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Boon Siew Honda

Some spy shots of JPJ testing the 2018 Honda X-ADV adventure scooter have been circulating online.

This means that the Road Transport Department is currently going through the Vehicle Type Approval (VTA) process for the Honda adventure scooter.

The Honda X-ADV is expected to arrive in Malaysia this year together with the Africa Twin.

Image source: Pandu Laju

Some very interesting spy shots of the our very own Road Transport Department or more popularly recognised as JPJ has been seen testing out the latest 2018 Honda X-ADV adventure scooter around Putrajaya. This can only mean one thing, ladies and gentleman. The 745cc adventure scooter is coming to Malaysia. (more…)

 

Artikel oleh: Wahid Ooi Abdullah

  • Motosikal Honda CRF250L dan CRF250 Rally adalah motosikal off-road dan adventure-tourer tahap permulaan.
  • Kedua-dua model berkenaan menggunakan enjin yang sama namun dengan kadar suspensi yang berbeza.
  • Harganya telah ditetapkan pada RM24,378.94 (harga asas beserta GST) bagi CRF250L, dan RM28,618.94 (harga asas beserta GST) bagi motosikal CRF250 Rally.

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  • The Honda CRF250L and CRF250 Rally were intended as a beginner offroader and adventure-tourer respectively.

  • Both utilise the same engine but different suspension rates.

  • Prices start at RM24,378.94(basic price with GST) for CRF250L, and RM28,618.94 (basic price with GST) for the CRF250 Rally.

Designing a bike for the masses isn’t an easy proposition in this day and age, despite motorcycles being super-segmented according to their intended usage.

Even so, there are bikes that could fit its primary role plus one or two secondary roles pretty well, earning the title as “all-rounders.” Conversely, there are bikes that manufacturers seemingly tried too hard to fit too many roles into one bike and came away as being diluted.

Boon Siew Honda launched the 2017 CRF205L and CRF250 Rally during the company’s special Iftar event for motojournalists at the Sepang International Circuit (click here for our report).

Being a dirtbike enthusiast, I was pretty excited to be present during the launch. Both bikes look great – the CRF250L certainly had some of the looks of the CRF250R motocrosser and looks like a proper enduro, while the CRF250 Rally looked like a proper adventure bike to have ran away from the Dakar Rally.

 

In typical Honda fashion, the bikes exuded the kind of quality hardly matched by other manufacturer, save one or two. The paintwork, fit between the panels, switchgear, front and rear lamps, frame, engine, swingarm, etc., etc., right down to the last bolt and nut were quality.

The instrument panel was simple but Honda managed to squeeze quite a number of good information, including a fuel gauge, and the rev counter bar is on top of the speedo. Good call.

The PGM-FI fueled 249cc, DOHC, four-stroke, single-cylinder engine started up without fuss. But also without sound from the exhaust. It was super quiet.

We set course for our Sifu’s MX school, Most Fun Gym (MFG).

Out on the road and as expected, the CRF250L felt unplanted. But dirtbikes have always been torquey and offer a different kind of entertainment on the road, right? Right?

Well, being in the middle of a gaggle of rempits revving their engines, I thought it’d be the right time to educate them about dirtbikes. First engaged, clutch in, I revved it up to 6000 RPM, popped the clutch as I moved my weight backwards on the seat for a wheelie. The CRF went brrrrrrrrrrrr and the handlebar started flick-flacking back and forth, and all I saw were the rear lights of those rempits as they disappeared up the road.

Fine, let’s see how it rides over the rest of the road.

The long-travel suspension soaked up most bumps, but running the bike through potholes had both ends hitting the hard part of their travel almost immediately. Too soft.

Okay, okay. Let’s do it in the dirt then.

The CRF250L was joined by the CRF250 Rally at MFG, where Oh Kah Beng, his understudy Ryan, Ahirine, Sep and myself took turns riding both bikes in the dirt.

CRF250L

Oh Kah Beng (OKB) took it up over the entire course at MFG. But the bike was visibly struggling up the steep inclines, necessitating OKB to use first gear. “The bike has a soft powerband and needs to revved to get it going,” the GP legend said. “Look at the rear sprocket,” he continued while pointing at it, “It seems to have been geared for the road.”

OKB also jumped the bike once. Only once. Observing and shooting photos from the trackside, I saw the rear suspension bottom out with a loud clunk. “I didn’t jump anymore after that. It just bottomed out too early and easily,” said OKB.

I took over while OKB continued with instructing his students. Coming off the humps, bumps and turns, the rear end squatted ominously. There was no point in pushing harder because we discovered that the CRF250L is much more suited for trail “cruising,” rather than as a hardcore enduro bike.

Ridden at a super relaxed pace without jumps and hard turns, the bike was comfortable and composed. It’s a shame since the CRF250L has a quick-revving engine, mated a superb frame and body but let down by being overly soft of both ends.

CRF250 Rally

As mentioned earlier, the CRF250 Rally really looked the part of an adventure-tourer.

It has a windscreen, super bright dual LED headlamps (the binnacles look like goggles – nice!), a large front bodywork which looked like it had extra fuel tanks, and a large rear section. The colour combination was really pretty too.

OKB first rode it with a student as his passenger to show him the different points around the track. He then went full tilt after dropping the kid off.

The Rally was visibly harder sprung than the CRF-L and it didn’t bottom out. That was probably because it had to carry more bodywork and load when the owner takes it touring.

However, the engine response was the same as the CRF-L, which needed lots of revs over the harder parts. The rear sprocket is also geared for road riding. “It needs more kick,” said OKB.

OKB continued, “But in all, I liked the Rally better as it’s more composed around the track. It looks pretty sexy too.”

“On the other hand, it doesn’t ride too well on the road, so it means it’s meant for touring in the dirt.”

Sifu is right. I rode the bike on the road and it didn’t want to steer very well. However, once it started to lean, the front end plops into the corner. This was despite me riding it both road (lean in) and dirt style (push down).

Conclusion

I have my heart torn out for this Honda duo.

We understand that the CRF250L’s soft rear spring was intended to sag more with the rider on board so as not to intimidate with a tall ride height, but perhaps a more progressive spring would be good? It’s already using Honda’s wonderful Pro-Link set up anyway. As for the power delivery, it’s great for beginners as it’s not overwhelming. I guess you could always replace the rear sprocket for a bigger one when your skills improve.

As for the Rally. We can’t get over how beautiful it looked, but it too needs some improvements to make it the perfect all-rounder. It could be made to handle better on the road and in the dirt. But again, it was okay as a beginner bike.

PICTURE GALLERY

Honda CBR500R 2018 (Pearl Metalloid White)
  • Boon Siew Honda secara rasminya telah mengumumkan kemunculan motosikal Honda CBR500R 2018, CB500F 2018, dan CB500X 2018 di kesemua pengedar rasmi BSH.
  • Rangkaian Honda CB500 2018 telah pun dikemaskini dengan beberapa perubahan penggayaan termasuklah skema warna dan jalur garis yang baru.
  • Kesemua model 2018 telah ditetapkan harganya bermula dari RM31,363.28 hingga RM35,391.28 (harga asas beserta GST).

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Boon Siew Honda has officially announced the arrival of the 2018 Honda CBR500R, CB500F and CB500X at all BSH authorised dealers.

The 2018 Honda CB500 range have been updated with some styling changes including brand new stripes and colour schemes.

All the 2018 models are priced from RM31,363.28 to RM35,391.28 (basic prices with GST).

2018 Honda CBR500R (Graphite Black)

We got some exciting news from Boon Siew Honda (BSH). It seems that they have officially introduced the updated 2018 Honda CB500 range in the form of the Honda CBR500R, CB500F and CB500X. For 2018, all the models will come with a much sportier, more aggressive and adventurous look together with new designs and colours. (more…)

 

Artikel oleh: Sep Irran

  • Motosikal Honda Rebel 500 2017 adalah sebuah motosikal bobber buatan Jepun yang praktikal, dilengkapi dengan enjin 471cc yang sama boleh didapati pada model saudaranya, CBR500R.
  • Dengan rupa yang menggiurkan dan prestasi yang baik, motosikal Rebel 500 tampak amat hebat sewaktu perjalanan berulang alik ke tempat kerja mahu pun tunggangan santai di hujung minggu.
  • Ditetapkan pada harga RM31,798.94, ianya bukanlah motosikal yang paling sempurna tetapi tidak syak lagi sebuah motosikal yang paling menarik untuk dimiliki pada masa ini.

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The 2017 Honda Rebel 500 is a practical Japanese bobber fitted with the same 471cc engine found on its sportier cousin, the CBR500R.

With sexy looks and decent performance, the Rebel 500 is good for looking great on the way to work or a relaxing ride on the weekends.

Priced at RM31,798.94, it’s not perfect but it is by far one of the most interesting bikes to buy right now.

In this day and age, more and more folks are looking into getting their very own two-wheeler for a number of different reasons. Some are merely fed up with facing the dreadful traffic jams on a daily basis while others are looking for that something special during the weekends to add some spice into their lives. (more…)

Artikel Oleh: Wahid Ooi Abdullah

  • Kami telah diberikan peluang bagi menunggang motosikal replika RC213V-S MotoGP.
  • Ianya adalah sebahagian daripada ‘Year End Gathering’ Boon Siew Honda bersama dengan warga media.
  • Motosikal RC213V-S ini lain daripada motosikal yang lain yang ada di dunia ini.

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  • We had the opportunity to ride the Honda RC213V-S MotoGP replica.

  • It was part of Boon Siew Honda’s Year-End Gathering for the media.

  • The RC213V-S was unlike no other motorcycle on the planet.

When it comes to motorcycle racing, I still romanticise what many regard as the “Golden Age of Motocycle GP.” Yes, those times were exciting, seeing riders getting spat off their 500cc two-stroker beasts without warning.

The modern-day four-stroke MotoGP machines look tamer on the other hand, but would any of us mere mortals dare claim they’d be easy to ride? So, when Sep informed that we were invited to ride the million-Ringgit (EUR 188,000) RC213V-S at SIC, every nerve cell hit the rev limiter.

Honda introduced the RC213V-S during EICMA in 2015. Hailed as the closest replica to the bikes ridden by works riders Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, it was a MotoGP bike for the masses.

Each RC213V-S is hand-built in a special workshop in the Kumamoto factory, with some parts sourced directly from the MotoGP bike like the swingarm, slipper clutch, magnesium alloy 17-inch Marchesini wheels, Öhlins forks, adjustable footpegs and pedals, and parts of the Brembo brakes. Other directly trickled down tech include the (partly) underseat fuel tank, and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic bodywork which is fastened with titanium bolts.

Besides those, the RC213V-S also features ride-by-wire throttle, power modes, traction control, engine-brake control, and position detection. The engine has the same configuration as the MotoGP too, a 990cc V-4 with titanium conrods, the only difference being the seamless transmission (a mainstay of MotoGP bikes) pioneered by Honda, and conventional valve springs in place of pneumatic ones.

Another difference is of course the brake discs. They are steel items on the road bike, instead of carbon.

It’s worth mentioning that the 80 percent of the parts on the RC213V-S are interchangeable with the full-on race machine. As it is, the RC213V-S is sold (or was sold if they’re sold out) to rev up to 12,000 RPM (US models rev up to 9400 RPM only due to noise restrictions). Customers could shell out another EUR 12,000 for a race kit that takes it up to 14,000 RPM.

Outwardly, and apart from not wearing the orange Repsol paint scheme, the bike looked no different from the bikes Marc and Dani used to destroy the competition. The headlights are installed into the gaping intake at tip of the upper fairing, but everything else like the exhausts and tail section screamed Honda MotoGP.

The front pair of cylinders vent exhaust gases through a pipe down low on the right side, while the rear pair exit through a pipe under the seat.

Up top, the controls on the handlebars were simple, devoid of the colourful Playstation-like buttons and a small LCD is placed up front. The handlebars are attached to the forks with beefy clamps below the beautifully finished top triple clamp which has the production number stamped on it. The rearview mirrors are attached to the ends of the handlebars.

That’s when I noticed the warning sticker on the tank. Right at the end was a symbol that says, “RON 98.” It means that an owner in Malaysia could only fill up with RON 100 at Petron or Shell’s V-Power Racing. And bring along a few bottles of X-1R Octane Booster.

Oi, enough talk. How was it to ride?

It’s definitely much, much smaller than how it appeared in any photo. Sitting on it felt like sitting on a CBR250, but when I grabbed the bar and sat up straight, I found myself looking over the top of the screen. Everything has been packed close to the rider for mass centralization. But it was surprisingly not uncomfortable. Racebikes of years past were uncomfortable, but the RC213V-S felt like any roadgoing sportbike. Heck, it felt a lot like the CBR1000RR Fireblade with racing footpegs.

While we ogled at the street version, Boon Siew Honda crew fired up a race-spec RC213V. You see, BSH had invited Khairul Idham Pawi and Zahqwan Zaidi as guest riders and they were given the opportunity to ride the real deal (the RC213V, not the MotoGP bike, though).

Everyone dropped whatever they were doing and rushed to over to bear witness! Khairul got off the bike and a BSH crew started blipping the throttle to warm it up. We’ve heard the Honda MotoGP bikes from the Grandstand and around the track, but this was the first time we were up close. That rasp and bark from the exhausts plus the mechanical sounds couldn’t be properly described in words, but it sure gouged itself into everyone’s brains. (Check out the video below.)

It was time to head out, with Zahqwan leading my group.

The Honda RC213V-S uses a proximity switch so they key fob had to be carried in my suit. Thumbed the starter button the first time and the LCD screen came to life. Thumbed it the second time and…. It fired up… While I wasn’t expecting the bark of the RC213V, I didn’t expect the RC213V-S came to life so subtly like a… a… very soft CB650F that I rode in the morning. What the…  but still, I’m on a MotoGP replica, so who’s to complain?

With all the BSH brass and crew looking on, and telling myself not to wheelie over backwards, I slipped out the clutch lever so carefully that I almost stalled it. It hadn’t been necessary as the bike was so smooth on pick up.

Out on the warm up lap, the RC213V-S was so easy to turn and burn, although we were taking it easy to warm the tyres up and acquaint ourselves to the bike.

We had a mock start from the grid. Zahqwan just blasted off into the horizon, leaving his exhaust note reverberating around inside our helmets.

The RC213V-S felt slow leaving the line, but whoa! It felt like I ran into a brick wall just almost as soon as I left the line. Other journos who had ridden the bike during the Honda Asian Journey Ride not long ago had warned us about the rev limit being capped. The bike I was on was limited to 7000 RPM, while there were a few others that revved to 9000 RPM.

But no matter, while it felt slow, it was actually picking up speed deceptively fast! And with the rev limit being blocked, I went through the gears like there’s no tomorrow.

Accelerating out of Turn 2, it was like short-shifting to third, fourth and fifth for the sweeping Turn 3. The bike just tipped over on its side even with the power fully on as I engaged the gears. The quickshifter was ultra-ultra-smooth so much so I didn’t even give two thoughts about it. I had wondered if I got to experience the seamless gearbox!

Braking for Turn 4 with two fingers had the front brakes bled off too much speed, so the bike dropped into the corner like an MX bike.

Sweeping through Turn 5 in fifth, I kept rolling on the throttle, having forgotten about the rev limiter. It cut in just as the bike neared the apex. Now, on any other bike, having the power cut i.e. chopping the throttle or hitting the rev limiter, is bad news as it’ll cause an abrupt weight transfer and change of traction, usually resulting in the bike wobbling or worse, standing up. But it didn’t happen on the RC213V-S, I just hugged its line as if nothing happened.

Now I started to worry about the rev limiter so I slowed down for the corners and decided to just blast down the main straight.

Since we were only using the North Track, I gunned the throttle as soon as I cleared the extra corner after Turn 6 all the way onto the straight. The bike ate up all the gears as fast I could feed it and I was already on the limiter just before halfway on the straight, which read 180 km/h.

The RCV213V-S felt slow, but its engine had plenty of kick and revved really quickly. Conversely on the CBR650F earlier, it only hit 179 km/h in sixth about 300m to Turn 1. Was I experiencing Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity firsthand?

How I wished Honda had raised the rev limit a little higher, say to 10,000 RPM.

We pulled into the pits four laps later. Although I was very thankful to have sampled the bike, I was also unsatisfied that I couldn’t go faster from worrying about the rev limiter.

The conclusion is this: The Honda RC213V-S is a superlative bike that’s unlike any other. I’ve never experienced a bike which t feels benign at high speed, that’s for sure.

The test session was a special event as part of Boon Siew Honda’s year-end gathering for the media, after having just celebrated their 60th anniversary in Malaysia.

During the welcoming session, BSH announced that sales had increased by 18% in 2017 from the previous year, having move 122,150 number of motorcycles (as of date of the event). But moving forward to 2018, BSH hopes to recapture its former Number One position in the market.

Datuk Sri Datuk Wira Tan Hui Jing, Deputy Chairman and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Boon Siew Honda provided the outline, “We are targeting to introduce 10 new models and will certainly surprise everyone with our product lineup.”

As mentioned earlier, Zahqwan Zaidi and Khairul Idham Pawi were present during the event after campaigning in the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) and Moto2 seasons, respectively. Mr. Nobuhide Nagata, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BSH announced that Zaqhwan will move up to the All Japan Road Race Championship (JSB1000) next year.

Also revealed was BSH’s plans to build the first Honda Big Wing exclusive one-stop sales and service centre in 2018 in the Klang Valley, followed by Penang, Selangor and Johor.

PICTURE GALLERY

 

  • Boon Siew Honda menyambut 60 tahun yang gemilang dengan pencapaian pengeluaran lima juta unit motosikal di kilang pengeluaran mereka di Pulau Pinang.
  • Apa yang bermula dengan hanya 50 buah motosikal Honda cub pada tahun 1957 telah berkembang dengan pesatnya dengan pengeluaran unit yang ke-sejuta mereka pada tahun 1986.
  • Jumlah ini terus berkembang atas jasa beberapa buah model yang amat diminati ramai seperti Honda EX5 dan yang terkini, Honda RS150R.

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Boon Siew Honda (BSH) celebrates 60 successful years with the production milestone of five million units at their Penang production plant.

What started life back in 1957 with only 50 Honda cubs grew exponentially with their first millionth unit produced in 1986.

The numbers kept growing thanks to a number of successful models including the Honda EX5 and the latest Honda RS150R.

After six decades in the Malaysian motoring industry, Boon Siew Honda (BSH) celebrates quite a historical milestone today as the manufacturer and distributor of Honda motorcycles here in the country. The celebration was further enhanced with its five millionth unit produced in their assembly plant located in Penang. (more…)

  • Selepas 30 tahun dalam pasaran Malaysia, motosikal Honda EX5 telah memperoleh status ikon dengan lebih daripada dua juta unit yang dikeluarkan dan dijual.
  • Motosikal terkini mereka, Honda EX5 Dream Fi Edisi Terhad Ulang Tahun ke-30 2017 didatangkan dengan rupa dan gaya yang diperbaharui bagi meningkatkan lagi daya tarikan motosikal cub ini kepada generasi baru yang mencari motosikal pertama yang sesuai bagi diri mereka.
  • Tiga dekad mereka telah membantu Malaysia membangun dalam hampir ke semua industri, dan ini telah membantu motosikal EX5 untuk terus berkembang menjadi sebuah motosikal yang masih lagi relevan serta menakjubkan walaupun pada tahun 2017.

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