Suzuki is celebrating its official 100th anniversary this year and to kick things off, they’ve unveiled their latest 2020 Suzuki GSX-R1000R offering with MotoGP livery taken from their motorsports racing effort, Team Suzuki Ecstar. (more…)
Suzuki is celebrating its official 100th anniversary this year and to kick things off, they’ve unveiled their latest 2020 Suzuki GSX-R1000R offering with MotoGP livery taken from their motorsports racing effort, Team Suzuki Ecstar. (more…)
Motorcycle names can be as interesting as the bikes themselves. Manufacturers usually choose them based on heritage, branding, range or the kind of emotions they allude to.
There are too many to think about, so we’ll put in what comes to mind.
The “GS” moniker made its appearance in 1980 with the R 80 G/S. It stands for Gelände/Straße (or Strasse), or off-road/road in German. Appropriate for the dual-sport bike.
Ducati superbikes were named with numbers between the 750 SS/Pantah and Panigale. The numbers simply pointed out the bikes’ engine capacities. Other models had and do have their capacities in their names, of course, but they include specific names such as Hypermotard, Monster, Multistrada, Scrambler, Supersport.
The Panigale is named after the Borgo Panigale industrial district in Bologna, Italy. It’s also where Ducati calls home. Do make sure that your Panigale doesn’t have the “e” missing, because “Panigal” is a soap manufacturer in the same district.
Debuting in EICMA 1985, the Ducati Paso 75- was a tribute to Italian GP racer Renzo Pasolini. Popularly known as “Paso,” he crashed during the 250cc Monza race in 1973. Jarno Saarinen (who pioneered the kneedown technique) who was directly behind couldn’t avoid Paso and also crashed. The accident caused a chain reaction which involved 12 riders and took the lives of Paso and Saarinen.
This one is quite easy. The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, United States is the prime location where land speed records are made or broken. As for the Triumph Bonneville, it’s an homage to the “Devil’s Arrow,” piloted by Johnny Allen in 1955. The “streamliner” (which basically looks like a rocket) was powered by a Triumph 650cc parallel-Twin which was tuned to burn methanol. It hit a two-way average speed of 311 km/h.
The Thruxton name is actually a racetrack in the UK. But Triumph had built special models for the Thruxton 500 endurance in 1969. They came away with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd placings. It was the start of the café racer era.
There was a time when a lot of bikers wanted a 600cc sports bike, especially the Honda CBR600RR. With a long history as the sole engine used in the MotoGP intermediate class (Moto2), the glorious return of a new model is set to happen next year with possibly the 2021 Honda CBR600RR-R! (more…)
One of the best ways to design a big bike is arguably by combining modern tech with some cool 80s vibe. Honda seems to a master at this and their latest Honda CB-F Concept is arguably one of the best looking modern classic concepts we’ve seen, and we definitely want it to go into production (and soon!). (more…)
Taking care of your bike’s chain including cleaning it is part and parcel of ownership.
A neglected chain not only shortens its lifespan (i.e. incurring costs), it also robs engine power and the engine consumes more fuel.
So how to do it? Let us show you some tips then.
One is the Pro Bike Cleaner. In contrast to some chain cleaners in the market, this product is not a degreaser. That’s good because it doesn’t dissolve the grease in the chain’s rollers and links. But more importantly, it’s safe for use on rubber. Caustic products such as petrol, kerosene or diesel will dry out the chain’s rubber sealing rings, causing dirt and water to penetrate in between the sideplates.
The Pro Bike Cleaner is also awesome as a bike cleaner as the name suggests. You can spray some onto a sponge or mix with a pail of water and use it like your regular bike wash liquid.
Just spray it directly onto the chain, making sure that all parts are covered. If your chain is exceptionally dirty, just go over with a chain brush. Using a chain brush ensures that caked on bits of fine sand and grime are loosened.
Once done brushing, hose the chain with water. That’s how it is with this product.
The chain needs to be dry before lubricating it. Otherwise, the chain lube will just sit on top of that water and not penetrate deep enough.
The best way is to go out for a short 5-minute ride. The centrifugal forces will force the water out.
However, since the Covid-19 Movement Control Order is in place, jack up the rear wheel, start the engine and put the bike into gear. Release the clutch slowly and spin the rear tyre.
We’ve tried a lot of chain lubes in the market but came away very impressed by the Toyo Ninja Chain Lube. It has a synthetic formula, consisting of liquid molybdenum sulphide.
Before proceeding further, allow us to explain a bit about molybdenum sulphide.
In World War 2, pilots would pour the stuff into the engines to mix with the oil. The molybdenum sulphide would coat the parts of the engine, so that the engine will keep on running even if all the engine oil drained out should the engine get hit by a bullet, shell or flak.
The substance has a natural affinity (attraction) to metal surfaces, which causes the chain lube to stick to the chain. As such, we’ve ridden with the Toyo Ninja Chain Lube up to 1000 km, compared to the usual 300 to 400 km lifespan of normal chain lubes. We normal lube our chains at every 600 km with the Toyo product. It’s thus very economical.
The best way to lube the chain is by spraying onto the inner run of the chain. Centrifugal force will carry it to the outer parts. Therefore, if you spray on the outside run instead, most of it will be flung off.
Once you’ve sprayed the entire chain, wipe off the excess with a cloth.
Give 20 minutes for the lube to set.
Again, since the bike will probably sit idle due to the MCO, start the engine and spin the rear tyre.
You’re done.
You can order the Pro Bike Cleaner and Toyo Ninja Chain Lube from our e-commerce platform here.
We would to state that we’re not using these two products because we’re selling them. However, in actual fact, we had purchased and used the two products prior to selling them. We will not sell you crappy products.
Please click on the link below for the Pro Bike Cleaner.
Please click on this link for the Toyo Chain Lube.
Helmets come in all sorts of designs, constructions, and endless choices. All the top brands are out there trying to market the best products and one of the best ways to do so is via collaborations with other big names. HJC helmets has got that down to an art and you can get these special edition models, available on our Bikes Republic online store! (more…)
