Kawasaki Motors (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. launched two new engine oils in conjunction with the 2019 Malaysian MotoGP. They are called the KGO Torq R7 T fully-synthetic SAE 10W-40 API SN and Kawasaki KGO Torq R9 4T fully-synthetic SAE 10W-50 API SN. “KGO” stands for “Kawasaki Genuine Oil.”
The main difference (and advantage) of the KGO Torq lubricants is that they are derived from 100% PAO base oil.
PAO (poly-alpha-olefin) is made by polymerising alpha-olefin. As such, the American Petroleum Institute (who sets most of the oil standards in use) classifies PAO as Group IV and are 100% synthetic.
By 100% synthetic it means that the oil is made in the lab, rather than refined from crude petroleum. Mineral and semi-synthetic engine oils break down sooner due to free radicals in the base oil. 100% synthetic base oils are thereby made without these free radicals.
thus means that the base oil can be made to specific properties to enhance engine protection, oil longevity, retain sheer resistance, retain oil viscosity under stress and extreme heat, and so forth.
The base oil is then mixed with an “additive package” to tune it to specific properties such as to enhance flow, longer lasting, sheer resistant, ability to retain viscosity despite be subjected to high stress and extreme heat.
Besides being 100% PAO based, the KGO Torq R7 and KGO Torq R9 are of the API SN service grade. The SN service is currently the highest grade.
The KGO Torq R7 and KGO Torq R9 are placed as the premium addition and will be sold alongside the KGO 4T Semi-Synthetic 10W-40 SL and KGO 4T Fully-Synthetic 10W-40 SL launched last year.
The KGO Torq R7 4T SAE 10W-40 API SN is priced at RM 76.00 per 1-litre bottle and the KGO Torq R9 4T SAE 10W-50 API SN is priced at RM 78.00 per 1-liter bottle.
Two other Kawasaki products were launched softly.
First is the Kawasaki Super Long Life Coolant and secondly the Kawasaki Platinum DOT 4 Brake Fluid. Both are OEM products that were filled into new Kawasaki motorcycles before the leave the factory. It means that Kawasaki owners can enjoy and assured of the best quality products that were formulated for their bikes.
Wah Motor Superbikes is now the latest addition to the Kawasaki Ninja Shop and Kawasaki Exclusive Service Centre network.
Wah Motor was opened exactly 50 years ago to cater to scooter riders but has since grown to sell motorcycles of all capacities including large capacity ones. But the shop has been transformed to a Kawasaki Ninja Shop.
As an official dealer, it offers the latest Kawasaki models from the smallest capacity to the largest. Indeed, there were the Ninja 250, three Z 900 RS variants, Ninja ZX-6R, Ninja ZX-10R, Versys 650 1000, Vulcan 650, and Kawasaki’s crown jewel the Ninja H2. Customers can also buy accessories and riding gear here.
Additionally, the Kawasaki Exclusive Service Centre is fully-equipped with top range equipment and tools. The mechanics are highly trained technicians. Kawasaki owners can also find the Kawasaki Genuine Oil engine lubricant here (both semi-synthethic and fully-synthetic).
Wah Motor Superbikes is also now the Kawasaki official dealer to serve the Klang community.
The launch was carried out on the 62nd Merdeka Day on 31st August 2019. On hand for the launching were Kawasaki Motors (Malayasia) Sdn. Bhd. Executive Chairman, Ahmad Faez bin Tan Sri Yahaya, Kawasaki Motors (Malayasia) Sdn. Bhd. Managing Director Dato’ Jeffrey Lim, Wah Superbikes Managing Director Lee Chee Hoong, Malaysian Motorcycles and Scooters Dealers Association President Wee Hong.
“Café racers” originally bikes modified from stock which owners bring to cafés to show off. There were no Starbucks in the 60s and 70s but restaurants and cafés such as Ace Café were the haunt of modified motorcycle riders. That’s in London, but we have plenty of mamaks here, intead. However, are bikes the Kawasaki Z900RS Café factory fads to milk the nostalgia?
First off, the Z900RS Café is the factory café racer variant of the Z900RS modern classic. Kawasaki calls the latter the soul successor to one of the most iconic bikes of all time, the 1972 Z1.
Conversely, the Z900RS Café is the tarted-up version with a headlight cowling, windscreen, forward handlebar and stepped-up seat. Kawasaki has (officially) called it the soul successor to the Kz1000R which dominated the AMA Superbike series in the hands of Freddie Spencer, Wayne Gardner, John Pace and of coure, Eddie Lawson.
The Z900 RS Café shares everything else including the engine, suspension, chassis and electronics. The 948cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16-valve engine produces 110 bhp at 8,500 RPM and 98.5 Nm of torque at a low 6,500 RPM.
The new handlebar puts the rider in a sportier riding position, hence more weight on the front wheel.
Firing up the engine let loose stirring “vroom” from the exhaust. To recap, Kawasaki made the exhaust system to mimic the note from the Z1. It even has that sound of a tuned inline-Four… “vroom… pause… vroom… pause”. Blipping the throttle returns a howl mixed with a growl.
The clutch take-up and throttle are still “eager.” Well, that’s a diplomatic way to say snatchy. You have to be vigilant otherwise the bike will just take off with your brain still sitting in the parking lot.
However, the sportier riding position lent a much better control over the front wheel. On the “standard” Z900RS, the front went light with hard acceleration.
Similarly, charging into corners was much easier on the Café. Now it’s not just sweeping corners but also those pesky sharp ones at intersections.
The suspension felt harsh and uncompliant at first, but it turned out that the previous tester had dialed in all the wrong settings. Imagine riding a bike with close to the forks adjusted to full compression damping and full rebound damping!
If that’s not enough, the rear shock had its preload set to the lowest (which gave the bike a low rear and high front akin to a cruiser). The shock’s rebound damping was also almost fully dialed all the way out. WTF!
Readjusting the suspension yielded a bike that’s easy to flick into corners and maneuver around traffic. Unfortunately, the rear suspension still hopped over sharp bumps. However, that wasn’t meant to say the bike’s suspension was bad. Instead, it as what we’ve always said that some Malaysian roads can be kidney-busting.
The inline-Four based on the naked Z900 is tuned for low-down and midrange torque, hence it shows especially when riding in heavy traffic. Filtering through at 60 km/h in fourth gear still leaves plenty of acceleration.
Blasting away was just a small throttle’s movement away, leaving everyting else to reverberate in the exhaust’s howl and burnt hydrocarbons.
Bad points? The fuel tank is old school as per the Z1 so it’s plenty wide between the knees. The uptick, though, it’s easier to grip it with your knees during hard braking and cornerning.
So, is the Kawasaki Z900RS Café merely a prettied-up bike? Well, depends on how you look at it. In our books, however, the revised riding position has made the bike much better. The snatchy throttle took lots of concentration at first, but you grow to manage it.
But its looks were definitely a head-turner. The headlamp cowling, plus the classic lime green paint with white stripe gave it that real old school Kawasaki look.
Just wished I had a Bell classic full-face and bomber leather jacket when I rode to Starbucks…
It’s priced from RM 72,372 (basic selling price inclusive of 10% SST).
Model ‘supernaked’ yang paling dinantikan peminat jentera dua roda akhirnya telah tiba di Malaysia!
Kawasaki Motors Sdn. Bhd bersama-sama Menteri Dalam Negeri, YB Tan Sri Dato Haji Muyiddin Bin Haji Muhammad Yassin telah melancarkan model Z 250 ABS dan Z 400 ABS dalam satu majlis yang berlangsung di Hotel Sheraton, Petaling Jaya, hari ini.
Kedua-duanya telah dinaik taraf dengan enjin yang lebih berkuasa dan tunggangan yang lebih dinamik di tambah dengan sistem ABS yang didatangkan secara ‘standard’ sekaligus menjadikan dua model ini memiliki keseimbangan dan pengawalan tinggi!
Berbanding model sebelum ini, enjin baharu ini memiliki kuasa yang lebih tinggi di semua peringkat RPM.
Penunggang juga akan merasai kelancaran tunggangan di samping respon yang lebih cepat daripada enjin.
Model Z250 ABS menghasilkan 36.4 hp pada 23 Nm sementara Z400 ABS menghasilkan 44.3 hp.
Disebabkan kedua-dua model menggunakan enjin yang baharu, Kawasaki telah mengoptimumkan saiz, berat dan tahap efisien enjin lantas model Z400 memiliki saiz enjn yang hampir sama dengan model Z250 meskipun bersasaran lebih besar.
Z250 kini hanya 165kg, 5kg lebih ringan berbanding model sebelum ini sementara Z400 (167kg), 3kg lebih ringan berbanding model Z300 ABS.
Senarai harga:
Majlis pelancaran turut disusuli dengan acara tandatangan oleh YB Tan Sri Dato Hj Muhyiddin Yassin bagi meraikan ulang tahun ke-30 Kawasaki Motors (Malaysia).
The Kawasaki Z250 ABS and Kawasaki Z400 SE ABS were launched tonight. They are priced at RM 21,998.00 and RM 28,755.00, respectively.
The new models were launched during Kawasaki Motors (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.’s 30thAnniversary Gala Dinner. The guest of honour was Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Muhyiddin bin Haji Muhammad Yassin, the Home Affairs Minister of Malaysia.
The 2019 Z250 is a facelift model to the previous Z250, to lengthen the model’s lifespan.
As with the Z250 which is the naked version of Ninja 250, the Z400 is the therefore the naked version of the Ninja 400.
Riding the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE will get you thinking about Albert Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity.
It says the faster you go the more things seem to stand still for you. Yet, time passes quicker for those who are not travelling at your speed. For example, 12 minutes went by for you, but 24 minutes passed for others. This is called “time dilation.”
There are already a number of fast touring machines in Kawasaki’s arsenal. There’s the Ninja 1000SX (previously known as the Z1000SX), Versys 1000, and of course, the popular 1400GTR.
The 1400GTR ruled the sport-touring roost for many years since its inception. Seeing them doing more than 200 km/h on the highways complete with luggage and wife is a common sight. But Kawasaki needed more in the face of the 170-hp KTM 1290 Super Duke GT.
So, why built a completely new bike when already have a warp-drive like engine of the H2? Let’s just turn it into a sport-tourer then. It is a good idea? Is there too much power for a bike for the long-haul which invariably includes luggage and a passenger?
Yeah, we asked the same questions, too.
A lot, apparently!
Of course, let’s start with that supercharged engine. The H2 SX line-up’s supercharger is what Kawasaki calls “balanced supercharger.” As the name implies, the compressor is optimized for tractable torque across the rev range, instead of eyeball bleeding horsepower like on the H2 (231 hp) and what more the H2R (340 bp without ram air).
In the real world, it provides the rider with smooth acceleration (it’s a relative term!) anywhere in the rev range. It also allows the bike to lug the extra weight of the luggage and passenger.
On the other hand, having all the horsepower means nothing if the rider needs to rev the snot out of the engine just to get it going.
So, how much horsepower does the H2 SX SE make? 197 hp at 11,000 RPM and 137.3 Nm of torque at 9,500 RPM. Doesn’t look a lot, but it’s a tourer, remember? But it does cement its place as the most powerful sport-tourer.
Okay, let’s move on to the other features.
The H2 SX line-up has three variants: The base SX, middle SX SE and the new SX SE+. The engine and tuning are the same across the platform.
Our first thought when we climbed on was where’s the handlebar. That stemmed from our familiarity with contemporary sport-tourers whose handlebars rise almost straight up and back. We found this bike’s clip-ons further down. You read that right – clip-ons instead of a handlebar, albeit they were mounted above the top triple clamp.
Hence, the seating position is somewhere in between the H2 and 1400GTR. The footpegs were mounted in between the two extremes, too.
But why such low position for the handlebars? Because the position makes all the sense in the world when the bike engages warp drive. It’s not at all uncomfortable – just different from other sport-tourers, the Super Duke GT included.
Here’s a tip for future owners: If your buddy asks you why only 197 hp, you can answer, “Because it’s a tourer.” But if he asks about the sporty riding position, you can answer, “Because it’s a sportbike.” That way, you always win.
I admit, I was filled with fear, so I chose Medium (M) power level. But the fear disappeared as soon as the clutch lever went out – the bike was smoooooth! The handlebar didn’t feel like it had a ton of bricks sitting on it, either. It was light and you could actually weave the bike in and out of traffic.
Steering into corners felt a bit vague at first, but we found out that there was too much rebound and compression damping in the forks. Winding out 4 clicks of each parameter cured the problem and the front bit into the road and pulled the rest of the bike with it.
But… I bet you’re more interested about its power. Well, I can tell you that felt like no other sport-tourers out there. Uh uh, none.
Rolling along at 110 km/h in 6thgear, still in M power mode, I gave it about ½ throttle. The bike surged ahead to a wonderful growl and jet-like intake noise. By the time I hit the 6thlamp post, the speedo already showed 201 km/h.
The pickup in speed was very deceiving as the large windscreen kept the wind blast off the torso and helmet. Additionally, the engine and exhaust were very muted. I kept finding myself arriving at a corner or behind a car *MUCH* faster than I anticipated! Thankfully, the handling and brakes are up to standard.
The quickshifter jammed in the gears solidly but it’s much smoother to use the clutch for first to second and second to third at lower speeds. However, it shifts smoother if you use F (Full power) mode.
Where better to test a road bike’s handling and suspension? Take a trip up Genting Highlands, of course!
I decided to ride it up the mountain at night, since it’s cooler.
Down along the Karak Highway, the bike blew by every vehicle in less than a heartbeat. I wonder if there were any police reports made about a low-flying UFO…
All vehicles in the mirror disappeared as if they were driven in reverse. It wasn’t all about straight line speed, however. The H2 SX SE took to the corners on Karak like it was yawning. Those long sweeping corners are its natural habitat.
Up the Genting road, the bike needed smooth steering inputs especially over bumpy corners. Being long and relatively heavy, you need to brake early for the corners and steer in earlier. Then as you reach the apex, stand the bike up a little and apply the throttle – carefully and smoothly – blasting your way out. It doesn’t flow so well if you’re a rider who fixes slow corner entry speeds with early throttle application.
I didn’t push it at all since it was night. Instead, I rode as smoothly as I could and reveled at the stupendous roll-on acceleration and ability to turn hard into corners. Yet, it took only 12 minutes from BHP Gombak to the Nanyang Restaurant in Gohtong Jaya. The secret here was the quick acceleration back up to speed after slowing down. That kept the average speed up.
Nonetheless, describing the bike as being fast without attesting to its overall handling isn’t fair. The bike behaved very well when ridden in heavy traffic, not trying to surge forward even below 60 km/h.
Additionally, the seats were comfortable for both rider and passenger.
So, why supercharge a sport-tourer? I guess anyone who loves bikes (or cars, aircraft, boats, etc. etc.) do love the rush of speed once a while. That, or the satisfaction and pride of owning the fastest sport-tourer. It’s difficult to put my thoughts down on paper about this, for it’s something latent. But I’m positive that you’d fall in love with the bike’s power, acceleration, handling, looks if you get the chance to ride it.
There were couple of gripes, though.
One was the heat being thrown onto the right leg’s shin. I picked up the bike while wearing sneakers (which I shouldn’t do when riding) and I swear it removed all the hairs! So, remember to always wear boots when riding this bike.
Secondly, the type of sharp bumps on our roads kicked the body hard. However, the bike felt a whole lot better at high speeds, meaning that the suspension is geared towards high speed riding. The electronic semi-active suspension on the H2 SX SE+ ought to be better.
Nevertheless, the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE was one of the most addictive bikes I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding. Why not? Riding anything else felt so slow it’s like taking years to get somewhere. Just like what Einstein said about time dilation.
The factory recall for the 2019 Kawasaki Z900 line-up over potential ABS issues is for the American market, only.
BikesRepublic.com has sought the confirmation from Kawasaki Motors (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (KMMSB) over the matter. According to KMMSB, Kawasaki Heavy Industries have not issued a notice on the recall in Malaysia.
The current notice is issued by Kawasaki together with the American National Highway Transport Safety Administration (NHTSA). Therefore, it applies to Z900 line-up owners in the United States, at the moment.
The recall was made after the discovery of improperly machined ABS pump. The machining process has the potential of leaving aluminium debris inside. If this happens, the ABS pump could malfunction and cause the wheel or wheels to lock up.
Kawasaki USA confirmed that 497 units are involved in the recall and will notify the owners. If you are reading this from the United States, you may contact Kawasaki customer service line there 1-866-802-9381 (regarding recall number MC19-01). Please have your VIN ready. You may get in touch with the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 and quote campaign number 19V083000.
Kawasaki 1400GTR onwers of from the GTR Onwer Club (GTROC) begun their 6thgathering today in the historic city of Melaka.
Some 50 owners of the high-powered sport-tourer congregated at Kawasaki Motors (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.’s (KMMSB) compound for the flag off. From there, they rode to Ayer Keroh, Melaka to meet up with another group of 1400GTR owners, bring the total to almost 300 motorcycles.
The group will visit an orphanage and a religious school for charity work, as part of the ride’s itinerary.
The Assistant General Manager of KMMSB, En. Awaluddin Bin Md. Lip, and Assistant Manager for Marketing of KMMSB, En. Ahmad Radzi Abdul Rahman (better known as Che Mad) welcomed the group. They added that KMMSB felt honoured to support the group and their activities, besides looking forward to more co-operations in the future.
President of GTROC, Dato’ Shaid Tasiran thanked KMMSB for their support. He then laid down the rules for the convoy, including the etiquettes such as following the marshals’ signals, no wild riding, etc., besides their itinerary and routes.
The Royal Malaysian Traffic Police will escort the group once they reached Melaka.
The ride was flagged off by En. Awaluddin Bin Md. Lip.
The good folks from Kawasaki Motors (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (KMSB) have successfully conducted one hell of a show-stopper earlier today with the launch of the all-new 2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R in conjunction with the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2018 (KLIMS). (more…)
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