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Ducati Multistrada V4 Confirmed for 2021

The Ducati Multistrada V4 is confirmed to debut in 2021.
Ducati made the announcement while celebrating the 100,000^thMultistrada produced.
The new bike will be sold alongside the Multistrada 1260 and 950.

The Ducati Multistrada V4 is confirmed to debut in 2021.

Ducati made the statement in their press release celebrating the 100,000^thMultistrada. They also mentioned that the new Multistrada V4 (MTS V4) will be sold alongside the V-Twin engine Multistrada 1260 and 950 versions.

Making the announcement so far ahead seems unprecedented in the motorcycle industry. That’s because customers may hold off their plans of buying the current model and decide only when the new one is unveiled. However, we feel that Ducati is confident despite making the early announcement due to different price ranges, among others. The MTS V4 will most probably cost way more than even a fully blinged-out MTS 1260 GT.

As pointed out by Asphalt & Rubber, it could also be that Ducati wants attention to fall solely on the Streetfighter V4. Unveiling the MTS V4 right next to the Streetfighter will steal some of the naked bike’s thunder.

Anyway, the Desmosedici Stradale V-four engine will be detuned for low-end and midrange performance since the MTS is pretty much a road bike. But since the V-Twin MTS 1260 produces 158 hp, we may see 170 to 180 hp in the MTS V4.

The updates will see it go up against the likes of the new BMW S 1000 XR and KTM 1290 Super Duke GT. On the other hand, pushing the power higher will also see it competing against the Kawasaki 1400GTR (in terms of power, rather than segment) and who knows, the supercharged Kawasaki Ninja H2SX (200 hp).

In the meantime, the 100,000^thMTS is the 1260 Pikes Peak edition. The total number of MTS produced include all the variants in the 1260 and 950 line-up.

Source: Ducati Press Release

TVS Apache RTR 200 4V Race Edition 2.0 First Ride – Priced from RM10,950

The TVS Apache RTR 200 4V Race Edition 2.0 was launched on Malaysia Day.
It follows the preview in December last year.
It boasts a number of good features.

We were given a preview of the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V Race Edition 2.0 in December last year.

Let’s fast forward to the Malaysia Day weekend. Daju Motors Sdn. Bhd., the official TVS distributor for Malaysian and Brunei launched the bike during the Malaysia Day 2019 weekend at the Elite Speedway near USJ.

Member of the media, bloggers and YouTubers were invited to have a go on the bike on the circuit. Where better to test ride than in a controlled and safe environment like the race track.

The TVS Apache RTR 200 4V Race Edition 2.0 is a lightweight standard bike but is packed with features as a reflection of its “Race Edition” name. Those features put the bike (slightly) ahead of the competition.

They are:

A-RT (Anti-Reverse Torque) slipper clutch to limit engine back torque and rear wheel hop when downshifting aggressively. TVS claims an added advantage of 22% lighter clutch lever pull. The Apache RTR 200 is the first bike in its category to be fitted with a slipper clutch.

O3C Tech. This is a patented Oil-cooled Combustion Chamber (O3C) tech with ram-air assit to reduce engine heat but up to 10^oC.
Electronic fuel injection system which utilizes idling air control valve (IACV) and manifold absolute pressure sensor to deliver the optimal amount of fuel. Nothing fancy here except that the Bosch-developed fuel injector features twin spray nozzles for better fuel atomization.

Double cradle split chassis.
KYB suspension. The rear monoshock is tuned to deliver optimized compression and rebound damping characteristics.

Each journalist was given only five laps of the twisty, narrow and bumpy circuit but the layout favours lightweight bikes such as the Apache.

Our first thought was the tyres were overinflated for the task, which we highlighted to the organizer, but nothing was done. So, we went out there and ended up being trashed around as the tyres hopped over the bumps.

The engine took lots of revving to get going, especially coming around the final turn and onto the front straight. But there was a lot of overrun, thankfully as we carried 2^ndgear all the way into Turn One.

But the bike paid back in terms of handling in spades. The narrow tyres and seating position allowed the bike to be thrown around with little effort from the rider. At least the bike tracked exactly where we pointed it, so selecting a line and going after it was easy.

However, if there was one thing which we really liked was the brakes. We only used the front brakes during the track session since it was more than adequate. It may not be branded but it bit down hard and scrubbed off speed without much drama.

The chassis was pretty stiff, but it meant that the bike didn’t weave about like a drunken person.

The bike’s pretty affordable from RM10,950. Give it a test ride and judge for yourself.

PHOTO GALLERY

New Colours for 2019 Yamaha YZF-R15

Hong Leong Yamaha Motor (HLYM) has revealed new colours for the 2019 Yamaha YZF-R15.
The Yamaha YZF-R15 is enjoying unparalleled success in the lightweight sportbike segment.
It’s one of the most entertaining bikes we’ve tested.

Hong Leong Yamaha Motor (HLYM) has revealed new colours for the 2019 Yamaha YZF-R15.

The Yamaha YZF-R15 is enjoying unparalleled success in the lightweight sportbike segment. It was simply one of the most entertaining motorcycles we’ve ridden. There may not be much in the way of electronic wizardry but that’s part and parcel of the entertainment.

The 155cc engine may be adapated from the NVX 155 scooter, along with variable valve timing (VVT), but it feels a lot livelier in the R15. In fact, the engine revs quicker than the YZF-R25’s 250cc powerplant.

It highlights that lightweight motorcycles are way more fun in the real world. You can even knee down in corners on the Yamaha YZF-R15!

We’re starting to see the R15 quite often on Malaysian roads, hopefully as a sign that the model is performing well on the sales floor.

As such for 2019, HLYM rolled out three new colour schemes. They’re called the same namely Race Blu (sic), Yellow and Black but “arranged” a different manner to refresh the model.

The bikes with the new colour schemes will be delivered to dealers beginning September 2019.

The recommended basic selling price remains the same from RM 11,988 (without road tax, insurance and number plates).

KTM Removes Johann Zarco from MotoGP Team

Johann Zarco has been removed from the MotoGP team for the remainder of the season.
Mika Kallio will replace him for the rest of the 2019 season.
Zarco isn’t allowed to race or test for another team until the end of the year.

Johann Zarco has been removed from the MotoGP team for the remainder of the season.

The two-time Moto2 champion had requested to terminate his two-contract with the Austrian manufacturer a year early, which would see him leave at the end of the 2019 season.

Instead, Mika Kallio will return to ride for the factory team for the remainder of the season.

We weren’t told if Zarco insisted on leaving early or whether KTM told him to leave, but the team would surely want to move on quickly to develop the RC16 for the 2020 season. While the factory can still put in new parts for these last few rounds, they may see the rider as the stumbling block. Besides, KTM will also need to secure their secrets and will not let Zarco spill the beans when he joins another team. This is even more critical in case he becomes a test rider.

KTM noted that Zarco is still contractually tied to them until the end of 2019, hence he will not be able to race or test for another team.

Relationship between the two parties melted down after Zarco became more and more frustrated with riding the KTM RC16. His ex-teammate from Tech 3 Yamaha, Hafizh Syahrin also struggled with the KTM and was unceremoniously dumped for next season.

Shell Malaysia Collaborates with Malaysian Enforcement Agencies to Combat Counterfeits

Shell Malaysia has joined forces with Malaysian enforcement agencies to combat counterfeit lubricants.
They organized a workshop for the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) and Royal Malaysian Customs.
The workshop will help the enforcers identify fake Shell lubricants when they conduct raids.

Shell Malaysia has joined forces with Malaysian enforcement agencies to combat counterfeit lubricants.

The issue of counterfeit lubricants is certainly not new in this country and it isn’t limited to a single brand, either. Criminals target the most popular brands, because they are business people too but unethical. This is why sometimes exists the perception that there’s widespread existence of counterfeit items being sold in the market.

KPDNHEP Deputy Director of Enforcement Tuan Suhaimi Mat Sari and Shell Malaysia Government Relations Manager Noorhisham Anas taking a closer look at Shell Helix packs.

For this, Shell conducted a research in 2018 to check for illegal lubricant proliferation. They procured samples from online portals and hypermarkets that were tagged as “genuine” Shell products. Samples were sent to their labs and 12 bottles were found to be counterfeits.

Counterfeit products not only create bad publicity for a company and its dealers, it may come down to being downright harmful to consumers, as well. Imagine using inferior lubricants in your engine. Or worse, other consumables such as brake fluid!

Shell organized a special workshop for more than 100 officers from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) and Royal Malaysian Customs. The objective was to impart the knowledge to differentiate the genuine and counterfeit products, especially when they carry out raids.

An officer inspecting the security QR code sample on a genuine Shell Helix pack

Shell advises that official and genuine Shell lubricants for the Malaysian market are marked with a “Untuk Pasaran Malaysia” label together with a QR codes that can be authenticated via the SHARE website (http://www.shell.com.my/share).

Consumers who suspect they may have purchased counterfeits are advised to contact Shell Customer Service immediately at 1-300-88-1808 or email to generalpublicenquiries-my@shell.com.

Kawasaki is Teasing with New Supercharged “Z” Model

Kawasaki has just released a teaser video for a supercharged “Z” model.
There were no other details provided.
It could be for a new supercharged Z1000.

Kawasaki has just released a teaser video for a supercharged “Z” model.

The announcement is quite a surprise since the “Z” model range consists of standard and naked sportbikes such as the Z250, Z650, Z900 and Z1000, with only one fully-faired model, the Z1000SX sport-tourer.

No other details were provided so it may go either one of two ways.

Please click on this link for the video: https://youtu.be/4u8Q6sr4h3Y

On one hand, the new bike may be a supercharged Z1000. Doing so would boost the engine’s horsepower and torque enter the bike into the supernaked category arena. its competitors are the KTM 1290 Super Duke R, Aprilia Tuono 1100, BMW S 1000 RR, Triumph Speed Triple RS, Ducati Monster 1200, Yamaha MT10. Kawasaki had ruled this segment a long time ago with the Z1, although there was no “sportbike” and “naked sportbike” category back then. The current Z1000 needs a reboot since its introduction in 2014.

On the other side of the coin, Kawasaki could supercharge a 500- or 600cc bike and bring it to the Z1000’s level. However, this seem a little far-fetched for us for a number of reasons, chief being very few buyers would pay big money for a 500/600cc bike, supercharged/turbocharged be damned. To them it’s more like overcharged. Besides that, as we mentioned earlier, the Z1000 is five years old and is dire need of a refresh.

But regardless of which direction Kawasaki takes, the new bike will be the fourth supercharged machine in their stable after the H2R, H2 and H2SX sport-tourer.

Exciting times ahead, my friends.

Source: Kawasaki Italia