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Marc Marquez to Get Shoulder Surgery

Marc Marquez is set to receive another shoulder surgery, this time to his right shoulder.
He had dislocated the shoulder in Motegi.
But subsequent crashes in Sepang, Valencia and Jerez worsened its condition.

Marc Marquez had a much-publicized surgery for his dislocated left shoulder in 2018, but he is now going to have another, this time to his right shoulder.

He had already dislocated the shoulder at Motegi but the spill during Q2 at Sepang exacerbated the injury.

Trailing Fabio Quartararo, he highsided at Turn 2 and landed hard on his ankles and knees at Sepang. He was forced to cancel the dinner appointment with participants of the Honda Asia Journey later that night. When he made a video conference call to address them, there were apparent bruises and lacerations to parts of his right knee and thigh. But no one knew that he had actually dislocated his right shoulder.

But Marc being Marc, he continued racing and finished the race in second behind Maverick Vinalez, thereby maintaining his Top 2 finish all year except for one race. He went on to win the season finale at Valenica two weeks later.

He would highside again two days later at the same track during the first 2020 off-season tests and landed on the right shoulder

If that wasn’t enough, he crashed again five days later at the current tests at Jerez, again landing on his right shoulder.

The reigning MotoGP champion will have to face a long rehabilitation period through winter. Testing duties will be taken over by Cal Crutchlow and Stefan Bradl.

Grab is Hiring Motorcycle e-Hailing Riders

Grab is hiring motorcycle e-hailing riders.
The GrabBike pilot programme will last for six months from January 2020.
Interested riders need to sign up by 2^nd December 2019.

Grab is hiring motorcycle e-hailing riders in view of the Ministry of Transport’s decision to greenlight the service for a pilot programme.

As we published earlier, the programme will run for six months beginning January 2020. It will be carried out in the Klang Valley only in order for the ministry and e-hailing operators to collect data.

Interested riders can sign up by 2^nd December 2019. Successful applicants will be notified within 5 working days or by 9^th December.

Conditions to fulfill include: The motorcycle must not be more than five years old; the rider has a valid motorcycle license; he or she above 18 years old; and no outstanding summonses with the police or Road Transport Department (JPJ).

GrabBike drive-partners are also expected to deliver food (except for cake and pizza). As such, they will each be provided with a smaller food delivery bag and special training. Also, riders are not allowed to turn off requests for ferrying passengers, although they can do so for food deliveries.

In terms of renumeration, the operator will charge a 20% commission for their cash wallet.

GrabBike also says that for the first month only, riders in the Klang Valley will receive special incentives, a riding jacket and helmet for the pillion.

Please click on the link below if you are interested: https://www.grab.com/my/blog/driver/grabbike-beta-program-perintis-perkhidmatan-pengangkutan-baru/

Watch this 2019 Czech TT Onboard Footage

We usually think of the Isle of Man when we hear the words TT.
But this footage was shot at the 2019 Czech TT.
Listen to the Yamaha R6 in all its glory.

When we hear the words “TT” for Tourist Trophy, the first thoughts are always of the legendary Isle of Man TT. But there are others around world such as this 2019 Czech TT.

In this onboard footage shot by competitor Murtanio on his Yamaha YZF-R6, you get to see what a TT race is all about.

Blasts through the town centre with only sandbags separating the riders from buildings, while fences, trees, hedges line other parts of the track. Spectators are behind a number of these spots too and you can see some of them leaning over the fences to shoot pictures on their phones.

But nothing could take away the excitement in the footage as the R6 screams and howls it way around the “track.”

Here you can see Murtanio messing up the first few corners and was overtaken by another competitor on a Honda CBR600RR. He then got stuck behind for a number of laps while the leaders took off into the distance.

We know what you’re thinking: Why don’t they hold races like this in Malaysia. Ulu Yam-Batang Kali or Bukit Tinggi, Pahang would be great places. But look at their road condition.

Anyway, enjoy this clip which is unimpeded by commentary. There are many other such clips on Murtanio’s YouTube channel including a few on the Triumph Daytona 675.

Ducati V4 Superleggera Confirmed – Possible 161 kg Dry Weight

The Ducati V4 Superleggera is on its way.
It will possibly weight 161 kg, dry.
No launch date yet.

The Superleggera name has become a mainstay of Ducati’s most exotic models and recent type approval submissions confirmed that the Ducati V4 Superleggera is on the way.

Superleggera means “superlight” in Italian, hence the bike will feature lots of carbon fibre, magnesium and titanium parts to shed all that weight.

The type approval submission documents show the kerb weight (ready to ride) at 173 kg. But don’t be alarmed as manufacturers need to submit the bare minimum weight to have the bike in rideable condition. Which means all the weight of the engine oil plus fluids and minimum fuel.

So, what’s the real weight? Let’s compare it to the Panigale V4 R. The type approval kerb weight of that bike is 184 kg. That means the V4 Superleggera is 11 kg lighter in this sense. Ducati claimed the V4 R’s dry weight at 172 kg and wet weight at 193 kg. This ought to mean that the Superleggera’s dry weight is only 161 kg(!) and wet weight of 182 kg(!). That’s heavier than the 1299 Superleggera but the V4 is more complex thus weighs more.

However, all that extra weight will be forgotten when the throttle is twisted. The engine will be based on the V4 R’s 1000cc V-four instead of the 1103cc version in the V4 and V4 S. A new titanium exhaust liberates an extra 3.6 bhp bringing the maximum to 221 bhp. But! A race exhaust and ECU will pump that up to 234 bhp. Insert ear-to-ear grin here.

There are a number of other changes, as well but we have to wait for the official launch to see the specs.

Price for 2021 Yamaha Ténéré 700 Revealed in the US

The price of the 2021 Yamaha Ténéré 700 has been revealed in the US.
It’s the lowest priced middleweight dual-purpose bike of the lot.
Hong Leong Yamaha Motor has not confirmed whether they’ll release the bike in Malaysia.

The price of the 2021 Yamaha Ténéré 700 has been revealed in the US and will turn the middleweight adventure motorcycle market on its head.

The concept bike was revealed back in EICMA 2018, but the production-ready model was later shown at EICMA 2019. But we Malaysians were luckier as the bike was actually shown at Yamaha’s booth at MotoGP.

Based on the MT-07 standard bike, the Ténéré 700 promises to be a lightweight truly off-road capable bike. That torque from the 270-degree crank parallel-twin engine will do nicely, too. It’ll be a great departure from the current XTZ1200 Super Ténéré which is on the heavy side.

But the production-ready model looked even better than the concept, especially with those 4 LED headlamps tucked behind the windscreen. That and the tall front end of the bike gives the bike a Dakar Rally presence, no doubt inspired by the original Super Ténéré 750.

What’s the price then? USD 9,999 – RM 41,785.82 at today’s rate.

While the bike was displayed in Malaysia, Hong Leong Yamaha (HLYM) remains tightlipped about whether it’ll be released in Malaysia. Before you criticize them, HLYM prefers to train their dealers, the dealers’ mechanics, shore up spare parts, amongst others before bringing in a model to the country. Don’t forget also that HLYM assembles the bikes and they need time to set up the production line in terms of logistics and worker knowledge.

Still, we are quite certain that there are many waiting for this bike.

8 Reasons Slick Racing Tyres Should Never be Used on Public Roads

Slick racing tyres should never be used on public roads.
They pose more disadvantages and danger if they are.
Current street tyres are already better than some DOT race tyres from just 5 years ago.

We’ve written about it in just about every article about tyres and yet there are still some bikers who continue to use slick racing tyres outside the racetrack i.e. public roads.

Our friend Haizal Omar posted on his Facebook recently that he saw bikers equipping their bikes with slick racing tyres and riding them on the road. He also went to highlight why slicks are a bad idea on public roads.

Haizal is the lead instructor at his Alpha Track Academy and also an instructor at the Ducati Riding Experience (DRE). He’s also completed the instructor modules in the California Superbike School (in California, USA under the tutelage of guru Keith Code). So we listen when he talks.

So, why is using “slicks” such a bad idea? All the MotoGP and professional riders use them to win races, after all. That must mean they grip like crazy, right? They are expensive but they are a necessary part of riding quickly, correct? And since they grip really hard, it means that they also make riding much safer, right?

But before we carry on, what are racing slicks? The short answer is tyres that are exclusively meant for racing. They’re called slicks because they’re devoid of grooves on the carcass, in order to present an uninterrupted surface called footprint to the road surface. More footprint equals more grip.

But there are serious caveats why they shouldn’t be used on public roads. Unheeding these conditions will result in (touch wood) unwanted situations sooner or later.

By why? Let’s examine.

1. Temperature

This is the most obvious factor.

All types of tyres work at their optimum levels within a certain heat range. However, slicks work best around 100-degrees Celsius for the front and 120-degrees Celsius for the rear. That’s as hot and hotter than the boiling point of water at sea level.

This is why race teams wrap them in tyre warmers prior to a race.

The warmers are set at 90-degrees Celsius, for at least one hour.

Notice why the pro riders usually set their fastest race times after the third lap or in the middle of the race? Why do MotoGP riders keep talking about caring for their tyres?

The answer is temperature and how to maintain it within that range.

The point is, who carries tyre warmers to BHP Gombak for their “Karak Highway GP?” So firstly, the starting temperature’s already incorrect.

Secondly, running on public roads even without traffic will not build up temperature quickly enough, lest the biker rides like a total maniac, thereby endangering himself and innocent members of the public.

Thirdly, even if the rider is able to heat the tyres up to their optimum operating temperature, traffic, road, and weather conditions will conspire slow him down at some point, forcing the tyres to cool down to below their working temperatures.

2. Heat cycles

You will see this after you ride hard on the roads or the track — that blue/purple band on the edges of the tyres. The bands are indicative of the tyres releasing their oil after a “heat cycle.” This is natural as tyres DO contain oil as part of their compounds.

A heat cycle means the process of letting the tyres cool from working temperature back to ambient temperature. Depending on brand and compound, a racing slick lasts very few heat cycles, some as low as just 8.

That means even if you could work them up to working temperature, you could only use them for 4 daily commutes — assuming you riding to work and back home.

Regardless if you still have 99% rubber, those slicks are already useless after those cycles. In other words, no grip.

3. Cold shear

A biker once showed me his rear slick when I suggested that slicks shouldn’t be used on the road. On the edges were these bits of rubber not unlike what you get when you use a rubber eraser on paper.

Riders usually associate this condition to a grippy tyre but these were large and deep, instead.

It’s a condition called “cold shear.” As the name suggests, the surface is torn off due to being used below operating temperature. Instead of the tyre rolling across the road, it actually ploughs through. The tyre may even throw off chunks of rubber in extreme cases.

4. Weather conditions

This is the other obvious reason, apart from temperature.

Slicks are meant to work only in one weather condition: Dry. The grooves of a tyre help to evacuate water between the contact patch and road surface and provide grip. Conversely, the lack of grooves will cause the tyre to aquaplane.

To be fair, slicks can work on damp roads (provided they’re up to temperature) but not over standing water.

5. Suspension settings

Using different tyres need different suspension settings. However, it’s much less crucial in using street tyres than it is for slicks. On the other hand, using street settings for slicks may not put enough stresses to warm them up. Then again, resorting to track settings for the streets would result in an uncomfortable ride.

6. You’re trying to win… what?

If you really want to experience slicks at their optimum levels, there’s no better place than at the track. Here, your slicks will warm up quicker even if you don’t use a warmer. Just take it easy for the first few laps and then put hammer down when the tyres have warmed up sufficiently

7. Street tyres are awesome

Street tyres these days perform at levels we couldn’t even dream of two decades ago. Sport-touring tyres like the Bridgestone T31 and Pirelli Diablo Rosso III stick like mad in the dry and the rain.

In fact, we rode the Panigale 959 equipped with the Diablo Rosso III at the Buriram circuit during the bike’s launch and not one rider complained about lack of grip.

Our colleague Sep Irran tested the Bridgestone S22 at the Jerez Circuit on a cold day. Again, the tyres gave so much confidence.

In fact, the DOT street race tyres such as the Bridgestone R11, Pirelli Diablo Corsa SC1, Metzeler Racetec RR K3 and others offer so much grip on the latest superbikes we tested that we found them too good for the bikes!

So save your money and your skin and get the latest DOT race tyres. They warm up quickly, can last over many more heat cycles work in any condition, comfortable, and are definitely cheaper and easier to maintain than slicks.

8. Attend riding classes

Through the lessons learned at Most Fun Gym and California Superbike School, tyre and grip “problems” are usually the direct results of incorrect riding techniques. Those schools don’t talk about what bike you ride or tyre you use, instead they look at how you ride to make the most of what you have.

Conclusion

The advantages of using street tyres for public roads far outweigh what could be obtained from using slicks. Which is actually like 10 vs. 0.

We’re not criticising you if you do use slicks but give a thought to what we wrote and switch back to street tyres. You’ll be amazed at what you could do on them.