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Wahid Ooi

  • 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.

  • Returning rider Thomas Luthi wins the Moto2 race at the Grand Prix of the Americas.

  • His teammate Marcel Schrotter took second after battling with Alex Marquez.

  • Championship leader Jorege Baldassarri crashed out.

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.

Interested parties can view the bikes at BMW Motorrad Auto Bavaria. Please follow BMW Motorrad Malaysia’s Facebook page and BMW Motorrad Malaysia’s website for more information on BMW motorcycles.

PICTURE GALLERY

  • 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’.”

Source and pictures: MCN

  • 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.

Sources: Ride Apart, AMCN, Bennets, Free Patents Online

  • The Ducati Panigale V4 R will lose 250 RPM in WorldSBK 2019.

  • While the Honda CBR1000RR will gain 500 RPM.

  • Ducati and Kawasaki are also not allowed to bring engine upgrades to their bikes.

It’s bound to happen as per Dorna and FIM’s rules. The Ducati Panigale V4 R is set to lose 250 RPM off its peak from the next round in Assen.

The decision was made after Alvaro Bautista won the first six races and three Superpoles of the season on the Panigale V4 R. Besides docking its peak RPM (to reduce peak horsepower), Ducati will also lose their concession to bring further engine upgrades for the rest of the year. Consequently, Bautista and teammate Chaz Davies, as well as Eugene Laverty will have to compete on a bike with the same specs as it started the season.

A reduction of 250 RPM will not make a difference to Bautista. In fact, his Aruba.it Ducati team had tested a bike with 250 RPM less in Aragon earlier.

On the other hand, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR will not have its revs cut but they are also not allowed the concession to upgrade their engine, since the gap between Ducati and Kawasaki are only 7 points (below the 9-point threshold).

Other manufacturers are allowed concessions, including BMW and Yamaha (who are racing), as well as Aprilia, Suzuki and MV Agusta (who are not racing).

As for Honda, the CBR1000RR will receive a 500 RPM upgrade. The increase will take effect over two rounds i.e. 250 RPM at Assen and another 250 RPM at Imola, Italy.

Such “revisions” is not new. Kawasaki had their ZX-10RR’s rev limit cut last year after Jonathan Rea’s dominance. The idea is to keep the field competitive for close-in racing.

You can view the FIM ruling here.

The rev limits for different manufacturers are in the table below (Credit: WorldSBK/FIM).

  • The 2019 Honda CBR650R and 2019 Honda CB650R were launched today.

  • Both bikes were first unveiled at EICMA 2018.

  • Both models have been extensively upgraded yet priced close to their predecessors.

The eagerly awaited 2019 Honda CBR650R and 2019 Honda CB650R were launched today (watch video below).

The bikes were launched by Boon Siew Honda Malaysia (BSH) at the Malaysia Autoshow 2019, at MAEPS Serdang. Fans and enthusiasts can view the new bikes between 11thto 13thApril 2019.

Mr. Keiichi Yasuda, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BSH launched the bikes. In his speech, Mr. Yasuda said, “In 2018, Boon Siew Honda successfully launched 7 models of high performance big bikes in Malaysia. We are happy to have received overwhelming response from the market. And, we shall also look into the middleweight segment demand. Therefore, today we launched the all-new CBR650R and CB650R.”

2019 Honda CBR650R (from RM 45,499)

For the last time, the CBR650RR is NOT from the CBR600RR’s lineage. Clear? Good. And who said it was going to cost in the vicinity of RM 75,000 to RM 80,000?!

The CBR650R replaces the pervious CBR650F as Honda’s middleweight sportbike.

In line with the “CBR” designation, the 2019 model is made sportier to distance itself from its naked brethren, the naked CB650R. So, the CB650R is no longer a CBR650F without clothes.

Highlights:
  • New styling inspired by the CBR1000RR Fireblade superbike. The single “diamond” headlamp makes way for twin aggressive LED headlamps; and the fairing’s rear part is extended further back.

  • Revised rider ergonomics. The handlebars are repositioned 30mm forward to put more weight on the front wheel plus for a sportier riding position. Similarly, the footpegs were moved 3mm back and 6mm higher. Yet, seat height remains at an accessible 810mm.

  • Higher engine power. The inline-Four now revs to 1,000 RPM higher. Consequently, there is a 5% percent gain in maximum power from 90 to 94 HP at 12,000 RPM.

  • Assist and slipper clutch. The assist function allows lighter clutch lever operation. The slipper function, on the other hand, minimizes rear tyre hop when downshifting aggressively.

  • New running stock. The forks are now 41mm upside-down Showa SFF (Separate Function Forks). Braking duty is handled by a pair of Nissin 4-piston calipers that are radial-mounted.

  • Lower weight. The new bike is 6kg lighter.
  • New features. Such as full LED lighting; A new LCD instrument panel which includes gear position and shift indicator.
  • Traction control. The Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) traction control strategy finally makes its way into the model.
  • Two colours. Grand Prix Red and Matt Gun Powder Black Metallic.

Priced from RM 45,499 (basic selling price).

2019 Honda CB650R (from RM 43,499)

The 2019 CB650R replaced the CB650F as the middleweight naked sportbike. Besides that, the new CB650R completes Honda’s Neo Sports Café line-up, which already consists of the CB250R and CB1000R.

Highlights:

Modern and minimalist design. As part of the Neo Sports Café family, the bike’s styling mixes classic and modern elements. Honda calls it the “compact, trapezoid” effect.

  • The round headlight and sculpted tank form the front and “backbone,” respectively while the engine hangs below in full view.

  • Higher engine power. The engine is shared with the CBR650R. Revisions to the intake, cam timing, compression and exhaust yielded a 5% increase in power to 94 HP.

  • Relaxed ergonomics. The riding stance is more relaxed compared to the CBR650R’s.

  • Shared specs with CBR650R. Suspension, brakes, assist and slipper clutch, LED lighting, HSTC traction control are shared with the CBR650R.

  • Two colours. Candy Chromosphere Red and Graphite Black.

Priced from RM 43,499 (basic selling price).

  • Pramac Ducati gets Automobili Lamborghini as their title sponsor.

  • The move follows the departure of Alma.

  • The riders and team staff get to use Lamborghinis over the MotoGP weekend in Texas.

Alma may be no more, but Pramac Ducati now has a new title sponsor with Automobili Lamborghini stepping in. The announcement was made ahead of this weekend’s MotoGP round at Austin, Texas.

Alma’s name and livery was removed in Argentina due to the tax allegations against the company.

The team members ought to enjoy the fruits of the sponsorship, too. Riders Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia will each receive a Huracán, while the team staff gets to use three Urus SUVs in America. All the vehicles will be personalized with Pramac Racing’s logos.

“Running a Grand Prix as important as the United States, with the Lamborghini logo next to the Pramac one on our fairing, is a source of great satisfaction for us,” said team principal Paolo Campinoti.

“We are proud to have Automobili Lamborghini as title sponsor of the Grand Prix of the Americas and this underlines that the relationship between Lamborghini and Pramac goes beyond the feeling of deep friendship that binds me to Stefano Domenicali”

Stefano Domenicali (not related to Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali), Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, added: “What better occasion than the Austin GP to confirm the important collaboration between Automobili Lamborghini and Pramac Racing.”

Pramac and Lamborghini have previously collaborated on a team launch at the Manifattura Lamborghini, a special livery for the 2018 Italian Grand Prix and the livery for the 2019 season designed by Mitja Borkert, director of the Lamborghini Centro Stile.

The famed sportscar marque had a stillborn motorcycle project before, but don’t worry, it’s just sponsorship and not their own bikes.

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