderabad and have also signed a deal with the Adishwar Auto Ride India-Mahavir Group to market the bikes in India. Remarkably, this new factory will start production beginning October 2018, albeit making motorcycles for the Indian market first.

Needless to say, manufacturing motorcycles in the country for domestic consumption avoids having to pay hefty levies.

India has naturally become the market where motorcycle manufacturers are flocking into, either to market or manufacture their motorcycles. In 2017 alone, a total of 17.7 million motorcycles and scooters were sold. Divided that number with 365 days and that’s a whopping 48,000 units per day!

KTM Motorrad AG was among the first to partner with an Indian motorcycle company, namely Bajaj Auto, to produce small capacity motorcycles for the Asian region before exporting them worldwide.

2018 KTM 200 Duke

Other manufacturers include Harley-Davidson who built their Street series there; BMW who partnered with TVS to produce the G 310 lightweight series; all the Japanese Big Four; Triumph Motorcycles had signed an MOU with Bajaj Auto; and Polaris had announced lately that they will assemble Indian Motorcycles and ATVs.

The largest motorcycle companies in India are Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto Ltd. and Eicher who currently owns the Royal Enfield brand. When it was speculated that Ducati was up for sale last year, Eicher made a bid of €1.8 billion.

  • Johann Zarco’s form seemed to have dropped after his crash at Le Mans.

  • Some speculated that success had gone to his head.

  • But he had just fought back to finish 2nd fastest during the post-Czech GP tests yesterday.

Johann Zarco had a great start to the MotoGP 2018 season, when he finished 2nd twice in four races and well ahead of the factory Movistar Yamaha team.

But after the heartbreaking crash at Le Mans in front of his countrymen, his form had a taken a dip somewhat. The sudden drop in performance even prompted his Monster Yamaha Tech 3  boss, Herve Poncharal, to state that Zarco had suddenly been basking too much in the MotoGP limelight and life in the fast lane, especially after meeting his current girlfriend. Others speculated that he might have contemplated about his mortality after the crash. These riders risk their lives and limbs for the sake of our entertainment, after all.

Poncharal knew the crash at Le Mans was different to any other and Zarco had dropped down the order, finishing 10th in Italy, 7th in Catalunya, 8th in The Nederlands, 9th in Germany and 7th again in the Czech Republic races.

Pic from MotoGP.com

“I’m happy about the race, a good race, good pace, and we were able to fight at the beginning,” said an upbeat Zarco. “The soft rear tyre was a good choice, I’m happy for that, it helped me to fight at the beginning. Maybe I could have overtaken more riders at the beginning, but it was difficult. In the race I tried to do the best I can, and in the end for sure the tyre was getting used and it became a little bit more difficult, not because of the tyres just because we’re working on the bike to find the best feeling,” said the 2-time Moto2 champion when interviewed by MotoGP.

But if the results of the just-completed post-Brno tests were anything to come by, Zarco certainly hasn’t lost his motivation and certainly not his skills. With the help of his team on the 2017-spec Yamaha YZR-M1, the Frenchman completed a punishing number of 71 laps and emerged 2nd fastest overall.

Zarco continued, “Now we are coming back on good things, from the Saturday we are quite fast, not enough to be on the podium but I understood good things this weekend so, I’m pretty happy and when everything isn’t perfect I’m taking points and that’s the main thing at the moment.”

He was honest about the dip in his performance, too, “… maybe in the last races I was racing like a guy who is going to buy the bread every morning. Now I can ride the Yamaha well and the answer is yes, I’m happy.”

A happy rider is a fast rider. The next round is at Austria this weekend, from 12th August 2018.

  • The scene of Steve McQueen’s character jumping over the Stalag Luft III fence on a motorcycle is immortalised in The Great Escape.

  • The bikes used in the shooting were actually Triumph TR6 Trophies.

  • One of the bikes is now on display at the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience facility.

The 1963 film, The Great Escape, had always been lauded as one of the best war movies of all time. But that scene of Steve McQueen’s character nicknamed “The Cooler King” jumping over the POW camp’s 12-ft. high fence on a Triumph TR6 Trophy turned The Great Escape into one of the best bikie movies, too.

There were actually three bikes used in the movie; they were all Triumph TR6 Trophies, dressed up as BMW R75s used by the Wehrmacht (German Army) as there were very few running R75s around at the time and the escape scene needed a bike that’s lighter, faster and handled better. The TR6R Trophy fitted the fill to perfection so the producers got a few and prepared them spec- and aesthetic-wise for the film.

However, all three Triumphs disappeared after filming, just as both the Easy Rider bikes in 1969 (and you thought missing jet engines was impossible). But this particular bike was traced to being sold to a farmer, who used it… of all things… to herd cows. You’d probably imagine him yelling “There is no escape!” to his bovine subjects.

Dean Shepherd bought it from another farm worker who inherited it after the farmer’s demise and restored it to its original state in the film.

The Great Escape bike is now displayed at the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience near Triumph Motorcycles Ltd.’s HQ in Hinckley, Leicetershire. It will then be displayed at the Salon Privé Concours de Elegance at the Blenheim Palace near Oxford. According to Auto Classics, the bike will be entered into the Class B event for exceptional motorcycles built between 1940 and 1979. (Please click on this link to learn more about the visitor centre.)

Triumph Motorcycles will open Visitor Experience Centre and factory tour

Bikes Republic will be travelling to the UK to visit Triumph Motorcycles Ltd.’s HQ and the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience in October this year, and we truly, sincerely, hope to see The Great Escape TR6 Trophy there! (Otherwise our Editor will throw a tantrum.)

The TR6 Trophy has a soul successor in manufacturer’s current modern classic lineup in the shape of the Bonneville Street Scrambler. It was so fun to ride that we swore we were overcome by the visions of Steve McQueen’s jump and were tempted to jump it over a few roadside railings. Just kidding.

(Please click on this link to learn more about The Great Escape and the Triumph Bonneville Street Scrambler.)

TESTED: Triumph Street Scrambler – “Escapism”

Oh, one more movie trivia before we end: Chris Pratt’s character rode the Street Scrambler in 2015’s Jurassic World.

  • Being silly on a motorcycle will lead to bad things, eventually.

  • Always ride with logic rather than being emotional or fearless.

  • Good riders always think of what’s ahead rather than the spur of the moment.

In putting together this “Ten Things Motorcyclists Should Never Do” list, we looked back on another article we’ve written on the ten most common mistakes made by riders, regardless of whether they are newbies or veterans. But I’m sure you could agree that the list wasn’t fully er… full, since we covered only ten items at one go.

Our way of life is fun because it gives us the opportunity to critique our own riding from time to time, as part of our journey to be a better rider and enjoy the sport for as long as we could ride. We hope that you, our brothers and sisters in arms, take a look at our safety tips from time to time.

So, the Ten Things Motorcyclists Should Never Do:

1. Ride when less than happy

While riding is definitely a form of therapy, it isn’t advisable to do it when your head is still playing images of the fight you had with your boss or spouse. The margin of arriving safely on a motorcycle is very thin, unlike if you were driving, so you need to pay 100% attention to your riding. So, take a moment to cool down before you decide to ride up to Gohtong Jaya.

2. Insisting on right of way

Every rider knows that we’d lose if we choose to be insistent against bigger vehicles, be it our fault or otherwise. Yet, many of us still fight against other road users when the red mist descends. Truth is, I do get angry at idiotic drivers at times but there’s no point in ending up being crushed to hamburger on the road. Let them go because karma will deal with them, Insy’Allah.

3. Lingering in blindspots

Lingering in the blindspots of other vehicles (including other motorcycles) is one of the most dangerous thing to do in traffic. The other vehicle may swerve into you since the driver doesn’t you’re there. We Malaysian motorcyclists are a lucky lot since there is no law against traffic filtering and lane splitting, so let’s use that privilege effectively. Just remember to keep moving at a pace no more than 40 km/h faster than the traffic around you.

4. Trusting other road users explicitly

Are you sure others are giving you way? Do you think they realize you’ve stationary at the junction? It’s always best to ride with a certain level of paranoia. While one may argue doing so takes some of the joys out of riding, being safe beats hitting the ground. Or a car.

5. Not knowing your limits

There’s a simple gauge to this. If you constantly feel stressed out that you almost hit a car or running wide in corners, you are over your limits (lack of training, notwithstanding). Read up on riding tips or better yet, seek out some advanced training to unlock your limits correctly. In the meantime, slow down.

  • Smoked Garage is based in Bali, Indonesia and are famous for café racers.

  • They rebuild this Triumph Daytona 675R into a café racer.

  • The bodywork, radiator shrouds, fender, subframe are all carbon-fibre.

Hailing from Bali, Indonesia, Smoked Garage is one of the best motorcycle customizers. You only have to take a look at this MT777 carbon covered, café road racer, which started out as a 2014 Triumph Daytona 675R to be convinced.

Nicko Eigert, Smoked Garage’s boss described the project, “It all started when my good friend Maruli Tampubolon came to the workshop and asked us to build his dream bike.” With a Daytona 675R at hand, Nicko suggested they give the bike a classic racer twist.

They decided to work on the bike’s proportions to give an impression of having an extended swingarm, without actually installing an aftermarket item to throw out the stock Daytona’s sweet handling.

As with most builds, the Smoked Garage team stripped the entire bike down and trimmed the subframe. What was left of the subframe was then wrapped in a carbon-fibre shell to house a small battery and the electrics. The trimmed subframe provided space for only one seat and achieved the team’s plan for an extended swingarm look.

Having sorted out the rear end, it was time to work on the rest of the bike. A retro half-fairing was installed in place of the Daytona’s original full-fairing. Although it looks classic, the new fairing is made of carbon-fibre. The choice of going carbon was due to a number of criteria such as Maruli’s insistence of a black colour scheme and weight reduction. The black stuff was also used for the radiator shrouds and front fender. The fuel tank remains aluminium but covered in a carbon fibre shell.

The exhaust was allocated some attention, evidenced by the triple exhaust tips.

Moving down to the rolling stock, the stock 17” cast wheels were replaced with 16” spoked rims, which serves to reduce the bike’s ride height.

Finishing touches include gold pinstripes to offset the carbon fibre’s black and Maruli’s family’s family crest.

This build firmly shows that not only vintage or modern retros could be customized to be café racers.

Pictures from returnofthecaferacers.com

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