malaysian motorcycle news Archives

BMW R18 Engine Details Revealed

The BMW R18 is heading into production and will be revealed in 2020.
BMW Motorrad released the technical details of the engine.
At 1802cc, it’s the largest Boxer engine.

The BMW R18 is now heading into production and will be fully revealed in 2020.

While the running prototypes look great, it’s the engine that proves to be the biggest intrigue. That’s because at 1802cc, it’s the largest Boxer (horizontally opposed-twin) ever made, consequently how will BMW contain all that heft and make it work.

Wonder no more because BMW has released the technical specs.

First and foremost, the engine produces 91 bhp at 4,750 RPM and 158 Nm of torque at 3,000 RPM. Although oversquare in architecture with 107.1 mm x 100 mm bore and stroke, BMW claims that more than 150 Nm of that torque is already available from 2,000 to 4,000 RPM meaning that it’s made for cruising, not high-speed blasting unlike the Ducati Diavel. The cylinder bores are Nikasil coated (nickel matrix silicon carbide).

Each cylinder head houses two steels valves – one 41.2 mm intake and one 35 mm exhaust – in OHV (overhead valves) configuration. The camshafts sit higher on either side of the crankshaft and driven by a chain. The cam lobes operate the pushrods that pushe the rocker arms to open and close the valves, in turn. An OHC (overhead cam) design would make the cylinders even longer (since they’re laid down horizontally) and limiting lean angles.

With such huge pistons and conrods moving back and forth there’s bound to be vibration. BMW addressed this by bolstering the crankshaft with a central main bearing which cuts down on bending forces.

The powerplant is air and oil-cooled, as per the classic Boxers but also because liquid-cooling will add more heft. It already weighs 110.8 kg including the transmission and intake system. An oil-cooler is standard fitment.

BMW reverted to a single-disc dry clutch for the R18. It’s feature on all BMW Boxers prior to the wasser-head (liquid-cooled or “LC”) Boxer in 2012. However, the R18’s clutch is “self-reinforcing” (self-servo which compresses the clutch plate to the friction plate when running, resulting in softer clutch pull) and anti-hop (slipper clutch) functions.

But guess what? BMW offers a reverse gear option.

Apart from that, the manufacturer also revealed that the shaft final drive will be kept exposed just like the classic R-series bikes of yore.

There are many other details, of course but those above are the most common ones that most riders would like to know.

So apart from being a modern engine with classic touches, the design itself is pretty interesting. It looks really art-deco especially with that large cover up front and aerofoils on the cylinder head covers.

Markings on Engine Oil Bottles – What do they Mean?

What do the markings on engine oil bottles tell us?
A full understanding of engine oils results in using the correct oil.
Using the wrong oil could result in higher maintenance and repair costs.

It always happens. Post anything about engine oil and emotions get stirred harder than a Frappuccino. There are just so many fears, myths and misunderstanding. So, let’s start with the basics such as the markings on engine oil bottles.

Every engine oil bottle has markings on them, telling us something about its properties. What goes on beyond that would be the specifics such as the base oil, additive packages, high-heat protection, etc.

GRADE

This is the oft-discussed property. Common nomenclatures are 5W-40, 10W-40, 15W-40 and so forth. They’re also marked as SAE 10W-40, sometimes (these days) but we’ll get to SAE later.

They denote the viscosity index (VI) of the oil at certain conditions. We say again, “certain conditions.” Viscosity means the flow properties of oil. A less viscous fluid flows easier and we usually call it “thin.” On the other hand, a more viscous fluid flows slower and we call it “thick.”

So, a 10W-40 oil is more viscous then 15W-50.

The “W” stands for winter and tells us what the viscosity is when the ambient temperature (weather) drops to freezing point and below. Please refer to the chart below.

So, a 10W-40 oil can maintain a viscosity index of 10 at -25-degrees Celsius. As such, the “W” in engine oils doesn’t concern us in Malaysia at all, unless the Earth shifts the Equator to become the North or South Pole somehow. It also doesn’t matter we stayed overnight at Genting Highlands.

By the way, oils with two numbers are called “multigrades” because they can perform through a wider range of temperatures compared to single grade oils such as SAE 40.

As for the upper ranges, more viscous oil is needed at higher ambient temperatures. Since our weather normally stays below 40-degree Celcius, any 40-grade is good enough. However, using a 50-grade oil such as 15W-50 is also okay especially for older engines that need more sealing.

One caveat that must be observe is the use of oil that’s too thin or too thick. Too thin and the oil will be too light at high temperatures to provide good protection, while an oil which is too think may not get pumped through small gap sufficiently. The safest bet is to go by the engine manufacturer’s recommendation then move to a higher viscosity when the bike ages.

SAE

SAE stands for Society of Automotive Engineers. They are the people who set the standards for engineering professionals in various industries. Among the key members were Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Glenn Martin, Orville Wright and Charles Kettering. They currently have over 138,000 members worldwide.

Oil properties standards such as viscosity index was specified by SAE called the SAE J300.

Although not shown these days, oil grades still adhere to SAE standards.

API SL/SM/SN

You may have heard friends say “SN” grade. This has no connection to the viscosity index. Some even called it “oil quality” but the real desription is the oil’s service standard as classified by the American Petroleoum Institute (API).

The short explanation for the classification is the oil’s suitability to the performance of vehicles, according to when they were produced. In other words, newer bikes require higher oil specification oil. This is because the oil grades were developed hand-in-hand with automotive manufacturers and the API.

The current standard for petrol engines, SN, was introduced in October 2010 for vehicles produced from 2011 onwards. Grades SA through SH are considered obsolete and should not be used.

The classifications are backward compatible, meaning that you can use SN oil for older vehicles. Refer to the chart above.

Classifications are made depending on the oil’s properties such as soot thickening, seal compatibility, aftertreatment compatibility, fuel economy, oxidative thickening, piston deposits, sludge and wear.

JASO MA or JASO MA2

The short description is the oil’s compatibility with “wet clutches.” The engine oil in virtually all motorcycles (apart from certain models) is shared between protecting engine parts, the transmission and clutch.

As such, the oil needs to withstand high temperatures and pressures from combustion, shearing forces in the gearbox, and still allow the clutch plates and friction to grip each other in order to transfer the engine’s power. This is why we should never, ever use engine oils for cars!

Anyway, the standard is JASO T 903:2006. To meet JASO requirements, the oil must be of API SG classification and above.

The oil is tested for dynamic friction, static friction and stop time to meet the JASO T 904:2006 clutch friction test results. They are then divided further into JASO MA, JASO MA1, JASO MB, and JASO MA2.

Do consult your user’s manual if your bike requires JASO MA/MA2 specification oil.

CONCLUSION

We’ll stop at this for the moment. We’ll take a look at the lubricants’ base oil such as PAO, ester, GTL, mineral, etc.

Ducati V4 Superleggera Confirmed – Possible 161 kg Dry Weight

The Ducati V4 Superleggera is on its way.
It will possibly weight 161 kg, dry.
No launch date yet.

The Superleggera name has become a mainstay of Ducati’s most exotic models and recent type approval submissions confirmed that the Ducati V4 Superleggera is on the way.

Superleggera means “superlight” in Italian, hence the bike will feature lots of carbon fibre, magnesium and titanium parts to shed all that weight.

The type approval submission documents show the kerb weight (ready to ride) at 173 kg. But don’t be alarmed as manufacturers need to submit the bare minimum weight to have the bike in rideable condition. Which means all the weight of the engine oil plus fluids and minimum fuel.

So, what’s the real weight? Let’s compare it to the Panigale V4 R. The type approval kerb weight of that bike is 184 kg. That means the V4 Superleggera is 11 kg lighter in this sense. Ducati claimed the V4 R’s dry weight at 172 kg and wet weight at 193 kg. This ought to mean that the Superleggera’s dry weight is only 161 kg(!) and wet weight of 182 kg(!). That’s heavier than the 1299 Superleggera but the V4 is more complex thus weighs more.

However, all that extra weight will be forgotten when the throttle is twisted. The engine will be based on the V4 R’s 1000cc V-four instead of the 1103cc version in the V4 and V4 S. A new titanium exhaust liberates an extra 3.6 bhp bringing the maximum to 221 bhp. But! A race exhaust and ECU will pump that up to 234 bhp. Insert ear-to-ear grin here.

There are a number of other changes, as well but we have to wait for the official launch to see the specs.

Price for 2021 Yamaha Ténéré 700 Revealed in the US

The price of the 2021 Yamaha Ténéré 700 has been revealed in the US.
It’s the lowest priced middleweight dual-purpose bike of the lot.
Hong Leong Yamaha Motor has not confirmed whether they’ll release the bike in Malaysia.

The price of the 2021 Yamaha Ténéré 700 has been revealed in the US and will turn the middleweight adventure motorcycle market on its head.

The concept bike was revealed back in EICMA 2018, but the production-ready model was later shown at EICMA 2019. But we Malaysians were luckier as the bike was actually shown at Yamaha’s booth at MotoGP.

Based on the MT-07 standard bike, the Ténéré 700 promises to be a lightweight truly off-road capable bike. That torque from the 270-degree crank parallel-twin engine will do nicely, too. It’ll be a great departure from the current XTZ1200 Super Ténéré which is on the heavy side.

But the production-ready model looked even better than the concept, especially with those 4 LED headlamps tucked behind the windscreen. That and the tall front end of the bike gives the bike a Dakar Rally presence, no doubt inspired by the original Super Ténéré 750.

What’s the price then? USD 9,999 – RM 41,785.82 at today’s rate.

While the bike was displayed in Malaysia, Hong Leong Yamaha (HLYM) remains tightlipped about whether it’ll be released in Malaysia. Before you criticize them, HLYM prefers to train their dealers, the dealers’ mechanics, shore up spare parts, amongst others before bringing in a model to the country. Don’t forget also that HLYM assembles the bikes and they need time to set up the production line in terms of logistics and worker knowledge.

Still, we are quite certain that there are many waiting for this bike.

Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE and Ernie Vigil’s Awesome Result at the Mexican 1000 Rally

The Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE and Ernie Vigil finished fifth overall at the Mexican 1000 rally.
The bike was stock apart from the necessary rally items such as headlamps, engine protection bars and seat.
Triumph and Vigil went up against dedicated 450cc rally raiders.

Remember Triumph Motorcycles entering the Mexican 1000 rally with the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE with Ernie Vigil Riding? They have just notched up an amazing result on a stock bike!

Triumph and Vigil had wanted to enter the “Real Deal” (nickname for the Scrambler 1200) in the Baja 1000 rally. The manufacturer was eager to show that they have a realscrambler over the other scramblers. However, they were forced to rescind the plan when the former was injured before the race.

The next best thing to do as entering in the Mexican 1000. The rally is a 1,307-mile (1659.2 kilometres), 5-day event where the competitors use the same route as the Baja 1000.

Triumph and Vigil finished fifth overal against dedicated 450cc dirt-bikes that were further “enhanced” for the event. Remember, the Scrambler 1200 XE was stock except for the necessary rally equipment such as engine crash bars, lights and seat. Also bear in mind that the Scrambler 1200 weighed in at 205 kg dry, while the Honda CRF450R race bike weighed only 112kg wet!

The bike suffered no mechanical failures, but an unfortunate failure with the Michelin BIB Mousse tyre filler. The filler is used to seal punctures during off-road riding. Luckily for team, their support vehicle wasn’t far behind to render assistance. Bike and rider were on their way after a tyre swap. They would’ve finished even higher up the order if not for the unfortunate occurrence.

While fifth wasn’t an outright victory, it is a victory in terms of technical excellence for a bike which is stock. It just goes to show that Triumph’s done the right thing in building the Scrambler 1200.

Source and photos: Ride Apart

KPNHEP Confiscated Fake Engine Oil in Raid

The Johor Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) raided a distribution company for attempting to sell fake engine oil.
A total of 4,524 bottles were confiscated.
The company touted the fake product at RM 10 cheaper than market prices.

A distribution company in Kawasan Perindustrian Selatan, in Senai Johor was raided by the Johor state’s Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna – KPDNHEP) for attempting to sell 4,524 bottles of fake engine oil worth RM 45,692.20, yesterday.

The department’s chief of enforcement, Zubir Hamsa said that the success of the raid was due to the department’s intelligence efforts following the tip off by the brand owner.

Six workers and the company’s proprietor were present during the raid.

The operation netted the aforementioned number of 1-litre bottles in 377 crates. The department also discovered that the company was attempting to distribute the fake lubricants at RM 10 cheaper than the market price. The stock has not been distributed to retailers.

According to the KPHNHEP, the packaging of the bogus products looked very similar to the genuine items. They added that only the brand owner and KPNHEP can spot the difference(s).

All items were confiscated under Section 8(2)(c) of the Trade Description Act 2011.

In our opinion, low lives who sell fake motorcycle items should be incarcerated for life, since it involves the safety of motorcyclists.

Source: Kosmo! Online

Pasukan Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Melancarkan Jentera Ducati Panigale V4 R WorldSBK 2019

Pasukan Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike telah melancarkan jentera Ducati Panigale V4 R WorldSBK 2019 mereka.
Penunggang mereka yang sedia ada, Chaz Davies akan disertai oleh penunggang baharu dan bekas pelumba MotoGP, Alvaro Bautista.
Kejohanan WorldSBK musim 2019 menandakan kali pertama Ducati mempertaruhkan jentera janaan enjin V-Four.

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Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Launches WorldSBK 2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R

The Aru Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike launched their WorldSBK 2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Returning rider Chaz Davies is joined by newcomer and ex-MotoGP rider Alvaro Bautista.
WorldSBK 2019 marks the first time Ducati races with a V-Four bike.

It’s not only the season for wishing prosperity, it’s also when international race teams launch their teams for the 2019 season. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike team launched their 2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R for WorldSBK 2019.

The team’s riders Chaz Davies and newcomer Alvaro Bautista will ride the new bikes in an effort to recapture the WorldSBK crown for Ducati. The Italian manufacturer had a stranglehold of the WorldSBK throughout the Nineties and it was through that championship that Ducati became a household name, before they ventured into MotoGP. However, they have not won a superbike title for the last seven years.

“We’ll be working with only one aim in mind: to win,” said Gigi Dall’Igna about Ducati Corse’s WorldSBK program.

The Ducati Panigale V4 R is also an important milestone for Ducati as it is their first V-Four-powered road bike. Indeed, the manufacturer created the Panigale V4 as their basis to win the WorldSBK title, and thereby breaking their long tradition of producing V-Twin superbikes. WorldSBK and World Supersport championships are production-based.

Make no mistake, the Ducati Panigale V4 R is a potent missile right out of the crate. On the other hand, the team and manufacturer are pragmatic in their approach. “The project is still at an early stage and development has started auspiciously well, but we still have to perfect several details and we have a clearly defined development program,” added Dall’Igna.

Team rider Chaz Davies will spend his fifth year with the red bikes and is a regular hard charger. He’s not afraid to swap paint, rubber and leather with four-time and current WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea of Kawasaki.

Alvaro Bautista could prove to be the dark horse of the factory with his extensive experience and knowledge garnered in MotoGP. He may well score a few wins this season.

All pictures: Ducati and Asphalt & Rubber

MotoGP 2019: Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Persembahkan Kemasan Grafik Yamaha YZR-M1 2019

Pasukan pengilang Yamaha kini dikenali dengan nama Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP.
Mereka turut memperkenalkan kemasan grafik baharu untuk jentera Yamaha YZR-M1 2019 bagi kejohanan MotoGP musim 2019.
Monster Energy telah mengambil alih penajaan utama dari Movistar.

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MotoGP 2019: Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 2019 Yamaha YZR-M1 Livery Unveiled

The Yamaha factory team is now called the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP.
They also launched the new livery for the 2019 Yamaha YZR-M1 for the MotoGP 2019 season.
Monster Energy takes over from Movistar.

The factory Yamaha MotoGP squad unveiled their new Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP livery and the 2019 Yamaha YZR-M1.

Monster Energy has taken over from Spanish telecommunications company Movistar as the main sponsor of the team. Hence the new livery consists of more black paint matched to the traditional Yamaha racing blue. The energy drink brand was already sponsoring both Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinalez prior to this.

2019 here we come!@ValeYellow46 and @mvkoficial12 got their #BeastModeOn.#MonsterYamaha | #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/RPzwK3mKO8

— Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP (@YamahaMotoGP) February 4, 2019

Whatever it is, the factory Yamaha team is looking forward to leaping back into contention after a dismal 2018 season. The longest losing streak in the brand’s history was thankfully broken when Vinalez won at Phillip Island.

The dearth of meaningful results even prompted Yamaha’s Project Leader Koiji Tsuya to issue a public apology to the riders, team and fans. He then stepped down last month and replaced by former head of chassis division Takahiro Sumi.

Riders Rossi and Vinalez will finally get to test the new bike during the first Pre-Season Test at the Sepang International Circuit from 6^thto 8^thFebruary.

Valentino Rossi

“I like it very much – Yamaha is always blue, and the blue of the Yamaha is beautiful, but I like the black of Monster because the colour of my soccer team, Inter, so I feel comfortable.”

Maverick Vinalez

“I can’t wait to start, the holidays were already too long,” Vinales said. “I would like to be on the bike. I’m really curious to see the steps forward we did and see if we can push the bike at the maximum already in the first test.”

Penunggang Motosikal Dari Singapura Didapati Melindungi Nombor Plet Mereka Dengan Pita Pelekat

Rakaman kamera papan pemuka sebuah kereta telah berjaya merakam beberapa buah motosikal dari Singapura yang dipita pelekatkan nombor pletnya di atas Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan PLUS.
Motosikal-motosikal ini merupakan sebahagian daripada sebuah konvoi besar dari negara berkenaan.
Ini berlaku selang beberapa hari selepas kerajaan Singapura mengatakan mereka akan mengharamkan kenderaan asing dengan saman tertunggak daripada memasuki negara tersebut.

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Caught on Camera: Singaporean Motorcycles with Taped Up Number Plates

A car’s dashcam caught a number of Singaporean motorcycles with taped up number plates on the PLUS North-South Highway.
The motorcycles were among a large motorcycle convoy from the Republic.
This happened just days after the Singaporean government saying they will ban foreign vehicles with unpaid fines from entering the country.

A car’s dashcam recently caught a number of Singaporean motorcycles with taped up number plates on the PLUS North-South Highway. ROADS.sg’s shared the video on their Facebook page and has now gone viral.

The footage showed a large Singaporean motorcycle convoy moving along smartly on the left lane and allowing vehicles to pass on the right. That’s good commendable convoy and road etiquette. The car occupants were initially in awe of the big bikes, but they soon started to talk excitedly when they spotted a number of bikes with tape over the rear number plates. Check out the video below (video credit “Amy” and ROAD.sg Facebook page).

So, why did they ride with covered plates? Did part of the plate fall off? Or because of the AES/AWAS/police radar cameras? The biggest suspicion points to avoid their number plates being captured when speeding to avoid fines.

This video showed up days just after the Singapore government issued a statement that they will ban some overseas vehicles to the island republic. This is response to Malaysian motorists owing the Singapore government RM 100 million in traffic fines, reports World of Buzz.

We always take a neutral stand in such matters. There are always the good, the bad and the ugly among any country’s people. So, let’s be responsible and pay up our fines in Singapore. On the other hand, if there are any Singaporean riders reading this, please tell your friends to remove the tape on their number plates. They risk a bigger fine or even having their motorcycles confiscated if caught by the Malaysian authorities.

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