Motorcycle news, Motorcycle reviews from Malaysia, Asia and the world

Bikesrepublic

Latest News

Honda Africa Twin Achieves The Impossible

Honda has broken the world record for highest altitude reached by a twin-cylinder motorcycle using their new Africa Twin
A team of five climbed the Nevada Ojos del Salado, the world’s highest active volcano situated between Argentina and Chile
Fabio Mossini, world enduro champion from Honda’s Sud America race team took the Africa Twin all the way to the record breaking height 5,965 metres above sea level

The Honda Africa Twin has been hailed as one of the greatest adventure bikes of our generation. And a full year after its hugely successful world debut, the Africa Twin has reached even greater heights by breaking the record for the highest altitude reached by a twin-cylinder motorcycle. This achievement was also made possible thanks to Metzeler’s new off-road MC 360™ tires on the Africa Twin and CRF450RX. CLICK HERE to know more about Metzeler’s side of this momentous feat. (more…)

Three New Indian Motorcycles in the Works

Chieftain Elite, Chieftain Limited and Roadmaster Classic
All will use the same Indian’s 1,811cc Thunder Stroke V-Twin engine

According to a recent document released by our motorcycling friends from down under, Indian Motorcycle is planning to release three new models that are going to be added to their current line-up. This is clear proof that the American bike manufacturer has a strong presence in the market more than ever before considering that its sister brand, Victory Motorcycles, has closed its doors for good following a recent announcement made by their parent company, Polaris. (more…)

Honda CBR500R Updated for 2017

ABS , LED headlights and taillights and adjustable front suspension
Two colourways; Graphite Black/Energy Orange and Matte Gunpowder Black Metallic

Attention all fellow bike lovers, this is the updated Honda CBR500R for 2017. The latest generation now comes with ABS as standard equipment, LED lights for both front and back end and a new front suspension with adjustable preload feature. (more…)

2017 Vyrus 986 M2 Street Version Now Available for Order

Extreme Italian street bike with a Honda CBR600RR engine
Packed with race technology from MotoGP and WorldSBK
Limited edition of only 50 units worldwide

Photo source: Vyrus

Vyrus has announced that the Vyrus 986 M2 Street Version is open for ordering. The small but ultra exclusive Italian exotic bike manufacturer is offering the ultra sexy bike in two forms; completed built or in kit form. The 986 M2 Street Version gets its power from a donor Honda CBR600RR engine. (more…)

Metzeler Awarded Best Tyre Brand

For the third consecutive year Metzeler has been named as the most popular tyre brand among motorcyclists. The tyre brand was recently awarded the title of “Best Brand 2017 in the Tyre Category”, a title awarded by the readers of German motorcycling magazine Motored through voting.

The award is currently in its twelfth edition, and Metzeler has received the award seven times, the first time being in 2006, then 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2016.

The award consists of 21 categories, and the tyre category collected 49.641 voters who were asked to choose their favourite tyre brand. Voters had the liberty to vote for more than one brand. Metzeler collected 66.7% of the votes.

Metzler has enjoyed huge success with its popular Roadtec 01 range of tyres which itself won the Sport Touring tyre comparison also carried out by Motorrad.

(Left) Michael Müller, Sales & Marketing Director for Germany, Austria & Switzerland and (right) Salvo Pennisi , Testing Department Director.

Metzeler’s popularity is set to be bolstered by the anticipated launch of the new off-road range, the MC 360, which will be in markets beginning April. The new tyres recently passed their last testing session which saw the new off-road tyres face a challenging ascent to Nevada Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano in the world. The new tyres have already gained three world records before even being officially available for sale.

Top 10 Motorcycle Inspired Wristwatches

The wristwatch has long been considered as the ultimate form of men’s jewellery. It is also seen as a symbol of status and wealth for the elites and other folks alike. The presence of exquisite timepiece makers like Tissot, Tag Heuer and Rolex have been associated with motorsports and today, we’re going to dive into some of the great watches related to two-wheel motorsports.

1) Tissot T-Race MotoGP 2017 Limited Edition

Tissot is the official timekeeper for MotoGP and WorldSBK. Every year, Tissot comes up with a variety of timepieces dedicated to a few key riders like Nicky Hayden and Jorge Lorenzo. This particular piece is the MotoGP 2017 variant which is only limited to 5,000 units. Priced at USD1,395 (around RM6,190), this Swiss made watch is constructed with 316L stainless steel with black PVD coating and a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal face.

2) CVSTOS Challenge Dani Pedrosa

CVSTOS is a Swiss watchmaker that is on the super premium level. Their passion for motorsports and Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa led them to the birth of this watch made with black, orange and grey titanium. The Challenge also has 25 jewels embedded in the piece and it is STUNNING. The price may give some folks a heart attack as they’re selling them at USD13,900 (around RM61,674) each. Either this or a middleweight sports bike. Tough choice.

3) Lotus Marc Marquez Man

Surprise, surprise. The 2016 MotoGP World Champion has his own signature wristwatch line up and this Man range is simply striking. Sapphire glass, stainless steel case and chronograph functionality, this timepiece in exquisite dark blue colourway is a great way to create a big impression to your fellow motorsports enthusiasts. Coming in at around USD570 (RM2,530), it’s a great gift for any Marc Marquez fan out there.

4) TW Steel VR46 TW937

When it comes to MotoGP, there’s no denying that Valentino Rossi is the Greatest of All Time. A collaboration with TW Steel makes the VR46 brand is the watch-making industry and the TW937 model is the sleekest looking one of all. This beauty is 48mm in diameter comes with a silicon strap and mineral crystal face with sapphire layer all in prestigious black colourway. The watch is water resistant up to 100 metres and you can purchase one for just USD799 (around RM3,545).

5) Zenith El Primero Stratos Flyback

Ever heard of Felix Baumgartner? How about the Red Bull Stratos Mission? The guy who skydived from the edge of space? That’s the one! Felix together with Zenith watch hitched a ride on a weather balloon up to the stratosphere, jumped off and fell back to Earth at 1,336km/h! And the watch survived in one piece. If you’re interested to get one of these indestructible pieces of history, the selling price is around USD5,670 (around RM25,158). You can get a brand new Kawasaki Ninja 250 with that amount of cash.

6) Omega Speedmaster Racing Co-Axial Chronograph

There’s no other watchmaker that can claim to be involved in all six lunar missions by NASA. This makes the Speedmaster one of the iconic timepieces of all time. It’s also probably the only watch that has been to the Moon, the North and South Pole. The Speedmaster has also been long associated with motorsports and it’s indeed a key collection for the elites as the asking price is at RM16,700.

7) Triumph Sports Chronograph

The modern classic bike manufacturer has their very own line of fancy timepieces as well and the Sports Chronograph is the crème de la crème. Set with the super accurate Japanese chronograph movement, this baby is water resistant up to 5ATM (about 130 feet or 40 metres) which is more than ideal to withstand any motorcycle journey no matter the weather. The comfortable padded strap are made with 100% leather and the face and stitching comes in three different colours; Black, Silver and Red. It can be yours for just £299 (around RM1,640).

8) Casio G-Shock G-Steel

Presenting the toughest G-Shock of them all, the G-Steel. Made with a layered guard structure, double-layer bezel construction using stainless steel and resin gives it a tough and sleek metal finish. The watch also has a solar panel to recharge its battery so that you’ll never have to worry about it dying on you. Get a piece for your loved ones starting from a reasonable USD320 (around RM1,420).

9) Seiko Giugiaro Design Limited Edition

This Japanese watch legend collaborated with Italian design firm Giugiaro Design or also known as Italdesign in making motorsports-related wristwatches. This particular piece was designed specifically for motorcyclists with a tilted dial and sloped toward the rider to make it easier to read while riding. There are five different variants and all of them are beautifully made to perform flawlessly using Seiko’s signature quartz chronograph movement. Price ranges from USD290 to USD339 (around RM1,287 to RM1,504).

10) Graham Silverstone RS Endurance 24HR

Not many watches pay tribute to one of Europe’s iconic track and its legendary endurance race. This is probably one of the most heavily motorsports inspired timepieces ever made with a seconds counter shaped like a disc brake and race tire patterned strap. The watch also has a double chronograph function to measure 24 hour races and lap times. Sounds complicated, intricate and expensive and it is! With a price tag of USD14,580 (around RM64,700), it’s more of an investment for the rich and famous.

There you have it, fellow motorsport enthusiasts. This is our take on the best motorsport/motorcycle-inspired watches. There are indeed a lot more watches worth mentioning in this article but if we include all of the great ones, this list will be ten times as long filled with tonnes of great options. These ten selections are the most interesting in our opinion. Any plans to get a special someone an awesome birthday gift?