As promised by Didi Resources, the new custodian of Aprilia motorcycles in Malaysia, the inaugural (under new management) Aprilia Malaysia Track Day went off without a hitch yesterday at the Sepang International Circuit.
Didi Resources Organizes Inaugural Aprilia and Modclass Track Day
Besides rides and convoys, organizing a track day for Aprilia owners is the right thing to do as the activity demonstrates the manufacturer’s “Be a Racer” philosophy.
It was great to see owners showing up from all over Malaysia and even Singapore on all sorts of Aprilia models, because we are used to seeing the RSV4 superbike in the Malaysian Superbike Championship (MSBK), Malaysian Speed Foundation (MSF) and track days on weekends.
Instead, this track day organized by Didi Resources provided the opportunity to ride on track on any bike, more like a “Run what ya brung” track weekend.
Indeed, we saw the Shiver 750, Tuono V4, SL1000R, RSV Mille (the father of the RSV4), RS250 two-strokes, and an SR-Max 300 scooter ridden by Khairul Hafiz.
Of course, the riders attended a safety briefing after registration. Aprilia Malaysia had also prepared race suits and riding gear for rental to those who don’t own them.
It had rained on the track from early morning and the open track day riders came back to report on a slippery track after their first session. However, the Aprilians were lucky as their sessions started close to noon and went on through late afternoon. The sun had started to shine and dried the track by then.
It was visible that the participants had a great day although they were also exhausted after riding under the hot sun. Didi Resources also provided refreshments and lunch so that they had nothing to worry about except of having fun.
Lastly, while there weren’t many who took the track as expected despite the large number of Aprilians who showed up, we believe there will be many more in the next track days. We would also like to add that they event went without a hitch, and there was no mishap.
Para pemilik motosikal Aprilia mulai merasakan hasil pertukaran pengedar rasmi baharu jenama itu.
Para pemilik yang juga ahli kelab Urban Riders telah menganjurkan satu tunggangan hujung minggu ke Melaka bagi beriadah di tepi pantai.
Kumpulan tersebut telah memulakan perjalanan mereka dari Aprilia Malaysia yang berada di The Gasket Alley.
As with other brands under the care of Didi Resources, Aprilia riders are now reaping the benefits with more rides and programs, as promised by the new distributor. As such, the bike club Urban Riders celebrated the organization’s 5th anniversary by riding to Melaka, mostly on Aprilias.
The activity still managed to attract about 30 participants despite being organized in the middle of a long, 3-day weekend (Saturday).
The riders grouped at the new Aprilia Malaysia at The Gasket Alley, for a light breakfast and some catching up.
Two models were heavily represented, the Shiver 750 and Tuono 1000 V4.
Idon Pang, the Aftersales Manager for the Piaggio brands at The Gasket Alley welcomed the riders and thanked them for taking part in the convoy. He also iterated that new Aprilia bike sales will hopefully begin in October 2018.
He also reminded the riders of the inaugural Aprilia Track Day on 9th September 2018.
Didi Resources Organizes Inaugural Aprilia and Modclass Track Day
With that, proceedings were handed to the club’s president, Tok Uban to present the ride briefing. There was no police escort so the participants were told to buddy up and watch out for one another.
The group then departed from The Gasket Alley to head to the Shell petrol station after the Sungai Besi Toll Plaza to hook up with another group, before pushing to Chalet D’ Sayang at Pengkalan Balak, Melaka. They will put up for a night there before heading back to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow (Sunday).
When Didi Resources promised great things to rejuvenate the Aprilia brand in Malaysia, they were serious at it. The new custodian and authorized distributor of Aprilia motorcycles in Malaysia is organizing a track day for Aprilia owners at the Sepang International Circuit on 9th September 2018.
Piaggio Group Confirms The Appointment of a New Distributor for Aprilia in Malaysia
The Aprilia Track Day is open to all Aprilia owners of any model. Riders can choose between Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced categories, and there are two sessions allocated per category.
The entry fee is RM220, inclusive of track time, refreshments and door gifts.
It’ll be great to see and hear Aprilia’s V-Fours and V-Twin ridden in anger on the track again.
Also held on the same day are sessions for “Modclass” motorcycles, which is open to all modern classic motorcycles, although it is organized by Moto Guzzi Malaysia.
The entry fee is a little higher at RM250, but it includes a safety riding briefing and short training by “Foreman” Oh Kah Beng. Besides that, there is also a guided ride by certified marshals and motorcycle inspection by trained personnel. As with the Aprilia sessions, the Modclass fee also includes food and refreshments. Riders will also receive a Certificate of Completion at the end of the day.
For the Modclass, it will be the best opportunity to settle the score among modern classics to see which is faster!
You need not worry if you do not own a racesuit as you can rent a set which includes the suit, gloves and boots at RM330 for the entire day. You will need to bring your own full-face helmet, though.
Please register quickly as there are limited slots and they are going fast! You may refer to this link https://goo.gl/forms/wd3bJSCrdXrGQm2R2 to register or get in touch with Liyana at 011-23008919.
See you at the track.
Aprilia owners in Malaysia have plenty to be happy about as they now have someone capable to turn to when it comes to maintaining their machines.
GB Workshop which is located at The Gasket Alley has opened its doors to all Aprilia motorcycles. In a Facebook announcement today by the company’s head of aftersales, Idon Pang, GB Workshop has already been and will continue to carry out all maintenance and repair work for any Aprilia motorcycles, old or new.
GB Workshop is owned by Didi Resources Sdn Bhd, which was recently announced as the new importer and distributor of all Aprilia motorcycles in Malaysia (read that announcement here). The company also manages the importation and distribution of Harley-Davidson and Moto Guzzi in Malaysia.
The workshop is equipped with all the latest diagnostic tools such as the all important Piaggio Advanced Diagnostics System which is required to maintain all Aprilia machinery. Not only that, but the team at GB Workshop has also been properly trained and have years of experience working on Aprilia bikes. Idon Pang for one was the former head of aftersales when the brand was still being managed by its previous distributor.
So when it comes to maintaining your Aprilia, trust that there is no other workshop more capable than GB Workshop.
So as soon as it was announced that Naza and Piaggio had amicably agreed to cease the distribution of the Aprilia brand in Malaysia, we got in touch with the new company in charge of the Italian brand for Malaysia – Didi Resources Sdn Bhd (DRSB).
Some of you may remember DRSB as the company that has been handling the other brand under the Piaggio Group – Moto Guzzi.
DRSB took on the custodianship of the Moto Guzzi brand last year and has since done a stellar job. Moto Guzzi has been selling spectacularly well and the introduction of a number of new models, including the recent introduction of the gorgeous V7 III Carbon (you can read about it here), has given fans and potential owners a diverse choice of models, with at least three more models due to be introduced this year.
Not only that, but DRSB has proven that it does not only know how to sell bikes, but it also knows how to offer a great ownership experience through great after sales service with a dedicated workshop and specially trained technicians. The workshop is equipped with state-of-the-art Piaggio Advanced Diagnostics System and all of its technicians are trained to use the computer and its software, which is required to maintain all of the models under the Piaggio umbrella, Aprilia included.
Besides that, the team at DRSB has also been actively engaging its owners through specially organised rides such as a recent weekend ride to Melaka (you can watch the video here), and the first ever night ride to Penang for Sahur during the recent month of Ramadan.
So when it comes to selling, maintaining and taking care of its owners, DRSB has been impressive. But that is not entirely surprising, the company consists of some of the most experienced people in the industry. Helming the company is Mr Rewi Hamid Bugo (above), a successful businessman with diverse interests who serves as the Chairman of DRSB. The General Manager is Juan Chow Wee (below, left), whose experience includes managing the Ducati brand in its early years, and who has previously worked on the Aprilia brand before. And then there is the ever popular Idon Pang (below, right) who serves as the head of after sales for DRSB. He has also previously served as the head of after sales for Aprilia and other brands, so is perfectly placed to manage such an iconic brand.
I managed to catch Juan for a chat after the announcement was made that DRSB will take on the distributorship of Aprilia, and it was clear that there is huge excitement in the company for the Aprilia brand.
“We want to first assure all Aprilia owners everywhere in Malaysia that we are here to take care of them and to serve their ownership needs. It does not matter where they bought the bikes from, as long as it is an Aprilia, they can come to us,” said Juan Chow Wee.
The new distributor says it is committed to honoring all warranties for all new bikes sold, it will also offer servicing packages and will stock up on spare parts for Aprilia bikes. Besides that, it wants to make Aprilia more competitive in the market and so there will be a price adjustment that will make the brand more enticing to a wider demographic.
“We do not only want to sell Aprilia bikes, but we want to offer new and current Aprilia owners the full extent of the Aprilia lifestyle, which means we will be activating a number of events for owners including track days and even weekend rides. We want to be able to engage owners in a way they have never been before,” added Juan.
So what can Aprilia owners expect from the new custodian of the brand? Well the new flagship showroom will open at The Gasket Alley by November this year, so owners have a place to hang out. The official service centre too will be located at The Gasket Alley, and the company expects to be fully stocked with parts by September.
As for owners who live in other states, DRSB says that it will evaluate the dealership network and either retain current dealerships that show a genuine interest in growing the Aprilia brand, or it will let go some and sign on more promising dealerships that can better serve the needs of Aprilia owners all over the country.
Juan explained, “owning an Aprilia is not just about owning a great bike, but it also gives access to an exclusive lifestyle. Our dealers should be able to offer all their customers access to a great ownership experience.”
“We want to reactivate the Aprilia community, we want to engage them and offer them fantastic ownership experience through a fully stocked workshop, monthly events and we want to take a brand that has been flying under the radar for too long to greater heights. We are committed to taking back the glory of Aprilia to its true value.”
The company has plans to offer all-new models after the launch of its service centre and flagship showroom. And judging by its success with Moto Guzzi, we are actually quite excited about the growth of the Aprilia brand in Malaysia.
More to come.
Following the statement released by Naza yesterday confirming that it will cease its Aprilia distributorship in Malaysia (you can read the statement here), the Piaggio Group has today confirmed that it has appointed Didi Resources Sdn Bhd (DRSB) as the new distributor for Aprilia in Malaysia.
The following is the statement released by The Piaggio Group:
Kuala Lumpur, 18 July 2018 – The Piaggio Group officially announces the appointment of Didi Resources Sdn Bhd in Malaysia, as the official distributor of Aprilia, one of the Group’s premium motorcycle brands.
Didi Resources Sdn Bhd will manage Aprilia in substitution of the previous distributor, Naza Premira Sdn Bhd. The Piaggio Group wishes to thank Naza Premira for the continuous effort and support since 2013.
Mr. Gianluca Fiume, Chairman & General Director of Piaggio Vietnam cum Executive Vice President Asia Pacific 2 Wheeler, said, “The appointment of Didi Resources is part of Piaggio’s business strategy to group the motorcycle brands of Aprilia and Moto Guzzi under a single entity to maximize efficiencies across all aspects of the business and reinforce customer commitment in Malaysia. With Aprilia and Moto Guzzi under one roof, we are able to better offer a wider range for potential customers who seek a unique Italian motorcycle experience backed by superior performance and rich heritage of these brands. We look forward to collaborating closely with Didi Resources to propel both Aprilia and Moto Guzzi to greater heights.”
Under the management of Didi Resources, the Gasket Alley at Petaling Jaya will house a dedicated showroom for both Aprilia and Moto Guzzi brands, an aftersales and a service workshop with a new team equipped with specialized technical skills and expertise, fully trained by Aprilia. Customers are assured of a seamless transition in customer care and service support.
According to Mr. Rewi Hamid Bugo, Chairman of Didi Resources Sdn. Bhd, “We are very honoured to be presented with this opportunity to manage Aprilia, a prestigious Piaggio Group brand for the Malaysian market. This complements the Moto Guzzi range which we have established since August 2017 and completes our premium Italian motorcycle product range under Piaggio. Through this acquisition, Didi Resources is firmly committed to building the Aprilia brand through a dedicated aftersales support, strengthening of the Aprilia community and ensuring that engagement with the brand is continuous in the light of a competitive 2-wheel environment in Malaysia.”
The official appointment of Aprilia under Didi Resources will take into effect from 1 August 2018. A series of media and customer engagement activities and service support campaigns for Aprilia are currently in the pipeline to bolster brand building efforts.
DRSB is also the distributor for Harley-Davidson and Moto Guzzi in Malaysia, and has a proven track record of maintaining unique brands. Based at The Gasket Alley in PJ, the team at DRSB have all previously had links to Aprilia in one way or another. So Aprilia owners can rest assured that their machines are in good hands.
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