TOC and SIC have partnered to develop talents through Bina Bakat program and Superbike Technician Course.
The announcement was made with Hafizh Syahrin, Adam Norrodin and Zulfahmi Khairuddin in attendance.
The partnership augurs well for both parties as SIC is actively expanding into motorsports.
As we’ve reported on previous occasions, the TOC Automotive College (TOC) is providing a loan for students aspiring to be certified superbike technicians through a program called, “Bina Bakat (Talent Development).” (Please click here for the full article.) Now, to provide graduates opportunities for greater job placement portfolios, as the college has announced their partnership with the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).
This augurs well with SIC as the world-class motorsports venue’s management has expanded their reach into two-motorsports by running their own MotoGP team next year, after SIC tied up with the Angel Nieto Team and Yamaha to run the manufacturer’s satellite team beginning 2019 (please click here to read the full news). Besides that, SIC has also set up a Talent Cup to develop young racers in Malaysia, managed by Zulfahmi Khairuddin.
This is on top of Hafizh Syahrin making the jump to the MotoGP premier class this year.
Dato’ Ahmad Razlan Razali, the CEO of Sepang International Circuit said that such expansion requires certified and skilled mechanics, who are disciplined in their work ethics. He is confident that these are the very sort of technicians who are produced by TOC through the Superbike Technician Course, which also encompasses motorsports as part of their syllabus.
Indeed, as part of TOC’s “Enriching Lives” theme, the college seeks to provide the best talent development program through Bina Bakat. The program builds the students’ development path through 80% practical work, preparing them for potential job placements after graduation. Obviously, SIC is an attractive goal for many students.
To rehash, Bina Bakat program offers 100% education loan to eligible student to follow the Superbike Technician Course. They will then repay their loans after they have found job placements.
The announcement was made during a special get-together event at the TOC Automotive College’s campus in Petaling Jaya. Present were Hafizh Syahrin (MotoGP), Adam Norrodin (Moto3), Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Team Manager), Dato’ Ahmad Razlan Razali, Oh Kah Beng (TOC Motorsports Director), Jeffrey Oh (Oh Kah Beng’s brother and co-ordinator for the Asia Talent Cup and British Talent Cup) and Habibtullah Fuad Mohamad (Moto2 Mechanic), among other dignitaries and well-known figures in Malaysian motosports.
The guests were given a guided tour of TOC’s facilities and they signed autographs for their fans after the press conference.
Please visit TOC Automotive College’s Facebook page or their campus (map below) or call call (+603) 7960 8833 for more information. Likewise, you can find more information about the TOC Bina Bakat Program here, or email info@toc.edu.my. Please click on this link for further information on the TOC Superbike Technician Course.
If you’re reading this then there’s a pretty good chance you wouldn’t mind getting paid to work with superbikes.
There has been a recent rise in demand for superbike technicians, amid the lack of qualified technicians in the market.
TOC Automotive College is now offering a Superbike Technician Course that aims to equip technicians with the proper qualification. Get more info here.
The course includes working with a full-fledged race team in order to get the necessary experience from real-world scenarios.
The world of motorcycle racing or any other motorsports for that matter is all about one thing; TEAMWORK. Racers can’t win by themselves and bikes can’t be maintained to their optimum performance without all of the team members and crews.
This is where a dedicated group of individuals comes to play. From team bosses, pit crews to race mechanics and technicians, each person has a huge role to play in obtaining the best possible results during race day.
For superbike technicians, there’s nothing like witnessing your motorcycle racer crossing the finish line and finishing on the podium. Despite the celebrations, all of the work that has been put through in order to achieve the results for your riders however, does not start the night before. Here’s a look into a day in the life of a superbike technician during race day.
After at least a week’s worth of preparation prior to the race weekend, teams as well as their race machines and racers make their way to the track on Friday or Saturday depending on the race series format. Witnessing them functioning as a well-oiled singular unit is nothing short of amazing.
After scrambling through practice and qualifying sessions, it’s time for race day. People often mention the ‘calm before the storm’ but it’s only a temporary silence before the race bikes are fired up and superbike technicians are seen getting everything ready in an organised manner despite all the chaos.
The TOC HKM Racing Team currently competing in the 2018 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship is a great example of how superbike technicians are trained and develop their skills in the art of motorcycle racing.
It’s all down to one thing and one thing only; getting the bike at its most optimum performance for the rider. From getting the right tyres, fitting the tyre warmers, checking fuel and fluid levels, and everything else in between, it’s a breathtaking sight once you see that high-performance machine ready to blast down the straights and carve through corners as fast as the rider can ride it.
As most of you may have heard, the TOC Automotive College has recently launched their first-ever Superbike Technician Course and part of their program is to get future superbike technicians involved in motorcycle racing as part of their curriculum.
Race days are not just about getting the race bikes ready to battle it out on the track but also provide real-world situations to the superbike technicians from swift maintenance to emergency parts replacements. Maintaining a cool head in a stressful environment will make any person grow and if they are able to practice their craft in the scenario, the results are certainly impressive. This is what the TOC Automotive College is all about.
In other words, TOC’s involvement in motorcycle racing will broaden their students’ knowledge as well as motor skills where some things can’t be obtained by working in garages and workshops. Their recent collaboration with the Malaysia Speed Festival also gave birth to the MSF Motor Racing Study Course which further elevates their dedication in bringing nothing but the best for future superbike technicians.
When it comes to becoming the best Superbike Technician, TOC Automotive College provides the best program catered to any passionate individuals wanting to start their career with motorcycles whether at the workshops or race track.
To know more about TOC’s Superbike Technician Course, CLICK HERE!
A brand new Yamaha Y15ZR was presented to one lucky winner of the TuneBoss 2018 Lucky Draw Contest.
Mohd Fairus bin Abd Rahman from Ipoh entered the contest when he purchased a TuneBoss ECU for his Yamaha FZ150i.
The Yamaha Y15ZR grand prize will be fitted and tuned with a TuneBoss high-performance ECU before the official handover.
It was just last month when ECU expert TuneBoss announced their very special TuneBoss 2018 Lucky Draw Contest where one lucky individual will take home a brand new Yamaha Y15ZR. That day is finally here and that lucky fella is Mohd Fairus bin Abd Rahman! (more…)
The BMW R 1200 RT fits in between the sporty S 1000 XR and full-dress K 1600 tourers.
It is powered by the same 1170cc Boxer in the R 1200 GS.
Priced from RM 118,798.77 with 0% GST.
The BMW RT (Reise-Tourer or travel tourer) has had a long history, starting from the first R 100 RT in 1978 to this latest 2018 R 1200 RT. So, yes, it’s the RT’s 40th anniversary this year. By the way, the R 100 RT was the touring variant of the first fully-faired production motorcycle, the R 100 RS, which singlehandedly launched the sport-touring segment.
1978 BMW R 100 RT – courtesy of uniongaragenyc.com
The current lineage of the R 1200 RT, however, began in 2014 with the introduction of the wasser-head (liquid-cooled) Boxer; and instead of just stuffing the new engine into an old bike, BMW redesigned the RT wholesale (side-by-side with the new R 1200 GS). New seats, seating position, fairing, instrumentation, and frame were fitted or updated.
2014 BMW R 1200 RT
It was also at this time when BMW added options such as Dynamic ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment), Shift Assist Pro (for both up- and downshifts), central locking system for the luggage and storage compartments, low and high seats cruise control, and keyless ignition (from 2015).
There were further updates to the R 1200 RT in 2017, albeit minor. BMW fitted a judder damper to the transmission’s output shaft, along with a revised selector drum actuator, transmission shafts and transmission shaft bearings (the R 1200 GS received these updates, too).
Other standard features include ABS Pro, heated grips and seats, ASC (Automatic Stability Control), Riding Modes (Road/Rain), Stepless Adjustable Power Windshield, On-board Computer Pro, height adjustable rider’s seat, LED signal lamps, LED taillamp, besides others.
Styling wise, there’s no mistaking the R 1200 RT for any other motorcycle. The large front section carries the large headlamp cluster which consists of the central low-beam flanked by a pair of massive high-beam projectors; who are themselves ringed by BMW’s signature LED halo-rings.
The rest of the body panels are sharp and consist of “panels” to deflect around the occupants. BMW routes the hot air from the split radiators through cleverly designed holes on each side away from the rider. Other smaller bodywork panels hide the rear parts of the engine and rear shock.
The handlebars are fixed in just the right position as you reach out for them. This is where the fun starts.
The 1170cc flat-twin fired up with that signature Boxer vroom and settled down to a drone with just a touch of vibration to let you know it’s alive. Give a blip and the Boxer vrooms, accompanied by a slight twitch to the right.
Pressing the INFO button scrolls through all the menus to setup the bike, including ESA preload (rider, rider with luggage, two-up), ESA damping settings (Soft, Normal, Hard), travel information (tyre pressure, fuel consumption, fuel range, etc.), audio, and many more. The rider uses the Multi Controller wheel to pick and confirm the sub-items.
The button next to it is for adjusting the windshield’s height. The windshield will lower itself automatically to its lowest position when you kill the engine and raises itself automatically to your last setting when the bike starts to roll. Lovely. The windshield provided a wonderfully turbulence-free zone around the torso and I could hear the stereo clearly at high speeds (depending on helmet).
For a peace of mind, I pressed the remote storage locking switch to lock the panniers and the storage compartments in front of the handlebars, regardless if I had left the panniers’ unlocked. An audible mechanical whirr and a symbol of a key on suitcase lit up in the instrument panel as confirmation. This is brilliant as in case you forgot to lock the storage.
First gear still engaged with the familiar clack. Slip out the light clutch lever and you’re under way on a stream of smooth, smooth torque. The bike pushed forward quickly but very, very smoothly and the new shifter mechanisms worked as the gearshift was light, smooth and noiseless. Coupled with the aerodynamics, you wouldn’t notice the acceleration until you glance down to find yourself riding at 130 km/h or beyond.
I was apprehensive at first when I approached cars on either side at the traffic lights, but I soon learned that there’s ample space to fit the wide front end through; and once the “head” got clear, the rest of the bike followed through. Plus, the RT has such an imposing presence that almost any vehicle gave space. Otherwise, I’d follow the vehicle for a short distance and use the engine’s torque to pass when the opportunity presented itself.
What’s the hurry, anyway?
I’ve got a great sound system to listen to and plenty of settings to entertain myself with. Additionally, everyone stared at me in admiration (read: awe), especially when the design looks this good and painted in this new Mars Red Metallic and Slate Metallic Matte scheme. They scanned the bike from the front to the rear, up and down and craned their necks to peek at the impressive instrument cluster.
Again, when it’s time to get going, the R 1200 RT got going without delay. Vrooom, and you’ve pulled clear even in top gear. We’ve rode the bike to its top speed which was beyond ahem, 200 km/h while sitting straight up! No turbulence, not headshake, no weaving. Amazing.
It was the handling which helped with urban riding. This is where the DNA of the R 1200 GS and R 1200 R shone through. The bike was light on its feet without feeling nervous, so you could confidently flick it around as you shoot into spaces in traffic, relying on the engine’s torque for a quick boost and the superb brakes to slow you down. The front brakes are linked to the rear’s ad the bike entire bike squats down when you clamp down hard on them, eliminating crazy wiggles and wobbles.
A soft tap on the handlebar was enough to change the bike’s direction, despite the “touring” 26.4o rake, 116 mm trail, 1485 mm wheelbase and 276 kg wet weight. It almost made no sense how well the R 1200 RT handled given its spec sheet figures. In fact, it was very much like riding a scooter. Make that a much better handling and braking, and stable scooter. I’ve never felt tired even after riding through the morning and evening rush hour traffic along Jalan Tun Razak.
No wonder many law-enforcement agencies around the world use the BMW R 1200 RT!
But there’s no mistaking the RT’s natural habitat. Out on Karak Highway, apart from the feedback in your hands and bum, you might as well think you’re riding in a BMW 7-Series. Sure, the Dynamic ESA returned hard kicks when hitting sharp bumps, but it performed well nonetheless. It gives you more time to admire the countryside as you ride relaxed – even at high speeds.
It wasn’t just about going straight either, for the RT could turn and burn, too. Of course, not as fast as a sportbike, but I could surely hang with most sport-tourers. The only way you could get it totally wrong is to bottle it up and panic. Have confidence in the front-end and you’d be rewarded with peg-scratching cornering everytime.
The R 1200 RT also performed remarkably well up Genting Highlands. The test bike was fitted with Michelin Pilot Road 4 GT sport-touring tyres and they gripped even over wet roads and loose dirt. A late-night ride up demonstrated the high-beam headlamps’ power in cutting a swath of light through the fog.
What’s a touring bike if it can’t carry luggage, right? Worry not. Those panniers could accommodate a full-faced helmet or a 15-inch Macbook Pro in a backpack each, while still leaving lots of room for everything else. Install BMW’s 49-litre top case and you could ride anywhere.
Lastly, a 25-litre tank could go as far as 500 km if you ride smoothly. Combined consumption through city congestion and spirited highway blasting lowered it into the lower 400’s. Still a good feat for a big motorcycle.
In conclusion, the BMW R 1200 RT is the luxury touring model which slots in between the sportier S 1000 XR sport-tourer and the K 1600 series full-dress tourers. I wouldn’t call it a compromise between the two extremes; rather, the RT has its own distinctive character as a long-distance runner which endears itself to you very quickly with its great comfort, performance, great looks, typical BMW quality and fuel economy.
Priced from RM 118,798.77 (with 0% GST), it is exactly cheap for a person such as me and am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that I would like to own one in a heartbeat if some kind soul decided to donate some money my way.
12 Ducati Panigale V4 S race livery bikes will be auctioned off in conjunction with the World Ducati Week 2018.
These race-prepped bikes are designed based on the Ducati riders from MotoGP and WorldSBK.
The riders will compete in the Race of Champions tomorrow before the bikes will be publicly-auctioned on eBay.
There are a lot of things that can be said about the latest-generation Ducati Panigale V4. Out of all these things, one thing is for sure; we love it. A LOT. So, what is Ducati’s plan to make their first-ever full production V4 superbike even more special? By coming with 12 special editions!(more…)
It looks like Kawasaki is currently working on a brand new 2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.
Documents were filed to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regarding the emissions output of the 2019 supersport machine.
The new ZX-6R is heading towards the Euro5 emissions regulations and it is said to produce only half of the emissions compared to the previous model.
Rumours on a brand new Kawasaki supersport machine is currently heating up as talks of the 2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R is currently underway. Based on a few key sources, it’s not just talk but Kawasaki is walking the walk with this one. (more…)
