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Yesterday’s MotoGP qualifying session saw an all Yamaha front row assault where Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) will start at the front of today’s race.

They will start today’s race together with French local boy, Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) who ran a sensational Q1 and Q2 in front of his home fans.

Other surprises in today’s race includes the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo, Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith who qualified in a respectable P8 and P10.

Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) will start tomorrow’s MotoGP race for the HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France when he qualified on top of the time sheets during qualifying yesterday. After a troubled free practice sessions which haunted most of the high profile riders and factory teams, Vinales managed to set a blistering pace to sit comfortably at the front for tomorrow’s race. (more…)

  • Perlumbaan MotoGP ke-3000 menyaksikan Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) kekal sempurna dari awal hingga ke akhir perlumbaan untuk kemenangan yang klasik di Gran Premio Red Bull de España.
  • Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) dan Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) melengkapkan podium yang dipenuhi dengan penunggang Sepanyol di hadapan penyokong senegara mereka di Jerez.
  • Jorge Lorenzo telah berjaya menduduki podium buat kali pertama di atas jenteranya, Ducati Desmosedici GP17.

(more…)

The 3000th MotoGP race saw Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) taking the whole shot from start to finish with a classic textbook win at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España.

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) and Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) completed the all-Spanish podium spots in front of their home crowd of Jerez.

Jorge Lorenzo scored his first ever podium spot on board his Ducati Desmosedici GP17.

In a MotoGP full of crashes and drama, it was Dani Pedrosa of Repsol Honda who pulled a stunning textbook win at the legendary Jerez circuit in Spain yesterday for the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. Pedrosa who started from pole position blasted down the first turn and never looked back while the scene at the back went through a lot of action. (more…)

The fourth MotoGP Gran Premio Red Bull de España round in Jerez will see Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) starting from pole ahead of his team mate, Marc Marquez.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) completes the all Honda front row ahead of Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) who will start in P4.

Andrea Iannone (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) qualified in P5 and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) in P6.

After a sensational MotoGP qualifying session yesterday for the Gran Premio Red Bull de España in Jerez, it was Dani Pedrosa of the Repsol Honda squad who came out on top taking the pole position with a stunning lap time of 1:38.429. (more…)

  • Sebagai sebahagian daripada acara amal ‘Ride for Jalil’, lebih 300 penunggang motosikal superbike dan motosikal berprestasi tinggi menjelajah sekitar Johor pada hujung minggu lalu.
  • Matlamatnya adalah bagi mencipta kesedaran awam tentang kanser dan mengumpul dana untul Yayasan Kanser Tunku Laksamana Johor.
  • Perjalanan ini telah diketuai oleh Tunku Panglima Johor dan Tunku Putera Johor yang bermula dari Muar dan berakhir di Litar Pasir Gudang.

(more…)

Video: Our first impression of the new Kawasaki Versys X 250!

  • At just RM23,789 with GST, the Versys X 250 is now the cheapest adventure bike in the market right now.
  • Tall riders will love the sitting position, which is similar to that of bigger adventure bikes, minus the weight.
  • The 249cc engine, though nothing spectacular, was designed to balance power and fuel consumption.
  • During the off-road session, the tall ride height of 180mm ensured that the bottom never met any rocks, and with a weight of just 173 kilograms, it was simple and easy to manoeuvre through the tight spots and thick mud.
  • If it is a light, cheap, do -anything, go-anywhere kind of bike you want, the Versys-X 250 is the bike you should be spending your money on!

What is it that makes a good adventure bike? Is it a brand? Or a certain look? Or a particular engine or perhaps it should have about a hundred different rider aids? We asked some friends and the general answers were that a good adventure bike should be simple to repair, lightweight, comfortable with good suspension and it should have good fuel range as well.

Well there are lots of bikes that meet all those criteria, and the latest one is this – the Kawasaki Versys X 250. I have to admit to being a little excited about meeting this bike, which is odd because it is not one of those bikes you would normally call beautiful, and neither is it particularly powerful. It is just a plain, functional simple green Kawasaki with tall suspension and seat height. I was excited because this is the bike that signals that all is well in the motorcycle industry and manufacturers are creating more and more models to meet rising demand. An adventure bike for less than RM25,000, who would have imagined we would have bikes like this 10 years ago. It is a brilliant idea, and one that gives almost everyone a chance to own a good bike.

You see, at just RM23,789 with GST, the Versys X 250 is now the cheapest adventure bike in the market right now. It is also quite a big, tall bike and could be considered as a almost full-sized tourer. And with more people relying on two wheels to commute and to travel, the Versys X 250 is the one bike that could potentially offer it all – add some boxes and you will have ample storage space, it has good fuel range and it is cheap to buy. This is the bike that is capable of taking you around the world tomorrow should you want to. It is prepared, and even comes with tubed tyres, something that is easy to repair anywhere.

But lets manage expectations first. To begin with, the X is not powerful, at all. It offers just 31hp at 11,500rpm and 21.7Nm of torque at 10,000rpm. This means it has a high revving nature, and acceleration is just that, and the bike wheezes its way to a top speed of 150km/h. I managed 161km/h but that was on a downhill, so that’s cheating, sort of. The foot pegs too vibrate way too hard at high speeds, making it uncomfortable and leaves your feet buzzing for a good 10 minutes after stepping off the bike. But that’s it, that is all that is wrong with the baby X. Everything else about it is good enough.

The sitting position for one is similar to the Versys 650. The seat has been plucked off the bigger Versys 650 and feels comfortable on the Versys-X, good enough for a long ride north in fact. Tall riders will love the sitting position, which is similar to that of bigger adventure bikes, minus the weight. Talking about weight, this bike tips the scales at just 173 kilograms, which can be considered as ultra-light in the world of touring/adventure/dual purpose motorcycles.

The 249cc engine, though nothing spectacular, was designed to balance power and fuel consumption. The 17-litre tank offers a range of about 260-300 kilometres, something overlanders will appreciate. The engine is a liquid-cooled unit with double overhead cams (DOHC), eight-valves with parallel mounted cylinders. Most of the power it generates is at the bottom and mid-range of the rpm band and peaks at the very top between 10,000 – 11,500rpm, and it is because of this that you need to downshift when cruising at higher gears if you suddenly need more power; there is very little acceleration power in high gears.

But it is this low-ratio gears and high-revving character that makes the Versys-X such a capable machine when off-roading, as we found out during the recent official test ride in Rawang. Part of the route took us into a plantation, and because it had been raining, sand had turned into mud with little to no grip, great fun it was and the character of the engine and the lightweight nature of the Versys-X truly came alive here. The low-ratios means you have to use first or second gear through the slipperies and gives you access to power throughout the tall rev-band. And the ride height of 180mm ensured the bottom never met the mud, and with a weight of just 173 kilograms, it was steady through the tight spots and thick mud, parts where heavier bikes will struggle. I have to admit that the Versys X 250 was fun and nimble for a rookie off-roader.

The Versys-X was obviously designed to tackle both tarmac and off-road. The all-new rigid backbone frame was specially designed to handle external shocks like the hard knocks and bumps you get when riding off-road. It was also designed to make the bike sturdy when carrying a pillion and luggage.

The suspension too was good enough for us with 41mm of fork travel up front designed to soak up everything the road could throw at it and a bottom-link, uni-trak, gas-charged fork with adjustable pre-load at the rear. The front fork is connected to a 19-inch wheel while the rear measures in at 17 inches. The varying wheel size and the long forks gives the bike good handling, though there were some members of the media who thought 21 inches would have been better, low and high speed handling is already pretty good.

The Kawasaki Versys-X 250 was a rather pleasant bike to ride. You can’t tell how good a bike is just by looking at it, and the Versys-X 250 cannot be judged just by the way it looks. In fact it has a larger than life spirit to it, the kind that is willing to go anywhere, anytime and is able to do it well. Kawasaki Malaysia even specified a multi-function LCD panel that clearly indicates speed, rpm, and even a gear position indicator, which gives the bike a high-tech touch and doesn’t leave you feeling short changed.

The Versys-X 250 is currently the only bike of its kind in the market right now, and it doesn’t seem like there will be any competitors any time soon. So if it is a light, cheap, do -anything, go-anywhere kind of bike you want, the Versys-X 250 is the bike you want!

  • Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) continues his MotoGP domination at the Circuit of the Americas for the fifth time in a row

  • Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) race brilliantly to P2, putting him ahead of the championship title fight with 56 points

  • Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) landed his first podium of the season after quite a few amazing battles with Marquez and Rossi throughout the race

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda

It’s official; Marc Marquez makes it five out five victories at arguably one of his favourite tracks in the race calendar, the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), Texas USA. After a brilliant qualifying session and race, it’s too early to put aside the 2016 MotoGP World Champion aside just yet for the title crown of 2017. (more…)

First impression of the Kawasaki Z900 and comparison against the Z800.

  • The Z900 is also a full 21 kilograms lighter than the Z800, which itself was oddly heavier than the then flagship Z1000.
  • The internal upgrades include a new crankshaft that is lighter by 700 grams, lighter pistons, a new cylinder head, open deck type cylinder block and a new intake.
  • Handling was predictable; the frame is designed to have as little bends and angles as possible, which then disperses stress quickly and evenly, giving the rider the most compliant ride possible.

The Kawasaki Z800 has been quite a darling among those looking for an affordable super naked motorcycle. The awesome edgy design and a smooth powerful engine made it a good bike for the daily commute to the office and to carve up mountain roads on the weekends. But it was far from perfect.

It was heavy which made simple manoeuvres like parking and u-turns feel as difficult as stacking sand bags. Most of the weight felt as if it were centred higher up at the top of the bike, making it a “top heavy” bike – easy to drop into a corner but difficult to pick up again for the next corner. Brute strength and serious muscle was needed to really wring the best out of the Z800, not to mention serious balls. It was a great bike, but needed some improvements.

And so that is exactly what Kawasaki aimed to change with the Z900. Having recently sampled it on a short 150km ride, we are pleased to tell you that the Z900 is leaps and bounds and stars and galaxies better than the Z800. It is also the de facto flagship bike now since the Z1000 is yet to be updated, if there is to be an update at all.

And just in case you were wondering, the Z900 is also a full 21 kilograms lighter than the Z800, which itself was oddly heavier than the then flagship Z1000.

21kg’ lighter does not sound like a lot, but you do feel the difference as soon as you get on the bike and turn a corner. It is more eager, more precise and a hell of a lot more manoeuvrable than the Z800. Heaving it around is a lot more manageable now too.

Making this possible is the new trellis frame that contributes the most to the weight savings. Not only does this frame weigh just 13.5 kilograms, but it also utilises five rigid mounting points, making it a stressed member of the frame, which in turn makes the Z900 a lot nippier than before.

Kawasaki also rid the bike of the subframe, a move that shaved a further 11kg’s off the total weight of the bike.

The light weight frame is further complemented by an aluminium swing arm, which shaves a further 3.3 kilograms off the total unsprung weight.

So the objective of making the Z900 a lot lighter than the Z800 was obviously achieved. But the new flagship is much more than a featherweight boxer, it packs a mighty punch too.

The 948cc, liquid-cooled four-stroke, inline-four-cyllinder is the other major improvement to the Z. The engine was designed to be quick-revving with most of the power stored at the mid and high-rev range.

Of course, power is up from the Z800 and now stands at 123.6hp (a 12.6hp increase from the Z800) and 98.6Nm of torque (a 15.6Nm increase), but because the engine is more rev happy than before, a lot more of that power is accessible much sooner, giving the Z900 some serious pulling power through all six gears.

The engine has a number of internal modifications that help it achieve its livelier character, the internal upgrades include a new crankshaft that is lighter by 700 grams, lighter pistons, a new cylinder head, open deck type cylinder block and a new intake.

But the engine is not the only thing that has been updated, the gearbox too is all-new. The ratios have been completely reworked for shorter ratios and this contributes to the wild acceleration and explains why the Z900 is so rowdy in the first and second gear.

In fact, slicing through traffic was best done in fourth or fifth gear, any lower and it is simply too eager to burst open, but on the highway, the zippy character was brilliant. Power was constantly available in all gears, even in sixth gear it will continue to accelerate towards the 11,000rpm red line. If it is constant power you want, the Z900 has miles and miles of that.

Handling was predictable; the frame is designed to have as little bends and angles as possible, which then disperses stress quickly and evenly, giving the rider the most compliant ride possible. The suspension was at factory setting, and it did feel a tad soft and lumpy in the bends, but both front and rear suspensions are adjustable.

The rebound and compression of the front suspension can be adjustable via a single control on the left fork, where previously you had to adjust both forks separately, risking an imbalanced set up. The rear suspension has been redesigned and now utilises a near horizontally mounted shock that is connected to a linkage system, which in turn is connected to a lighter, stiffer swing arm. The entire rear suspension is arranged in such a way that the weight of the bike and rider is centralised, eliminating the “top-heavy” feel of the Z800. The spring is adjustable for preload by 5.5 inches.

The new engine, gearbox and suspension gives the Z900 a lot more confidence than its predecessor. You can push this bike harder than before and it has what it takes to cope with all you can ask of it. It is lighter and more willing, which means you can carry mega speeds in corners. The combination of the engine together with the slick shifting gearbox ensures you are never starved of power, that I can personally testify to since this bike will still pull when you’re well into the rev-band of the sixth gear.

And just in case you run out of talent and approach a corner too hot, there is a new slipper clutch with assist function that ensures the rear tyre doesn’t lock up as you bang down the gears in a desperate attempt at using engine braking to slow you down. The clutch assist function makes the clutch lever extremely light, about 40-50% lighter according to personal estimates.

Kawasaki was obviously very serious about creating the best super naked in its price category, and it has come really close to doing it. Just incase the increase in power and diet program wasn’t enough, the company even carefully crafted an audible intake sound at about 6,000rpm where the Z900 sounds like it is sucking in some serious air, just like a sprint runner would at full flight.

The intake funnels are of varying length (50mm for the outer pair and 150mm for the inner pair) and this offers a balance of performance and intake sound. The longer inner pair contribute towards the low-mid rpm performance, while the shorter outer pair are the ones creating the whooshing intake sound.

On a personal note, the Z900 is very near perfect but for a guy of my height and size, the package is let down by the Malaysian-spec bike’s low seat height arrangement which made the bike feel too cramped.

It was not very comfortable even when sitting at the edge of the seat and resting on the balls of my feet – in the so called full race mode. I’m about six-foot tall and I could not find a comfortable position on the Z900 sadly. But with such a brilliant all-round package, maybe an aftermarket seat and foot pegs relocaters will do the trick.

The Kawasaki Z900 is an altogether different animal to the Z800 it replaces, sporting a totally different character but an obvious evolution to the older bike. Priced at just RM50,959, the Z900 seems to have it all. We’ll be spending more time with it soon, so watch this space. Meanwhile, just a note to Z800 owners, it is time to think of trading up, the 900 is really the bike to have now.

Walk around video of all three new Benelli motorcycles including engine start up.

  • The design of the Benelli TRK 502 has obvious influences from BMW, especially the fuel tank, sitting position and the shape and angle of the handle bar.
  • The damping is cushy so there is the usual dive under heavy braking typical of softish suspension, but the rear does a decent job at soaking up speed bumps and such, which gives it a comfortable ride.
  • Taller riders will find the TRK a bit cramped, but it makes up for that with good low speed handling, and a big comfortable seat.

Benelli Malaysia made quite a wave in the local motorcycling scene when it launched three new models last weekend. You can read about the launch here, but M Force Bike Holdings Sdn Bhd, the local importer, distributor and soon to be assembler of Benelli motorcycles, also gave us an opportunity to sample all three bikes the following day.

The test ride route was just a small loop around the Equatorial Hotel in Penang, maybe about a kilometer long at most, which wasn’t exactly the perfect scenario to truly sample the capabilities of any motorcycle, but it was good enough to judge the basic handling and engine response of the new motorcycles.

We started the ride with the TRK502, Benelli’s new adventure bike. I must say that I was surprised with this bike, so surprised that I will go so far as to say that among Benelli’s new motorcycles, the TRK is the best.

The design has obvious influences from BMW, especially the fuel tank, sitting position and the shape and angle of the handle bar, but who can blame Benelli when the BMW GS is quite obviously one of the benchmark’s for almost all adventure bike builders.

Taller riders will find the TRK a bit cramped, but it makes up for that with good low speed handling, and a big comfortable seat.

It does not have a lot of technology, in fact it skimps out on things like cruise control, traction control, and tyre pressure monitoring sensors, but it does have ABS. And Benelli knew exactly what kind of motorcycle it wanted the TRK 502 to be, so they also threw in a well placed button (on the left handle bar, right within reach of your thumb) that allows you to completely switch off the ABS system. This is handy when you want to tackle dirt and mud off-road. Well thought out Benelli!

The TRK 502 isn’t exactly big on power either, the twin-cylinder, liquid cooled engine produces just 48hp at 8,500rpm and 45Nm of torque at 5,000rpm. There’s good grunt lower down the rev band, but there’s a feeling that more power will be needed on the highway, especially when you want to just squeeze the throttle and accelerate out of a situation. We’ll get to that when we actually get to ride this bike on a highway.

Gear changes are nice – short and precise. The final drive is of course chain driven which makes the TRK quite well suited for global riders who want to ride a bike to the end of the world without worrying about complicated or shortage of parts and such.

Suspension feels good too – the front consists of an inverted fork with 150mm of travel while the rear is made up of a steel swing arm with a single telescopic oil damped coil spring with 45mm of travel. The damping is cushy so there is the usual dive under heavy braking typical of softish suspension, but the rear does a decent job at soaking up speed bumps and such, which gives it a comfortable ride.

Brakes too are decent and are made up of twin 320mm discs up front grabbed by twin-piston calipers. The rear is made up of a single 260mm disc. Tyres are 120/70ZR17 up front and 160/60/ZR17 at the rear.

All in all the Benelli TRK 502 seems to be the ideal adventure bike for those looking to get into the segment with a unsophisticated machine with proven old-school technology. It is cheaper than the Kawasaki Versys 650 and there is still no news of Yamaha’s 700 Tracer, so that makes the TRK 502 the cheapest Adventure bike you can get in the market right now.

Complaints? Well I don’t quite like the patchy welding job and the frame could do with a bit more attention to detail, but that does not make this a bad motorcycle. Aesthetics aside, the TRK 502 seems to have it all, now we are just waiting on M Force Bike Holdings Sdn Bhd to make this bike available for a review so we can rack up about 1000 kilometers on it. We will be back with more on the TRK 502.

[button color=”” size=”” type=”round” target=”” link=”https://www.bikesrepublic.com/bikes/2017-benelli-trk-502/”] Click here to see the complete specifications of the Benelli TRK 502 and compare it against other bikes at the Bikes Republic Bike Buyer’s Guide![/button]

Benelli Malaysia has strengthened its presence in Malaysia through a new distributor, click to read about the appointment of M Force Bike Holdings Sdn Bhd as Malaysian distributor. 

  • The Z650 and the Ninja 650 are almost all-new and are the replacement models to the popular ER6N and the ER6F.
  • The Z650 is 17kg’s lighter than the ER6N and the Ninja 650 is 16kg’s lighter than the ER6F.
  • The 649cc, four-stroke, parallel twin engine is liquid cooled and produces 65hp and 65.7Nm of torque on both bikes.
  • Both bikes now offer ABS as standard via the latest Bosch 9.1M unit which is small and compact and tactfully placed under the seat because of its compact size.
  • The Z650 is priced at RM35,609 inclusive of GST, while the Ninja 650 is priced at RM37,189 with GST as well.

It was an interesting day yesterday as we got to test ride two new Kawasaki motorcycles which were first introduced to Malaysians back in January.

The Z650 and the Ninja 650 are almost all-new and are the replacement models to the popular ER6N and the ER6F, both of which were considered to be entry level models to the wonderful world of Kawasaki middleweight superbikes.

So, both the Z and the Ninja may be considered as entry level models, but there is nothing “entry-level” about them.

The test ride route organised by Kawasaki Malaysia began in Nilai and went on to Morib then to Jenjarum through some old country roads. A total distance of about 200 kilometers was good enough for an initial impression of both bikes, and though the Ninja was my personal favourite, the Z was incredibly impressive too.

The size of the Z has somewhat shrunk from the ER6N, in fact it almost feels like a slightly bigger version of the Z250, and it is a lot lighter too, than the ER6N that is.

Shorter riders will appreciate the lower seat height, which is now 15mm lower, as well as the slimmer seat which is designed to help vertically challenged riders to keep their feet flat on the road. Personally, my six foot frame would have preferred a taller seat height as I found both the Z650 and the Ninja 650 a bit cramped for my height. But then again, I am an abnormally in a market where shorter riders make up the majority.

Both bikes are a lot lighter too thanks to the usage of some advanced materials. The Z650 is 17kg’s lighter than the ER6N and the Ninja 650 is 16kg’s lighter than the ER6F. This may not seem like a lot, but you really do feel the difference as soon as you sit on the bike and pick it off its stand. The dramatic weight reduction was achieved through a number of upgrades including an all-new trellis frame which at 15kg’s, is a full 10kg’s lighter than the old frame. And because the new frame allows the engine to function as a stressed member through three rigid mounts, thus contributing to the lightweight feel of the bike, making it easier to put it into a corner and picking it back up again on the exit. Then there is the new rear swing-arm which is now of a gull-arm style and is 2.7kg’s lighters thanks to advanced construction methods.

The engine too has been upgraded and is the best part of both bikes. The 649cc, four-stroke, parallel twin engine is liquid cooled and produces 65hp and 65.7Nm of torque on both bikes. It features a number of updates like the cylinder heads which have been redesigned as have the camshaft profiles which now feature a reduced operating angle and overlap. What this gives you is improved response and more power in the lower and middle part of the rev band. An improvement that we could feel right away – there was more torque which means you do not have to spend precious time downshifting everytime you want to accelerate. In fact, the Ninja 650 feels a lot better because it has a bigger fuel injector with an opening that is 2mm bigger than that on the Z650. Same amount of power and torque, just more accessible lower down the rev band. Also handy through traffic where you can just hold the throttle without having to constantly shift gears.

Both bikes also come with a new slipper clutch with an assist function. What this means is that you get a lighter clutch feel and the rear wheel will not lock and hop during quick downshifts; improving safety and cornering stability. It’s also a lot easier to move off even from a hill start, you have to try really hard to kill the engine during roll out. Also assisting gear shifts is a new gear shift mechanism which has been changed to a link type set up (see below_. With this, you only need to gently tap the shifter for an up or downshift. Particularly useful for clutchless upshifts.

On the move, the first thing you notice about the bikes is the impressive amount of grunt and the linear acceleration with no loss of power. The powerplant is obviously the best part about both the new bikes, absolutely no complaints there. In fact, besides the smaller size of both motorcycles, there really are no complaints. But the suspension could do with a re-tuning once you have bought it. Especially the rear as I found it to be a little too soft. The rear suspension has been updated over the old bike and now uses a horizontal back-link which helps increase sportiness and comfort, but I found it to be too focused on comfort and would dip too much on uneven roads. But it is adjustable for preload, so just a few clicks of the horizontally mounted mono shock should fix that.

The tail light of the Z650 is in the shape of an Z.

Of course there are other updates as well, like the new front brake callipers, brake pads and rotor carriers. Both bikes now offer ABS as standard via the latest Bosch 9.1M unit which is small and compact and tactfully placed under the seat because of its compact size. The fuel tank too has been redesigned an placed lower down the chassis for a more sportier look and feel. Then there is the new instrument panel that now comes with a gear position and shift indicator, three-selectable display modes and also tells you the temperature of the coolant as well.

While the tail light of the Ninja 650 is in the shape of an X.

Both bikes are now more relaxed to sit on as well. The handle bars on the Z650 for example have been placed 10mm forward and 15mm lower, this reduces the bodyweight on your wrists. The handlebars on the Ninja on the other hand are all new and have been placed 25mm forward and 42mm lower. I personally love the sitting position on the Ninja 650, it perhaps has the best sitting position in its class.

This is the meter panel of the Z650, now with a digital read out. It also lights up in different colours as you get closer to the point of shift.

The difference between both bikes is limited to the overall weight, the Ninja is 6kg’s heavier than the Z. So if you have to chose one bike between these two, either way you will be making a really good decision. The slim and compact size of the Z650 will be perfect for city use, the nimbleness will definitely come alive in traffic. The Ninja 650 too will be perfect in urban areas, but can double-up as a weekend warrior for those who like to get your knee down.

The meter panel of the Ninja 650, some key updates include a digital read out, gear shift indicator, gear position indicator as well as fuel consumption and fuel range.

We will be picking up both bikes at a later date for a more thorough review and will reserve further judgement until we have spent more time with them. The Z650 is priced at RM35,609 inclusive of GST, while the Ninja 650 is priced at RM37,189 with GST as well.

The brakes of both bikes have been updated as well, besides ABS, the twin front discs are petal shaped with great initial feel and bite.
The exhaust of both bikes are now conveniently tucked under the bike, and though they sound puny, Kawasaki also has an optional exhaust kit from Akrapovic.

 

Radiator cover set is now standard on the Ninja 650.

  • In conjunction with International Women’s Day 2017

  • More than 70 bikers joined in to show love and support

As we have mentioned in our article a few days back, Throttle Riot organised a very special ride called “Moto and Gincu” in celebration of women and bikers in the nation. As this was an event with a brand new concept, the initial start up managed to gather around 70 bikers for the event that happened last Saturday located at the Bee, Publika Dutamas. (more…)

A quick guide on how to spot a lemon when shopping for used bikes.

(more…)

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