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Underbone motorcycles are standard in Asia, particularly South East Asia, with millions sold yearly. In Malaysia, these type of motorcycles is widely known as ‘kapcai’. 

  • The Malaguti Spectre GP125 is Europe’s first underbone motorcycle. 
  • The Spectre GP125 features a 125cc single-cylinder with air-cooled engine.

While underbone motorcycles are a hit in Asia, the motorcycle is almost nonexistent in Europe. However, that is about to change thanks to the introduction of Malaguti’s Spectre GP125. 

Malaguti is an Italian motorcycle company commonly known for offering a wide range of affordable motorcycles, including scooters, enduro, supermoto, adventure and street bikes. 

However, its latest model, the Spectre GP125, is the first underbone-type motorcycle available for the European market. 

Mechanically, the Spectre GP125 makes 10hp @ 8,500rpm and 9.6Nm @ 6,500rpm thanks to its 125cc single-cylinder, 4-stroke and air-cooled engine. 

Power is delivered to the rear wheel via a manual 5-speed transmission with a final chain drive. 

Braking is done via a massive 320mm hydraulic disc brake with axial callipers at the front and a 190mm disc with single-piston callipers at the rear. Also, the Spectre GP125 runs on 17-inch wheels with 120/70 front and 90/80 at the rear. 

Other notable features include LED lights, a semi-digital instrument cluster with an analogue tachometer and telescopic forks. 

The entry-level motorcycle is currently on sale for EUR2,499 (RM11.5k). 

Police have arrested a man who was caught hitting his wife with a motorcycle helmet after a video of the couple went viral on social media. 

  • A 35-year-old man is arrested in Kelantan after a video of him hitting his wife with a motorcycle helmet went viral.
  • The suspect also tested positive with Methamphetamine. 

The 1-minute 47-second video shows a man shouting at his wife in front of an eatery before hitting her with his motorcycle helmet. 

However, Gua Musang district police, Superintendent Sik Choon Foo, has confirmed that the 35-year-old man was arrested in a house at RKT Kesedar Paloh 2, Kelantan, on Saturday (28 January).

According to reports, the suspect claimed that the incident occurred because he did not allow his wife to work so she could take care of his ailing mother.

Nevertheless, the man also tested positive for Methamphetamine after undergoing a urine test. 

The helmet used to assault his wife was also confiscated by the police. 

Chon Foo said that the man will be remanded for four days until Wednesday, and the case is currently under investigation under Section 323/18 of the Domestic Violence Act 1994 and Section 15 (1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. 

(source: Berita Harian)

Aprilia is set to return to the off-road arena after announcing its “Back To Africa” rally-raid programme, with the Italian firm set to utilise its Tuareg 660 motorcycle.

  • Aprilia announced its return to off-road racing with the “Back to Africa” project. 
  • Aprilia to develop a rally-raid machine with the firm’s latest Tuareg 660. 

 

Italian rally raid and enduro rider Jacopo Cerutti will help to develop the new rally-raid version of the Tuareg 660 with the involvement of Romano Albesiano and Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola. 

The project delivers a different challenge for Albesiano and Rivola, who have dedicated most of their lives to MotoGP. Nonetheless, Aprilia’s success in the world championship will provide a significant boost in developing a winning machine. 

“With its ‘Back to Africa’ project, Aprilia Racing is returning to the world of off-road racing, to the races that forged the division. 

“We want to keep growing in the world of Grand Prix motorcycle racing and in on-track races. We want to discover new talent through our SP 250 Championship and the RS 660 Trophy, but we are also embarking on a completely new project with the extraordinary Aprilia Tuareg. 

“It’s an additional sign of development for a racing division that has grown significantly over the past years, achieving results never before seen by Aprilia,” said Rivola. 

According to Aprilia, GCorse – a company run by the Guareschi brothers – will also provide technical assistance. GCorse already worked with the Tuareg 660 in the Italian Motorally Championship 2022; hence their hands-on experience is crucial for the programme. 

Aside from Cerutti – a multiple-time Italian and one-time European enduro champion – the rally-raid Tuareg 660 will also be piloted by Francesco Montanari. 

Modenas currently rebadged several Bajaj-made models for the Malaysian market including the Pulsar 200, Pulsar 160 and the popular Dominar 400. 

  • The Dominar 250 features the same bodywork as the Dominar 400. 
  • The quarter-litre sport-tourer makes 27hp and 23.5Nm. 

However, in a latest development it has come to our knowledge that Modenas is set to expand its motorcycle range with the introduction of the Dominar 250. 

Although no official announcement made just yet, we understand that the Dominar 250 could be introduce in Q2 2023. 

The Dominar 250 made its official debut in India back in March 2020 and it looks to be one very respectable 250cc sport-touring model for the masses. Priced at Rs 1.60 lakh (around RM9,163 after direct conversion), it’s the perfect beginner’s bike for those looking to go the extra mile.

It’s also a considerable price cut compared to its bigger and more powerful sibling, the Dominar 400. We’re guessing that a lot of folks here in Malaysia would be interested in this particular model considering it carries a lot of the great specs of the Dominar 400 into its 250cc package (which also means that riders here won’t have to upgrade their riding license).

Fitted with a 250cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled DOHC engine taken from the KTM 250 Duke, the 2020 Bajaj Dominar 250 has been tuned to produce 27hp at 8,500rpm and 23.5Nm of max torque at 6,500rpm. All that power is transferred to the rear wheel via a six-speed manual transmission and all the emissions go through a double-barrel exhaust unit.

 

Housed within a beam type perimeter frame, the new Dominar 250 also comes with 37mm USD front forks, Multi-step adjustable Mono Shox rear suspension with Nitrox, dual-channel ABS (300mm front disc, 230mm rear disc), and 17-inch wheels.

The news regarding the arrival of a more extreme version of Husqvarna’s Norden 901 first broke out in July 2022. 

  • An extreme version of Husqvarna’s Norden 901 to land in 2023. 
  • The “Expedition” could borrow much of its features from KTM’s 890 Adventure R. 

At the time, dealers were given a private showing of a prototype version of the motorcycle. 

However, the latest European type-approval documents have confirmed that the motorcycle is set for the 2023 unveiling. 

Despite the bike’s first image already making its way to social media, Husqvarna is yet to make any official announcement. 

Since the base Norden 901 is based on KTM’s 890 Adventure, we expect the “Expedition” version to use the 890 Adventure R as its basis. That said, it could feature a WP Xplor 48mm inverted front fork with 240mm of travel and a WP Xplor rear shock. 

Also, the document confirms that no change is done to the engine meaning the Expedition gets the same 889cc LC8c parallel-twin engine that makes 103hp @ 8,000rpm. 

However, the wheelbase is longer due to the longer front fork, while the bike’s overall weight also increases from 220kg to 229kg. 

Based on the videos shared on Facebook, the Expedition stands apart from the standard Norden 901 thanks to new paint and graphics, soft luggage and alloy shields. 

Spanish company, Wottan has entered the adventure scooter segment with the all-new 125cc Storm-V scooter. 

  • Wottan enters the adventure scooter segment with its all-new Storm-V. 
  • The Storm-V features features a single-cylinder 125cc engine. 

Priced at just under GBP3,500 (RM18.3k), the Storm-V features a similar design concept as Honda’s X-ADV 750, including a tall windshield and a long travel suspension. 

Mechanically, the Wottan Storm-V is equipped with a 125cc, single-cylinder, DOHC and liquid-cooled engine that makes 14hp.

Despite the small mill, the Storm-V is fitted with a 12.5L fuel tank. Wottan also claimed that the scooter is powerful, efficient and environmentally friendly. 

Suspending the scooter is a 37mm telescopic fork at the front and double rear shock absorbers at the rear. 

Meanwhile, braking is done via a 4-piston ABS/CBS calliper at the front with a 260mm disc and a single-piston ABS/CBS calliper at the rear with a 220mm disc. 

As a practical scooter, the Storm-V also features two glove compartments at the front and an ample under-seat storage that can fit a full-face helmet. 

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