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Alpinestars vs Dainese: Dainese responds officially

The Alpinestars vs Dainese legal saga over their respective airbag technologies continues further now with Dainese speaking out about the situation. Though Alpinestars’ response did clear up a few things, this new response from the devil-horn brand has shed even more light into the situation.

In its response, Dainese insists that legal action was taken in Germany, resulting in a Munich court granting an injunction on Alpinestars selling its Tech Air-equipped product in the German market. Dainese further highlighted that legal action is presently being processed in Italy.

This counters Alpinestars’ initial response where it stated that no legal action was taken against it in Germany. However, it appears that the clarification about the patent infringement lawsuit being centred on the physical material used to produce the inflatable airbags in both the Alpinestars Tech Air and Dainese D-Air Armor remains true.

Either way, the outcome of the Alpinestars vs Dainese saga will have global repercussions on several levels indeed. Lets not forget that both brands have top-level riders in both MotoGP and WSBK donning their products, and the outcome of this battle may lead to just one side winning the rights to produce airbag-equipped riding apparels.

You can read Dainese’s response here to get where the devil horn brand is coming from in this entire affair.

Source: Asphaltandrubber

Honda Concept CB could replace the CB1100

First seen at the 2015 Tokyo Auto show, rumour has it that the Honda Concept CB is destined to make it to the production line as an updated CB1100 in the near future.

The concept, which was Honda’s only concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, is expected to take the retro-bike fight to machines like Triumph’s new Bonneville in the future.

Featuring a heavily sculpted fuel tank, new aluminium-effect side panels, new air-box covers with chrome flashes, a new seat and different castings for the foot-peg hangers, the Honda CB concept also comes with generous dose of chrome on the instruments and headlight, and the rails under the pillion seat are changed from aluminium castings to chrome tubes, too.

Under all that, the frame and engine are same as the CB1100 EX, where the motor is already Euro4-compliant, despite all other air-cooled four-cylinder engines having long since been abandoned by their makers thanks to difficulties meeting emissions rules.

Honda’s official line on the Concept CB is that it’s a ‘customised concept model’ intended to show what could be achieved by modifying an existing bike, but the components used look much more like production parts than anything a customiser would be likely to opt for.

Source: www.visordown.com

PART III: The Great Ocean Road

Hadi Hussein woke up early to ready himself for his next destination, Port Campbell. (Check out Part 1 and Part 2 here). His attempts to take as many pictures and videos of beautiful sceneries were let down as it was a cloudy day and temperature was around 10 Celsius, making it difficult to get clear shots. (more…)

Triumph profitable again in 2015

Famed British motorcycles manufacturer Triumph is ending the 2015 business year (which ended on 30 June 2015) on a high note after recording increased profitability compared to its performance in 2014.

Despite the challenging market climate, the British marque raised £10.3 million with its efforts, of which it recorded a £2.3 million in profits alone. This is a healthy recovery following a dismal 2014 performance where it recorded a loss £8 million. Reinforcing this is the fact that the brand also recorded healthy growth in 2015 in areas beyond its finances.

Firstly, the brand set out to enlarge its global footprint this year, and spearheading this was the revised Triumph Tiger 800 model that features six variants altogether. Also fuelling the growth was the introduction of four special edition versions of the outgoing air-cooled Triumph Bonneville classic bike.

The firm also released other special editions this year for models such as the Street Triple, Speed Triple and Speed Triple R, followed by the Thunderbird and the anniversary edition of the Rocket X. It is also worth noting that like the Bonneville, the Speed Triple series is being replaced with the updated new Speed Triple S and Speed Triple R models for 2016.

Beyond its model range expansion, Triumph also recorded a growth in several of its networks overseas such as India and Brazil. Presently, Triumph boasts a healthy India-based dealer network across 12 cities, resulting in the brand’s 13% market share growth there as well, followed by a 10% market share rise in Brazil too. Adding to this was the commencement of its sales and distribution in Thailand starting April this year, further cementing the Triumph brand’s overseas market presence too.

With a sleuth of new models set for market release in 2016, Triumph is expected to perform even better in the new year too. Leading this charge are several core models starting with new liquid-cooled Bonneville family, followed by the revised Speed Triple duo, not forgetting the updated iteration of its flagship Tiger Explorer range as well.

Source: MCN

Indian Springfield confirmed for 2016

Not long after the announcement and release of the Indian Dark Horse, the American Environmental Protection Agency’s documents have revealed yet another interesting name of a bike that is due to be sold in 2016. It is none other than the Indian Springfield.

While the Indian Dark Horse was discovered in the same way through EPA’s list and was officially announced soon after, we expect the Indian Springfield to be officially announced only next year.

As of now, the only information we have about the Indian Springfield is that it will use the same 1,811 cc V-Twin engine as used on the Chieftain, Roadmaster and Dark Horse. Like the Dark Horse, it’s quite possible the Springfield will be a single seat model as it was when it was last on sale around mid-2000.

The Springfield name references the location of the first Indian factory in Springfield, Massachusetts where it produced motorcycles from 1901 to 1953.

Video: Stunting with the all-electric KTM Freeride E

Who says electric power isn’t fun? Acclaimed French trials bike rider and Red Bull athlete Julien Dupont has proven so after releasing a video of him stunting and flipping the all-electric KTM Freeride E dirt bike.

Officially launched sometime last year, the KTM Freeride E sees the famed Austrian motorcycle manufacturer injecting a more extreme and dirt-busting flavour into the zero-emissions arms race.

Based on the brand’s venerable Freeride series of dirt bikes, the Freeride E adopts a liquid-cooled electric motor instead of a thumpy single-cylinder petrol engine, with the electric system able to generate up to 16kW or 22hp and 22Nm of peak torque. The system draws power from a removable lithium ion battery pack rated at 2600Wh, and can be fully charged in just 80 minutes.

Back to the video and you can see that the electric-powered dirt buster is capable of performing just as well as its petrol-powered siblings when in the right hands. The video not only sees Julien taking the Freeride E off-roading, he even goes to the extent of performing a backflip with the electric bike.

The video above again proves that you can have copious amounts of fun whilst being green and eco-friendly. You can check out more on the KTM Freeride E via its dedicated microsite, ktmfreeride-e.com. You can also check out Julien and his exploits via his official Facebook page as well.

Source: YouTube via MCN

Build your own origami Yamaha YZF-R1M

Always wanted to own your favourite superbike but can’t seem to spare the cash and space at home for one? Then the downloadable Yamaha YZF-R1M origami paper craft will surely bring out the hobbyist in you.

For the uninitiated, Yamaha has made some of its rear world creations available as home-buildable paper craft models for quite some time now, and the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1M superbike is the latest addition to that. The best part about this is the fact that you can download the model’s build scheme for free online this dedicated microsite.

The built-up model featured in the images is a 1:5 scale replica of the acclaimed superbike, measuring 41cm end to end. This being part of Yamaha’s ‘Ultra Realistic’ range of models, you’re going to need a few things starting with a good quality colour printer, followed by a copious amount of A4-sized paper, as well as a basic set of home stationeries (glue, scissors, ruler, etc.)

Since it’s the holidays, this could perhaps be the perfect gift that you can build for your budding riding buddies or relatives. What better way to celebrate one’s passion for two-wheels by fuelling said passion further, albeit in a smaller yet more interactive way indeed.

You can visit the microsite to download the full schematics for the Yamaha YZF-R1M paper craft, as well as its construction manual.

Source: Yamaha via Visordown

Alpinestars vs Dainese: Alpinestar responds officially

Loyal readers would remember our Alpinestars vs Dainese report we published some time last week. Just to recap, the two Italian riding apparels brands are embroiled in a legal battle of their respective airbag technologies, in which case being the Alpinestars Tech Air and Dainese D-Air Armour.

In light of the battle being reported online by a trusted source, the famed A-star brand has issued an official response to the matter, revealing the true nature of the legal battle in the process as well.

The first thing made clear in Alpinestars’ statement is the fact that the infringement suit it filed for its Tech Air airbag technology patent actual concerns the material of the airbag itself and not the computer algorithm deployment during crash detection as previously reported.

To put it simply, Alpinestars is claiming that Dainese is using a similar physical material for the airbag in the latter’s D-Air suite as the ones used in the former’s rivalling Tech Air system. The consequence of this saw retailers pulling out Tech Air-equipped Alpinestars apparels and products in core markets around Europe such as Germany.

Dainese has not responded to Alpinestars’ allegations, but it is worth noting again that the rivalling devil-horn brand were the most proactive amongst the two at introducing the airbag protection technology into the mass market. In fact, Dainese have even gone to the extent of licensing its D-Air Armor technology to other brands as well.

We’ll have more as soon as the matter evolves over time, to which we expect to last quite some time indeed. In the meantime, you can read the official statement released by Alpinestars below.

Alpinestars Tech-Air Street Airbag system – Statement regarding press coverage of Patent Challenge

With reference to recent articles published about Alpinestars and Dainese being in dispute over airbag technology, Alpinestars is issuing the following statement to clarify the current situation:

Alpinestars has been subjected to an allegation of patent infringement by Dainese on a specific part of its airbag construction used in the Tech-Air Street system.

The Alpinestars’ Tech-Air Street system was launched in November 2014 as the world’s first self-contained street airbag system that independently functions without the need for sensors to be installed on the bike and the subsequent need to link a specific motorcycle to the airbag system used by the rider.

The allegations made by Dainese S.p.A in proceedings launched in Italy against Alpinestars, refer to the assembly of the bag itself, the physical material piece that contains the gas in an inflation and not with any reference to any other parts or Alpinestars’ Tech-Air street system’s use of an algorithm for registering when the airbag deployment should occur.

Dainese instead make claims that the physical construction of the bag in the Tech-Air system infringes upon Dainese’s patents.

In Germany, Dainese did make a direct request to certain retailers, that they cease and desist from offering for sale the Alpinestars Tech-Air Street system, however, no legal action has been taken against Alpinestars and neither has Alpinestars withdrawn any of its products from the German market.

All claims made by Dainese against Alpinestars and/or its retailers are disputed and Alpinestars is taking the appropriate legal measures to ensure that any such unfounded allegations will not prevent distribution and sales of the Tech-Air Street system.

Given Alpinestars’ own research & development has been undertaken through Alpinestars’ in-house Advanced Technology Department since 2001, Alpinestars is contesting the allegations made. The Tech-Air Street system is based on Alpinestars’ technology creation and the physical bag used in the Tech-Air Street system is from known airbag technology, used within the Automotive industry and does not infringe upon third parties’ intellectual property rights.

Alpinestars continues to distribute Tech-Air technology for the benefit of all motorcyclists throughout Europe and the rest of the world and trusts that the allegations made will be proven to have no basis through appropriate legal jurisdiction.

Source: Alpinestars via Asphaltandrubber

2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 and YZF-R1M recalled again

Though it may be somewhat of a new bike, even the manic 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 and YZF-R1M superbikes will need to undergo a recall at some point. In this recent case, Yamaha has issued a recall for both its new flagship superbike models to fix a small yet potentially dangerous issue.

According to trusted sources, Yamaha’s recall for both the new R1 and R1M sees it addressing a potentially faulty oil delivery pipe O-ring. Additionally, Yamaha had this to say on its official website:

‘It is possible for an oil leak to occur, from the O-Ring on the Oil Delivery Pipe where it enters the engine case, because of improper assembly of the components. If a leak occurs, oil could leak onto the exhaust and in extreme circumstances the oil could catch fire.’

Though the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 and YZF-R1M aren’t offered here in Malaysia officially, we at BikesRepublic.com are aware of its presence via grey importers. Should you own one, we highly recommend you to have this issue looked at by a specialist garage as soon as possible.

Also worth noting here is that this is not the 2015 YZF-R1 model’s first recall. This new potential fire hazard comes after a recent recall for the R1’s faulty transmission components. The latter problem had forced the Japanese bike maker to issue a ‘stop sale’ order to its American dealers pending the fault’s rectification.

Sources: Visordown and Asphaltandrubber ( Link 1 / Link 2 )

New Kawasaki ZX-14 to be less powerful

As you might have heard a couple of months ago, Kawasaki has updated the ZX-14 for 2016 with an updated engine to keep up with the strict European emission regulations.

This is due to the fact that the ZX-14 was one of the bikes that did not match the emissions standards set by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

So, with a few tweaks to the powerplant, the bike is now ready for the European market. However, the bike’s maximum output, which stood at 210.7hp in the outgoing model, has been decreased to 199.9hp.

The latest EPA test data shows the model has a ‘new’ version of the 1441cc engine with a three-way catalyst rather than an ‘oxidising’ cat. Along with peak power, carbon monoxide emissions have also been lowered.

Set to be available in two variants (ZX-14R and the ZX-14R Performance Sports) for 2016, notable changes include the new instrument cluster with LCD displays with dot-pattern background, black and white interchangeable displays, Brembo M50 monobloc brake calipers with Brembo radial-pump master cylinder, stainless steel brake lines, Ohlins TTX39 rear shock absorber, as well as Akrapovic exhausts.

The hinged and strapless Vozz Helmets

As it is, the modern safety helmet has come a long way indeed. However, a firm called Vozz Helmets is out to change that with its range of helmets that feature a rather unorthodox yet ingenious design.

Vozz’s unconventional design features a rear access application without straps. The shell opens rearwards and makes wearing it much easier compared then the regular top-down insertion method. As a result, the design negates the need for chinstraps whilst boasting several benefits such as enhanced aerodynamics and increased protection.

Despite the narrow lower rim design, the Vozz’s rearward entry appears much easier to don. We also cannot help but notice that this rearward and strapless entry will favour riders who wear spectacles as well. Check out the video attached above for a better grasp of how this works.

Furthermore, the design also has several extras to protect its users beyond the point of operation. One of which is the rear shell doubling up as a head cup for attending paramedics during emergency extraction. The six-step disassembly can be accessed quickly via scanning a QR code placed in the helmet’s bottom rim by attending paramedics or emergency services personnel.

Vozz currently holds the master patent for the helmet design and is open towards licensing its technology to other parties. More information about the Vozz Helmet can be viewed via its official website, vozzhelmets.com.

Source: YouTube via CarBuzz.com
Images: VozzHelmets.com

KL Bike Week 2015 – Malaysian motorcycling culture at its finest

The annual KL Bike Week returned for its 2015 edition last weekend. Marking its seventh annual running, KL Bike Week 2015 celebrating the best of the maturing Malaysian motorcycling culture over the course of two days in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

As always, the event was organised by local custom bikes institution Red Garage Malaysia. It is here that some of Malaysia’s finest custom bike builders and artisans come together and put some of their best stuff on show. Also present here were custom culture artisans from elsewhere around region such as Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.

If you weren’t there last weekend, then you missed quite a spectacle indeed. Nevertheless, here’s our extensive gallery of images to show you just what KL Bike Week 2015 was all about.

KL Bike Week 2015 hosted perhaps one of the largest motorcycling gathering ever hosted in KL city. Of course, this brings lots of attention, thus the crowd.

Plenty of vendors, big and small, were present during KL Bike Week 2015. Whether it be apparels, accessories, parts (new and old), as well as souvenirs, the visiting two-wheeled enthusiasts weren’t disappointed.

Of course, no one wants a dirty bike, which explains the presence of several specialist motorcycle detailers offering on-site cleaning and detailing services.

If there’s one common strain with all the bikes that were present, it is none other than the fact that most are not stock. The Malaysian custom culture is alive and very eclectic to say the least, but it is showing healthy signs of maturing as well.

What goes well next to bikes? Babes of course! There were plenty to be found during KL Bike Week 2015.

And some even brought their pets! Though we were rather unsure if the snake was merely for show, or perhaps a ‘security’ measure of sort. Whatever it is, we wouldn’t mind trading places with ol’ snakey anytime.

The wide variety of bikes are a clear reflection of their owners. Whether you own a classic Vespa Lambretta in ‘survivor’ condition, a tricked- and chromed-out performance naked, a proper British icon, or even a prized custom-built creation, all were welcomed during KL Bike Week 2015.

Motorcycle enthusiasm is blind towards race, culture, religion, or even physical disability. This bloke is one prime example of the latter indeed.

Have a thing for the arts? These artisans would’ve fulfilled your needs and demands.

Have an old Vespa Lambretta? Why not give it a proper makeover? Or make chic office furniture out of it?

Competitions were held for best bike across several categories, as well as best custom helmet paintjob.

Making an appearance was the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Culture, YB Datuk Mas Ermieyati binti Samsudin. The deputy minister was given a proper tour of the show grounds whilst riding shotgun with one of the members from the Malaysian Lady Bikers’ Club before officially launching KL Bike Week 2015 on the main stage.

Though it is well known as a gathering of choppers, KL Bike Week has since opened itself up to enthusiasts of other types and groups such as superbikers and dirt bikers. Making their presence felt here were the Ducati Club of Malaysia.

KL Bike Week 2015 was also an event where enthusiasts can spot some true rarities like this classic WW2-era BSA. Not only is it period-correct paint, there’s even period-correct and matching accessories primed as well.

Another rarity we spotted was this Suzuki GSX650S Katana. This modern classic from the 1980s invoked a lot of nostalgia, especially with its pop-up headlight feature. FYI, this modern classic is one of many up for sale by specialist importer Sri Changgong.

Another rarity we spotted was this, the Confederate Motorcycles X132 Hellcat Combat.

Together with our friends from Shell Advance Malaysia, BikesRepublic.com were also present at KL Bike Week 2015. Visitors at our booth took part in our special simulator time trials to win exclusive prizes from us and Shell.

It is hard to believe that this custom-built supermoto started out life as a mere Modenas Kriss moped. What was even more unbelievable was the fact that it was built by a bloke who’s barely 17 years old!

The festivities continued into the night where competition winners were awarded.

The evening soiree ended with the arrival of rockstar and actor Awie. Awie took to the stage with his band, Wings, to give KL Bike Week 2015 a fitting end.

KL Bike Week 2015