Valentino Rossi has hit hard on Marquez’s riding yesterday by saying that Marquez is destroying the sport.
The duo clashed yesterday mid-race which led to Rossi’s fall in the Argentina GP.
Marquez has been under fire all weekend especially race day for his ‘dangerous riding’ involving several other riders.
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP and nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi had a few choice words to say on the riding antics of one Marc Marquez from Repsol Honda. In a drama-filled Argentina GP race yesterday, Rossi made sure everyone knew how he feels about Marquez which he deemed as ‘dangerous’ all weekend long. (more…)
The Ladies of Harley Malaysia is a group of female Harley-Davidson riders.
They get together to share their love for riding motorcycles.
The ladies started their ride to Melaka from Harley-Davidson of Petaling Jaya for the first time.
While it always feels good to see a fellow biker on the road, it’s undeniably better to see one of the fairer gender, “Not as a pillion, but riding her own bike, instead.” That was what Mariana Mohamad, ex-national cyclist said while awaiting the flag-off of the Ladies of Harley Malaysia’s 2018 ride to the historic city of Melaka.
Mariana Mohamad is the first lady from the right
The ride was historically historic as well, since it marked the first time the ladies began their ride from the new Harley-Davidson of Petaling Jaya.
The 20-odd ladies had gathered at the dealership from early morning, for some light breakfast and catching up. Everyone was smiling and laughing, the air was thick with cheerfulness and anticipation. Among them were Mariana Mohamad, the aforementioned ex-national cyclist and, singer and actress, Fauziah Latiff. Also present were Nor Cilla Omar and Sura (Sue) Rahman who were the Champion and First Runner Up, respectively at the recent Inaugural Bikers Invitational Golf Charity Classics 2018.
“I’ve ridden with the Ladies of Harley Malaysia many times since I started motorcycling. That time, we rode to Melaka and today feels like an anniversary as we ride there but from a new home, HDPJ,” continued Mariana.
The ladies rode mostly Harley-Davidson Sportsters, but there were a number of other models, including a Softail Slim, Street 750, Dyna Low Rider and “Sons of Anarchy” Dyna Low Rider.
As usual, they held a short safety briefing before the “On the bike” call. They suited up and rode out from the hallway in The Gasket Alley (as there weren’t too many of them).
Out on the roads and highways, the group was expertly led by Nor Cilla with Fauziah Latiff as the sweeper. The group maintained great discipline and cohesiveness throughout the trip, besides displaying good control over their machines.
The ladies stopped for fuel first at the Seremban R&R before stopping again after passing the Ayer Keroh toll plaza, where fellow Harley-Davidson riders Hulubalang MG waited to guide the convoy into Asam Pedas Lagenda for lunch. By the way, the word hulubalang means the Sultan’s royal guards and palace guards – knights, in other words – during the Malaccan Sultanate during the 15th and 16th centuries.
From there it was to Harley-Davidson of Melaka in Taman Kota Laksamana. The dealership is undergoing completion and will be formally launched in May 2018.
The dealership’s crew escorted the entire group to a restaurant called Nyonya Lin’s Kitchen for refreshments including the famous cendol nyonya and kuih nyonya. The restaurant was bedecked with period paraphernalia such as vintage furniture, motorcycles, trinkets and toys. Even the interior design resembled that of Melaka’s pre-World War II houses.
From Harley-Davidson of Melaka, it was to another round of coffee (real coffee, not those one finds in pubs) at a beach. The Ladies of Harley Malaysia finally headed over to the Villa Lisa at A’Famosa Resort at Batu Gajah.
Before we conclude, this writer observed that the riders never failed to wave their gratitude to other road users who had given way. All the riders of Ladies of Harley Malaysia and Hulubalang MG were really friendly and not stand-offish to strangers who had requested selfies or to pose with their bikes. Whoever said Harley riders were unfriendly?
Great respect from us to the ladies and gentlemen during the ride.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) won his third ever MotoGP race yesterday in Argentina.
Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) came in second followed by Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in third.
The drama-filled race saw many events especially the clash between Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi.
LCR Honda Castrol rider Cal Crutchlow took home his third ever MotoGP victory yesterday in the Argentina GP. The battle for first came to an incredible conclusion as Crutchlow crossed the chequered flag ahead of Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and more impressively, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). (more…)
The third annual Panigale Kingdom Mega Gathering 2018 was held today at the Gold Coast Morib International Resort.
Over 50 Panigale owners from across the country gathered in Putrajaya before heading out for the family day in Banting, Selangor.
Ducati Malaysia helped mark this special occasion with a sneak preview at the 2018 Ducati Panigale V4 and 1299 Panigale R Final Edition.
Over 50 Ducati Panigale owners gathered at the annual Panigale Kingdom Mega Gathering 2018 earlier today at the Gold Coast Morib International Resort in Banting, Selangor. The third ever gathering was sponsored by the likes of Ducati Owners Malaysia Club (DOCM), Ducati Malaysia (DCM), Madani Bikes (Ducati Kuala Lumpur) and many more. (more…)
The subject of tyre width has been constantly debated.
Is a fatter tyre better i.e. 240-section rear tyre?
Does it mean a skinnier tyre is bad i.e. tayar sotong?
Just like most parts on a motorcycle, this is a debate that has raged over time. There are bikes of the same capacity and power output but shod with different sized tyres, while there are some bikes that are heavier and still powerful but equipped with narrower tyres.
But what actually brought our attention to writing this article is seeing some bikes rolling on extremely narrow tyres, colloquially known as tayar sotong.
Tayar sotong – courtesy of www.sinarharian.com.my
Every tyre hence selection is a compromise of sorts. But a wider tyre has a larger footprint thus has better grip, right? You’re not wrong, but it’s a little more complex than that. Let’s take a look.
WIDE TYRE
Pros
More potential grip especially when cornering.
Allows for higher speeds in corners.
Allows for deeper lean angles when cornering.
More stable in corners.
Able to take more engine power.
Allows for harder throttle application when leaned over.
Safer to trail brake.
Allows for harder braking.
Cons
Usually costs more.
Feels “heavier” to steer.
Leaves more unused areas at the sides (called “Chicken Strips”) if not fully utilized.
Leans the bike further over into a corner than a skinnier tyre.
More mass means more power is needed for acceleration (rolling resistance).
More mass also means the suspension and brakes have to work harder.
SKINNY TYRE
Pros
Usually costs less.
Easier to steer.
Easier to utilize the whole tyre.
Less rolling resistance for faster acceleration and lower fuel consumption.
Less need for heavier springs in the suspension.
Leans less into a corner at a given speed compared to a wider tyre.
Cons
Less potential side grip, limiting cornering speed and lean angles.
Bike feels less stable, sometime skittish.
Too much throttle will overwhelm the small contact patch.
Less force for trail braking or not at all.
Must brake less aggressively.
There is also an element to having a wider tyre: Style. To most bikers, a wider rear tyre makes the bike look more aggressive, sportier. But in our experience of testing almost every motorcycle in the market, having a wider or skinnier tyre doesn’t truly matter. There are times when the wider tyres actually felt harsh over public roads.
Fat rear tyres for cruisers – courtesy of harley-davidson-luebeck.de
Back to the subject of tayar sotong, these guys are all for straightline acceleration, as seen on those drag bikes (called “sprint” in Malaysia). They may be good for that kind of racing as no cornering is involved but are downright dangerous on the road. That’s because the tyres are just too skimpy for emergency braking and turning. Being too thin and low-profiled also run the risk of damaging the rims over sharp bumps. Plus, this writer has personally witnessed a tayar sotong on another bike burst in front of his eyes.
On the other hand, we’ve also come across tyres too wide for certain rim sizes i.e. a 180-section tyre on a rim for a 160 – due to the misconception that a wider tyre means more grip. Too wide a tyre will have the rim flanges pinch the tyre, resulting in SMALLER footprint than the recommended width.
Types of tyres – courtesy of www.canyonchasers.net
To conclude, the best thing to is to adhere to the motorcycle and tyre manufacturers’ recommendations. Want more grip? Choose one with softer compound. Want more mileage? Choose a sport-touring tyre.
Japanese custom bike builder Doremi unveiled his supercharged 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS during the recent Tokyo Motorcycle Show.
Named the Kawasaki Z900RS MkII, the bike has been injected with even more retro styling and performance upgrades.
An MS-Sailing supercharger has been fitted to the bike along with other custom parts.
Manufacturers have long been giving away some of their precious machines to customizers before the official unveiling. The 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS was no exception and during the 2018 Tokyo Motorcycle Show, there custom Z900RS was showcased under the project “Beyond Z”. (more…)
