Bikesrepublic

KMOG Borneo Ride 2017 (Day One)

  • Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, 1st November 2017 – The KMOG (KTM Malaysia Owners Group) Borneo Ride 2017 starts today.

  • The ride will travel from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah to Kuching, Sarawak over ten days.

  • This KMOG Borneo Ride 2017 will surely confirm the capabilities and reliability of KTM’s adventure bikes.

We reported on the KTM Malaysia Owners Group’s (KMOG) Defensive Riding Program (DRP) Vol. 2 in August (click here for Day One and click here for Day Two). The program’s objectives were meant to demonstrate the limits of their machines; and to be comfortable at those limits.

The culminated objective of DRP, consequently, was to prepare the participants for this epic event: the KMOG Borneo Ride 2017.

KMOG has been actively organizing rides to many exotic places, including to Cambodia, Laos, Phuket, among other locales in the past. The group decided on Borneo this year.

 

The KMOG Borneo Ride 2017 will fully demonstrate the capability and reliability of KTM’s adventure bikes as the convoy travels through every type of road imaginable, including certain unpaved sections.

The simplified plan calls for starting the ride in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, and travel to Kuching, Sarawak. But it won’t be as straightforward, isn’t it?

Instead of travelling directly southwest to the capital of Sarawak, the participants will first ride north to the Tip of Borneo, before turning back south then east to Sandakan, south to Tawau, back west to Keningau, and to Labuan for a one night, one day rest.

The convoy will resume on Day 7, riding through the eastern portion of Brunei and re-enter the kingdom for a stop at Bandar Seri Begawan. From there, they will ride along the coastal road to Miri and Bintulu, continuing towards Sibu and finally Kuching on 10th November.

The KMOG Borneo Ride will total distance to be covered is 2,613 kilometres, over 10 days.

Participants will travel through various breathtaking and historic sites, including the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary, and crossing over the Crocker Range.

Day 1 (1st November 2017) is considered a free-and-easy day as the organizers waited for the arrival of participants and guests. KMOG had also expected the owners’ bikes to arrive at the port, having been shipped over from West Malaysia.

The weather has been scorching hot in Kota Kinabalu during the previous week. However, it was already raining heavily when the plane touched down.

As such, it wasn’t safe for the container ship to berth at the docks and that wrecked the organizer’s plans to retrieve them.

Regardless, we will still visit the Tip of Borneo tomorrow, and continue with the ride afterwards.

A welcome dinner was held tonight for the members, where the committee members of KMOG, representatives of KTM Asia Pacific and KTM Malaysia briefed the participants on the plans of the KMOG Borneo Ride 2017.

There is a total of 40 motorcycles with 45 participants.

PICTURE GALLERY

Wahid's lust for motorcycles was spurred on by his late-Dad's love for his Lambretta on which he courted, married his mother, and took baby Wahid riding on it. He has since worked in the motorcycle and automotive industry for many years, before taking up riding courses and testing many, many motorcycles since becoming a motojournalist. Wahid likes to see things differently. What can you say about a guy who sees a road safety message in AC/DC's "Highway to Hell."

Related Articles