Bikesrepublic

gabit saleh

Here’s how you can help fund cancer chemotherapy cost for local Supermoto ace Gabit Saleh.

(more…)

Gabit Saleh meneruskan kemaraan di hari kedua GIVI Rimba Raid apabila memenangi kategori terbuka perlumbaan Enduro semalam selepas mempertahankan kejuaraan Kelas A pada Sabtu.

Pelumba ‘off-road’ negara itu menamatkan lima pusingan dengan catatan masa terpantas di antara 37 pelumba lain dengan 1 jam 20 minit 36.490 saat sekaligus mengukuhkan namanya dalam arena off-road.

Tempat kedua jadi milik Ahmad Lezzam Roslim dengan catatan masa 1 jam 20 minit 42.859 saat diikuti Richard Lim ketiga dengan 1 jam 25 minit 15.784 saat.

Sementara itu bagi kategori veteran menyaksikan 53 pelumba berentap bagi merebut kejuaraan dengan Rohaizam Rizal Mansor muncul juara dengan catatan masa 47 minit 40.073 saat diikuti Mohd Fauzi Ali kedua dengan 49 minit 26.849 saat dan Lai Kok Hing ketiga yang hanya dipisahkan beberapa saat di belakang.

Kategori novice menyaksikan Muhammad Fareez Burhanuddin juara dengan 55 minit 51.473 saat diikuti Mohammad Syamin kedua dengan 56 minit 46.992 saat sementara Michael Soh ketiga dengan 56 minit 50.331 saat.

Aksi Enduro melengkapkan GIVI Rimba Raid yang memasuki hari kedua semalam sekaligus mengukuhkan pertandingan itu dipersada tempatan dan antarabangsa.

Hari pertama yang berlangsung pada Sabtu melibatkan acara tumpuan ‘jungle race’ menyaksikan Gabit berjaya mempertahankan kejuaraan dimenangni tahun lalu di Mat Daling.

Perlumbaan itu turut menampilkan pelumba jemputan dari Chile, Jeremias Israel yang merupakan pelumba raki Dakar Honda.

Saksikan rangkuman hari kedua Rimba Raid di bawah:

  • Gabit Saleh won in the Class A category at GIVI Rimba Raid Janda Baik 2019.

  • He won on the KTM 1050 Adventure despite falling three times.

  • This was the biggest and best GIVI Rimba Raid to date.

Gabit Saleh won in the Class A category at GIVI Rimba Raid Janda Baik 2019, yesterday (Saturday, 27thJuly).

Gabit is the defending champion from the GIVI Rimba Raid Mat Daling 2018. He rode his trusty KTM 1050 Adventure as KTM Malaysia’s factory rider.

Class A is the premier class of the competition and is for bikes above 800cc.

However, the win didn’t come easy. “Alhmadulillah I managed to defend the title. I was aiming to finish only, actually and didn’t think about winning actually,” the 2016 FIM Asia Supermoto Champion said. “The competition had gotten tougher since last year, especially with the entry of Jeremias Israel who represented the GIVI team.”

When GIVI Rimba Raid stalwart and organizer Dato’ Captain Nik Huzlan wasn’t joking when said the trail was going to be tough. In fact, he dubbed the third and final section as “The Green Hell.”

“The first section was easier with loose gravel, so I used the opportunity to make up time. I managed to catch up to Bee Wong. But the second section was difficult, but I didn’t expect it to be so hardcore! I was surprised to see the big rocks and river!” Gabit revealed. “Then I dropped in the second river. The fall snapped the front brake lever.”

 

But Gabit didn’t become champion because he gave up easily.

“I kept going and maintained a steady pace and caught Bee Wong again. At that point I started calculating the fact that Bee was the first rider to be flagged off, while I was the thirteenth. So, I knew that I had made good time and we crossed the finish line almost together.”

What was more incredible was him finishing in 48 minutes, 40.440 seconds despite dropping it three times. That speed was incredible enough on the road, but this was off-road!

GIVI Rimba Raid attaches a transponder to each bike for accurate timing. The participants are flagged off one at a time, hence the best time wins.

Bee Wong was so close to winning the race but as always, he was cheerful of being able to finish at all, let alone in second place.

“It’s easy in the first stage but I was beat by the second due to the difficult and muddy terrain. I saw Gabit behind me a number of times, but he crashed each time. So, I decided to play safe and maintain a good pace,” he said.

Bee was riding one of only two of the new KTM 790 Adventure R currently in circulation in the country.

His brother, Alex Wong finished in third. He rode the same BMW F 800 GS as he did in the Mat Daling.

It was heartbreak, however, for Chilean and GIVI Explorer rider Jeremias Israel. He had shown great pace from the start by conquering the terrain and other riders on the new Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t his side.

“I was enjoying myself, smiling in my helmet and passing many guys on the trail,” he told us during the post-race interview. “Then I started coming downhill to a part which opened up wider and I decided to go faster. Ahead of me was another competitor, on a BMW R 1200 GS, perhaps. He started to struggle and paddle with his feet when he hit the puddle. Behind him was a marshal on a green bike (Kawasaki KLX150) and in a yellow vest. At that point, he decided to overtake the rider and moved wide, which was directly in my path. Since I already committed to the line, I had nowhere to go and laid the bike down.”

Jeremias Israel on the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE

The crash messed up his front brakes. “I picked the bike up and continued, but the brakes had pressure at one moment and none the next. It was too dangerous to continue that way. I feel bad for Triumph, but racing’s that way.”

But Jeremias has some good thoughts about GIVI Rimba Raid, “It was good to see all the guys with so much motivation that they’d bring their expensive bikes into the jungle. I met riders with many different skill levels but I’m sure they’ll improve by the next GIVI Rimba Raid.”

The trail was definitely tougher than at Mat Daling as many riders attested. While the trails at Mat Daling was 126-km long, it was only less than 60 km in Janda Baik. Many probably thought it was going to be too easy, but it was apparently otherwise. Apart from that, rains in the past two days had turned the ground soggy. Consequently, the start was delayed from the planned 9am to 11am in an attempt to let the sun dry out the track.

Of the 150 riders who started the event, 40 were stuck. There were 70 riders in the big dual-purpose Class A but only 17 finished.

Dato’ Captain Nik has said many times before, “I wanted to give the competitors a tough race, but not an impossible race.”

Gabit had this to say, “It was tough for me so I could only imagine how hard it was for the other guys, especially those on the big adventure bikes.”

“It was way tougher than in Mat Daling,” said Bee Wong, “That’s why I was pancit (exhausted) in the second sector.”

Jeremias had a different view, “It was okay, I guess. I’ve ridden in many races and countries such as The Dakar Rally, also in Colombia, Qatar and so forth. The weather was quite cooling in the jungle, too.”

In addition to Gabit, Bee and Jeremias, the Thai riders were the ones everyone looked out for. They had held qualifying rounds in their country and sent the top 20 of their best riders. Anusorn Ubonsuk finished fourth. One guy crashed heavily but nursed his injured hand and destroyed bike to the finish.

But no matter how you cut it, GIVI Rimba Raid has grown up to be a major event and brand. There were 150 participants from 16 countries, up from 105 of 11 nationalities. There were many more applications, but the organizers had to limit it to the final number of 150 due to space and logistical constraints.

GIVI’s support had also lent the big brand image that the race deserves. The hardworking crew were already on site 3 days before the event to set up. Another part of the crew had to also work in conjunction with the GIVI Malaysian Adventure 2019 ride. The epic ride consisted of 40 riders, among them GIVI’s dealers from 14 countries. Malaysia was selected this year to commemorate the brand’s 25th anniversary in the country.

“Thank you GIVI, because the race has definitely grown a lot from before,” commented Gabit. “Also, thank you to Rimba Raid and my sponsors.”

The Tourism Board of Pahang also joined in this time, as it was an unprecedented opportunity to promote eco-tourism in the state.

There were also other classes in GIVI Rimba Raid. But this particular event included an exhibition race for buggies and quads. The Bombardier Maverick X turbocharged quads were a sight to behold!

Class B (for bikes 800cc and below) was won by Shamsul Azhar Bin Abu Hazim, better known as Acoi Pangkolo on the AJP7.

Class C for dirtbikes up to 250cc was won by Muhammad Hazlami Bin Mustapha Kamal.

As for the environment, GIVI Rimba Raid organizers worked hard to minimize the impact on the jungle as much as possible. No trees were cut down and no part of the trail was hewn. Bridges were built over certain streams. Riders were told to bring hydration packs instead of water bottles into the trail. They also employed a cleaning crew to sweep the trail for rubbish. The jungle will then return to its normal state within six months.

PICTURE GALLERY

ARTIKEL OLEH: WAHID OOI ABDULLAH

  • Lewis Cornish memanfaatkan permulaannya dari petak pertama untuk memenangi kedua-dua Moto dalam Pusingan 1 bagi Kejohanan FIM Asia Supermoto 2017.
  • Juara 2015, Trakarn Thangthong, berada di tempat ke-dua keseluruhan.
  • Juara bertahan 2016, Muhd. “Gabit” Habibullah menamatkan Pusingan 1 di tempat ke-empat keseluruhan.

(more…)

  • Lewis Cornish converted his pole position to win both Motos in Round 1 of the FIM Asia Supermoto 2017 Championship. 

  • Returning 2015 Champ, Trakarn Thangthong finished 2nd overall.

  • Defending 2016 Champ, Muhd. “Gabit” Habibullah ended the day 4th overall.


NAKHON CHAI SI, THAILAND, 3 SEPTEMBER 2017
– Beautiful weather and a  , wonderful circuit welcomed Round 1 of the FIM Asia Supermoto 2017 Championship. The competition saw 17 riders from 13 countries striving for national and personal pride.

The day began with Free Practice, and as expected, the top three spots were dominated by United Kingdom’s Lewis Cornish, returning 2015 Champion, Thailand’s Trakarn Thangthong, and defending 2016 Champion Malaysia’s Muhd. “Gabit” Habibullah, respectively.

MOTO 1

Moto 1 started with the sun shining directly above the riders.

Pole sitter Cornish grabbed the holeshot, but was followed tightly by all riders onto straight of the tarmac section, instead being diverted into the off-road section.

Round 1 winner, Lewis Cornish

The tight hairpin turn immediately after the last table top remained as the biggest challenge, serving as an advantage to some riders and vice-versa for others.

With Cornish speeding ahead on an empty circuit, he opened up a two-second gap within a few laps to the pursuing Gabit and Thangthong. That left the latter two to battle between themselves, giving Cornish an even bigger cushion.

The top three remained the same, until five minutes before the end of Moto 1, when Gabit was overtaken by Thangthong. The Thai rider had planned his move at the right moment, giving Gabit no time to regain the second spot.

Gabit (#1) leading Thangthong (#5)

Lewis finsihed Moto 1 in 22:236.002, followed by Thangthong and Gabit in 22:42.962 and 23:14.056, respectively.

Dutchman Marcel Van Drunen, who had fought tooth and nail against Cornish in Qualifying and SuperChrono, was stuck in a fierce battle with another of Malaysia’s ace, Khairi Zakaria throughout the race to finish fourth, with the latter in fifth.

Marcel Van Drunen

MOTO 2

Cornish stole the holeshot again at the start and never looked back to win his second Moto of the day, finishing the race comfortably five seconds ahead of Thangthong.

“It was a very technical track. Most of us were using slick tyres to race on the track. With the triple dirt section, it feels more like a motocross track instead. I made multiple mistakes in Moto 1 but reduced it in Moto 2. I believe Trakarn and Gabit made mistakes as well, which gave me an advantage to the race,” said Lewis.

“I was fortunate when Gabit hit on a hole at the third dirt section. That was when I passed him. He grew so much since we last faced off in 2015. I enjoyed riding with all the riders, and hopefully, I can perform better in Indonesia,” said Thangthong.

Trakarn Thangthong

Seemingly making amends to his fourth place finish in Moto 1, Van Drunen fought with Gabit for the final podium spot. The two exchanged places multiple times with high-risk maneuvers in the tighter corners.

The contest ended just two laps from the end of the race, when Gabit ran off the track. It was a brave performance from the Malaysian, however, when the KTM Malaysia factory rider revealed later that he had lost his brakes.

Whereas most riders would have called it quits, Gabit Habibullah soldiered on to finish the race

“My front and rear brakes malfunctioned, and I lost control of my bike. This makes it even harder for me to maintain my pace, especially on this track. I tried my best to ensure the best possible result in this condition,” said Gabit.

Gabit landed the sixth spot in Moto 2, clocking a total time of 24:20.495.

Van Drunen (#17) battling with Gabit (#1)

Malaysia’s Khairi Zakaria attempted to close the gap to the Dutchman, but his efforts were forlorn when he made a mistake at the transition between the road and off-road section. Khairi landed fourth in Moto 2, finishing nearly two seconds behind Marcel with a total time of 23:50.924.

Khairi Zakaria

Japan’s Naoto Takayama performed well in Moto 2, and came home fifth .

“It was a perfect and successful race. We would like to congratulate the Asia Supersports Group, FMSCT, all the partners and all the riders. The opening round of the season was exciting, and everything was in order. The track is probably one of the most challenging tracks in the season’s history, but all safety aspects were taken into consideration,” said Stephan P. Carapiet, FIM Asia Safety Officer.

The 2017 FIM Asia SuperMoto Championship will commence in Jogjakarta, Indonesia on 7 and 8 October 2017.

For more information, visit www.supermotoasia.com or watch the race live for free in HD on www.twenty3.tv powered by E-Plus Global Sdn Bhd.

FIM Asia SuperMoto Championship is promoted by Asia Supersports Group, a consortium of three companies namely Bikenation Motorsports Sdn Bhd, Trade My Superbike and E-Plus Global Sdn Bhd; sanctioned by FIM Asia and FMSCT; and supported by Malaysia Major Events, a division of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (an agency under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia), Malay Mail, Kelab Blogger Ben Ashaari and TX Sports.

 

Moto 1 Race Result:

Pos No. Name National Laps Best Time Total Time
1 8 Lewis Cornish GBR 18 1:11.606 22:36.002
2 5 Trakarn Thangthong THA 18 1:12.526 22:42.962
3 1 Muhd Habibullah MAS 18 1:13.472 23:14.056
4 17 Marcel Van Drunen NED 18 1:15.169 23:31.190
5 32 Khairi Zakaria MAS 18 1:14.316 23:33.763
6 162 Farhan Hendro INA 18 1:17.095 23:55.446
7 300 Naoto Takayama JPN 17 1:16.645 22:37.403
8 12 Kenneth San Andres PHI 17 1:18.520 23:10.666
9 28 Natthapat SuksanWatthana THA 17 1:15.368 23:34.965
10 97 Arten Teslenko RUS 17 1:20.359 23:36.386
11 7 Pedro Wuner INA 16 1:19.964 22:39.942
12 77 Hasroy Osman SGP 16 1:18.960 22:40.996
13 720 Lin Chin Pei TPE 16 1:18.960 22:40.996
14 40 Lee Wei TPE 15 1:22.517 22:43.571
DNF 102 Tsang Wai Kei HKG 13 1:30.587 23:46.389
DNF 27 Sun Tong CHN 12 1:25.996 19:4.087
DNF 101 Takashi Sasaki JPN 7 1:18.032 9:30.062

 

Moto 2 Race Result:

Pos No. Name National Laps Best Time Total Time
1 8 Lewis Cornish GBR 18 1:12.459 23:00.233
2 5 Trakarn Thangthong THA 18 1:14.494 23:27.317
3 17 Marcel Van Drunen NED 18 1:15.223 23:48.316
4 32 Khairi Zakaria MAS 18 1:16.522 23:50.924
5 300 Naoto Takayama JPN 18 1:17.768 24:07.549
6 1 Muhd Habibullah MAS 18 1:12.741 24:20.495
7 162 Farhan Hendro INA 18 1:18.292 24:26.555
8 12 Kenneth San Andres PHI 17 1:20.493 23:35.442
9 101 Takashi Sasaki JPN 17 1:22.063 23:56.181
10 28 Natthapat Suksanwatthana THA 17 1:18.431 24:03.932
11 7 Pedro Wuner INA 16 1:22.101 23:01.271
12 77 Hasroy Osman SGP 16 1:22.921 23:03.908
13 720 Lin Chin Pei TPE 15 1:25.411 23:32.197
14 27 Sun Tong CHN 15 1:29.510 24:09.029
DNF 102 Tsang Wai Kei HKG 13 1:32.737 23:45.547
DNF 97 Artem Teslenko RUS 11 1:21.761 24:31.701
DNF 40 Lee Wei TPE 5 1:25.683 7:43.684

 

Overall Standing

Pos No. Name National M1 M2 Total Point
1 8 Lewis Cornish GBR 25 25 50
2 5 Trakarn Thangthong THA 22 22 44
3 17 Marcel Van Drunen NED 18 20 38
4 1 Muhd Habibullah MAS 20 15 35
5 32 Khairi Zakaria MAS 16 18 34
6 300 Naoto Takayama JPN 14 16 30
7 162 Farhan Hendro INA 15 14 29
8 12 Kenneth San Andres PHI 13 13 26
9 28 Natthapat Suksanwatthana THA 12 11 23
10 7 Pedro Wuner INA 10 10 20
11 77 Hasroy Osman SGP 9 9 18
12 720 Lin Chin Pei TPE 8 8 16
13 101 Takashi Sasaki JPN 0 12 12
14 97 Artem Teslenko RUS 11 0 11
15 27 Sun Tong CHN 0 7 7
16 40 Lee Wei TPE 7 0 7
17 102 Tsang Wai Kei HKG 0 0 0
  • The 2017 FIM Asia Supermoto Championship starts on 2nd September 2017.

  • 2016 Champion Gabit Saleh from Malaysia is set to defend his title.

  • 2015 Champion Trakarn Thangthong from Thailand returns.

The 2017 season of the FIM Asia Supermoto Championship kicks off on 2nd September 2017 at the Thailand Circuit Motorsports Complex, Nakhon Chai Si, near Bangkok, Thailand.

Promoted by the Asia Supersports Group (ASG), E-Plus Global and Bikenation, the championship has come a long way from its humble beginnings, consisting of a series of races cobbled together, to what is now a series which has attracted participation and attention the world over.

But why is supermoto popular? Here are the Top 10 reasons:

10. THE ATMOSPHERE

Yes, it’s true that there’s a carnival-like atmosphere at any race, but you could find all sorts of stuff from the very affordable to the most expensive stuff at supermoto races. There’s also the authentic street food at each of the countries supermoto visits, compared to having to spend RM15 for a diarrhea-inducing burger at the track.

9. THE PITS

The pits and paddock areas are not enclosed in concrete booths. You could see the bikes up close and how the teams work on them. Call out to the riders and they are more than happy to go over for selfies and autograph your gear. Same with some of the umbrella girls.

8. THE UNITED NATIONS

The championship may be titled “FIM Asia Supermoto,” but the field consists of riders from as far away as Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Russia, France, United Kingdom and the United States in addition to those from Asia. It’s truly an international championship.

7. THE BIKES

The motorcycles that compete in supermoto usually originate from motocross bikes (enduro bikes in some cases), with the wheels swapped out for 16-, 16.5- or 17-inch ones and shod with sticky rubber. The suspension is also reworked to have less travel and stiffer for the high-speed stresses of the road course. These aren’t purpose-built racing prototypes like in MotoGP, but bikes that you and I could purchase from the shop down the block and modify for road riding or racing.

6. THE PERSONALITIES
Since supermoto isn’t much like other motorsports, there are plenty of colourful characters in the paddock and on track.

2016 FIM Asia Supermoto Champ, Gabit Saleh from Malaysia rides aggressively almost like a high-speed bulldozer that smashes through all the different sections. Being a part-time stunt rider, he’s especially entertaining when he flies through the air. His signature is his head twitch, a sign that he’s switched on his personal “Race Mode.”

Gaban Saleh, Gabit’s older brother could be described as the road warrior when he races. He’s probably the hardest rider to pass as he puts up a huge fight rather than ceding a position easily. His riding style is also very aggressive and a thrill to watch.

Lewis Cornish from the UK is quiet and unassuming but he is just superfast and never gives up. He’s unafraid to charge through the smallest of gaps to grab the win – as Trakarn found out in the final round in 2015.

10-time British Supermoto Champ, Chris Hodgson is always jovial and happy-go-lucky but takes no prisoners on track. He can spot an opportunity to pass when no one does. His signature are his long, long high-speed drifts.

5. THE VIEW

Whereas other forms of motorsports cordon off the spectators far away from the action on track, you could view supermoto from almost up next to the riders as they flash by. You could hear the rear tyres howl when the riders drift into corners, smell the exhaust and rubber, feel the rumble in your chest and even see the expressions of the riders.

4. THE COMBO

Supermoto combines roadracing, motocross and flat track disciplines into one race. That means instead of having to visit three different races, you could watch all three in one race. There are two sections to each track: A tarmac section and a motocross section consisting of mountain-like jumps.

The riders have to perform well in all disciplines; being good at just any two, what more if just one of the three, would mean getting left behind.

3. THE WEATHER

As in the show goes on regardless of weather.

For example, the second round of the 2016 season was held in Malang, Indonesia. The weather had been hot all week, then rain came down with a vengeance during the weekend. The torrential rain was so heavy that puddles around certain parts of the track were ankle-deep. Yet, that didn’t stop the riders from battling tooth and nail against each other as if it was a jetski race.

2. THE SLIDES

Apart from the inclusion of both tarmac and offroad sections, drifting and powersliding are the hallmarks of supermoto racing.

The rider would blast down the straight into the braking zone, snap the rear wheel outwards and howl into the corner, and finally powerslide out, laying down a dark line on the track.

Seeing them do so lap after lap, laying down their bikes almost on their sides as they slide through corners is one of the most spectacular sights in motorcycle racing. As was in Indonesia, they’d even do it in the rain!

1. THE RACING

Well, what is racing without the action, right? But supermoto racing is elbow-to-elbow in the literal sense.

Supermoto race starts are always heart attack inducing as 30-odd riders pile into one tight corner, similar to motocross starts. You could see the riders having both elbows out, pushing other riders inside and outside away from him, while his opponents do the same to push him out of the way in return.

And while most motorsports see the greatest excitement at the start and a couple of laps after, supermoto features dogfights throughout the field, throughout the race. Lesser humans would be on their heads in no time.

So there you go. Do start following supermoto if you haven’t already, you could find many great videos on YouTube and the internet. Make sure you follow the latest reports on the 2017 FIM Asia Supermoto Championship at their official Facebook page and here at Bikes Republic.

Archive

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on YouTube