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  • Staying hydrated is the most important in this hellishly hot season.

  • But what should you and shouldn’t drink?

  • However, please keep in mind that everything should be taken in moderation.

This may look like a Men’s Health article, but the hellishly hot weather affects us a lot as riders. But stop riding? No way! But how do we need to survive this heat? It’s especially worse after wolfing down durians in Bentong.

Here are a few suggestions to avoid being dehydrated duringyour ride. Dehydration is one of the most dangerous things to happen to us riders. It can cause loss of concentration leading to mistakes and wooziness.

Great for hydration:

1. Water. It’s the best. ‘Nuff said.

2. 100 Plus. Or other sports drinks such as Gatorade and Pocari Sweat. The electrolytes (fancy word for salt) in them can be more effective at hydrating. Drinking water infused with salt has been practiced in Malaysia homes for many decades, especially to counter the heaty effects of durians, after all.

3. Watermelon. Eating watermelons retain 92% of the liquid. But if you opt for the juice of other fruit juices, make sure that it is pure without sugar. Packed juices contain sugar that inhibits hydration. Best way is to buy freshly-squeezed juices – again, as a reminder – without sugar.

4. Coconut water. We’re so lucky in Malaysia. You can find coconut water almost anywhere. Coconut water contains 95% water, better than all fruit juices. Make sure you drink it straight from the coconut without added sugar.

5. Milk. Since milk is thicker than water, it leads us to believe that it’s more dehydrating, which isn’t the case. Besides containing calcium and Vitamin D, milk gives you fuel on hot days. But it only works for non-flavoured milks, so no chocolate, strawberry, Kurma, etc. flavours.

Worst for hydration:

1. Soft drinks. Sure, they’re advertised to quench your thirst but they contain caffeine which is a culprit in dehydration. If that’s not bad enough, they also have heaps of sugar and sodium that are bad for your teeth and bones. Drinking a single bottle is fine during your trip to perk you up, but it’s better to swap it for sparkling water to enjoy the carbonation.

2. Energy drinks. Energy drinks are just that: They provide energy. If soft drinks are bad, there’s even more caffeine, “fake” sugars and complex chemicals. Like soft drinks, these should be consumed with moderation – a can during the ride to keep you from dozing off – then followed by plenty of water.

3. Coffee. Taken in moderation, coffee helps not everyone, but most to stay awake. Caffeine blocks your brain from receiving signals that you are tired but doesn’t actually make you feel less so.

Its dark side is caffeine, the same stuff they put into sodas and energy drinks. The substance is also considered diuretic, meaning it rids your body of fluids and salt. It works by forcing your kidney to release more sodium into your urine. That sodium then takes water with it from your blood and reduces fluid flowing through your blood vessels.

4. Smoothies. Our favourite drink in Phuket! Nooooo! The sweet, fruity drinks pack too much sugar. They’re awesome for refuel after a long ride and starting your day with a natural dose of vitamins but should be approached in moderation. The best way is to put add more ice for hydration.

5. Beer, wine, hard liquor. You shouldn’t even ride in the first place if you drink alcoholic beverages. Anyway, alcohol removes water from your tissues, meaning you have to drink even more water to offset the effect. The more alcohol in your system, the more dehydrating it is. Yes, it’s fine to drink beer after your ride, but the rule of thumb is one glass of water per can glass of beer. That way, you will be less dehydrated and hungover for the next day’s ride.

Conclusion

While there are good and “bad” drinks, good drinks can become bad too unless consumed in moderation. Hope these tips help.

  • The row over aerodynamic devices in MotoGP escalates as Ducati threatens protest Honda’s winglets.

  • To Ducati, Honda’s winglets are dangerous for a number of reasons.

  • The row is in light of Honda’s participation in the protest against Ducati’s use of a “spoon” on the GP19’s swingarm in Qatar.

The row over aerodynamic devices in MotoGP escalates as Ducati threatens protest Honda’s winglets.

Honda was among four (in addition to Aprilia, Suzuki, KTM) who protested against Ducati for using the “spoon” in front of the rear wheel. The protest was logged following last weeknd’s Qatar GP. However, it was thrown out by the FIM stewards and subsequently referred to the FIM Court of Appeals.

Gigi Dall’Inga, Ducati’s Tech Chief, was the most irritated by Honda’s participation in the protest.

“I was quite surprised above all by the behaviour of Honda which, in addition to being a protagonist of the world championship, is also one of the founding fathers of modern MotoGP together with Ducati and Yamaha (who didn’t protest),” Dall”Igna told Sky Italia.

“I don’t have much to say about this in the case of KTM and Aprilia… The approach that Suzuki and Honda can take is different, because they can actually take a real advantage of a possible disqualification of [Qatar GP winner Andrea] Dovizioso and Ducati from the first race of the championship.”

Ducati’s stand lies in the approval by MotoGP Technical Director Danny Aldridge before the Qatar GP. Aprilia, on the other hand, claimed that Aldrige had said that a similar part would be ruled illegal.

“The fact that Honda has questioned the choices of the technical director puts us in a position to raise the question of whether to make a complaint against them.”

“Until now, all disputes of a technical nature had been resolved either within the Manufacturers’ Association or by discussing them with the technical director,” Dall’Igna continued.

About Honda’s winglet, Dall’Igna finds them dangerous. He said, “Honda’s wings are honestly dangerous for us. Not only that, but as they are made with such a slender base, they could be subject to significant deformation from the loads they are subjected to, and therefore could perhaps perform the function of movable aerodynamic devices.”

Ducati sporting director Paolo Ciabatti previously suggested that the protest was “political” in nature. In fact, Ducati was enamoured with Honda ever since protesting Ducati’s debuting of winglets on their bikes, which gave rise to the current regulations on “aero bodies.”

“I think they wanted to intimidate us and prevent us from using a part that had already been approved by the technical director,” said Dall’Igna.

“Obviously we decided to use this and then they found themselves forced to continue in a situation that, if I were in their shoes, I would find embarrassing.”

  • Organizers of the MotoE World Cup confirmed that a short circuit ignited the batteries.

  • The huge fire destroyed at the temporary storage, MotoE bikes and equipment at the Jerez Circuit.

  • The fire cancels the remaining pre-season tests and first round in May.

Organizers of the MotoE World Cup confirmed that a short circuit ignited the batteries which consequently led to a huge fire at the Jerez, Circuit in Spain.

The fire broke out around midnight, destroyed all 18 Energica Ego race bikes, equipment, tools and riders’ gear and kits. They were stored in a temporary paddock for the 2019 FIM Enel MotoE World Cupt pre-season tests.

The grid includes the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) team.

Photo credit:MCN

The first round of the inaugural championship which is slated to take place from 3rd to 5th May is cancelled. Thankfully, the championship is still on for the year.

Local police are still investigating the fire but announced that it was caused by a short circuit. The short then ignited the high-density battery, which is a part of the high-performance charger used in MotoE. However, that caused the short was not confirmed.

Short circuits cause a suddenly rise in temperature leading to thermal runaway for the lithium batteries. Consequently, a chain reaction leads to the breakdown of the system’s thermal balance and fire.

The bikes were not connected to the charging infrastructure when the fire broke out.

Enel MotoE bike, Qatar MotoGP 2018

 

  • Kawasaki GTROC (GTR Owner Club) celebrates their 6th gathering today.

  • The ride started from Kawasaki Motors (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.’s HQ in Glenmarie, Shah Alam.

  • They will ride to Melaka to meet another GTR group to bring the total to 300 motorcycles.

Kawasaki 1400GTR onwers of from the GTR Onwer Club (GTROC) begun their 6thgathering today in the historic city of Melaka.

Some 50 owners of the high-powered sport-tourer congregated at Kawasaki Motors (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.’s (KMMSB) compound for the flag off. From there, they rode to Ayer Keroh, Melaka to meet up with another group of 1400GTR owners, bring the total to almost 300 motorcycles.

The group will visit an orphanage and a religious school for charity work, as part of the ride’s itinerary.

The Assistant General Manager of KMMSB, En. Awaluddin Bin Md. Lip, and Assistant Manager for Marketing of KMMSB, En. Ahmad Radzi Abdul Rahman (better known as Che Mad) welcomed the group. They added that KMMSB felt honoured to support the group and their activities, besides looking forward to more co-operations in the future.

President of GTROC, Dato’ Shaid Tasiran thanked KMMSB for their support. He then laid down the rules for the convoy, including the etiquettes such as following the marshals’ signals, no wild riding, etc., besides their itinerary and routes.

The Royal Malaysian Traffic Police will escort the group once they reached Melaka.

The ride was flagged off by En. Awaluddin Bin Md. Lip.

PICTURE GALLERY

  • Ducati posted a 7% profit margin for 2018.

  • The profit was despite the 2.7% global slump for motorcycles above 500cc and 9% drop in the US market.

  • Although revenue was down, the manufacturer compensated with the sale of higher margin models such as the Panigale.

Ducati announced a 7% profit margin 2018.

The end of 2018 posted the figure despite the worldwide slump in sales for motorcycles above 500cc. The Italian manufacturer delivered 53,004 units, compared to 55,871 in 2017. That’s a 5.1% drop in a worldwide drop of 2.7%. Ducati’s sales took the largest hit in their biggest market, the US where the market dropped by 9%.

Yet, it was the fourth consecutive year in which the manufacturer had sold more than 50,0000 bikes.

Revenue in 2018 was €699 million, a reduction from €736 million in 2017, translating to an operating profit of € 49 million compared to € 51 million. The operating margin was 7% in 2018, the same as in the previous year. Ducati managed to compensate for the reduction in volume through the sale of models with higher margins, such as the Panigale line-up. (The Panigale was the best-selling sportbike in 2018.)

Ducati Panigale V4 was World’s Best-Selling Sportbike in 2018

“2018 was challenging from many points of view, but we are satisfied with our financial performance throughout a difficult year” – declared Claudio Domenicali, CEO Ducati Motor Holding – “The company is generating the resources to continue funding the development of new products which is very positive for the future.

Oliver Stein, CFO Ducati Motor Holding, added: “Financial stability is extremely important for the company in order to support the technological development programme which Ducati is currently involved in at full speed.”

The results were part of the announcement for the Audi Group’s 2018 financial year.

  • Ricardo Domingos rode a Suzuki GSX-R1000RR in the Portugese Baja Rally.

  • Although he didn’t win, he beat out a large number of other competitors.

  • The Baja rally pits competitors against the clock.

What’s the first you need to have in order to compete in a rally? An offroad motorcycle, of course. Er… So, what’s this Suzuki GSX-R1000RR doing here?

The Portugese stunt rider Ricardo Domingos obviously had different ideas when he competed in the Portugese version of the Baja 500. He said all he needed were knobby offroad tyres and higher handlebars to do the job. Plus some engine remapping for torque instead of all-out horsepower, too.

He then entered in the amateur class of the Baja 500 Portalegre rally, finishing 24thout of 70 participants. If you think that’s a bad result, think about the other 46 riders on offroad bikes that he beat.

The original Baja 500 (as in 500 miles) is held in the Baja California Peninsula in America. There are separate classes for cars, trucks, buggies and motorcycles. Participants race through the desert against the clock.

The Portugese Baja, on the other hand, had been around since 1987. It was created by JoséMegre, a former Paris-Dakar competitor. It is now part of the Rally World Cup.

Check out the video of Domingos and his Gixxer below. Courtesy of EnduroPro Magazine.

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