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Royal Malaysian Police Launches Program Kembara PDRM

The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) launched “Kempen Kembara PDRM” in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The PDRM (Polis Diraja Malaysia) hoped it will bring them closer to the general public through the event.
The police seeks the cooperation of the public to stamp out crime.

A total of 60 senior officers and officers of the Royal Malaysian Police (Polis Diraja Malaysia) took part in an outreach event called Kembara Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) at the MyTown Shopping Centre yesterday.

The outreach program was an initiative to bridge the gap between the law-keepers and the general public in building a cooperation to combat crime.

Kuala Lumpur Police Chief, Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said that the program sought to increase public awareness about criminal activities besides providing an opportunity for the public to voice their thoughts regarding security issues.

The ride began from the Kuala Lumpur Police Headquarters before making a total of seven stops including Dataran Putra at Putrajaya, Pusat Aktiviti Warga Emas (PAWE) Cheras, Restoran Pelita Ampang, Majid Al-Firdays Segambut Luar, Pasar Borong Selayang, KL Sentral and ending at the MyTown Shopping Centre.

It is also hoped that the program will spark the Merdeka spirit, prompting Malaysians to fly the Jalur Gemilang during National Day.

“We hope that the public will support us in this unique program,” said Datuk Mazlan.

Source: Utusan Online. Pictures: Sep Irran

Max Biaggi Appointed as Aprilia Global Ambassador

Max Biaggi had won five of his six world titles his with Aprilia.
Also known as “The Roman Emperor” he was the one who first made the brand famous, more than any other rider.
It is natural for the Italian manufacturer to appoint him as the Global Ambassador.

Six-time World Champion, Max Biaggi has been appointed as the global ambassador for Aprilia.

Popularly called “The Roman Emperor,” he has had much experience in working with the Italian brand, from the beginning of his 250cc GP career in 1991 and won five of his six titles in 250cc GP and World Superbike on Aprilias. In fact, it was Biaggi’s exploits that launched the Aprilia name to the masses, way before Valentino Rossi.

Indeed, he was among the riders who helped develop the Aprilia RSV250 to a winning bike and by taking the 1994 title with 5 wins.

Max Biaggi in 1991 – Courtesy of www.daidegasforum.com

He stayed with the Chesterfield Aprilia team and winning the world title again for the next two years, by winning 8 races in 1995 and 9 races in 1996, before hopping to another team in 1997.

Max Biaggi in 1995 – Courtesy of motogeo.com

Biaggi moved up to the 500cc class in 1998 and campaigned in the premier category on Hondas and Yamahas until his retirement in 2005.

2007 saw him contracted to the Alstare Suzuki World Superbike (WSBK) team, riding the Suzuki GSX-R1000. He finished third overall at the end of the year.

Biaggi then changed camp to the Sterilgarda Go Eleven team to ride the Ducati 1098 RS for the following year. Finishing 7^th, he had a famous falling out with the team.

Aprilia picked up the ball in 2009 when both parties reunited. Biaggi now had a new weapon, the Aprilia RSV4. It was a year of learning and the rider steered the bike to 4^th overall at the end of the season.

In 2010, the factory Aprilia team became known as the Aprilia Alitalia team and Biaggi scored his 5^th world title by dominating the series with a total of 10 wins.

Max Biaggi on the Aprilia Alitalia RSV4 – Courtesy of asphaltandrubber.com

2011 was an unlucky year for him when he was sidelined by a broken leg, but still finished 3^rd overall. Biaggi came back strong in 2012 to wrap up the WSBK title in an ultra-competitive season, finishing just ½-point in front of Tom Sykes.

Will we get to see The Roman Emperor at Aprilia Malaysia anytime soon given the large number of his fans here? How about during the Malaysian MotoGP?

Sepang International Circuit (SIC) Team Joins FIM Enel MotoE

The inaugural FIM Enel MotoE World Cup for electric motorcycles will begin in 2019.
The riders will be riding the electric Energica motorcycle.
Sepang International Circuit will field a team with a single entry.

The inaugural FIM Enel MotoE World Cup electric motorcycle GP will commence in 2019 and the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) will also field a team.

The announcement was made during the third MotoE Team Committee at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. SIC’s participation in the series takes the grid to 12 teams with a total of 18 bikes, as there are teams that chose to enter one rider (such as SIC) or two. All teams will ride the same Energica MotoE bike.

The teams with one entry are:

Sepang International Circuit (SIC);
Marc VDS Racing Team;
Ajo Motorsport;
Pons Racing;
Dynavolt Intact GP;
SIC58 Squadra Corse.

Teams with two entries are:

Tech 3 Racing;
LCR Team;
Pramac Racing;
Esponsorama Racing;
Gresini Racing;
Angel Nieto Team.

The committee also outlined other details such as test dates, sponsors and technical partners.

All tests will be conducted at Jerez on these dates:

23^rd to 25^th November 2018;
13^th to 15^th March 2019;
23^rd to 25^th April 2019.

Confirmed sponsors are:

Enel;
Energica;
Michelin;
DHL.

Technical partners include:

Dell’Orto;
Regina;
Brembo;
Marchesini;
Öhlins.

The full calendar for the inaugural FIM Enel MotoE World Cup is expected to be published during the San Marino GP, while the rider line-up will be revealed at the Aragon GP. The MotoE series augurs well with the development of electric motorcycles ahead of new petrol-powered vehicle bans in a number of countries within the next decade.

BikeBiz BMW R nineT Sun Kist

Building a custom bike doesn’t mean having to tear your pride ‘n’ joy into pieces.
The concept is demonstrated here by this BikeBiz build.
A good option for BMW R nineT and R nineT Racer owners, perhaps?

We’ve featured a number of custom bikes that’ve totally reworked the entire bike to something else but this BikeBiz BMW R nineT Sun Kist was built to augment the stock BMW R nineT and R nineT Racer.

One may argue that the work done on this bike was minimal, we believe it serves as an option for R nineT owners who don’t wish (read: too sayang) to have their bikes torn to pieces, since BMW did a great job of making the stock bike look plenty good out of the box.

There’s another reason to this bike looking rather stock, actually – warranty. BikeBiz is a motorcycle retailer and accessories supplier based in Sydney, Australia who supplies parts and accessories to owners to build the bikes themselves, besides selling ready-built customized bikes. Customers will not void their bikes’ warranty if they installed BikeBiz’s accessories or purchase ready-made customs.

Mark Condon of BikeBiz said, “Our team really know their bikes, so depending on the customer we can give some direction on design and performance, supply a BMW and parts and let them build it themselves, or we can really get hands-on and custom-build the whole bike from scratch.”

This R nineT Sun Kist, however, is a ready-built custom. Designer Alex Bianchini-Kometer worked together with BikeBiz’s Boris to come up with something out of the ordinary while still retaining the R nineT Racer’s original lines.

BMW fans will instantly note the gradated orange/silver paintwork, hence the “Sun Kist” name. It’s an homage to the legendary R90S’s “Daytona Orange” which commemorated the bike’s victory at the very first AMA Superbike race at the Daytona International Speedway in 1976. Additional red pinstripes on the bodywork and wheels were added to match the red frame.

The team replaced the stock Racer’s half-fairing with a larger classic half-fairing for a more retro look.

Other stock parts such as the fender/taillight/number plate holder assembly and turn signals were stripped to present a cleaner look. A custom-made 2-into-1-into-2 exhaust system ends with a pair of high-mounted mufflers to leave the single-sided swing arm and rear wheel in full view.

Other bits include Rizoma footpegs, mirrors, and turn signals while the clocks, brake system, wheels , seat, handlebars are all stock.

So there you go, a BMW R nineT that’s “different by same-same.”

Sourced from Return of the Cafe Racers. Photography by Saxon Shing

Ducati to Tie-Up with HeroCorp?

Rumours are starting to circulate that Ducati amy tie-up with HeroCorp.
Other manufacturers have started to produce more affordable smaller-displacement models.
The smaller models will appeal to a wider audience in the Asian markets.

Ducati has been in the middle of the rumour mills lately, including the recent VW statement about whether they should continue to invest or divest their interest in the brand. Now, a new rumour has surfaced that the Italian manufacturer may tie-up with HeroCorp.

VW Hints of Selling Ducati (Again)?

Fueling these rumors was also Ducati’s CEO Claudio Domenicalli’s statement that the Italian manufacturer is working on more affordable V4-engined models.

Ducati Working on “Cheaper” V4?

Ducati are among the few premium manufacturers who does not have an affordable sub-400cc bike in their line-up, except for the Scrambler Sixty2 (400cc V-Twin), while the rest have taken the initiative to produce smaller capacity bikes for growing market consumption, such as India and the rest of Southeast Asia.

KTM were the first to tie up with an Indian manufacturer, Bajaj Auto Limited in this case, to produce the smaller 125, 200, 250 and 390 Dukes and RC models, and receiving the engines for the 200cc Pulsar and 400cc Dominar range in return.

2017 KTM 390 Duke – “Are you DUKE enough?”

Other manufacturers include Triumph Motorcycles Limited who have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bajaj to explore the possibilities of producing 400cc motorcycles in the future. BMW co-operated with TVS to produce the popular G 310 R and G 310 GS models.

BMW G 310 GS Test & Review

HeroCorp is currently the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer and is no stranger to tie-ups with other brands, having co-operated with Honda and Buell in the past, although the Indian manufacturer has been producing commuter bikes.

If Ducati and HeroCorp do tie-up, the Italians could do the R&D while HeroCorp produces the bikes.

Ten Riding Tips from Ten Pro Riders (Part 1)

It’s easy to forget that pros too started from basics.
It’s when they master the basics that they developed their unique riding styles.
Here are Ten Riding Tips from Ten Pro Riders (Part 1).

We watch in awe as the pros battle it out among themselves every weekend; they make going fast seem so easy. But if you’ve ever spoken to any one of them, you will be surprised that the riding basics are the similar – if not the same. In other words, they first learn the basics then evolve it into their personal styles. All riders are cultivated, not born. That’s what prompted us to put together this Ten Riding Tips from Ten Pro Riders article.

Furthermore, there is no such thing as one rider being braver than the next. It all comes down to not only skill but how one rides intelligently.

Here are the tips we collected over time, from interviews or read about throughout the years.

1. Kenny Roberts Sr. – “Go fast in the fast parts”

Kenny Roberts Sr. – courtesy of yamaha-motor.com

Being a vocal rider, Kenny Roberts Sr. was one of the first riders who revealed that there’s no such thing as riding fast and stupid. Instead it came down to analyzing how you ride. That’s how he won three 500cc World GP titles in a row. “King” Kenny doesn’t believe in coasting with the throttle off: You’re either on the gas or braking. The most important parts of a racetrack are the corners with long straights proceeding them and that’s where he rode faster. There’s no point in trying to ride faster in slow corners as the risks outweigh the benefits – in other words it’s easier to crash that way.

2. Wes Cooley – “Keep your chest on the tank”

Wes Cooley – courtesy of www.cyclenews.com

As a rider of late-70s and early-70’s superbikes, Wes Cooley always kept his chest close to the tank. Doing so puts more weight on the front tyres to help the bike handle. That’s why modern sportbikes are designed the way they are now, besides being more aerodynamic.

Cooley once recounted his story, “One day I came in from practice and my Dad told me I needed to stay tucked in. I told him I had, so he tied shoelace from my suit’s zipper to the ignition key. When I came back in after the next session, my racesuit was unzipped to my waist.”

3. Freddie Spencer – “Brake where you need to, not where you think you should”

Freddie Spencer – courtesy of www.motorcyclenews.com

“Fast” Freddie Spencer had his own approach to races. While others would keep detailed notes on braking points, turn-in points, reference points, etc., Spencer was more flexible and played by ear. Doing so allowed him to adjust quickly to fading tyres or changing track conditions. His method netted him the 500cc GP titles in 1983 and 1985, and also the 250cc GP title in 1985. He’s still the only man who had ever achieved such a feat.

4. “Learn how your suspension works” – Eddie Lawson

Eddie Lawson – courtesy of www.cyclenews.com

“Steady” Eddie Lawson is as cool a rider as it gets. Nothing ever seems to flutter him on and off the track. His cool personality is also a reflection of his super smooth riding style. Additionally, Lawson is a methodical rider who pays lots of attention to his bike settings. Take for example when he returned to the US in 1993 to race in the Daytona 200. He had no prior experience to riding the Vance & Hines Yamaha FZR-750 superbike so he went through the entire range of suspension adjustments in the practice session to settle on the optimal setting. His effort paid off when he went on to beat “Mr. Daytona” Scott Russell.

5. Scott Russell – “Steer with the rear”

Soctt Russell – courtesy of racingcafe.blogspot.com

Say what you will about the enigmatic rider from Georgia, USA but the man is fast. He won the Daytona 200 a record five times due to not only his uncanny tyre management but also his skill in riding a superbike with worn tyres. When grip levels drop, Mr. Daytona would apply a different lean angle in order to use a different part of the tyres. Apart from that, he would gas the bike to spin the rear tyre to tighten his lines. Modern bikes may have traction control to avoid tyre spin but the race mode on most sportbikes do allow the rider to spin the rear tyre, just like what Russell did.