There have been many rumours about an upcoming café racer for the Triumph 400 range. It looks like it is true, after all, as a Triumph Thruxton 400 prototype had been spotted undergoing road tests in India.
Triumph had stopped production of the Thruxton 1200 (Final Edition in the main picture), and instead moved the high performance Bonneville ‘task’ to the Speed Twin. That leaves the company without a model with the Thruxton name in their lineup. To us, the Thruxton 1200 was the best Bonneville. Ever!
However, it now seems confirmed that the name will live on, albeit in the 400 range. We have ridden both the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400X, and they were just amazing. On top of it, they are sold at very competitive prices. It is why both models are selling like hotcakes.
So, over to the Thruxton 400 prototype. The pictures show a café racer clad in a half-fairing, although it was an accessory for the Thruxton 1200. The handlebar or clip ons are also placed lower than the Speed 400. The rest of the bike appears the same apart from these two details.
The engine will of course be the 398cc, single-cylinder unit built together with Bajaj Auto. It produces 39.5hp and 37.5Nm of torque, channeled through a 5-speed transmission. While it does not seem high on paper, it is entertaining enough.
Well, we cannot wait for more news about this bike. The Thruxton 1200 and its Final Edition were out of our financial reach, so maybe the Triumph Thruxton 400 could be the one!
Continuing this series, let us check out another brand, the world-renowned RS Taichi.
To recap, we wanted to know how the makers of motorcycle riding gear take steps to ensure that you and I buy are genuine. These major manufacturers have put in much effort and cost to ensure that their products conform to safety standards in order to protect us.
However, the advent of online shopping platforms have created the problem of dishonest sellers parading copied and fake wares. And these shopping platforms are doing nothing to stop them.
Thus the onus falls back on our shoulders to ensure that we are spending our hard-earned money on genuine products.
Courtesy of Hodaka Motoworld Singapore
Who is RS Taichi?
The brand was founded my a professional motocross racer, Taichi Yoshimura in 1975, in Osaka, Japan. Yoshimura was raced for the Suzuki and Honda factory teams in motocross, and had the distinction of giving Honda their very first win in motocross racing.
The first RS Taichi product was a gear bag, before going on to making racing leather suits in 1978. Now, RS Taichi makes the complete range of motorcycle rider gear and accessories, from helmets to jackets, gloves, pants, shoes, inner wear, leather suits, bags, protectors, and more.
How can you detect a genuine RS Taichi product?
1. Look for the yellow Taichi tag in your jacket, gloves, pants, and bag.
2. Use a torchlight or your phone’s flashlight and shine through the tag.
3. You should see many Taichi logos.
Counterfeit RS Taichi products may have the tag, but the hologram will not show.
Conclusion
Alright, we have covered Komine and now RS Taichi, and we shall continue to cover other brands. Again, buy your riding gear from official channels. It is not worth saving a few bucks but compromising your safety.
Hong Leong Yamaha Motor has introduced a new colourway for the 2025 Yamaha R15M, called Signature Black.
The Yamaha R15 was first launched way back in 2018 in Malaysia, before the R15M reached Malaysia in 2022. Following its bigger brother, the YZF-R1M, the “M” means the variant has better features. As such, the R15M has a quickshifter, traction control, Yamaha Y-Connect, LED lights with DRL.
Additionally, the R15M’s design and colourways are inspired by the R1M, including this year’s edition.
However, the 2025 Yamaha R15M retains the same 155cc, single-cylinder, SOHC with VVA engine capable of producing 19hp (14.2kW) peak power at 10,000rpm and 14.7Nm of peak torque at 8,500rpm. The engine power is sent through a assist and slipper clutch, and a six speed gearbox.
To reiterate, the fuel tank capacity is 11 litres and Yamaha claims a kerb weight of 140kg.
The recommended selling price remains at RM14,988. Buyers will receive a Yamaha disc lock worth RM100.
The 2025 Honda CBR650R and 2025 Honda CB650R equipped with the Honda E-Clutch electronic clutch technology have arrived in Malaysia at long last.
The E-Clutch system retains the clutch lever and gear lever, thus allowing for manual gear shifting without utilising the lever in all aspects of riding such as while idling, moving from stop, and while the motorcycle is in motion. It basically turns a big bike into a big kapchai with automatic clutch. The clutch lever is retained and can be pulled manually by the rider should he desires so, for example when he wants to half-clutch when riding through traffic, etc. The technology is different from Honda’s own Dual-Clutch Transmisson (DCT). We will run a feature about this later.
Highlights of 2025 Honda CBR650R and 2025 Honda CBR650R
The Neo Sports Café roadster of the CB650 range, while the CBR650R is the sportbike.
Both are powered by a 649cc, four-cylinder, DOHC, 16-valve engine, which delivers 94hp (70kW) at 12,000 RPM and 63Nm of torque at 9,500 RPM.
Front suspension consists of 41mm Showa Separate Function front Fork Big Piston (SFF-BP) USD forks.
Rear suspension consists of a monoshock adjustable for preload.
Updates include a new TFT screen, LED lighting, a USB Type-C charging port.
The TFT screen connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth. The rider can access navigation and music streaming functions via the Honda RoadSync app.
Electronic rider assistance include Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) and 2-channel ABS.
The 2025 Honda CB650R is offered in new colours called Matte Gunpowder Black Metallic, Matte Laurel Green Metallic, and Candy Chromosphere Red, at the selling price of RM47,999.
The 2025 Honda CBR650R is offered in Grand Prix Red, and Matte Gunpowder Black Metallic, at the selling price of RM49,999.00.
Certain brands place a lot of emphasis and create copy-proof measures at great expense. We are therefore starting this series of articles to look at how these brands protect their customers and intellectual property, starting with Komine.
The saying goes, “Imitation is the best form of flattery.” In other words, a brand is considered to be “there” when it is copied. But is it really? Of course it is not good – even destructive – for a the original maker’s reputation and bottom line, but it can also be dangerous to wear fake riding gear.
Fake gloves sold at a ridiculous price. It’s too good to be true
Why is it dangerous to wear fake gear?
There are standards governing motorcycle gear, from head to toe, starting from the helmet, to the padding in jacket, gloves, pants, and footwear. These standards ensure that the products are tested and proven to protect against injury. Manufacturers who wish to sell their gear must conform to these standards.
The most common standard is the European CE standard, which is adopted in more than 60 countries around the world. Certain European countries mandate that motorcyclists wear CE-approved gear, and the rider could be fined or his insurance claim voided (if he is involved in an accident) should be found not wearing CE-approved gear.
Not so with fakers. Their product may look the same, feel the same, even smell the same, but they are not the same because they are not tested to these exacting standards. Some tests carried out by bloggers and authorities have found that these copycat gear actually endanger the wearer instead of providing any form of protection.
Who is Komine?
The Komine brand he company was founded in 1947 by Komine Shunsuke, a motorcycle enthusiast. Komine products are known for being affordable, high quality, and safe. The company is now based in Tokyo, Japan.
They make many forms of riding gear, including helmets, and are the main suppliers to the Japanese traffic police.
Komine places rider safety and security above other concerns and as such, most of their jackets and pants feature CE-Level 2 protection padding.
How do you tell if the Komine product is genuine?
Every Komine’s wearable product i.e. jacket, gloves, pants, footwear, leather racing suit feature a hologram tag. To verify if it is genuine:
Turn off your phone’s macro lens feature (the flower symbol).
Bring the camera close to the hologram tag.
You should see at least one “OK” mark. The mark does not appear sharp but it is done so by design.
Fake Komine goods in the market may feature such hologram tag, too, but the “OK” mark does not show.
JacketGlovesPantsFootwear
Conclusion
The issue of fake products is exacerbated by online shopping platforms where unscrupulous sellers claims that their products are “100% genuine.” However, it may be easy to tell when the item is offered at ridiculously cheap prices, sometimes with the excuse of “stock clearance” or “factory price”, so remember that it may be too good to be true.
Do buy from official channels for your own safety and a peace of mind.
Okay, that is all for Part 1 now. Stay tuned as we track down other brands.
The latest BMW R 12 (2025) has been launched in Malaysia.It is the successor to the R nineT series which has been in the market since 2013.
The BMW R 12 (2025) is a cruiser-style motorcycle for relaxed riding.The front wheel measures 19-inches while the rear wheel measures 16-inches.
Highlights:
As an “R” series model, it uses the flat-twin Boxer engine that is synonymous with BMW motorcycles.
The R 12 engine is the same as the R nineT’s, which is a 1170cc type that produces 95hp at 6,500 RPM and 110Nm at 6,000 RPM.There is also a different engine performance tuning for the R 12 nineT model that has not been launched here, which is 1170cc, 109hp at 7,000 RPM and 115Nm at 6,000 RPM.
BMW says the motorcycle can accelerate from rest to 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds, and has a top speed of 200 km/h.
New airbox.
New 6-speed gearbox with Shift Assistant Pro for clutchless gear changes.
A single-piece steel frame replaces the previous two-piece frame. BMW claims that the new frame is lighter and gives a cleaner look.
The suspension consists of 45mm upside-down forks up front, while there is a monoshock with adjustable preload and rebound damping. As is typical of the “R” range, there is a Paralever swingarm.
The front brakes use two 310mm brake discs and four-piston calipers. The rear brakes use a single disc with a 2-piston brake caliper.
BMW Motorrad ABS Pro is standard.
Electronic features include 2 riding modes, Rock and Roll.
There is also Cruise Control.
Dynamic Traction Control, as well as Engine Drag Torque Control which controls engine torque so that the rear wheel does not hop when downshifting aggressively.
This motorcycle is also equipped with the Hillstart Control feature which provides the best control when the motorcycle stops on a slope.
In addition, there is also the BMW Intelligent Emergency Call feature that makes an emergency call if the motorcycle is involved in an accident.
The LED lights are combined with Adaptive Headlight Pro and Dynamic Brake Lights.
Classic round speedometer.
The BMW R 12 (2025) is available in Aventurine Red Metallic.
