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Filings to CARB Shows 2020 Triumph Lineup

Filings in CARB website shows 2020 Triumph lineup.
Some very interesting models are afoot.
Triumph have been busy with introducing 2020 models.

Triumph Motorcycles have announced a number of exciting bikes for 2020 lately but a recent filing with CARB shows that there are actually more in the pipeline.

In the space of just a few months, Triumph had unveiled the new 2500cc Rocket 3, Moto2-inspired Street Triple RS, plus the upcoming limited-edition Daytona Moto2 765 sportbike. Those are besides the Triumph Factory Custom (TFC) models. All new bikes, geared up for 2020 and Euro 5 compliant.

And those don’t include the models that were teased such as the Thruxton RS and Bobber TFC that will be unveiled at EICMA.

But you have to also wonder about other models such as the Tiger 800 and 1200, in addition to the Bonneville T100 and T120 lineup.

Thanks to CARB (California Air Resources Board) who always publishes filings by manufacturers, we can see that there are a number of interesting models being planned.

Let’s start with the Tiger 1200. The current generation was able to challenge the BMW R 1200 GS in terms of handling, comfort and equipment, before BMW moved the goal post by introducing the new R 1250 GS. But Triumph isn’t a company that sits still. So, for 2020 there will be the Tiger 1200 Alpine and Tiger 1200 Desert to complement the 1200 XCA, XCX, XR, XRT, XRX variants.

Over to the Bonneville T120 range. One name popped up like the colour red in a sea of black: Bonneville T120 Bud Ekins. This great man’s name has appeared plenty times along with his buddy Steve McQueen in BikesRepublic. Ekins was the stuntman double for McQueen who did all those incredible jumps on the Triumph TR6 in the movie The Great Escape. He also raced the Baja Rally together with McQueen and won a few along the way. We’d love to see how this bike will look like and wonder if it will be like the “regular” T120s or based on the Scrambler 1200 platform.

But bless you, Triumph, for there will also be a T100 Bud Ekins.

You want a café racer? Oh yes, Triumph’s got the perfect factory café racer in the Thruxton R. But for 2020 there will be the Thruxton RS which we saw the teaser video. But there will also be a Thruxton RS Showcase. If our imagination was running wild after the RS teaser, we’re now slack-jawed to learn of the RS Showcase!

There are a number of other models listed in the CARB website but are unfortunately password-protected — we guess at the manufacturer’s behest. We’re really curious to see what they are!

Anyway, the models listed above will be unveiled at EICMA 2019 next week.

2020 BMW S 1000 XR Second Teaser Video

BMW Motorrad released the second 2020 BMW S 1000 XR teaser video.
The bikes sound like inline-Fours, pointing the way to the S 1000 XR.
It will be unveiled at EICMA 2020.

BMW Motorrad released the second teaser video for the 2020 BMW S 1000 XR with EICMA 2019 just a week away.

Every curve is teasing you. Go on – lean in! ?#EICMA2019 is just around the corner and we just can’t wait for it to start! How about you? #MakeLifeARide #NeverStopChallenging #EICMA #BMWMotorrad pic.twitter.com/58v80WyxOn

— BMW Motorrad (@BMWMotorrad) October 27, 2019

While we are also expecting an F 850 R or F 850 XR, the engine note from both videos belonged to an inline-Four, instead of a parallel-Twin. That would only point to the S 1000 XR, with its S 1000 RR superbike based engine. But expect the XR’s powerplant to be tuned for torque rather than outright horsepower. The RR’s engine is equipped with the BMW Shift Cam variable valve timing tech, which should also be brought over to the XR.

The 2020 XR will also be new from ground up, rather than having just an uprated motor for Euro 5 compliance.

Always riding ahead.

Stay tuned for news from EICMA 2019 on Tuesday 5 November. https://t.co/FeGn41dyL6 #makelifearide #neverstopchallenging #bmwmotorrad pic.twitter.com/J69zTOO98Y

— BMW Motorrad UK (@BMWMotorradUK) October 24, 2019

The video also gave a glimpse of the rear suspension’s shock absorber. We can see the short plunger for the Dynamic Damping Adjustment’s (DDA) sensor. The suspension ECU takes readings from this sensor to adjust damping rates according to the selected preference.

BMW released the first teaser on 25th October consisting of snippets from the rider’s point-of-view. The second video showed a couple of bikes blasting by a roadside camera.

EICMA 2019 begins on Tuesday, 5th November in Milan, Italy. Stay tuned.

Ducati Desert X Adventure Bike Concept

The Ducati Desert X concept was shown at the Ducati World Premiere.
It will the most off-road capable bike for the manufacturer.
The prototype will be unveiled at EICMA 2019.

Also launched during the Ducati World Premiere was the Ducati Desert X adventure bike concept.

While every manufacturer harps on their building adventure bikes as the successor to their Paris-Dakar race bikes, Ducati hasn’t done so until now. And the Italian manufacturer knows that they are missing a pedigree adventure/dual-sport bike in their lineup. Yes, there’s the Multistrada Enduro but its meant for light trails and rough roads. For those kind of riding, they know they need a bike specifically designed for that task.

Cagiva had a history in the Paris-Dakar Rally when they owned the Ducati brand. The bike was called the Cagiva Elefant 750 and 900. The Elefant 750 won the 1990 edition while the Elefant 900 won the 1994 race, both times with Edi Orioli on board, beating out BMW, Honda and Yamaha.

Please click here to read more about Cagiva’s history.

The Desert X was inspired by the 900cc variant, though. It was powered by the air-cooled, two-valve-per-cylinder, 904cc, Ducati V-Twin which was also the engine for the 900SS.

The Desert X concept was designed by Ducati’s own Jeremy Faraud. The concept is based on the Scrambler 1100 albeit with much more suspension travel, besides the 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels. The engine will use the 1079cc, 2-valve, air-cooled V-Twin from the Scrambler 1100 which produces 86 bhp and 88 Nm of torque.

Please click here to read the Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport review.

Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali mentioned that while they showed off the sketches only during the event, they already have a prototype. And this prototype will be unveiled at EICMA 2019!

We would love to see the Desert X in Rimba Raid.

SHARK Race-R Pro GP Helmet — 10 Points About Ultimate Head Protection

The SHARK Race-R Pro GP helmet is designed for ultimate protection.
It is also FIM certified for competition use.
The same technology for MotoGP is available for consumers.

We published the story of the SHARK Race-R Pro GP helmet saving Miguel Oliveira’s life in a horrific 300 km/h crash yesterday. We thought we ought to share a little bit more about something that’s proven to save bikers’ lives. Here are the 10 points on why it’s the ultimate head protection.

Please click here for Miguel Oliveira Survives 300 km/h crash

1. FIM Certification

The helmet has passed the stringent FIM certification, hence allowed in all FIM sanctioned racing events including — but not limited to — WorldSBK, Endurance World Championship, Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP. The FIM standard was introduced earlier this year to streamline helmet testing, although virtually all helmets allowed on the international stage conform to the UN ECE 22.05 standard.

The positive side to the FIM certification is that consumers will also benefit from the same technologies used in professional racing.

The helmet is listed in the FIM helmet homologation list as of 25th January 2019, and obtained the FIM FRHPhe-01 2018 certification.

2. Same as race helmet

The SHARK Race-R Pro consumer helmet has the same construction as the race helmet, except for custom fitting for individual riders. This means a MotoGP rider could buy the helmet at a shop and wear it in racing. Again, this is a clear benefit for us mortals.

3. COVA construction

The helmet used SHARK’s proprietary COVA (carbon on-view and aramid) construction. The advantages are lightweight, while being resistant to compression and abrasion, besides being effective at shock absorption and preventing delamination.

4. Multi-density EPS liner

Using a multi-density EPS (expanded polystyrene) liner means optimum protection at different impact zones. For example, the forehead area usually hits the hardest so a denser EPS is used.

5. Dual-density EPU chin guard

The chin guard is also protection, but by using dual-density EPU (expanded polyurethane). Polyurethane is a rubber-like material and is specifically designed to reduce shock reverberating around the chin area.

6. Air pollution filter

The chin guard not only has a dual-density EPU liner, but the vent also has a variable airflow air pollution filter. The filter is removable if the rider want all the airflow on a hot day.

7. High-strength visor

The visor is all important in ensuring the safety of the rider’s eyes. The helmet’s visor is not only of high strength but also features Class 1 optical rating, although it has variable thickness between 4.2 mm to 2.8 mm. The optical rating means that vision is not distorted. Additionally, it is rated to prevent scratches and fogging. The visor is attached to the helmet via a secure but quick disassembly mechanism, just like those in MotoGP.

8. Ergonomic visor grip

The visor lock mechanism is placed in an ergonomic position for easy reach and operation. It also locks the visor securely.

9. Aerodynamic spoiler

The rear spoiler provides supreme stability even at speeds above 340 km/h, as we regularly see in MotoGP. By stability it means the helmet doesn’t shake or move around at high speeds. It did look funky at first but it’s already grown on us.

A direct result of good aerodynamics is a quiet helmet.

10. Quick Spoiler Safety System

However, the spoiler is designed to detach quickly in the event of a crash. This is to avoid introducing secondary shocks to the rider’s head.

You can check out the helmet at our Power Store in Kota Damansara, and order it through our BikesRepublic e-commerce platform.

GO RACE WITH ENEOS Building Excitement Towards Malaysian MotoGP 2019

The GO RACE WITH ENEOS tour is building up excitement for the 2019 Malaysian MotoGP.
ENEOS is Japan’s number one engine oil company.
They handed over prizes to winners of Leg One over the weekend.

Japan’s number one engine oil company ENEOS is building up excitement towards the fast approaching 2019 Malaysian MotoGP, through their campaign called GO RACE WITH ENEOS.

Local distributor MAYSHOWA is currently conducting a tour, consisting of 2 roving teams. Leg One of the tour targets 12 stops at Klang Valley motorcycle workshops in 6 days, between 14th to 16th October and 21st to 23rd October. Leg Two will see the teams complete the 44 scheduled stops by mid-November 2019.

The tour found that Malaysian bikers are familiar with the brand. Out of 330 surveyed, 282 said that they knew the brand and its ties with MotoGP. 110 of those survey participants have used ENEOS engine oil. The campaign also yielded 140 participants in the lucky draw. They stood to win grandstand tickets at the Malaysian MotoGP and smartphones worth over RM 6,000.

Representatives from ENEOS and MAYSHOWA handed over the tickets and smartphones for Leg One winners at Ah Hong Trading workshop, Jalan Sentul over the weekend.

The company offers a wide range of engine oils for different applications. Their flagship product is the 4T SL/MA2 10W-50 Fully-Synthetic. As for synthetic blend (semi-synthetic), there are the 4T SL/MA 10W-40 and 4T SL/MA 20W-50. The latter product is for scooters. There are also mineral oils.

They are currently associated with the Monster Energy Yamaha factory racing team with Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinalez as riders.

Miguel Oliveira Survived 300 km/h Thanks to Shark Race-R Pro GP Helmet

Miguel Oliveira survived a horrific 300 km/h crash at Phillip Island.
A high gust of wind pushed him off the track.
One of the things that saved him was his Shark Race-R Pro GP helmet.

Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing rider Miguel Oliveira survived horror 300 km/h crash, thanks to his Shark Race-R Pro GP helmet.

The riders make it look easy on television, but they have to actually battle blustery winds up to approximately 30 km/h at the Phillip Island circuit. In fact, speeds as high as 63 km/h have been recorded.

Additionally, MotoGP bikes would hit more than 330 km/h at the end of the Gardner start/finish straight.

It was because of these conditions that Oliveira was pushed off the track by a strong crosswind at Turn One and onto the grass during the final FP4 practice at 300 km/h. He was then thrown onto the ground, smacking his head multiple times while tumbled on and on in the gravel pit.

You can watch the video below (Video credit Fox Sports and nine.com.au):

https://wwos.nine.com.au/videos/miguel-oliveira-crash-causes-moto-gp-cancellation/ck272ld6p001t0gpmgov5m4fg

The horrific accident not only caused the remainder of the session to be cancelled, but also prompted the riders to vote for the qualifying sessions to be moved to Sunday morning.

Thankfully, Oliveira survived the fall. He was however deemed unfit for the race due to bruised hands and lacerations all over his body, complicating the task of squeezing into his race suit. He did not suffer a concussion, thankfully.

Credit has to go his Shark Race-R Pro GP helmet. The FIM had pushed for a new set of testing regulations earlier this year and the helmet has since been certified. Do note that the certification seeks to bring the lifesaving technologies of race helmets to consumers.

Check out how the helmet looks after the crash. The shell and face shield looked totally bashed up but neither were compromised. It was a real testament to the high standards of set by Shark Helmets.

That said, we hope Oliveira gets well soon.

You can check out the helmet at our Power Store in Kota Damansara, and order it through our BikesRepublic e-commerce platform.