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Teenager Scammed in Buying Motorcycle Online

A teenager was scammed when he bought a motorcycle online.
The seller had used a fake identity card and many have fallen victim to such scam.
The safest way of buying a motorcycle is to view the bike together with the seller.

There’s a saying that “if it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.” But it’s human instinct to latch on to “irresistible deals,” isn’t it? That was how a teenager was scammed when he tried to purchase a motorcycle online.

19-year-old Arvin Veerasegaran had saved the money for the last three months by working part-time at a hotel. He had wanted a motorcycle for his daily conveyance.

So, when he saw an ad in the online portal, Mudah.my, he acted. The ad listed a secondhand Yamaha LC135 for only RM 3,000, below the market rate of RM 4,000.

The seller even presented his identification card as proof, which prompted Arvin to transfer the full amount of RM 3,000. The scammer then told him to visit the shop to pick up his bike the next day.

The operator of KS Wong Motor had lodged a police report as far back as August 4^th2018, after discovering that scammers had used her shop’s name. They were shocked again when Arvin presented an invoice bearing their shop’s name on April 19^th.

But Arvin wasn’t the only person who visited the shop to pick up his bike. There was another person who had wanted to pick up a Yamaha NVX on the same day. Four people have visited her shop and another 20 called for their bikes thus far.

It was also revealed that the seller had used a fake identity to open a bank account.

So, be careful of who you purchase your bike from. Best way is to ask to physically view the bike together with the seller.

Source: The Star

Suzuki Patents a Novel Single-Cylinder Engine

Suzuki patents a special kind of single-cylinder engine.
It has two conrods but only one piston.
The objective is to reduce vibrations.

Suzuki has just submitted the patents for a “special” kind of single-cylinder engine.

Single-cylinder engines may not get the cred for all-out horsepower, but they are quick-revving hence punchy. Besides that, having just one piston means fewer reciprocating parts resulting in a lighter engine which promotes agility. That’s the reason why dirt-bikes and lightweights such as the KTM 390 Duke are equipped with singles.

But the downside is lots of vibration especially at higher revs. It not only robs comfort but will also eventually loosen everything else on the bike.

That’s why single-cylinder engines feature counterbalancer shafts. The shaft normally sits low, in front of crankshaft.

Suzuki’s patent shows a different kind of layout.

Instead of using a balancer shaft, there is a second conrod without a piston. Doing so not only balances against the crankshaft, but also the piston, resulting in a much smoother engine.

Having a second conrod isn’t new by all accounts. Ducati did so with the Supermono. However, the Italian manufacturer employed a standard 90^oV-Twin engine with one cylinder without a sparkplug, hence turning it into an airpump.

Kawasaki Buys More MODENAS Shares

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. has increased their stake in Modenas.
Their current purchase will see them hold a 30% stake, up from 11%.
But converting the upcoming CPS will bring KHI’s stake to 48%.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI) otherwise known as “Kawasaki Japan” increases their stake in Modenas from 19 to 30 percent.

KHI and DRB-Hicom Bhd. entered an agreement for KHI to purchase and additional 14.3 million shares which equals an 11 percent stake. The shares were valued at RM 40.3 million cash.

Additionally, KHI is also subscribing to 52 million convertible preference shares (CPS) that will be issued by Modenas. KHI’s stake in the company will rise to 48% upon conversion.

KHI’s larger equity means that will actively participate in Modenas’s operations, rather than just being a bystander. The two entities have been partners for more than 20 years and KHI has been a 19% shareholder in Modenas since the latter’s inception in 1995.

The first Modenas motorcycles were based on Kawasaki’s models, including the Jaguh 175 lightweight cruiser. Apart from producing motorcycles, Modenas also machines components for KHI.

Their production facility is based in Gurun, Kedah and has a capacity of 130,000 units per year.

It’ll be interesting to see what KHI has in mind for the Modenas-Bajaj partnership.

Berluti Triumph Bonneville, You Don’t Have to be Metrosexual

The Berluti Triumph Bonneville sees a good example of fashion and motorcycling.
Berluti is a sub-brand of Louis Vuitton.
The bodywork is carbon fibre and engine stock.

You know, there are many reasons why we love motorcycles; among them is the ability to individualize them to whichever philosophy one chooses. Case in point is this Berluti Triumph Bonneville which wouldn’t be out of place on a fashion catwalk.

It’s not new for fashion houses to get involved with motorcycling, of course. Some produce clothing with riding gear styles, some commission entire motorcycle builts. For example, Chanel recently teamed up with Pharrell Williams and Veldt to create some truly funky helmets.

This bike, on the other hand, was commissioned by Maison Berluti, a sub-brand of infamous Louis Vuitton (LV). The bike is part of the “Berluti Beach” collection which includes a Porsche 911 Targa, gym weight kit, and soccer ball.

As you can see from the pictures, the stock bodywork has been replaced with a curvy one, made from a single piece of carbon fibre. Since Berluti is a leather specialist, the seat is topped off with a specialty “Vitello Fiore” brown hide.

The 1200cc, liquid-cooled T120 engine is left stock.

The bike will be auctioned at Sotheby’s along with a pair of matching leather boots and leather-wrapped helmet.

Wipey Keeps Your Helmet Visor Clear… Wait, a What?

Wipey is a helmet visor wiper.
The Kickstarter crowd-funded project has not started production.
Hopefully it helps to keep the visor clear.

There are times when we feel envious of car drivers. Like during the current weather: Heat that feels like it’s going to roast your brain inside your helmet, and rain so heavy it’s like standing under a waterfall. Car drivers have air-conditioning to deal with the former, and wipers to keep their windshields clear in the event of rain.

For us bikers, the the most irritating and dangerous thing to happen during a rainstorm is loss of vision. Rain water or droplets stick to the helmet’s visor, robbing us of vision.

We’ve tried coating Rain-X Plastic on one of our helmets’ visor, but some water still sticks. The water droplets only started rolling upwards at high speeds. Besides that, the product is nigh-impossible to find!

There’s probably going to be a solution soon. Well, if this Kickstarter crowd-funded product takes off. From Slovenia and called the “Wipey,” it’s a self-contained mini wiper for the helmet visor.

First, the rider installs the mount on top of the visor before clipping the Wipey onto the mount. The mounting position doesn’t impede on the Pinlock insert. A single button activates the wiper blade and multiple presses turn on different speeds. The unit is powered by a 3V battery. There’s also an option for a handlebar-mounted Bluetooth controller.

New Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR for 2020?

Kawasaki is probably reeling in shock from Alvaro Bautista and the Ducati V4 R’s dominance in WorldSBK.
They are also upset that Ducati used MotoGP technology in the V4 R.
They’ve hinted that there’ll be a new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR for the 2020 season.

Kawasaki had kept their faith in the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR for the 2019 WorldSBK season. The bike had won four titles in a row, after all.

But the combination of the Ducati V4 R and Alvaro Bautista laid everything bare, destroying the entire field. It’s not good lose face this way so a new ZX-10RR must be in the works for 2020.

It was bound to happen as Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) Senior Engineer Ichiro Yoda told German website Speedweek.

Kawasaki isn’t happy about Ducati building a number of special, homologation models that are far removed from the “normal” V4. To them, it’s going against the spirit of WorldSBK and thus has stuck to the slightly hotted-up Ninja ZX-10R, which became the ZX-10RR.

However, one has to remember that WorldSBK rules actually encourage this route. A factory needs to build 250 homologation specials in the first year, followed by another 250 in the next. The sales price is capped at € 40,000.

The question is if Kawasaki wants to really go down this route. The superbike segment is shrinking but there are still plenty of interested parties. But Kawasaki is the only one among the Japanese Big Four who are not involved in MotoGP. Consequently, they will definitely need to respond to the Ducati V4 R in WorldSBK, and that means a new ZX-10RR.