Honda wants to take another technology from the world of cars and put it into bikes.
The Lane Keep Assist is currently a widely known feature for cars.
It keeps the vehicle in the lane with the help of radars and cameras.
This time around, the Japanese firm is developing a new Keep Lane Assist Technology for motorcycles.
For those who don’t know how it works, in cars, the lane-keep assist features keep you in the lane on the highway with the help of radar sensors and cameras. The cameras detect the lines on the road to ensure that you are always in the lane, and if the car is moving away, the corresponding input brings the vehicle back into the line.
While the system might seem too fancy for bikes, Honda is not the only brand currently working on semi-autonomous technology.
The Ducati Multistrada V4 is also fitted with radars that allow the bike to be equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control. Also, Yamaha is currently testing a new generation Tracer 9 GT with the same features.
While Ducati and Yamaha fit the system on a tourer, Honda, on the other hand, plans to include the technology on just about any type of motorcycle.
According to reports, the system will be installed on the bike’s triple clamp, similar to a steering damper. However, in this case, the damper rod will be replaced by an actuator.
However, the actuator isn’t just a motor, instead uses a magnetostrictive torque sensor to measure the input on the bars. The motor will then read the steering input and adjust it accordingly.
Meanwhile, the camera will read whether the bike is moving away from the lane and affirms that there is no input on the bars from the rider. As such, the system will counter-steer the motorcycle back into the lane.
Despite the complexity, the system is designed to be unnoticeable and disengages immediately after the bike is back in the lane.
Although the Lane Keep Assist feature is still under development, we might get to see the new technology soon enough. If we’re lucky, Honda might showcase the technology at this year’s EICMA show in Milan.
France will lower the noise limits at race tracks from 2024 to combat noise pollution.
the new rule are only applies to road bikes going on to the race track.
could lead to race junkies switching to electric bikes as the best alternative.
The country is set to lower the limits from 102dB to 95dB, which could lead to a closer inspection of every track-going motorcycle before entering any circuit in the region.
However, the new legislation will not affect world championship competitions like the MotoGP and WorldSBK, instead will apply only to road bikes when they go out to the track.
Nonetheless, the new ruling could bring more despair to track junkies who now need to ensure their bike meets the new standard.
On the other hand, this could mean that track enthusiasts could turn to electric motorcycles. Electric bike brands like Damon Motorcycles and Energica would relish the new legislation.
Meanwhile, the UK is set to join France in clamping down on noise pollution as the country is testing new ‘noise cameras’ this summer.
Surprisingly it may seem that the number of vehicles in the country has exceeded the population in Malaysia.
a total of 33.3 million registered vehicles recorded in 2021.
the number registered vehicles has now exceeds the population in Malaysia.
Last year, Malaysia recorded 33.3 million registered vehicles while the population stood at 32.6 million.
According to road safety expert Professor Dr. Kulanthayan K.C Mani of Universiti Putra Malaysia, of the 33.3 million registered vehicles, 47.3% were cars, 46.6% were motorcycles, while the remaining 4.7% were good vehicles.
Dr. Kulanthayan said the booming of vehicle registration over the past few years until 2021 could be a significant contributor to the traffic congestion around the country, especially in Klang Valley.
He said that while the nation’s population increased between 300,000 to 400,000 annually, bringing the total to 32.6 million in 2021, the number of registered vehicles grows almost a million yearly.
“What is surprising here is that the vehicle population in 2019 was 31.2 million. Subsequently, it increased by one million every year. In 2021, it was registered at 33.3 million.
“For the first time, in 2021, the trend of vehicle population outpaced the human population. Over all these years, it has always been the reverse.
“The vehicle population now is high. If this trend continues yearly where vehicles are rising to the tune of one million, then we are going to face even more horrendous traffic congestion,” he explained. – NST
A Moto Guzzi V7 III Anniversario is one of the most difficult motorcycles to keep clean.
But the boys at Horus did a fantastic job at bringing out the shine to the acres of chrome on the bike.
Buying a motorcycle is one of life’s greatest pleasures. A motorcycle represents freedom, but in the modern sense that usually means freedom from getting stuck in traffic, freedom to go anywhere, and the spirit of adventure.
But what about maintaining the motorcycle? The mechanical parts are usually sorted out by a trusty mechanic or even the service centre from where the motorcycle was bought from.
But the aesthetics of the bike, well that is the owners prerogative.
Not too long ago, I bought a Moto Guzzi V7 III Anniversario, one of 1000 around the world. Being a limited edition model built to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, the motorcycle is fully decked out in chrome.
Everything from the tank to the mirrors and the mudguards is 100% chrome. And then there’s the saddle which is made out of plush brown leather.
I knew from the start that maintaining it was going to be difficult, but I didn’t know how difficult.
A ride in the rain resulted in the entire tank being blotched by rain spots. And with dirt being kicked up from the road, the chrome quickly becomes a dull shade of silver.
Maintaining it was, simply put, difficult.
Then I got a phone call one evening from a long lost friend – Mark.
“Horus have just opened a detailing shop bro, it is something I have been working on for a while now, come check it out,” said the enthusiastic voice over the phone.
Mark has always been one of those guys who you don’t see very often but you know is always there working on something awesome and always has a cool story to tell.
“I’ll come by tomorrow”, I responded.
Located at Temasya Glenmarie, Horus Premium Tints and Detailing Studio, the Malaysian dealer principal for Horus, specialises in everything needed to bring out the aesthetic shine in your car.
‘We started off in Singapore and did rather well, and now we’re in Malaysia with our good friend Azmi and looking to expand,” explained Mark.
On the topic of motorcycles, Horus did a fantastic job at working on the chrome and all the tiny bits. Detailing motorcycles is unlike a car, a bike has hundreds of tiny sensitive areas which if not handled carefully can be catastrophic.
The talented team at Horus consist of experienced bikers as well says that the entire process began with a an inspection of the bike, and from there the team planned out which Horus product to apply.
A bath with anti-static biodegradable shampoo started off the process followed by the usage of clay to remove heavy dirt.
This of course needed to be washed and wiped off before anything else could be done, so the Anniversario was cleaned and dried with a microfiber cloth.
From there the entire surface of the bike was wiped down with an alcohol based solvent which removes any excess oil and dirt. This was a necessary step as the next step involves paint correction to remove any scratches.
“We do that by using a medium cut polish, this retains the shine and removes small microscopic scratches. After that we leveled out the paint using a fine cut polish, this ensures the shine is consistent with zero paint defects,” explained Azmi Ismail, Managing Director of the Malaysia’s Horus dealer principal and another long time friend of mine.
From there, the entire process involved polishing with medium compound and the usage of solvents to remove any dirt and grime that may be tucked away deep inside the nooks and crannies of the bike.
To cap it all off, each component of the bike is cleaned with a microfiber cloth and a generous amount of Horus premium hybrid coating is applied to that extra shine.
It has been about three weeks now since I collected the bike. I have ridden the bike in the rain (in fact it rained right after I collected the bike) and it is now covered with dust again. But a quick swipe of a microfiber cloth immediately brings out the shine again.
Detailing motorcycles is a long tedious process, and not everyone can do it as it requires knowledge of the internal electronics of the bike. Am I happy with the final result? Im ecstatic with it, and for a bike as unique as the Anniversario, every bit of shine matters.
Horus Premium Tints and Coating is located at 32-G, Japan Penguasa B U1/53B, Temasya Glenmarie, Shah Alam, Malaysia. And can be contacted at 0122749586.
Heaven MC, sebuah kelab yang ditubuhkan pada tahun 2015 yang kebanyakannya terdiri daripada para pemilik Harley-Davidson, namun ianya terbuka untuk semua jenis motosikal janaan V-Twin.
Presidennya menyatakan yang ianya sebuah kelab motosikal nirlaba (non-profit) yang menyeronokkan.
Kelab ini kebiasaannya menganjurkan konvoi dalam negara, dan turut menunggang ke Thailand sebanyak tiga kali dalam setahun.
Heaven MC, a club founded in 2015 is made up of predominantly Harley-Davidsons but is open to riders of all types of V-Twin powered motorcycles.
The President says it is a fun, non-profit motorcycle club.
The club mostly organizes local rides, but also rides to Thailand up to three times a year.
Motorcycle clubs (MCs) have been all the rage ever since the motorcycle was first introduced to the world. Case in point, the oldest motorcycle club in the world is the Yonkers Motorcycle Club of New York, which was founded in the year 1903, the same year that Harley-Davidson tried to sell its first models.
Since then, the world has seen the rise and rise of MCs either for leisure and socialization, or for criminal activities. Hells Angels, one of the most popular MCs in the world, immediately comes to mind when you put motorcycle clubs and criminal activities together in one sentence, but fact of the matter is, such MCs are the 1% of the world’s motorcycle riding community.
Malaysia too has a huge number of MCs, how many in total is unknown as there is no governing body that monitors and sanctions the MCs, but 100 clubs is easy if you consider the mopeds and scooter clubs.
One such club is the Heaven MC, a club founded in 2015 and is made up of predominantly Harley-Davidsons but is open to riders of all types of V-Twin powered motorcycles.
The club is headed by Nick Lum (top right), who took over as President in 2016 and is in charge of keeping the club’s 125 members occupied with weekend rides and such.
I had the pleasure of having a few brewskis with Nick last week to talk about the club he actively leads.
“The club only had 20 members when I joined with about 8 to 10 active riders. There was this one time where we organised a weekend ride but only me and this guy named Alex Locke showed up on Sunday morning. I remember us looking at each other and feeling clueless, and from then on Alex and I went out to actively recruit members,” said Nick that night at The Gasket Alley.
With a background in MNC marketing and the regional direct sales industry, Nick together with Alex, set out to to build and recruit members using the law of averages. “I knew that the more people we recruited, the higher the chances were of more people coming out to ride over the weekend. If we spoke to 50 people about Heaven MC and only 20% showed up over the weekend, that would be good enough for us as that is better than just two people showing up. These days we can easily get over 100 riders out for a ride, I would say we have done well,” explained Nick.
The 53 year old Nick is an active rider himself and owns a Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle, Road King Classic and a Street Glide CVO, and has gone through a number of Harleys in his riding career. “For me, riding a Harley-Davidson is akin to driving a Bentley or a Rolls-Royce. Not only are the bikes a symbol of status, but I also feel safe riding a Harley as I don’t need to ride fast to get satisfaction. Cars these days are way too expensive, a Harley on the other hand is also expensive for a motorcycle, but a lot more affordable and it changes your life.”
When asked about Heaven MC, the President says it is a fun, non-profit MC. The club’s most notables rides has been the inaugural ride to open the new Harley-Davidson PJ showroom where the club’s members were a part of about 500 Harley owners who rode together to celebrate the new showroom.
The club is open to all bikers who ride any type of V-twin motorcycle. There is no membership fees and everyone is welcome to join the weekend rides. The club actively supports events and community service and actively organizes fund raisers for any charity that needs it.
The club mostly organizes local rides, but also rides to Thailand up to three times a year. The club also recently held its annual CNY gathering to celebrate with their achievement and to share their upcoming plans. Harley-Davidson of Petaling Jaya also took part as a dealer to celebrate the annual event together with HOG of PJ to foster Harley-Davidson brotherhood. Anyone interested to join the club and its rides can get more information at the Heaven MC Facebook page.
Sebuah artikel yang telah disiarkan baru-baru ini oleh The Malay Mail menyaksikan pengarangnya merungut tentang penunggang motosikal menunggang motosikal mereka di atas Lebuhraya Persekutuan.
Lebih banyak motosikal telah memasuki laluan utama kerana sebahagian daripada laluan motosikal telah ditutup bagi pengubahsuaian.
Walaupun ada di antara mereka menunggang secara lalai, ianya tidak adil bagi melabel ke semua penunggang motosikal sebagai ‘gangguan’ atau ‘mat rempit’.
A recent article posted by the Malay Mail has the author complaining about motorcyclists riding their bikes on the Federal Highway.
More bikes are taking the main carriageway as some parts of the dedicated bike lanes are closed for renovations.
While some do ride carelessly, it is not fair to label all bikers as ‘nuisances’ or ‘mat rempits‘.
Image source: The Star
In reference to a recent article published by the Malay Mail earlier today, the author clearly stated that more motorcyclists are taking their bikes onto the main carriageway and went on to blatantly label them as ‘nuisances’ and even ‘mat rempits’ (street hooligans). The biased article, which may be confusing for some especially other motorists, was written without considering the true story behind the event. (more…)
Sewaktu dalam keriuhan aksi MotoGP di Litar Antarabangsa Sepang baru-baru ini, Modenas Malaysia telah mencuri tumpuan dengan pelancaran Bakat Besi, Sebuah program mencari bakat yang pertama seumpamanya di Malaysia untuk Rekaan dan Kejuruteraan Motosikal. Program ini bertujuan untuk menawarkan para pembina, mekanik, pelajar serta penggemar motosikal satu peluang bagi menjadikan minat mereka sebagai satu kerjaya melalui Bakat Besi: Peraduan Reka Bina, bahagian pertama bagi program mencari bakat yang akan menggilap pelbagai kemahiran di mana kemahiran yang pertama yang dicari adalah rekaan dan binaan.
In the thick of the recent MotoGP action at the Sepang International Circuit, Modenas Malaysia stole part of the show with the launch of Bakat Besi, Malaysia’s first talent search programme for Design and Bike Engineering. The programme aims to offer builders, mechanics, students and motorcycle enthusiasts a chance to make a career out of passion through Bakat Besi: Peraduan Reka Bina, the first installment of the talent search programme that will seek many different skill sets with the first being design and build.
There is undeniably no shortage of talent in Malaysia, with talents sitting idle and waiting for an opportunity to shine, but with no real chance to do so on a national or international platform, these talents remain hidden all around the country; their talents wasted.
“With Bakat Besi: Peraduan Reka Bina platform, potential talents can unleash their engineering and design creativity, while making an income for themselves and their families, and also providing a continuity to the local motorcycle industry,” said Wazi Hamid, veteran motorcycle Cub Prix champion and pioneer in the motorcycle industry in Malaysia.
“Bakat Besi: Peraduan Reka Bina is probably the best motorcycle contest that gives talented Malaysians a chance to make a career out of their talents. As far as the industry goes, we have seen how talents are misplaced through illegal racing and criminal activities and there isn’t a proper platform that enables these young talents to explore the possibilities of professional career,” said Keshy Dhillon, Managing Editor of Moto Malaya & Bikes Republic who was present as the KOL for the programme.
While there are no statistics reported on the illegal street racing, the New Straits Times have reported that about 2,837 illegal racers arrested from 2003 to 2007. That does not include the unreported cases, hence, the numbers are expected to be higher. It was reported two years ago that in a bid to curb illegal motorcycle races, the government is set to allow Mat Rempits the chance to race on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, in legal fashion. Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor states that the idea behind these organised races is to counter the growing problem of illegal motorcycle racing.
“We want the motorcycle community to not merely be social catalysts but also contribute to the economic engine as opportunities in industry grows. Done systematically this will provide new enterprise that the youths will be attracted to, reducing social ills and unemployment, taking away street racers, putting them in R&D, manufacturing and marketing. Bakat Besi is the kick starter to achieve that,” added Amirudin Abd Kadir, Chief Executive Officer of Modenas Malaysia (above) during the launch.
Bakat Besi: Peraduan Reka Bina contest is set to establish a platform for talents to uncover, develop and refine their design and bike engineering skills and help them set foot in the growing automotive industry in Malaysia.
The contest will be divided into two categories, the first one being ‘Bina Sifu’, grouping together 12 top builders in Malaysia to customise and modify motorcycles provided by the main sponsor of Bakat Besi: Peraduan Reka Bina – Modenas, who are sponsoring their latest series of street bikes, the V15, Pulsar RS200 and NS200.
The 12 builders will be divided into six teams, and each team will have one constructor and one customiser. Each team will be allocated a budget of RM10,000 and their entry will be judged on the aesthetic, performance and commercial value of the motorcycle. The winner will receive a cash prize, a new Modenas motorcycle, and a production contract.
The second category is called the ‘Reka Sifu’ which is a design contest where contestants will need to submit a concept design of a Modenas motorcycle or design stickers (livery). All contestants will be judged by a panel of judges and by the public digitally via social media platform.
The contest will be filmed, giving the public exclusive view of how the builders design and build the street bikes, offering an unprecedented point of view to this unique contest. The nine-episode series will be aired on Modenas’ official YouTube channel. The judging panel for the contest is sixty percent of the total scoring. With that, the public will be able to vote for their favourite customised bike by design and performance and stand a chance to win a Modenas motorcycle in the process.
For more information on the contest, please log on to www.r8der.my and follow Bakat Besi: Peraduan Reka Bina on R8DER’s Facebook page.
Watch the video below for more information regarding Bakat Besi!
Menurut laporan kajian tentang kesesakan jalan raya dari Belgium baru-baru ini, cara yang terbaik untuk mengurangkan kesesakan trafik terutamanya ketika waktu puncak adalah dengan menukar satu per empat daripada pemandu kereta menjadi penunggang motosikal.
Kajian ini menyatakan bahawa hampir separuh, atau jumlah sebenarnya pada 40%, daripada kesesakan trafik dapat dikurangkan sekiranya 10% daripada pemandu kereta bertukar kepada motosikal.
Angka ini juga menunjukkan bahawa yang ianya dapat meningkatkan ruang parkir sebanyak 20% dan mengurangkan stress, masa yang terluang di atas jalan, dan kemungkinan yang lebih tinggi untuk hadir ke tempat kerja tanpa tekanan.
According to a recent Belgian research on road congestion, the best way to stop traffic jams especially during rush hours if just a quarter of car drivers convert to riding motorcycles instead.
The research stated that almost half of traffic jams can be reduced if just 10% of drivers switched to motorcycles, 40% to be exact.
This figure also indicated that it can also increase parking spaces by up to 20% while decreasing stress, time spent on the road and higher probability of showing up to work stress-free.
In conjunction with the international Ride To Work Week (yes, there is such an awesome thing as this), we’ve been in a back and forth argument on the best way to commute especially to work. This is due to the fact that Malaysians are divided when it comes to which is the best option; car or motorcycle. (more…)
