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Marc Marquez is 2025 MotoGP Champion

Marc Marquez has become the 2025 MotoGP champion, which is also his seventh time winning the championship title.

Marc finished the main race at the Motegi circuit in Japan in second place behind his factory Ducati teammate, Franceso “Pecco” Bagnaia. They also finished the Sprint race on Saturday in the same positions.

However, Marc only needed to finish the race with a points tally exceeding that of his brother Alex Marquez, who rides for the Gresini Ducati team, to become champion. In the end, Marc has collected a total of 541 points so far, 201 points ahead of Alex who is in second place overall. Alex can no longer catch Marc, even though there are still five rounds remaining.

Marc’s championship means it was a 2,184-day wait for him to become world champion again. The last time he became champion was in 2019, before he broke his right arm in 2020. After that, he underwent four surgeries to treat it, and also suffered more than 100 crashes on the track while struggling with his bike when he wasn’t 100% recovered.

This race win in Japan is the second this year for Bagnaia, after he struggled throughout the season to adapt himself to the new Ducati GP25 bike. He finally received advice on his bike setup from former Ducati rider and also former world champion, Casey Stoner, thus enabling him to win both races in this round.

2026 Kawasaki Z1100 SE and Z1100 Revealed

It has been some years since the last Kawasaki Z1000 was sold – way back in 2020, to be exact. And it is back, and bigger as the 2026 Kawasaki Z1100 SE and the Z1100.

Well, the new bike retains the Sugomi look of the previous model, but the giveaway that it is the new model is a “sleeker” exhaust silencer. But yes, it is still big in order to satisfy the Euro 5+ emission standard.

Good news is the new Z1100 boasts some revisions under the skin.

Highlights

The new engine has new pistons, valve springs and cams.
It produces 134 hp at 9,000 RPM and 112.5 Nm at 7,600 Nm, clearly indicating that it is meant for street riding.
The gearbox is now equipped with a slip and assist clutch.
There is now a ride-by-wire throttle, which in turn allows for ride modes and cruise control.
An inertial measurement unit (IMU) takes care of lean sensative ABS and traaction control.
A new 5-inch TFT screen with Bluetooth connectivity is also fitted.
As for the variants, the 2026 Kawasaki Z1100 SE boasts gold coloured Showa forks, Öhlins S46 monoshock with remote adjuster at the back, Brembo monoblock calipers with steel-braided brake hoses, and topped off with a different paint scheme.
Kawasaki claims that both variants weigh the same, although a little heavy at 221 kg.
The standard edition if offered in Ebony/Metallic Carbon Gray, while the SE is available in Metallic Matte Graphenesteel Gray/Metallic Matte Carbon Gray with green wheels.
UK prices for the 2026 Kawasaki Z1100 SE is £12,699 (RM71,872.780) and the standard 2026 Kawasaki Z1100 is £11,099 (RM62,817.23).
The main rival of the bike should the Honda CB1000 SP, which retails for £9,999 (RM56,591.54) in the UK, and RM69,999 in Malaysia.

2025 Honda GL1800 Gold Wing 50th Anniversary Arrives in Malaysia

The Honda Gold Wing celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025 and the maker had launched the special edition colourway to celebrate it. And now, the 2025 Honda GL1800 Gold Wing 50th Anniversary has arrived in Malaysia.

The bike was formally launched by Boon Siew Honda (BSH) today. BSH also handed over the first units to their respective owners.

First launched in 1975 as the GL1000 flat-four, the Gold Wing has grown over the years to the current 1833cc flat-six. The last complete update was in 2018 which saw it gaining girder forks and Honda’s DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission).

Both the 2025 Gold Wing standard and Tour variants have received updates – including two new paint finishes influenced by models of the past. Amongst them is a combination of Eternal Gold and Bordeux Red Metallic, which draws inspiration from the 1988 GL1500 variant – with unique badging also marking the special birthday.

Apart from that, the exhaust system has an additional O2 sensor, and tweaking the ECU to make the 124.7hp engine meet the Euro5+ regulations. Buyers can choose between the manual transmission and DCT options.

Further nods to the milestone include a Gold Wing emblem on the key and seven-inch TFT display, which come complete with 50^th Anniversary and ‘Since 1975’ emblem.

BSH has priced the 2025 Honda GL1800 Gold Wing 50th Anniversary from RM222,888 and will be available at Honda Big Wing dealers nationwide.

Photo gallery

Honda GL1800 Gold Wing 50th Anniversary (2025)

Colour Updates for 2026 Honda ADV350

The Honda ADV350 is undoubtedly one of the most popular scooters in Malaysia, among many other countries. It has seen some significant updates for 2025 from its 2022 predecessor. As such, there are only new colour updates for the 2026 Honda ADV350.

In case you missed it, the current year model is chock-full of features such as:

Tweaked 330cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine to conform with the Euro 5+ standard.
It produces 29 hp and 31.4 Nm of torque.
Using Honda’s eSP+ technology, it boosts fuel efficiency to achieve a range of up to 330 from its 11.7-litre tank.

Other convenience features include a massive 48-litre underseat storage space with internal lighting, which includes another phone/device charging socket.
There is another phone/device charging socket in the upper, left side compartment.
Electronic features include keyless start, TFT screen which is compatible with iOS and Android smartphones, Emergency Stop-Light System, and many more.

With all that out of the way, there are four new colourways, called, Mat Pearl Cool White, Mat Coal Black Metallic, Pearl Falcon Grey, and Iridium Gray Metallic. So since it is just colour updates, you do not have to worry if you have already ordered a 2025 model.

Install Streetlights Along Dark Stretch – Court Tells PLUS

The Court of Appeal told Projek Lebuhraya Usahasama Bhd (PLUS) to install streetlights along dark stretches of the North-South Expressway, after upholding its liability over a fatal accident involving a motorcyclist.

A three-judge panel led by Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim found that the concessionaire and its maintenance contractor, Projek Penyelenggaraan Lebuhraya Bhd (Propel), had failed to take reasonable steps to ensure road safety.

The court held that periodic patrols by PlusRonda every 45 to 50 minutes were inadequate, especially at night on poorly lit stretches where hazards could not be detected in time.

The ruling followed a 2018 accident near Taiping that saw motorcyclist Azizi Zakaria, 27,striking a wheel chock for trucks and trailers on the highway. The accident took Azizi’s life.

Azizi’s parents, Zakaria Hamid and Gayah Dochik, sued PLUS and Propel for negligence.

The Sessions Court had found the companies 80 per cent liable, with 20 per cent contributory negligence apportioned to Azizi.

His parents were awarded RM57,600 for loss of dependency and RM3,000 in special damages. The High Court later affirmed the liability and revised the dependency sum to RM500 per month based on evidence of Azizi’s monthly contribution to his family.

Faizah, who wrote the unanimous decision, said PLUS bore a statutory duty under the Federal Roads (Private Management) Act 1984 to maintain the expressway in good repair.

“It is our considered opinion that a reasonable course of action in the circumstances would be for PLUS to install street lighting at intervals of, for instance, 300 meters or another distance deemed appropriate, in accordance with established engineering practices.

“Furthermore, with the introduction of solar-powered streetlights, operational expenses are expected to be significantly reduced compared to those associated with conventionally powered lighting systems.

“We disagree with the arguments presented by PLUS and Propel that the establishment of PLUSRonda to patrol the 800km stretch of the highway constitutes the taking of all reasonable measures to ensure user safety.

“PLUSRonda patrols the highway in big vehicles. In an unlit stretch of the highway, with no streetlights, the PLUSRonda personnel will only be able to see what is on the road in front of their vehicle,” she said in her ground of judgment dated Sept 11.

The appellate court said PLUS’s duty to care at common law to the users of the highway to maintain the highway in good repair and condition is non-delegable.

The court added that although PLUS had delegated its duty to maintain and repair the highway to Propel, it remains liable for Propel’s negligence that results in damage or injury to the users of the highway.

Eligibility for BUDI95, RON95 Subsidy can be Checked Online

Malaysians can now check their eligibility for the RON95 petrol subsidy through the BUDI MADANI (BUDI95) initiative launched by the Ministry of Finance, starting at 9:00 AM today.

The official portal www.budimadani.gov.my is now open for checking eligibility profiles and monthly subsidy usage balances.

The Second Minister of Finance, Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, said the check is performed automatically using an identity card number without the need for new registration.

The RON95 petrol subsidy is targeted at Malaysian citizens aged 21 years and above with a valid driving license.
The eligibility limit for the subsidy is set at 300 litres per month, based on data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
The subsidised price remains at RM1.99 per litre, while the unsubsidised market price is around RM2.60 per litre.
Usage exceeding the quota will be charged at the current market price.
E-hailing drivers can apply for an additional quota through the same portal.
Payment can be made using cash, credit/debit cards, or e-wallets.
The transaction receipt will display the value of the subsidy borne by the government as well as the actual amount paid by the user.
The government expects to save between RM2.5 billion to RM4 billion annually through the removal of the blanket subsidy, which will be reallocated to targeted assistance such as Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA).

The public can also contact the BUDI95 helpline at 1300-88-9595 starting at 9:00 AM today.

We have visited the website to test it out. This author has a valid driving license and is therefore eligible. (Screenshot below.)

This author also tried entering his wife’s identity card number, and she is not eligible because she does not have a driving license. (Screenshot below.)