Our friends at autofreaks.com recently attended the first installation of the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show 2015 (GIIAS). Though happening for the very first time, the new GIIAS featured a number of hot attractions, like the new Honda BR-V which is soon the be launched in Malaysia, and the stunning new Lexus LF-SA, which according to the editor of Autofreaks, Chris Wee, was so outrageous that it left him dumbstruck. (more…)
The 2016 Kawasaki Z1000SX has been revealed, and it gets a few subtle, yet important updates.
According to the company, the updates include the addition of a slipper clutch and ABS as standard, with no increase in price.
Besides the new technical additions, the sports tourer also comes in new colour options such as the Candy Plasma Blue, and a more aggressive green, similar to the Versys 1000.
The 2016 Kawasaki Z1000SX’s new assist and slipper clutch makes the lever 30 per cent lighter to pull, and reduces the tendency of the rear wheel to lock under engine braking following aggressive down-changes.
The Versys 1000 on the other hand, will come in new metallic grey and ‘metallic raw titanium’ options as well as the existing green scheme for 2016.
Sepang International Circuit (SIC) officially launched the 2015 Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix (Malaysia MotoGP) yesterday at the KL Hilton.
Set to be held from 23 to 25 October 2015, the race, which will be the 17th round of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship, is also the 25th edition of the Malaysia MotoGP.
“This is a very special year for the Malaysian MotoGP as it marks the 25th anniversary of the event, from 1991 at the Batu Tiga Circuit in Shah Alam to its move to Sepang International Circuit in 1999 until now. It was the first major international motorsports event to be held at the Sepang Circuit and is the longest running international motorsports event hosted in Malaysia. The Malaysia MotoGP also continues to excite fans, as we can see by the consistent growth in attendance. In the last five years, we recorded more than 120,000 fans over three days annually from 2010 to 2014. This year, fans can expect exciting activities to mark the silver anniversary of this race,” said Dato’ Razlan.
This year’s Malaysian MotoGP season will see many special activities such as the Mega Moto Carnival – Malaysia’s biggest auto carnival with 108 booths, a MotoGP Wall of Fame, exclusive 25th anniversary merchandise sale, social media contests, as well as popular recurring activities like the SIC Zoomers road show happening from 25 September to 18 October 2015.
Meanwhile, the race week will see new events including a MotoGP pre-anniversary party, stunt shows, a Riders Mini GP Race, a public pit lane walk, riders’ autograph session, safety car ride, grid walk and much more.
“Malaysian fans will have many opportunities to wave the Jalur Gemilang with pride when they cheer on the Drive M7 SIC Racing team as well as our other Malaysian riders, Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman in Moto 2, and five young talents in the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup (ATC) – Shafiq Rasol, Adam Norrodin, Helmi Azman, Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam and Azroy Anuar. Sports has a special ability to unify all Malaysians and we look forward to seeing Malaysians from all walks of life coming together to cheer on our riders and team,” he added.
For fans of Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez, they can enjoy a special experience with the tribune areas. The VR46 Tribune, the special seating zone for Rossi’s supporters will be located above Turn 1, also Rossi’s favourite stop to honour his fans after the race.
As for Marc Marquez fans, the Marc Marquez Tribune is located at the Main Grandstand’s Diamond zone, which sits above the starting grid, offering the best view of the circuit and all the action.
MotoGP Malaysia 2015 tickets are selling at RM212 for the Main Grandstand, RM 116.60 for the K1 Grandstand, RM84.80 for the F Grandstand and RM42.40 for the C2 Hillstand, all inclusive of GST. The three-day Premier Roving tickets, which allow fans to move around in all spectator areas, are available at RM318. This year, it includes a complimentary exclusive transfer service between the Welcome Centre, C2 Hillstand and F Grandstand for ticket holders.
Shell Advance has launched its flagship product limited edition packs of its flagship product – the Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology, in conjunction with the upcoming 2015 Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix.
According to Shell, the limited edition packs will come in different collectible designs. While the Shell Advance Ultra 10W-40 will feature Malaysian Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup riders and Malaysian Moto3 rider Zulfahmi Khairuddin, the 15W-50 will feature the Ducati Corse MotoGP team. Both fully synthetic motorcycle engine oils retail at RM68.30 for a one-litre pack.
“Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology is the only motorcycle engine oil in the market that is made from natural gas. It is a result of our long involvement in motorsport that has enabled us to transfer cutting-edge lubrication technology developed for race tracks to products for everyday use on the road,” said Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd managing director Tuan Haji Azman bin Ismail.
On another note, Shell has also renewed its title sponsorship of the Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, having reached an agreement with Dorna Sports, the MotoGP rights holder, to support the FIM MotoGP World Championship and the Sepang International Circuit’s hosting of the Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix for the 2015 and 2016 championship seasons.
In 2014, Shell Advance also signed a three-year deal to become the title sponsor of the Asia Talent Cup. Tuan Haji Azman also expressed delight with the opportunity for Shell Advance to be involved in the development of young riding talents from Asia through SAATC.
Ever wondered which vehicle holds the world record for having an engine with the most amount of cylinders?
If your guess is that it is something huge, like a plane, a ship, or a tank, you’re up for a great surprise as the correct answer is – a two-stroke motorcycle. Yes, you read that right.
Meet the Whitelock Tinker Toy; a 48-cylinder motorcycle which was created by Hertfordshire Superbike Centre in the UK. Based on the 2 stroke Kawasaki triples, the Tinker Toy has 48 cylinders and a capacity of a massive 4200cc. It consists of 16 Kawasaki KH250 3-cylinder engines arranged in six banks of eight and is completely road-legal.
Believe it or not, the engine is so large it has a complete single-cylinder 2-stroke engine to serve as a starter motor.
According to the builder and owner of Hertfordshire Superbikes, Simon Whitelock, the insane motorcycle actually has 49 cylinders.
“The 48 cylinder lump is slightly harder to start than your conventional motorcycle engine, so instead of an electronic starter motor, we decided to use what we call a “donkey engine”- a little sub-50cc engine, which is started, and in turn that starts the 48 cylinder engine,” said Simon.
That said, we know that you would love to see the engine work and hear how it sounds, so here it is…
