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  • David Beckham was handed a driving ban.

  • He was charged with using his mobile phone while driving.

  • The driving ban is in effect for six months.

We wanted to not publish this story, but the temptation was too great. David Beckham was handed a driving ban by a British judge.

A member of the public spotted Beckham using a mobile phone while driving his Bentley in Central London. He then lodged a report against the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and LA Galaxy star.

Beckham’s counsel, Gerrard Tyrrell said his client had “no recollection” of the incident. However, Beckham pleaded guilty anyway.

The celebrity already logged six points on his driving license for speeding previously. The District Judge handed out six more points for the mobile phone offence, bringing the total to 12 that’s needed to lose driving privileges. The ban is in effect for six months.

Besides owning a bevy of exotic cars, Beckham also owns many motorcycles but his favourites are Triumphs. One of his motorcycles is a customized Triumph Bonneville on display in the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience in Hinckley.

David Beckham and his Triumph – Photo credit harrolds.com.au
  • Malaysia’s largest e-wallet, Boost and Shell Malaysia announced the availability of the e-wallet payment service at 800 Shell stations nationwide.

  • An exclusive promotion offers 2 times RM5 cashback with the spending of RM40 at selected Shell stations.

  • The e-Boost app is available for iOS and Android.

Malaysia’s largest e-wallet, Boost, and Shell Malaysia today officially announced the availability of the e-wallet payment service at 800 Shell stations nationwide. The partnership aims to enhance customers’ retail experience at Shell stations by providing them with an alternative payment method.

With this collaboration which began in April 2019, the e-wallet service is now available in more than 80% of the Shell stations across the country. The response to this e-wallet payment option has been encouraging, motivating both Boost and Shell to make this service available at all Shell stations nationwide by end May 2019.

The CEO of Axiata Digital Services Sdn Bhd, parent company to Boost, Mohd Khairil Abdullah shared the inspiration behind the collaboration, “Boost was first launched for mobile prepaid users to reload their mobile credit but since getting our e-Money license from Bank Negara Malaysia, our e-wallet features have gained a lot of traction. We are excited to play a leading role in turning Malaysia into a cashless society, in-line with the Government’s ambitions.”

“We wanted customers to be able to pay for their goods and services in a convenient and safe manner. As such, we see this partnership as providing more convenience to our users, because now they can use our e-wallet at Shell stations nationwide,” he added.

Shairan Huzani Husain, Managing Director of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd and Shell Timur Sdn Bhd echoed the sentiment, “Our customers are digitally savvy and technology plays an important role in their day-to-day lives. Hence, partnering with the nation’s leading e-wallet enables us to offer them the additional option to pay with their Boost e-wallet when fuelling up with Shell fuels and grabbing their favourite treats at Shell Select.”

“We are constantly looking to offer Malaysians a more convenient and enhanced retail experience, to help make their life’s journeys better,” Shairan stated.

Customers can enjoy hassle-free payments, easy money transfers, e-vouchers, e-gifting and prepaid top ups through the Boost e-wallet, which can be downloaded from the App Store (for iOS users) or the Google Play Store (for Android users). The local e-wallet platform now has over 4 million registered users and over 80,000 merchant touchpoints, and growing.

To celebrate this partnership, Boost and Shell are rewarding Malaysians with an exclusive promotion from 14 May to 14 June 2019, customers to enjoy a two (2) times RM5 cashback if they spend RM40 with their Boost e-wallet at the selected Shell stations.

  • KTM CEO Stefan Pierer said, “Johann Zarco is a disappointment.”

  • It follows Zarco’s outrage by calling the RC16’s frame and delivery “sh*t” in Spain.

  • But Pierer conceded that the bike needs more work.

The KTM MotoGP saga continues with KTM CEO Stefan Pierer saying, “Johann Zarco is a disappointment.”

Pierer uttered the statement following Zarco’s struggle to achieve better results. The two-time Moto2 champion’s best was 13th in Austin, Texas. He placed 15thin the season opener in Qatar and Argentina, and 14th in the Spanish round last week.

Zarco has said that he couldn’t adapt to the KTM RC16, a bike which he said, “only goes well down the straight and only wants to go straight.” He had also been caught on camera calling the frame and power delivery as “sh*t” in Jerez, Spain. This, coming from one of the nicest MotoGP riders was certainly something.

But his statements didn’t go well with KTM’s management.

KTM CEO Stefan Pierer told Speedweek, “Johann is a big disappointment and I’m very sorry about that. We hired him so that he and Pol (Espargarò) could push one another but the opposite happened. Espargarò is on his own.”

The other KTM rider pushing Espargarò was new signing Miguel Oliveira in the Red Bull Tech 3 KTM Racing team, instead. Apart from struggling in Jerez to finish 18th ahead of his teammate Hafizh Syahrin, Oliveira had come home in 17th, 11th and 14th, respectively. KTM was so impressed that they’ve extended Oliveira’s contract through 2020.

Photo credit Autosport

In addition to struggling with a completely new bike, Zarco had to contend with his manager and mentor (and friend) Laurent Falon switching camps to Honda. Falon had kept Honda’s offer a secret from Zarco and team through 2018.

“When an athlete at this level doesn’t have everything under control, then he has a problem. They told me that he was already very rude in the garage in Texas and the situation worsened in Jerez. But I want to say that we will do all we can to improve this year. We’ve already got the new materials, following his indications, and he’ll be joined by Jean-Michel Bayle,” added Pierer.

But Pierer was quick to add that KTM is not seeking to end Zarco’s contract. The French rider was signed also through 2020.

“We still have 15 races to run this year. Going from Yamaha to the KTM requires adaptation and that takes time. There are two different kinds of bikes in MotoGP: Yamaha and Suzuki with the inline 4-cylinders and Honda, Ducati, KTM and Aprilia with the V4. With the latter, you have to ride a certain way. You need to be bold and throw the bike down into the corners, you can’t go easy. Consider how, post Stoner, it took Ducati from 2010 to 2016 to find someone else who could win with their bike.”

On the other hand, Pierer didn’t deny that the RC16 needs more development. He revealed that the bike needs to lose another 4 to 5 kilograms and that the electronics are still an issue.

But what Pierer didn’t mention was the KTM RC16’s chassis architecture, which uses a steel-lattice frame and WP suspension. All MotoGP bikes use Öhlins suspension and aluminium frames. Ducati had suffered with the carbon monocoque for many years (including with Valentino Rossi) before swallowing their pride and reverting to an aluminium frame. It may not make a difference to you and I who ride on the streets and in the occasional track days, but it does for riders who push their bikes to the limits.

Why not change riding styles then? Both Zarco and Syahrin are suffering with turning into corners. Syahrin, Espargarò and Oliveira have all stated that one needs to be “aggressive” with the bike, echoing Zarco’s call.

Zarco has stated before that changing his smooth riding style will result in the team having with too much inconsistent data, especially while developing a new riding style. Setting up a bike is based on how the bike reacts to the rider’s inputs, after all. The best rider to illustrate this was Jorge Lorenzo who also rides with the “traditional” smooth style. He had suffered to no end during his first year with Ducati before the team solved his woes for his second year.

Changing a riding style, especially one that had brought past successes is not easy. The last thing a rider needs to concern himself about is his riding style in the heat of competition. It is the team’s job to provide the rider a bike that he doesn’t have to worry about, to allow him to concentrate on his race strategies i.e. lap times vs. tyre degradation, him vs. his opponents, etc.

The KTM factory had better come up with some solutions fast because all the new riders are at their mercy, rather than the other around.

  • The Yamaha YZF-R125 Monster Energy MotoGP Edition was launched in the United Kingdom.

  • The bike looks great in the MotoGP livery.

  • We don’t have the R125 here, but the R15 with 150cc engine.

Well, well, looky here. It turns out that the Yamaha YZF-R125 is not only popular here in Malaysia but also starting to edge into the best-seller list in the United Kingdom, too. As such, Yamaha UK launched the Yamaha YZF-R125 Monster Energy MotoGP Edition.

We don’t have the YZF-R125 here in Malaysia, as we’re lucky to have the YZF-R15, instead. We publish this story because the bike looks great in the MotoGP livery. Besides that, we’re sincerely hoping that Hong Leong Yamaha will also launch the Monster Energy MotoGP edition for the latter. It will cost more, without doubt, but we feel that the new livery adds an even sportier dimension to the bike, as did to the YZF-R1.

Photo credit MCN

We’ve reviewed the Yamaha YZF-R15 earlier this year and found the bike supremely entertaining. The application of variable valve actuation technology as part of Yamaha’s Blue Core solution made the engine torquier and more tractable throughout the rev range. One does not have keep banging off the upper RPM reaches and red line.

And we say again, the bike was definitely faster than the Y-Suku (Yamaha Y15ZR).

So, HLYM, what say you about the Monster Energy MotoGP Edition?

Photo credit MCN
  • Mission Winnow Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso will drive in the DTM (German Touring Car Championship) at the Misano round next month.

  • He will be behind the wheels of an Audi RS 5 DTM.

  • The round takes place on 8th to 9th June.

Mission Winnow Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso will drive an Audi in the DTM (German Touring Car Championship) at the Misano round next month.

He will head to San Marino track on 8th to 9th June for the DTM race immediately after the Italian MotoGP round at Mugello. Dovizioso will drive the Audi RS 5 DTM for the one-off outing, in replacing Pietro Fittipaldi in the Audi WRT Team as the latter attends to his duties in Formula 1. Fittipaldi is the Reserve driver at Haas for the Canadian F1 Grand Prix.

Dovizioso first test the Audi RS 5 DTM at the Neuburg track on 7th May and will test again at Misano on 22nd to 23rd May as his final preparation.

“I love cars and I feel lucky to be able to race with the Audi RS 5 DTM,” Dovizioso said. “It’s tough to find the time to prepare for it during the MotoGP season but I am really looking forward to compete in such a high-level context such as the DTM.”

Head of Audi motorsport Dieter Gass is naturally thrilled to welcome Dovizioso to his DTM fold and is thankful to Ducati bosses for permitting the Italian’s one-off outing.

“I’m delighted that in Andrea Dovizioso we managed to get a real superstar to race as a guest in the DTM,” Gass said. “MotoGP riders are true heroes in Italy.

“Andrea hails from the Misano area, won the Motorcycle Grand Prix there last year and is going to attract many additional fans.

Audi is Ducati’s parent company and focuses in DTM, Formula E, TCR and GT racing.

As for the DTM, three guest drivers made their appearances last year including World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier (driving a Mercedes), 2016 World Rallycross Champion Mattias Ekstrom (driving an Audi) and former F1 and Indy Car driver and paralumpian Alex Zanardi (driving a BMW).

Other MotoGP riders have tried their hands in four-wheeled racing, including Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, who tested for the Red Bull F1 team last year. Valentino Rossi competes in the Monza Rally annually.

  • A team from the Czech Technical University stuffed a BMW S 1000 RR engine into a UL-39 light aircraft.

  • It propels the 350kg plane to 290 km/h.

  • Skyleader Aircraft is now selling the plane.

We sometimes get the sensation of flying too low especially when riding fast bikes such as the BMW S 1000 RR.

Why not? Snapping the throttle open from 80 km/h in sixth gear had us seeing more than 200 km/h in a jiffy, while the scenery flew by in multi-coloured ribbons.

But now, thanks to a team from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Czech Technical University and their collaborators LA Composite and Zall Jihlavan Airplanes, the S 100 RR takes flight. Well, the engine anyway.

The UL-39 Alb is a replica of the original L-39 Albatross flown by the Czechoslovak Air Force in the 70s. However, the team swapped out the Ivchenko Al-25 jet engine with the previous generation’s BMW S 1000 RR inline-Four which produces 193 bhp.

The engine is placed in a duct and drives multiple blades, hence called a “ducted fan jet.”

For your knowledge, a “true” jet engine ignites fuel in nozzles at high pressures at the back of the engine. The combustion expands gases which blast out the back of the engine, driving the turbine blades. The turbine blades are mounted to a shaft which the compressor blades are mounted to at the front of the engine (you can see them when you board a passenger aircraft). The compressor draws in and compresses the air for combustion, creating thrust which propels the aircraft forward.

The S 1000 RR engine, on the other hand, drives compressor blades at the front like a propeller plane. But since the air is ducted, the fans create a higher pressure than chopping at air in the open.

The UL-39 is made mostly from carbon fibre and weighs just 350 kg and has a top speed of 290 km/h for up to a 547km range. It carries two occupants.

The plane is now part of the Skyleader Aircraft line-up. The company has been producing light aircraft since the 1990s.

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