The FIM is lobbying the International Olympic Committee to include Trial-E riding.
Trials riders are supreme athletes in order for them to scale and clear obstacles.
If accepted, Trials-E will be the first motorsport in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The FIM (Federation Internationale de Motorcyclisme) is lobbying to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to include electric trial motorcycle competition in the Olympic Games.
Trial riding is an awe-inspiring motorcycle sport in which competitors are challenged to ride over seemingly impossible obstacles. As such the riders are true athletes who have gone through years of conditioning and training.
The FIM is already organizing their own E-Trial series as part of the Trial World Championship. The riders ride electric trial bikes in the E-Trial series, which began in 2017.
Yamaha-TY-E
In view of this, the FIM hopes the IOC will include Trial-E in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Each Olympics games add new sports. For example, baseball, softball, surfing, sports climbing, karate and skateboarding will be added to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In order to enter a new sport, the IOC states that the activity must be youth-focused, allows both men and women to join, sustainable, spectacular, available on all continents and requires no new infrastructure. Trials riding does look like it meets all these requirements.
Jorge Viegas, FIM president, says “We are convinced that the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 represent a unique and historic opportunity to allow Trial-E to become the first motorsport discipline to be part of the Olympic Games. This great première will be the foundation for a strong relationship that will bring the FIM, the IOC and all the Olympic family closer together for many years to come.”
Trial-E will become the first motorsport in the Olympics if it is accepted. Malaysia has our own premier trial rider, Acoi Pangkolo.
Minister of Transport, YB Anthony Loke insists on no discounts for JPJ summonses.
Such measure seeks to educate road users and not let offenders off lightly.
He may also talk to local authorities to not provide discounts for traffic offences.
It is very evident that the Minister of Transportation, YB Anthony Loke is determined in revamping the transportation system and lowering accident rates in Malaysia.
Consequently, he is aware that certain quarters of the Rakyat will feel angry at his measures. “You can be angry at the Minister of Transport if you want to,” he said during the launch of Ops Bersepadu (Integrated Ops) and Road Safety Campaign 2019 in conjunction with the Chinese New Year, at the southbound Dengkil R&R.
The Minister made the remark after insisting that no discounts will be considered for the summonses for traffic offences issued by the Road Transport Department (JPJ – Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan).
He justifies the decision as a move to reduce traffic accidents hence deaths among road users. To him, the attitude of waiting for discounts gives the impression that the summonses are unimportant, instead of educating road users to road safety.
“We don’t want road users to take the summonses lightly,” YB Anthony said.
He further added that he knows the measure will incur the ire among road users in the country.
“You can be angry at the Minister of Transport, if you want. But my task is to lower the accident rates in the country. That is part of my Key Performance Index (KPI),” he said.
He also said that he will intends meet with local authorities to not provide discounts for traffic summonses.
The Shiver 900 marks the first model launched by the new Aprilia Malaysia, since their confirmation as the new distributor, their inaugural track day and opening of a new service centre at The Gasket Alley located in Petaling Jaya. Mr. Goh Kian Sin and Mr. Juan Chow Wee, the Managing Director and General Manager of Didi Resources Sdn. Bhd., respectively, unveiled the new bike.
Being a naked standard, the Shiver 900 should open the door to more Malaysian bikers to the Aprilia brand. It is undoubtedly more accessible than the RSV4 superbike and Tuono V4 1100.
Its predecessor, the Shiver 750 sold well in Malaysia and well-known worldwide as a supremely reliable motorcycle.
The engine produces 95.2 bhp (70 kW) at 8,750 RPM, 90 Nm of torque at 6,500 RPM.
New more efficient exhaust system.
Pistons with reduced friction.
Semi-dry internal lubrication circuit reduces power losses.
More efficient fuel-injectors.
Automatic decompressor to ease starting when the engine is cold.
Redesigned clutch reduces lever effort by 15%.
The 2019 Shiver 900 enters its third year of production since 2017.
Ride-by-wire (rbw) throttle (the Shiver 750 was the first production bike to use that technology).
3 ride mode modes: Sport, Touring, Rain.
Marelli 7SM ECU shard with the RSV4 and Tuono 1100 V4.
Advanced traction control with three level and switchable.
Continental dual-channel ABS.
4.3-inch TFT screen (adopted from the RSV4 and Tuono).
The TFT features Aprilia MIA multimedia and phone connectivity, plus navigation (through the smartphone app).
Redesigned fuel tank side covers, side panels, tail and front mudguard.
Kayaba forks adjustable for preload and rebound damping.
Sachs rear shock is adjustable for preload and rebound damping.
Offered in Challenging Red and Innovation Dark colours.
95 bhp may not seem much, but the most important factor here is the spread of 2,250 RPM between maximum torque and peak horsepower. This is what’s known as an engine’s “flexibility.” A wider spread means the torque curve is smoother, besides allowing the bike to accelerate quickly in any gear.
The Shiver 900 ought to inherit the Shiver 750’s great handling characteristic, since it retains similar chassis architecture.
The 2019 Aprilia Shiver 900 is fully-imported and priced from RM 72,000 (including SST but not on-the-road).
The bike is available from Aprilia Malaysia at The Gasket Alley, Welly World Cycle Sg. Buloh and Sheng Fatt Sdn. Bhd. in Penang. Please visit the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/apriliaofficialmalaysia/ and https://www.aprilia.com/en_EN/ for more information.
Boon Siew Honda wants to be the top brand in Malaysia in 2019.
BSH sold nearly 156,000 motorcycles in 2018.
As such, they hold 30% market share.
Boon Siew Honda (BSH) aims to put the Honda brand in top position in 2019.
BSH is confident in achieving this goal by setting the benchmark in each motorcycle segment through their range of models and brand positioning.
BSH Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Keiichi Yasuda said that their confidence was boosted by the company’s performance in 2018. The official Honda motorcycle distributor in Malaysia sold almost 156,000 units last year. It marks an outstanding 28.7% gain from the 121,000 units sold in 2017.
The 2019 WorldSBK BMW S 1000 RR was unveiled in Portugal.
Details of the bike show some of the high-tech components.
However, there are a number of more interesting details.
BMW Motorrad unveiled their new S 1000 RR 2019 WorldSBK season contender in Portugal last night. However, they only released the picture Shaun Muir Racing (SMR) team and riders Tom Sykes and Markus Reiterberger.
Asphalt & Rubber, on the other hand, sent in their photographer Steve English to shoot the following details. Here they are in their full glory.
Thumb brake
The most interesting thing one could pick out is the thumb brake lever on Tom Sykes’ bike. Thumb brakes are becoming the norm in racing as more and more riders dangle their legs during hard braking. The only way to activate the rear brake while dangling the right leg is with a thumb brake lever.
Also, a thumb brake can allow riders to press it subtly while leaned over in a corner to tighten their lines. It may also be helpful in helping to control wheelies out of corners.
The multi-colored buttons on the handlebars control the bike’s electronics such the pit lane speed limiter, traction control, engine mapping, etc.
Swingarm
The swingarm on the S 1000 RR WorldSBK racer looks similar to the stock unit. However, the hollow space (where the Regina and Akrapovic decals are) has been filled in, most probably in the interest of adding rigidity.
The stock 2019 BMW S 1000 RR’s swingarm already looks like the race unit’s. It just shows BMW Motorrad’s commitment to winning the WorldSBK and other superbike racing crowns, by designing something that’s pretty much race-ready.
Nissin front brake calipers
The main surprise are the Nissin brake calipers instead of the usual Brembos. The Japanese brake manufacturer has been trying to break Brembo’s dominance in the racing fraternity. In any case, we hope Nissin will trickle down the lessons learned in WSBK to their road products.
The Ducati MIG-RR electric mountain bike is now on sale in Europe.
It is produced through a joint venture between Ducati and Thok E-bikes.
It features high-end components.
While we await Ducati’s first electric bike, the manufacturer launched an electric mountain bike called the MIG-RR, instead. The bike was first unveiled at EICMA 2018.
Ducati believes they are tapping into a growing segment. Being mountain bike means the rider can take the bike into otherwise unreachable areas and terrain.
The MIG-RR was produced through a partnership between Ducati and Thok E-bikes. Thok are downhill mountain biking and BMX experts. Ducati’s Design Centre and Aldo Drudi’s D-Perf are also involved in the project. The Drudi name may be familiar to most motorcyclists as the designer of Valentino Rossi’s and other helmets.
The bike is an upgrade to Thok’s current MTB range hence it is equipped with the latest componentry in the MTB world.
Components:
Fox 36 Float forks with 170mm travel.
Fox DPX2 Factory Series shock with 160mm travel.
Renthal carbon fibre handlebar.
Dropper seat post
Shimano Saint 4-piston hydraulic brake calipers.
11-speed Shimano XT gearset.
29-inch Mavic front wheel.
27.5-inch Mavic rear wheel.
As for drive, the bike features a 250-Watt Shimano Steps E8000 mid-drive motor which produces 70 Nm of torque. Weighing in at only 2.8 kg, it is one of the lightest in the electric bicycle market. Powering the motor is a 504 Watt-hour battery.
The TMC Dumont was built around a Rolls-Royce aircraft engine.
It rolls on a pair of 36-inch hubless wheels.
It won the Best of Show accolade at the 77thDaytona Bike Week.
If you want to see what creativity… well, more like eccentricity, audacity and insanity in the automotive world, look no further than motorcycles. The TMC Dumont illustrates that point to a tee.
The TMC Dumont was built by Tarso Marques and his team. The Brazilian raced for the Minardi team in Formula 1 from 1996 to 2001. It was Malaysian driver Alex Yoong who replaced him in 2001 with three races to go.
F1 career aside, Marques ventured into custom motorcycle building.
The bike looks stunning enough with the those massive 36-inch hubless wheels alone but do spare some amazement for the engine. That’s because it’s a Rolls-Royce Continental V6 aircraft engine which punches out 300 bhp.
The Dumont makes true the adage of a motorcycle consisting of nothing else but an engine and two wheels. The rider sits behind the engine between his legs and in front of the unshielded rear tyre. Its entire chassis sits just a couple of inches above the ground. Hope there’s not speed bump ahead…
Yes, we also wondered where the brakes?
While it may be as practical as using a samurai sword to shave, the custom world heaped praises on the TMC Dumont. In fact, it was conferred the Best of Show award at the 77thDaytona Bike Week.
The PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team was launched today.
It is Malaysia’s and Southeast Asia’s first MotoGP team.
The team riders are Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo.
PETRONAS are fielding teams in MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 championships in 2019. The MotoGP team is formally called PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team (PETRONAS Yamaha SRT), while the Moto2 and Moto3 teams are named PETRONAS Sprinta Racing Team (PETRONAS SRT). (more…)
We’ve put together a troubleshooting suspension symptoms guide.
A troubleshooting guide is easier to remember and use.
We conclude the series with compression damping.
We provided a guide on troubleshooting preload adjustment and rebound damping previously. We shall deal with compression damping in this last part.
What is compression damping?
To recap, compression damping is opposite of rebound damping. It controls how quickly the wheel travels upwards when it contacts a bump in the road.
Think of compression damping as the resistance when the spring is squeezed.
Too little compression damping (Front)
The front dives excessively under braking.
Pitches the motorcycles weight on the front wheel when braking making the bike hard to turn it in or causing the handlebar to “waggle.”
The forks can bottom out and hit the bump stops when hitting sharp bumps.
The rear end of the bike feels like “coming around” when the front brakes are jabbed hard.
Steering feels vague and mushy (lack of feedback) similar to too little rebound damping.
Too much compression damping (Front)
The forks feel very hard when the wheel contacts the bump.
Every ripple and bump on the road are transmitted directly to the chassis and the rider. Big bumps could deflect the wheel completely off the road. (Conversely, too little compression will have the wheel travel all the way up before punching the front end off the road surface.)
May cause the front end to ride high in some cases.
While dive is reduced while braking hard, the front wheel can become loose when braking over uneven road (as the suspension does not absorb the bumps).
Compression damping is adjusted by the screw in the middle
Too little compression damping (Rear)
The rear end tends to “squat” or “sit down” too much during acceleration, causing the bike to run wide (the front end is pushed up causing lack of traction from the front tyre).
Hitting bumps and dips at speed causes the rear shock to bottom out.
Chassis balance is over-affected by large dips (for example sunken road surface at Sungai Koyan).
Steering becomes difficult and erodes confidence.
Too much compression (Rear)
Ride is harsh and it gets worse the faster you go. However, too much rebound damping causes the rear to feel even harsher.
Too much compression causes rear tyre to hop over bumps, especially when decelerating.
Bigger bumps will kick the rear end of the bike up and the rider off the seat.
Conclusion
So, there you have it.
Always “mark” the factory settings before you start and note them down. For example, turn the compression damping to fully minimum and count many clicks to get there. Then, turn it to maximum, noting the number of clicks. Finally, turn it back to the original position and start from there.
Our advice is to adjust one parameter at a time, say start with rebound damping before moving on to compression damping. Adjusting everything all at once will confuse you.
Another advice, do not go to the maximum unless you really, really need to (for example poor quality forks). Having a little less of something may actually gain you more in terms of enjoyment.
Lastly, please do not think you need to add more preload/compression/rebound just because you ride faster. You can do so at the track but that does not necessarily mean going all the way to the maximum. Conversely, adjust what is necessary to allow the bike to work for you, not vice versa.
JPJ has blacklisted and issued arrest warrant to 39,311 motorists for not settling their AWAS fines.
98,850 summonses were issued after the installation of 45 AWAS cameras in September 2018.
Traffic offenders have 60 days to settle their summonses or be dragged to court.
The JPJ (Road Transport Department) is making serious demands into unpaid AWAS (Automatic Awareness Security System) summonses.
According to Bernama, 98,850 summons notices were sent out after 45 AWAS cameras were installed in September 2018. However, only 10,876 of the summonses were settled as of 21stJanuary 2019.
As such, the JPJ proceeded to blacklisting 39,311 motorists with unpaid summonses. Worse, arrest warrants were also issued to them.
JPJ Director General Datuk Seri Shaharuddin Khalid said, “Traffic offenders have 60 days to settle their summonses beginning the date the summonses were issued. JPJ will take the cases to court for prosecution (upon expiry of the 60-day period).”
He added that 39,358 drivers were prosecuted in court as of December 2018.
The Director General also said that the department plans to implement four more AWAS cameras at the Menora Tunnel after the Chinese New Year this year.
Our recommendation to our readers is to quickly check in portals such as https://www.myeg.com.myto see if have outstanding summonses. While you may be able to appeal to lower your fines in court, you may also run the risk of being fined higher. Plus, no one enjoys having the Police showing up at your doorstep or workplace to serve the warrant and arrest you.
Hong Leong Yamaha Motor launched the 2019 Yamaha YZF-R25 lightweight sportbike today.
It features a new styling and bodywork, inspired by the MotoGP YZR-M1.
The 2019 bike is mechanically unchanged, apart from upside-down forks.
Hong Leong Yamaha Motor (HLYM) launched another eagerly-awaited model, the 2019 Yamaha YZF-R25.
The first-generation YZF-R25 (R25) found popular standing among many Malaysian motorcyclists. Sales was kept going despite being in the market since 2015. HLYM sold thousands of R25s since its introduction.
That is why there are many R25 owner clubs in Malaysia. In fact, thousands will show up for official convoys, including the annual ride to the Malaysian MotoGP.
The 2019 R25 features a new bodywork and styling, mimicking its larger YZF-R6 brother. Indeed, it’s easy to mistake the new R25 for the new R6 due to the multifaceted fairing, new aggressive headlights and taillight, and tail-section. The headlights and taillight are LED.
However, the engine and frame remain unchanged, although the 2019 model features upside-down forks.
Yamaha claims the new R25 gets an 8 km/h increase in top speed.
Hong Leong Yamaha Motor launched the 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900 GT sport-tourer today.
It is an evolution of the “standard” MT-09/Tracer 900 and with many revisions.
Its GT name reflects the Gran Turismo spirit of a performance tourer, which carries its rider over long distances in speed and comfort.
Finally! The 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900 GT was launched by Hong Leong Yamaha Motor today.
After months of waiting the middleweight sport-tourer, three-cylinder Tracer 900 GT is here. The bike is the next step in the evolution of the Yamaha Tracer 900, and it carries more features over the “standard” Tracer. As the GT (Gran Turismo) name suggests, Yamaha promises the bike to carry the rider over long distances with more comfort while at speed.
But the GT is not just a kitted-out standard Tracer 900. Instead, Yamaha has carried many revisions to arrive at the GT.
D-Mode ride modes with integrated Traction Control System (TCS) and ABS.
60mm longer swingarm to keep more weight over the front wheel.
30mm longer passenger footpegs for more comfort.
Narrower handlebar.
Comfort seats.
Full-LED lighting all-around.
The 2019 Yamaha Tracer GT is priced at RM 58,888 (basic selling price with SST but not on-the-road). Its competitive pricing will place it as a serious contender of the Malaysian middleweight sport-touring market.
The bike was launched at HLYM’s annual Dealer Conference in Genting Highlands. Keep following us today as HLYM will also launch the 2019 YZF-R25 tonight.
