The Zero SR/F streetfighter is set to compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this year.
The bike was launched in January.
Its motor produces 110 bhp and 189.8 Nm of torque.
The just-launched Zero SR/F streetfighter will be raced up Pikes Peak in June this year.
The 156-corner, 20-km Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) may not ring a bell with many motorcycle enthusiasts in Malaysia, but it is an important event where street bikes are pitted against the mountain and the clock.
Many well-known motorcycle models have tackled the course and earned the prestigious win including the electric Lightning LS-218, Ducati Multistrada, KTM 1290 Super Duke R. Ducati even went ahead to build the limited-edition Multistrada Pikes Peak.
However, sportbikes aren’t allowed on the course due to safety reasons after a number of riders were killed. So, the PPIHC sees close competition among sport-tourers and naked sportbikes.
Consequently, Zero Engineering feels that the event is the best place to show off the capabilities of the SR/F. American rider Cory West will ride the bike.
The Zero SR/F was launched earlier this year in Amsterdam. Although it looks like the mix between a Ducati and Benelli, it’s anything but, according to the company.
Specs include a motor which produces 110 hp and 189.8 Nm of torque. Torque is the most important aspect up Pikes Peak due to the snaking course, sharp corners and hairpins.
Besides that, owners can charge the battery to 95% in one hour and it weighs 226kg.
Ten Kate is returning to WorldSBK with Yamaha and Loris Baz.
The team will be supported fully by Yamaha Europe and will have the same equipment as the factory team.
The team was dropped by HRC at the 11th hour last year.
Ten Kate is returning to WorldSBK with Yamaha and Loris Baz this time.
Many were surprised when Honda dropped their long-time WorldSBK partner Ten Kate for the 2019 season. It was already 30th October when Honda made the announcement, which meant that Ten Kate had prepared the race engines, materiel and signed two riders through 2019 and 2020.
HRC’s move forced Ten Kate to lay off their race team and declare bankruptcy.
But it proves that racing is in team principal Ronald ten Kate’s blood as he began talks with other manufacturers. He finally reached an agreement with Yamaha Europe just before Christmas, but the details were only fully confirmed in January.
He decided on Yamaha and Loris Baz as he will be supported fully by Yamaha Europe, hence receive the complete package. It means that he will receive the same factory equipment as the Crescent Yamaha and GYTR Yamaha teams.
However, he concedes that the team could only aim for as many podium finishes as possible since the championship is fully underway. The team will only begin at the Jerez round from 7th to 9th June 2019.
Motorcycle manufacturers do get in the April Fool’s Day pranking act.
We round up a few from this year’s.
Triumph and BMW are the leaders in this.
It’s just not getting punk’d by your office mates, but there are motorcycle manufacturers who couldn’t resist teasing motorcycle fans with April Fool’s Day jokes. It isn’t difficult to illicit a few laughs these days, given the willingness of many in believing everything on social media.
Here’s this year’s April Fool’s Day wrap-up.
Triumph Rocket Mode Thrusters Accessory
Triumph Motorcycles have been pranking us for many years. We remember fondly of “a new model” which replaced the handlebar with a steering wheel from a car.
Introducing the new Rocket Mode Thrusters accessory!
The latest hybrid technology from Triumph Motorcycles with 1,000hp jet engines now available for the Rocket TFC.
So, wouldn’t you like a pair of miniature jet engines that sit inside the exhaust pipes? On a Rocket III TFC, no less! Triumph even posted the blueprint for it. It promised 1,000 hp and available only on 1stApril 2019.
Apple iLid
A motorcycle retailer in the UK named Sportbike Shop announced that they secured the rights to distribute Apple’s HUD smart helmet called the “iLid.”
We’re excited to finally reveal we have exclusive UK rights for Apple’s newest tech venture… into motorcycling. The iLid features a heads-up display and a thumbwheel control to help you access everything you need while riding. Find out more… https://t.co/fdcRpyFpNEpic.twitter.com/2UbKxW4DBy
— SPORTSBIKESHOP.co.uk (@SPORTSBIKESHOP) April 1, 2019
It’s definitely a prank because nothing Apple plans escapes the gaze of tech publications.
BMW iRace
Think BMW Motorrad is all serious? They have been doing April Fool’s Day pranks for a long time.
Check out this “GPS-guided iRace system” for the S 1000 RR. BMW claims it allows beginners to circulate tracks close or even matching their lap records.
Ja, ja, I’d like to lap the Nordschleife with this!
BMW R One T
Another one from BMW, in the shape a mono-wheeled bike photoshopped from the R Nine T. There’s a similar one made by BMW Motorrad Malaysia.
BMW R 1250 GS One Wheel
The copywriting blurb said, “Ready for our latest novelty? A revolutionary design using a single wheel underneath the 1250cc boxer engine.”
Shell Malaysia earns the first “Green Building Index” award for two of their stations.
The index is awarded to buildings that comply to environmentally-friendly measures.
Shell’s green stations are the first among petroleum companies in Malaysia and APAC region.
As the Managing Director of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn. Bhd., En. Shairan Huzani Husain said, “It’s not easy to convince people the petroleum companies actually care about the environment.” But Shell Malaysia is now the first petroleum company to have certified “green retail fuel stations” not only in Malaysia, but in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
To Shell, it is their responsibility to care for the wellbeing of the planet, while supplying energy resources to consumers. Truth is, Shell not only researches on better fossil fuels and other petroleum products, but also energy solutions for the future including electric vehicles.
Shairan Huzani Husain, Managing Director of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn. Bhd.
As such, Shell Malaysia embarked on a quest to turn their retail stations into environmentally-friendly those with “Green Building Index (GBI)” certification. Two stations have been awarded as such, one in Damansara Jaya and another in Taman Connaught.
En. Shairan further added that Shell Malaysia will reduce the carbon footprint of their stations by 50% cum 2025.
Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail, Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNKK)
Highlights of GBI certified buildings:
Solar Photo Voltaic panels installed on the station’s canopy to generate electricity during daytime. The clean electricity obtained will supplement the station’s energy requirements such as running the air-conditioning, lighting, fuel pumps and so forth.
Adjustments to reduce energy consumption. Such as painting the surfaces of roofs and walls white to reflect solar radiation to reduce interior temperature during the daytime.
Use of Energy Monitoring System (EMS). It allows the station to monitor electricity and water consumption. The station’s crew can react quickly to abnormal consumption.
Waterless urinals and water saving taps replace conventional bathroom fittings. Water usage was reduced by up to 60%. It equals saving up to 600,000 litres per year, per station.
LED lighting with lower power consumption and longer lifespans.
Carpool and green vehicle parking bays to encourage their use.
Strategically placed electronic display board at shop’s entrance which provides detailed information on the station’s energy and water consumption, temperature and carbon intensity reduction.
Red Bull KTM Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal admitted that he was “very angry” at Hafizh Syahrin.
The outspoken Frenchman shared his thoughts during the Argentina MotoGP.
Hafizh Syahrin’s target is to go better than his new teammate Miguel Oliveira this year.
Oh dear, this doesn’t sound good at all. Red Bull KTM Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal admitted that he was “very angry” at Hafizh Syahrin.
The outspoken Frenchman spilled his guts when interviewed by MotoGP trackside announcer Simon Crafar during the weekend’s Argentina MotoGP.
“Hafizh, this is something very strange, but we’ve been through that before,” said Poncharal, alluding to his previous “motivational” talk with the rider at Misano last year.
Herve Poncharal – Photo credit GPOne
“He finished ninth last year for his second race in MotoGP, we know the guy has potential.”
“And yesterday FP1 was a disaster. He was looking almost like you (Simon Crafar) or me riding the bike around the track. I was really angry.”
“But after three laps in FP2, he improved by a full two seconds, which is a lot. Changed nothing on the bike, but clearly there is something is his head. At the moment he doesn’t dare to push, for reasons I can’t explain, he can’t explain.”
However, Poncharal gave assurance that the KTM Tech 3 team is fully behind Hafizh in his quest.
Hafizh Syahrin’s Thoughts
Motosport.com asked Hafizh for his opinion regarding Poncharal’s strong words. “Yesterday morning was (a) similar feeling like Qatar and also in the test. I didn’t find any good grip with the bike.”
“And after that we make a small change (which Poncharal said they didn’t change anything on the bike), and really surprised for me, and I feel a different bike, and we improve.”
Hafizh admits that that he’s still adapting to the bike. “Now I start to understand this bike more or less 90 percent. I just need a little bit more laps.”
Our Take
Before you jump on Poncharal, consider this: MotoGP is business. It’s not some fancy hobby of the rich who employ riders to blast around tracks worldwide. MotoGP is not horse racing and the riders are not horse jockeys.
Now, sponsors have the very right of seeing their logos on the bikes they sponsored and it’s not exactly cheap in MotoGP. These sponsors may say, “We use the top level of motorsports i.e. MotoGP to develop our technologies,” but it’s about brand visibility. Sponsors want to be associated with winners. Would you sponsor a fly-by-night team? You wouldn’t.
Unfortunately, only the front runners and crashers who get the most visibility during a race weekend. The cameras will focus on the front runners 99% of the time; the footage beamed into millions of homes around the world.
In other words, teams and riders at the back of the field are “invisible,” unless they crash. Even then, the front runners who crashed receive more air time. Sponsors will have a hard time justifying the costs to their stakeholders and start pressuring the manufacturer. The manufacturer then pushes the team boss, and the team boss goes down to the pits and start kicking butts.
Sepang International Circuit CEO and Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team principal, Dato’ Ahmad Razlan Ahmad Razali was asked about Hafizh Syahrin’s performance during a recent interview. He said that he had a talk with Hafizh at Qatar. “I gave him a stern advice: Do not look at the Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team as a backup, since we’ve signed Morbidelli and Quartararo for two years,” said Dato’ Razlan.
He also added that getting into MotoGP could be relatively easy, but staying in MotoGP is entirely a different matter. “Tech 3’s target for Hafizh in 2019 was to go faster than his new teammate Miguel Oliveira.”
“I also told him to stop comparing the KTM with the Yamaha he rode last year.”
As with Poncharal, SIC supports Hafizh’s venture. “We’ve gone the whole length of trying to help Hafizh, including signing on a sport psychologist for him.
BikesRepublic.com hopes Hafizh Syahrin will rise to the challenge quickly. We understand that being a MotoGP rider isn’t easy but it’s a world based on results.
*NOTE:
Many top riders also suffered with grip at the Termas Rio Hondo circuit in Argentina. Apart from MotoGP, the circuit is hardly used throughout each year. Consequently, the surface lacks grip. Maverick Vinalez qualified second but lost 1.5 seconds per lap to winner Marc Marquez. Alex Rins could qualify no better than 16thon his Suzuki and had to be satisfied with finishing 5th. Johann Zarco on the factory KTM also suffered, finishing in 15th, one place ahead of Hafizh Syahrin. Andrea Dovizioso said he was disappointed in finishing 3rdafter nursing his worn tyres home.
The Yamaha Niken is already funky, but an Australian garage added a turbo.
It should produce 148 hp, compared to the stock 115 hp.
The custom paint job is a nice touch, too.
Power, power, power. It’s never enough, is it? How about the Yamaha Niken, then? Not funky enough? How about adding a turbo sound to you?
That’s exactly what Trooper Lu’s Garage in New South Wales, Australia throught when they built this world’s first turbocharged Yamaha Niken.
Yamaha Motor Australia who shared this post didn’t reveal much details. But we could see a Garrett turbocharger mounted just ahead of the rear wheel where all three exhausts merge, before exiting to the Akrapovic muffler. According to Ride Apart, such set up usually gains some 33 horsepower. The stock Niken engine – which is shared with the MT-09 – produces 115 hp. Hence it should pump out 148 hp with the turbo.
Photo credit Yamaha Motor Australia
The GIVI aluminium top case complete with a pair of flasks is a nice, if not ironic, addition.
Photo credit Yamaha Motor Australia
Other changes include a custom colour that’s a departure from Yamaha’s standard “racing blue.” You could also see the custom KYB forks up front.
Photo credit Yamaha Motor Australia
In closing, a certain motojournalist had wheelied the standard Niken so the turbo in this one should kick the front up even higher!
Marc Marquez destroyed the field in the 2019 Argentina MotoGP.
Valentino Rossi celebrated his 23 years in GP racing by finishing 2nd on the podium.
Andrea Dovizioso finished 3rdafter nursing his worn tyres.
While many had expected reigning MotoGP champion to win at the 2019 Argentina MotoGP, no one had thought he’d destroy the entire field. He left the riders behind him to fight tooth and nail for the last two podium positions, ending with Valentino Rossi claiming second place ahead of Andrea Dovizioso on the final lap.
Putting the nightmares of last season and the start of the weekend behind him, Marquez (Repsol Honda) blasted into the lead from the get-go and never looked back. He led as much as 12 seconds before backing off in the last few laps to take the chequered flag.
The battle for second and third position ensued among Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha), Andrea Dovizioso (Team Winnow Ducati), Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Sepang Yamaha Racing Team), Maverik Vinalez (Monster Energy Yamaha), Danilo Petrucci (Team Winnow Ducati), Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda).
Photo credit MotoGP.com
The group saw multiple position changes throughout the race, including trading paint and leaving tyre marks on rivals’ leathers.
Early casualty was Crutchlow who was called to serve a ride through penalty due to jumping the start. Dorna and the FIM had installed new jumpstart cameras and caught the Englishman moving forward by just 0.0001s before the red lights went out. He would eventually finish 13th.
Soon, Petrucci was dropped by the group. Rossi, Dovizioso, Miller and Morbidelli were caught in an exciting high-speed duel. Rossi and Dovi managed to pull clear at the end, leaving the men behind to chop and block each other.
Rossi and Dovi exchanged position a number of times, but the Ducati rider couldn’t pull away as he was trying to conserve his worn tyres. Rossi then put a block pass on Dovizioso at Turn 7 on the last lap and took off to take second place.
The podium finish celebrated Rossi’s 23 years of his involvement in GP racing.
Photo credit MotoGP.com
By now, Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) rode a steady race from 16th on the grid to join the group. In the battle than ensued between Miller, Vinalez and Morbidelli, the trip went three wide as they headed into Turn 7. Miller was on the inside, Morbidelli on the outside, sandwiching Vinalez. Miller managed to slip through, followed by Vinalez and Morbidelli. Miller’s block pass means Vinalez had to hold his throttle, causing Morbidelli to smash into Vinalez’s back wheel. Both riders were knocked out of the race with just a few corners to go.
Alex Rins slipped through to claim 5thwith Petrucci behind him.
Photo credit MotoGP.com
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) finished 7th to cap off a strong weekend; Fabio Quartaro (Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team) impressed in 8th; Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) took 9th; and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory) rounded out the Top 10.
Further down the field, rookie Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) put in another impressive race to come home in 11th; Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda) had a horrid start and finished 12th; Crutchlow in 13th; Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Ducati) in 14th; Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory) couldn’t capitalize on his soft tyres and dropped all the way back to 15th; Hafizh Syahrin (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) in 16th; and Andrea Ianone (Aprilia Racing) took the last spot.
The Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE turns the H2 platform in a sport-tourer.
It is now the most powerful and fastest sport-tourer.
Priced from RM 136,900.
Riding the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE will get you thinking about Albert Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity.
It says the faster you go the more things seem to stand still for you. Yet, time passes quicker for those who are not travelling at your speed. For example, 12 minutes went by for you, but 24 minutes passed for others. This is called “time dilation.”
Introduction
There are already a number of fast touring machines in Kawasaki’s arsenal. There’s the Ninja 1000SX (previously known as the Z1000SX), Versys 1000, and of course, the popular 1400GTR.
The 1400GTR ruled the sport-touring roost for many years since its inception. Seeing them doing more than 200 km/h on the highways complete with luggage and wife is a common sight. But Kawasaki needed more in the face of the 170-hp KTM 1290 Super Duke GT.
So, why built a completely new bike when already have a warp-drive like engine of the H2? Let’s just turn it into a sport-tourer then. It is a good idea? Is there too much power for a bike for the long-haul which invariably includes luggage and a passenger?
Yeah, we asked the same questions, too.
What you get
A lot, apparently!
Of course, let’s start with that supercharged engine. The H2 SX line-up’s supercharger is what Kawasaki calls “balanced supercharger.” As the name implies, the compressor is optimized for tractable torque across the rev range, instead of eyeball bleeding horsepower like on the H2 (231 hp) and what more the H2R (340 bp without ram air).
In the real world, it provides the rider with smooth acceleration (it’s a relative term!) anywhere in the rev range. It also allows the bike to lug the extra weight of the luggage and passenger.
On the other hand, having all the horsepower means nothing if the rider needs to rev the snot out of the engine just to get it going.
So, how much horsepower does the H2 SX SE make? 197 hp at 11,000 RPM and 137.3 Nm of torque at 9,500 RPM. Doesn’t look a lot, but it’s a tourer, remember? But it does cement its place as the most powerful sport-tourer.
Okay, let’s move on to the other features.
The H2 SX line-up has three variants: The base SX, middle SX SE and the new SX SE+. The engine and tuning are the same across the platform.
The base H2 SX has:
Electronic cruise control.
Kawasaki Engine Brake Control (KEBC) which lets the rider choose the level of engine braking.
IMU-based Kawasaki Corner Management Function (KCMF) which works with;
Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC) and;
Kawasaki Intelligent anti-Lock Brake System (KIBS) to provide lean angle sensitive traction control and ABS.
In addition to the base model’s, this H2 SX SE we reviewed has:
TFT screen.
Larger windscreen.
Heated grips.
LED cornering lights.
DC charging outlet.
Specially machined wheels.
Bi-directional Kawasaki Quick Shift (KQS).
The new for 2019 H2 SX SE+, on the other hand, includes all of the above plus:
Kawasaki Electronic Control Suspension (KECS).
Integrated Riding Modes.
Smartphone Bluetooth connectivity.
Brembo Stylema monobloc brake calipers.
Self-repairing paint.
Riding Impression
Our first thought when we climbed on was where’s the handlebar. That stemmed from our familiarity with contemporary sport-tourers whose handlebars rise almost straight up and back. We found this bike’s clip-ons further down. You read that right – clip-ons instead of a handlebar, albeit they were mounted above the top triple clamp.
Hence, the seating position is somewhere in between the H2 and 1400GTR. The footpegs were mounted in between the two extremes, too.
But why such low position for the handlebars? Because the position makes all the sense in the world when the bike engages warp drive. It’s not at all uncomfortable – just different from other sport-tourers, the Super Duke GT included.
Here’s a tip for future owners: If your buddy asks you why only 197 hp, you can answer, “Because it’s a tourer.” But if he asks about the sporty riding position, you can answer, “Because it’s a sportbike.” That way, you always win.
I admit, I was filled with fear, so I chose Medium (M) power level. But the fear disappeared as soon as the clutch lever went out – the bike was smoooooth! The handlebar didn’t feel like it had a ton of bricks sitting on it, either. It was light and you could actually weave the bike in and out of traffic.
Steering into corners felt a bit vague at first, but we found out that there was too much rebound and compression damping in the forks. Winding out 4 clicks of each parameter cured the problem and the front bit into the road and pulled the rest of the bike with it.
But… I bet you’re more interested about its power. Well, I can tell you that felt like no other sport-tourers out there. Uh uh, none.
Rolling along at 110 km/h in 6thgear, still in M power mode, I gave it about ½ throttle. The bike surged ahead to a wonderful growl and jet-like intake noise. By the time I hit the 6thlamp post, the speedo already showed 201 km/h.
The pickup in speed was very deceiving as the large windscreen kept the wind blast off the torso and helmet. Additionally, the engine and exhaust were very muted. I kept finding myself arriving at a corner or behind a car *MUCH* faster than I anticipated! Thankfully, the handling and brakes are up to standard.
The quickshifter jammed in the gears solidly but it’s much smoother to use the clutch for first to second and second to third at lower speeds. However, it shifts smoother if you use F (Full power) mode.
Corner blasting
Where better to test a road bike’s handling and suspension? Take a trip up Genting Highlands, of course!
I decided to ride it up the mountain at night, since it’s cooler.
Down along the Karak Highway, the bike blew by every vehicle in less than a heartbeat. I wonder if there were any police reports made about a low-flying UFO…
All vehicles in the mirror disappeared as if they were driven in reverse. It wasn’t all about straight line speed, however. The H2 SX SE took to the corners on Karak like it was yawning. Those long sweeping corners are its natural habitat.
Up the Genting road, the bike needed smooth steering inputs especially over bumpy corners. Being long and relatively heavy, you need to brake early for the corners and steer in earlier. Then as you reach the apex, stand the bike up a little and apply the throttle – carefully and smoothly – blasting your way out. It doesn’t flow so well if you’re a rider who fixes slow corner entry speeds with early throttle application.
I didn’t push it at all since it was night. Instead, I rode as smoothly as I could and reveled at the stupendous roll-on acceleration and ability to turn hard into corners. Yet, it took only 12 minutes from BHP Gombak to the Nanyang Restaurant in Gohtong Jaya. The secret here was the quick acceleration back up to speed after slowing down. That kept the average speed up.
Nonetheless, describing the bike as being fast without attesting to its overall handling isn’t fair. The bike behaved very well when ridden in heavy traffic, not trying to surge forward even below 60 km/h.
Additionally, the seats were comfortable for both rider and passenger.
Conclusion
So, why supercharge a sport-tourer? I guess anyone who loves bikes (or cars, aircraft, boats, etc. etc.) do love the rush of speed once a while. That, or the satisfaction and pride of owning the fastest sport-tourer. It’s difficult to put my thoughts down on paper about this, for it’s something latent. But I’m positive that you’d fall in love with the bike’s power, acceleration, handling, looks if you get the chance to ride it.
There were couple of gripes, though.
One was the heat being thrown onto the right leg’s shin. I picked up the bike while wearing sneakers (which I shouldn’t do when riding) and I swear it removed all the hairs! So, remember to always wear boots when riding this bike.
Secondly, the type of sharp bumps on our roads kicked the body hard. However, the bike felt a whole lot better at high speeds, meaning that the suspension is geared towards high speed riding. The electronic semi-active suspension on the H2 SX SE+ ought to be better.
Nevertheless, the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE was one of the most addictive bikes I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding. Why not? Riding anything else felt so slow it’s like taking years to get somewhere. Just like what Einstein said about time dilation.
Marc Marquez scored pole position in qualifying for the Argentina MotoGP 2019.
It was the 81st pole of his career.
The Top 10 qualifiers were separated by less than 1 second.
After a slow start and difficulties during all four practice sessions, Marc Marquez put the hammer down when it truly mattered to claim the pole position for the Argentina MotoGP 2019. It was the 81stpole of his career.
The reigning world champion could only record the 8th fastest time by FP3 giving his team lots of concern. Afterwards in FP4, the chain on his RC213V hopped off the rear sprocket. Marquez had to park his bike, ran through puddles and mud in the infield to a marshal on a moped who fetched him back to his pits.
Marquez then hopped on his spare bike to complete the rest of the session and Qualifying. But he almost crashed at the first turn during Q2, as well. The team proceeded to run a two-stop, three-run session.
The Spanish posted a super-quick 1m 38.304s fastest lap, putting himself 0.154s clear of Maverick Vinalez in second. Andrea Dovizioso steered his Ducati to 1m 38.468s to complete the front row of the grid. Dovi’s time was just 0.010s behind Vinalez and 0.164s behind Marquez.
The times recorded in Qualifying were more strung out compared to the amazingly close times during the first two Free Practice Sessions. Instead of having 1 second covering 21 riders, it worked out to 1 second covering ten riders ahead of the race.
Behind Dovi was Valentino Rossi, 0.241s away from pole. Jack Miller completed the Top 5 with a mere 0.003s behind VR46.
Meanwhile, the two riders of Petronas Sepang Racing Team surprised everyone when their riders Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo qualified sixth and seventh, respectively.
Cal Crutchlow, Takaaki Nakagami and Danilo Petrucci completed the Top 10.
FP2 at the Argentina MotoGP saw 21 riders covered by just 1 second.
Andrea Dovizioso was fastest.
Jorge Lorenzo was in 21st with just 0.978s behind.
Free Practice 2 (FP1) for the Argentina MotoGP class started with dodgy weather but ended with 21 riders covered by just 1 second.
The session started slow, until the pit lane and track burst into life in the last 10 minutes. As rain once again threatens later proceedings, the teams had to exploit the best situation to post the fastest times. Due to the present qualifying format, the best time from any of the three Free Practice sessions counts towards a place in either Qualifying 1 (Q1) or Qualifying 2 (Q2).
Fresh from his win at Qatar, Team Winnows Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso posted his fastest time of 1m 39.181s. Repsol Honda rider Jorge Lorenzo recorded his best time of 1m 40.159s, 0.978s slower. Dovizioso finished as the fastest rider, Lorenzo was in 21st.
Jack Miller of Pramac Racing impressed again, stopping the stopwatch at 1m 39.190s, just 0.009 second behind Dovi.
Maverick Vinalez put the factory Monster Energy Yamaha perhaps surprisingly in third with a time of 1m 39.345s. Cal Crutchlow of LCR Honda was fourth with 1m 39.346s, and Fabio Quartararo of Petronas Sepang Racing Team rounded out the top five with 1m 39.357s.
It meant that the Top 5 were covered by just 0.176s.
Valentino Rossi, Alex Rins, Marc Marquez, Franco Morbidelli and Takaaki Nakagami filled positions sixth through tenth. Nakagami was just 0.448s behind Dovizioso.
MotoGP FP3 session starts at 9.50 pm tonight, while Q1 behings at 2.05am and Q2 at 2.30am.
The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) will set up a Pro-Tem Motorsports Committee (PMC) in place of AAM.
The temporary committee will oversee motorsports activities.
The PMC will do so until the FIM and FIA nominates the official sanctioning body.
The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS – Kementerian Belia dan Sukan) will set up a Pro-Tem Motorsports Committee (PMC), after the ousting of the Automotive Association of Malaysia (AAM) as the motorsports sanctioning body.
The KBS press release stated that the Malaysian Sports Commission has discussed the matter with KBS. The outcome of the meeting is to set up a temporary committee consisting of all motorsport bodies in Malaysia until a new sanctioning body is named by the FIM and FIA.
The PMC will oversee motorsport matters handled by AAM prior to their dissolution. As such, it will temporarily function as the National Sports Authority for the FIA (ASN-FIA) and National Motorsports Federation for the FIM (FMN-FIA).
The press release also stated that current AAM racing license holders may continue with their sporting activities as usual.
The statement regarding licensing will be a news much welcomed by the country’s professional racers. They had earlier voiced their concerns about the legitimacy of their racing licenses and insurance that were issued by AAM.
GIVI Asia celebrates their 25thAnniversary today and launches the 2019 line-up of products.
The launch was presented to the media and dealers from around Asia.
The company launch 15 new products today and there will be more to come.
GIVI Asia celebrates their 25th Anniversary today and launches the 2019 line-up of products. The launch was held at the Grand Ion D’elemen Hotel in Genting Highlands.
The company also organized a convoy for the Malaysian motorcycle media to kick off the proceedings. The ride began at GIVI Asia’s headquarters and factory in Bukit Beruntung. Foreign dignitaries and dealers were given a tour of the factory, before heading up to Genting Highlands.
2019 Range of Products
GIVI has always strived hard to provide the best solutions for all riders in every conceivable situation. As such, they boast some 75,000 products of all types. The launch of the 2019 range adds to this massive collection.
Showcased at the launch were hard cases, soft bags, waist bag, waterproof garments and helmets.
Hard cases
Monolock B32N-Advance Bold Top Case. An “upgrade” of the popular B32 Bold, it features a pair of stainless steel rods on top of the lid, an elastic net strung between the rods and a backrest. The 32-litre case and its features caters to riders who tour, but do not want a larger case.
Monolock B32N-Advance Bold
Monolock B270N Top Case. A compact but aerodynamic 27-litre case for riders who want something compact yet stylish. GIVI fitted it to a number of motojournalists’ motorcycles to gain more insight to their use. The lid also has a carbon fibre-like panel to impart a sporty look.
E23 Monokey Side Case. These new side cases offer 23-litres of storage capacity each, but small enough to be mounted beside scooters, kapchaisand lightweight adventure bikes. The lid has handles on both ends, enabling more items to be tied down on top of the lid. They also feature prismatic reflective strips for extra visibility, hence safety.
G12 Fixed System Centre Case. The G12 centre case replaces the ubiquitous “basket” of kapchais/scooters. It has a 12-litre load capacity hence the rider can store items such as his wallet, phone, etc. It’s secured with a lock and waterproof.
Rider Tech Range
The Rider Tech range consists of soft backpacks, waist bags and saddle bags.
RBP03 Rider Tech Camo Backpack, 15-liters.
RWB05 Rider Tech Camo Waist Bag, 3-litres.
RSB01 Rider Tech Saddle Bag, 15-litres.
Waterproof garments
GIVI is also synonymous with high quality waterproof garments. New products are:
PRS04.AX Prime rainsuit.
CAM01.AH Camouflage rain suit.
CRT01.AX Comfort rain trouser.
HPS M30.1 Cielo Helmet
GIVI adds more colour options to the HPS (Head Protection System) M30.1 Cielo helmet range.
Mod Ice White.
Mod Black
Slide Titanium.
On hand to brief the assembled media were Mr. On Hai Swee – Managing Direcor of GIVI Asia and Mr. Joseph A. Perucca – Overseas Operational Manager of GIVI Groups.
L-R: Mr. On Hai Swee, Mr. Joseph A. Perucca, Mr. Sam Sharman
A question was brought up if GIVI Asia will open new GIVI Point concept stores in Malaysia. Mr. On answered that the company is currently looking to expand to other states in both West and East Malaysia. He also stated that there are GIVI Specialized dealers currently in place and they serve specific motorcycle types.
On another question regarding GIVI’s sponsorship and involvement in Rimba Raid, Mr. Perucca said that he was surprised at the turnout in the 2018 event. As such, the company will continue their involvement for 2019 and hopefully beyond.
Ms. Anita Yusof, GIVI Asia’s Brand Ambassador was also present at the event to promote her new book, Global Dream Ride (Siri 2).
While the media event ended in the afternoon, Asian dealers descended on the hotel for the official launch in the late evening and through the night.
PHOTO GALLERY
Monolock B32N-Advance Bold
L-R: Mr. On Hai Swee, Mr. Joseph A. Perucca, Mr. Sam Sharman
