Sepang International Circuit (SIC) organised a very special ‘Teh Tarik Session’ with a number of MotoGP riders.
The event was held at NZ Curry House with special appearances by Ayumu Sasaki, Adam Norrodin, Niki Tuuli, Khairul Idham Pawi, Hafizh Syahrin, and Danilo Petrucci.
SIC also unveiled the official trophies that will be presented to the race winners on Sunday.
It’s MotoGP week here in Malaysia and as we head towards the grand weekend of the 2018 Shell Malaysia MotoGP championship round, the good folks from SIC (Sepang International Circuit) organised a very special ‘Teh Tarik Session’ with the national MotoGP riders and a very special appearance from Alma Pramac Racing (and future Ducati factory rider), Danilo Petrucci. (more…)
Shell Malaysia organised a very special meet & greet session with Ducati MotoGP rider, Jorge Lorenzo.
Fans of the rider congregated at Pavillion KL.
The event was held in conjunction with the 2018 Malaysia MotoGP round happening this weekend (2-4 November 2018)
In conjunction with the upcoming 2018 MotoGP World Championship happening at the Sepang International Circuit this weekend, Shell Malaysia organised a very special meet and greet session between Ducati factory team rider, Jorge Lorenzo, and his die hard fans. The event was held at Fountain Cafe, Pavillion KL.
Fans of the motorsports as well as the five-time world champion were able to meet their hero alongside Ducsti Corse Sporting Director & MotoGP Project Director, Paolo Ciabatti. Proud members of the Desmo Owners Club Malaysia (DOCM) also made their way to the event for even more festivities.
Items were signed by Jorge Lorenzo as well as pictures snapped with his loyal followers here in Malaysia but more importantly, this love and support will ultimately assist him in obtaining more positive results this weekend for the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix round at Sepang after missing the past two rounds due to injuries.
In conjunction with the 2018 Malaysian MotoGP round, Shell Malaysia will also be organising yet another Shell Advance Ride Thru service campaign all weekend long. With every purchase of Shell Advance lubricants, fellow bikers will receive a complimentary oil change and free parking! They will also debut their first-ever Shell mobile fuel dispenser for visitors to fuel up with some awesome Shell V-Power Racing.
The 2019 BMW S 1000 RR patent image and spec sheet were leaked online.
The bike is all-new with a new styling and chassis.
Power output will also be increased.
It would probably not surprise anyone now that BMW Motorrad is working on the 2019 BMW S 1000 RR. But what is up for contention is how will the new bike look like.
Well, a BMW dealer seemed to have gotten a little too excited and posted both the official patent application image and full spec sheet of the 2019 S 1000 RR online. The new superbike was supposed to be officially launched at the EICMA show in a week’s time.
There is just so much to pore over the image, but the new bike definitely points the way towards improvements by leaps and bounds.
For starters, the 2019 model is much more compact. Its tail is shortened and made smaller. The front wheel sits closer to the bottom fairing, while the rear wheel is much nearer to the bike’s midsection.
Its bodywork has been designed from scratch and seems to wrap around the chassis and engine very tightly. BMW has also dropped the asymmetric headlights for a matching pair. The central air intake still exists for the sake of heritage from the previous model. The fuel tank’s shape is still unmistakably S 1000 RR.
The new frame is just visible. Starting from the swingarm mounting uprights, it projects almost horizontally above the engine casings before sweeping upwards to the headstock. It looks like the frame hugs the engine very closely, too.
We were actually surprised to find an exposed steel trellis section for the rider seat’s subframe. BMW has used box-section subframes all the while. The steel trellis looks like something from KTM, MV Agusta, Triumph, among others.
Take a closer look and you can see the swingarm is braced from underneath. While this design is nothing new, it is currently employed in MotoGP only. All other superbikes have their swingarms braced on top, conversely. Manufacturers choose the top bracing method as space is needed to accommodate the exhaust collector. Yet, BMW found a way to overcome this problem.
The engine is still an inline-Four, but it now says “207 bhp” in the spec sheet. Torque is also up to 113 Nm.
Well, let’s wait another week for the official photos and specs from BMW Motorrad.
Triumph Motorcycles Malaysia and Triumph Motorcycles Bukit Mertajam visited London for the Global Dealer Conference.
The schedule included sightseeing and shopping trips.
This writer had won the lucky draw to document the visit.
IN THE BEGINNING
To those unfamiliar, please allow me to start these chronicles from the beginning. During the launch of their 2018 models at Bukit Tinggi earlier this year, Triumph Motorcycles Malaysia had announced a trip to London and Triumph Motorcycles’ Factory Visitor Experience in Hinckley.
The entourage was to include Triumph Motorcycles Malaysia’s Chief Operations Officer, Dato’ Al-Razak Malique Hussein and his son Rafique Muzaffar, plus five more spots for Triumph dealers or owners. Dato’ Malique had also opened a spot for a Malaysian motojournalist to chronicle the trip. The place was determined via a lucky draw.
During the draw, Deni Asep, wife of Art of Speed extraordinaire, Asep Sastrawijaya, held the box while Dato’ Malique rummaged through it. He picked a piece of rolled up paper, held it up and passed it to Deni. And Deni announced, “The winner is: Wahid Ooi Abdullah.”
I ran up the stage, arms swinging wildly above my head like a rampaging baboon. Every eye on the stage, including the band members’ were as wide as the front disc brakes of the Triumph Street Triple RS.
I was the one! I couldn’t believe it! I’ve never thought I’d ever set foot at Triumph Motorcycles’ HQ at Hinckley, much less an entire trip to London.
Fast forward to 21st October 2018. My head was still ringing as we congregated at KLIA together with the Tan family from Guan How Superbikes, who will soon be Triumph Motorcycles Bukit Mertajam, and Asep Sastrawijaya.
Our hotel in London was called the “Grange Tower Bridge Hotel” and sure enough, the Tower of London and iconic Tower Bridge (which is always mistakenly called the “London Bridge”) was just less than 10 minutes away by foot.
We decided to visit the Tower of London first.
THE TOWER OF LONDON A.K.A. THE TOWER
It was just after 9am and the crowd was already picking up. It was the mid-term school holidays in the UK, so parents took leave for some family time.
We were directed to wait in an area just out the main entrance. It turned out to be the remnants of a liquid-filled moat, now drained and grassy. A Yeoman Warder, also known as a “Beefeater” came out to join us and presented an amazingly entertaining history of the Tower.
The Tower of London, officially known as “Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London” was built by William the Conqueror in 1066 after he conquered London. The new king decided to build many castles to defend his realm but the Tower of London was the most impressive fortress at the time.
Since then, it had been used as both an accommodation by royalty as well as a prison, armourer, mint, menagerie (mini zoo), chapel, place of torture and execution.
Indeed, the Thames used to beat against the southern wall of the castle and a water gate called “Traitors’ Gate” was used to ferry in prisoners who would later be beheaded on Tower Hill.
Even Kings and Queens weren’t spared. Henry VI was murdered as he was praying in the Wakefield Tower. Later, the Princes of Edward IV, aged 12 and 10 were snuffed to death with their pillows where they slept. The bodies were secreted away until discovered 191 years later.
Henry VIII’s wife Anne Boleyn was accused of adultery and treason and sent to the Tower. She was held in luxurious lodgings before being beheaded with a sword in the Green Tower. It is said that her spirit still haunts the tower.
Another famous prisoner was Lady Jane Grey. Also known as the “Nine Days Queen,” she had been installed as Queen of England before being arrested for high treason against Queen Mary I. She was later executed, aged 17.
But it wasn’t all about making “The Game of Thrones” seem tame. The Tower now holds the Crown Jewels as it is considered one of the most secure locations in England.
The latest crown called the Imperial State Crown was worn by Queen Elizabeth II during her coronation. The embedded jewels all came from the annals of history, totaling 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls and 4 rubies!
There were the crowns of other Kings, of course, including their coronation regalia including a massive punch bowl made of solid gold!
We stopped by at the adjacent building which had been converted into the Fusilier’s (riflemen) Museum.
Just as fascinating were the Yeoman Warders who served as our guide. They were not just well-trained tourist guides, instead they are the Royal Guards at the Tower. Each need to serve at least 22 years in the military before he can become a “Beefeater.”
We exited the castle through the southern gate and into the sunshine. Where the Thames used to bash against the Tower walls is now a walkway. The biggest attraction here, of course, is the majestic view of the Tower Bridge.
BIKE SHED MOTORCYCLE CLUB
Visiting the Bike Shed Motorcycle Club was part of our itinerary from the very beginning.
We descended into the tunnels of the famed London Underground, better known as “The Tube,” to catch a train. London’s rail network is extensive, branching out in every which way to where you wished to go.
But first, we had to purchase an “Oyster” card. To put it simply, it’s a plastic card which holds the credit you need for public transportation in greater London. You can use it for The Tube, bus, tram, DLR rail service, London Overground, TfL Rail, River Bus, most British National Rail and even Emirates Air Line services.
Our local Touch ‘n’ Go card was in fact modelled after the Oyster card. We purchased new Oyster cards at £10 each.
The train showed up in under 2 minutes.
The Central Line’s train cars looked a lot like our LRT and those in Japan. We noticed that it was much warmer in here than out on the streets. There are people of every race here, not just Caucasians. But even then, Caucasians spoke in all different dialects, accents and languages. It is said that the character of London is the hodgepodge of different cultures and we are seeing a bit of it here.
First, we stopped at a business district to obtain the local sim cards for our phones. We stepped into an O2 store where they offered a prepaid card for £10. The package includes 500 minutes of talk time, 500 texts and 2 GB of mobile data. That’s a great deal compared to paying RM38 per day for roaming! (I eventually ran out of data on the sixth and final day, after posting many videos on Facebook.)
It was time to head to the Bike Shed.
We got back into the Tube station we came out of, took another train and walked the remainder of the way.
The Bike Shed café and restaurant is somewhat hidden from view as it is set in the four arches of a train bridge. The entire place rumbled as everytime a train passed overhead.
The four different spaces under the arches serve different purposes. The first, as we entered is the restaurant. They brew their own beer here. The Tan Family tried it said it was “fresh.”
Next is the space for retailers where they sold everything from riding gear to souvenirs. Third in line is the exhibition and event hall. This is where builders could display their customized bikes. There was a Triumph Thruxton R, Speedmaster, Street Scrambler and a modified Thruxton dubbed “Hoxton.”
The fourth space is for motorcycle parking. That’s right. Customers ride their bikes past the restaurant and open-air café to reach the parking and vice versa. A rider on a Triumph Street Cup rode out as we sat down for lunch. A couple of Zero electric motorcycles pulled in later.
OXFORD STREET
Time for some shopping. We caught a ride on London’s iconic two-level red bus for this short trip. It turned out that riding the bus was the best way to see more of London as we’re obviously above ground and not buried inside the earth.
Oxford Street is one of the most famous shopping districts in greater London. It stretches 1.9-km West-East from the Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road. You can find just about anything here.
There shops of familiar names such as Selfridges, The Body Shop, Sniggle, Zara, Ted Baker, Canada Goose, H&M, Uniqlo, Clarks, a huge Apple store and just everything. And all I bought were 3-for-£5 fridge magnets.
Impressive and scary at the same time was the human traffic, too, despite it being a Monday. There were just thousands of people thronging the sidewalks and inside shops, restaurants, and pubs.
It was all too much to take in. I was here, in (adjective) London, amazed at beautiful old buildings and impressed by the modern ones, while drowning in the crowds of people pushing past each other.
When Dato’ and Rafique jumped into the Canada Goose shop, my mind hit an invisible wall of some sort so I decided to just hang outside and watch London go by. Newspaper peddlers stacked the evening edition at the entrance to Underground stations, yelling out the headline. Something about Brexit. A group of pretty young girls sang a hit song between giggles as they ran by. A couple of ladies talking loudly about their boyfriends. A guy swearing fluently into his phone while walking hand-in-hand with his partner. A few guys smoking around the corner while pulling their coats close. Friends smiling and laughing in a coffee parlor.
Honestly, I was quietly thankful for Dato’ Malique and Rafique’s guidance throughout the day. London was a maze and can quickly overwhelm any one. Dato’ even gave me detailed instructions on how to get to the Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park the next day.
We then headed to a kebab shop for some grub. The plan was to head back to the hotel after that for prayers, but the Lebanese restaurant owners had an empty hall next door for that. Individual faith is very much respected here.
So, hanging onto Dato’s coat tails, we headed to one last stop at Camden, before travelling back to the hotel for the Triumph welcome dinner for global distributors and dealers.
I called an early night as the Triumph Malaysia entourage will be visiting the Global Dealers’ Conference tomorrow. That meant it was a free and easy day for me to visit some of London’s greatest sights and experience the history that my late-father had taught me.
An updated Ducati Multistrada 950 has been spotted.
The new bike should include a number of new features.
Sources say it may also receive an IMU.
The Ducati Multistrada 950 is a more accessible option to Ducati’s sport-tourer line-up in both pricing and operations.
Compared to its big brother the Multistrada 1260, the Multistrada 950 is much simpler. Riders do not have to contend with fiddling around with the electronics, that’s for sure. Indeed, we have come across many riders who don’t have any idea on what they’ve set on their bikes.
Apart from that, the 950’s 113bhp power output is certainly easier to handle than the 158 bhp on the 1260.
So, the Multistrada 950 is in some ways a better and more versatile bike. But it’s definitely time for an update to keep it in the game.
Just as so, MCN spotted an updated Multistrada 950 undergoing road tests.
The upper fairing now matches the Multistrada 1260’s and swingarm is of lighter grey than the current version.
The engine looks similar outwardly, but the new bike will apparently receive a new hydraulic clutch. The Scrambler has gone that way, so we expect the Multistrada to follow suit. The engine may also be updated since there is a new Hypermotard on the way. If so, we ought to see a power increase to 120 bhp. There could be a bi-directional quickshifter, too.
The new Multistrada 950 may well receive an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), enabling Cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control. These will open up the bike’s safety spectrum together with the present ride modes.
Triumph is going back to its desert racing roots at the Baja 1000.
They will be entering the 2019 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE.
The bike will be mostly stock apart from desert racing gear.
Triumph Motorcycles is serious about the off-road capabilities of the just-launched 2019 Triumph Scrambler 1200. The race on an indoor dirt-track during the launch party was one thing, but the British manufacturer wants to push it even further by entering the bike in the historic and punishing Baja 1000 rally.
As we’ve described in our coverage of the launch, Steve McQueen and his stuntman Bud Ekins have joined the rally many times on Triumphs in the past. Hence, returning to the rally with the 2019 Scrambler 1200 is only right since it is the soul successor to the TR6 Trophy Baja (pronounced Ba-Ha) desert racers.
The Baja Scrambler 1200 XE will remain mostly stock. Instead, the only additions are engine protection bars, extended sump guard, race exhaust system and race-specification lights. They will also remove the pillion footpegs and signal lamps.
A prototype of the racer was shown briefly on stage during the launch party. It will be ridden by Triumph’s official rider and stuntman, Ernie Virgil.
Ernie said, “I am so excited to get the chance to only take on the Baja 1000, but also to be the first racer to take Triumph’s next generation Scrambler back to desert racing where it all began.”
The rider had contested the race on a Triumph Tiger 800 previously.
While the Baja 1000 rally is not a drawn out and tough as The Dakar, it is still a very tough event. It consists of two courses. One is point-to-point is regularly more than 1000 miles (1,600-km) long (hence the name). The second is the loop race which usually ranges between 600 to 800 miles (960-km to 1280-km) long.
The Baja 1000 is also part of the World Championship for desert racing. Held at the California-Mexican peninsula it attracts participants from the world over in motorcycles, cars, trucks, ATVs and buggies.
