The inaugural round of the TOC Desmo Cup was held during Round 2 of the 2018 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship.
This new series was the result of the cooperation between TOC Automotive College and Desmo Owners Club Malaysia.
The competitors’ bikes were worked on by facilitators of the TOC Superbike Technician Course.
The TOC Automotive College and Desmo Club Malaysia had signed a partnership recently to work hand-in-hand to create a new series called the TOC Desmo Cup exclusively for Ducati owners, beginning Round 2 of the 2018 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship.
There was a total of six competitors in this series, making for a humble beginning. More riders had wanted to join initially but couldn’t prepare enough in time.
But while any Ducati makes for a great track weapon, all six were on the Ducati 898, 1098 and 1198 variants. The 1098 made its debut in 2007, the 848 in 2008, and 1198 in 2009. It meant they could be considered “outdated” in the pantheon of superbikes. (Carlos Checa won the 2011 WSBK rider and manufacturer title on a satellite 1098, nonetheless.)
Carlos Checa in 2011 – Courtesy of Sport Rider
Such a scenario created a unique challenge for any team to keep the bikes competitive, but thankfully, the TOC Desmo Cup has help from the TOC Automotive College in the form of TOC Superbike Technician Course lecturers to work on those Ducatis.
On the other hand, TOC also benefits as their facilitators and students obtain the experience of working in a hectic environment.
It was visible that both parties worked well together and not one bike suffered any mechanical failure throughout the weekend.
Again, it demonstrates the importance of having certified technicians working on your bike.
As for the TOC Desmo Cup series, it was well-organized among the ranks, hence everything went on without a hitch. The riders are riding buddies and friends, which provided an atmosphere of friendly rivalry and ribbing each other.
Zulkiply Yahya won the inaugural race ahead of Sarul Fahmi Mohd. Zaini and Syamsul Bakthiar Esa.
Watch out for the next round as more competitors come onbard.
Besides supplying the manpower, the TOC Automotive College upped the ante in projecting their branding from this round, by putting up boards of their Bina Bakat program and also the Superbike Technician Course in the paddocks.
Please visit TOC Automotive College’s Facebook page or their campus (map below) or call call (+603) 7960 8833 for more information. Likewise, you can find more information about the TOC Bina Bakat Program here, or email info@toc.edu.my. Please click on this link for further information on the TOC Superbike Technician Course.
Round 2 of the 2018 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship saw see-saw results for the TOC Automotive College-backed TOC-HKM Racing Team.
However, the team’s technicians did a great job to restore one heavily and another slightly damaged bikes.
Team rider Amirul Hafiq Azmi won the Superstock Race 2 and finished 2nd in the Superbike Race 2 at the Sepang International Circuit.
In campaigning in the 2018 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship Round 2 at the Sepang International Circuit, TOC HKM Racing Team had started the event well initially; Amirul Hafiq Azmi fought his way up the field from his 11th qualifying grid to finish 2nd behind a hard-charging Azroy Hakeem, in Saturday’s Superstock Race 1.
The team’s BMW S 1000 RR was well-prepared has the speed and Amirul Hafiq has the skill but Azroy was already too far in front to chase down.
However, he crashed spectacularly in the subsequent Superbike Race 1 and destroying the bike in the process. He was holding on to 3rd position at that moment.
His teammate Muhammad Jamalul Tarmizi, on the other hand, was caught in a see-saw battle with Thailand’s Michael Muesel, often swapping positions. However, just a handful of laps left to go, Muhammad Jamalul overshot a corner and low-sided in the gravel trap. He was able to pick the bike back up and crossed the line in 15th. (Please click on the link below for a detailed report.)
TOC HKM Racing Team’s crew worked through the early Sunday morning to repair Amirul Hafiq’s bike for Race 2 of the Superstock and Superbike categories.
In Superstock Race 2, Amirul Hafiq once again charged up the field and closed the gap to Azroy Hakeem and shadowed the latter from Lap 5. Amirul Hafiq made his move by outbraking Azroy into Turn 4 (a great feat by its own) and pulled away immediately to win the race.
Next was Superbike Race 2. While Azlan Shah Kamaruzan and Rajini Krishnan of India blasted off into the distance, Amirul battled with a number of riders into 4th. Rajini then overshot Turn 9 and dropped to fifth. That meant the Swiss rider Jonathan Serrapica was in 2nd. Amirul hunted down Serrapica mercilessly and passed the rider to take 2nd spot which he held on until the finish.
Muhammad Jamalul also rode a smart race on the TOC HKM Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R to cross the line in 6th.
Sunday’s comeback showed the experience and resilience of the team and they did an amazing job to go from a trashed bike into a race-winning machine. In fact, pundits in the paddock were adamant that it was the end of the TOC HKM Racing Team for this round following the previous day’s misfortunes.
But this demonstrates what we’ve been harping about in the last few articles: If Certified Technicians are important outside the racetrack, they are crucial (to the stage of performing miracles) during a race weekend. To cite what Dato’ Ahmad Razlan Razali said during our interview last week, the developments in racing activities creates a huge demand for certified and trained technicians. The results today showed what he said was correct.
The TOC Automotive College upped the ante in projecting their branding from this round, by putting up boards of their Bina Bakat program and also the Superbike Technician Course in the paddocks.
Please visit TOC Automotive College’s Facebook page or their campus (map below) or call call (+603) 7960 8833 for more information. Likewise, you can find more information about the TOC Bina Bakat Program here, or email info@toc.edu.my. Please click on this link for further information on the TOC Superbike Technician Course.
TechTOC is a weekly technical column moderated by “Foreman” Oh Kah Beng (KB).
KB is now the Motorsports Consultant at the TOC Automotive College’s motorcycle racing venture and Principal Trainer at his Most Fun Gym (MFG) MX-school
Send in your technical questions, and the winner receives a complimentary session at KB’s Most Fun Gym MX-school!
We began with TechTOC last week, when “Foreman” Oh or as he likes to be called, “KB”, answered a reader’s query about engine operating temperatures (please click on the this link to read about it). This week, KB answers a good question about motorcycle suspension, namely the terminologies.
Question:
I always hear my friends talking about set up. Can you explain what is preload, compression and rebound damping?
— Wong Siew Seng, Selangor
Answer:
To answer your question needs to take up and entire article so I’ll try to be as brief as I can and cover only the basics.
The short answer is, preload is to adjust suspension sag. Sag (there are unladed and laden sag) is the name given to the amount of suspension travel used up when the bike settles under the bike’s own weight (unladen) and when the rider sits on the bike (laden). You alter its settings by rotating the collars or ramp clockwise, which loads the spring. It will cause the spring to push back on the collar, thereby reducing the sag and raising that end of the bike’s ride height at the same time. Move the collars up and the ride height drops.
But do not be fooled! The frustrating misconception is that altering the preload also changes your suspension’s stiffness (spring rate). This is totally wrong! You DO NOT change the spring rate unless you replace the spring. The suspension feels harsh when you add in too much preload as you have reduced the sag too much and the suspension sinks into its stiffer stroke. Think of sag as “freeplay.” However, too little preload is also a bad thing, as the suspension will have to much “freeplay” and compress all the way to its bump stop.
Before we proceed to the subject of damping, let us get this out of the way:
A spring if left to work alone (without damping) is prone “oscillations.” A compressed spring stores energy and when that energy is released, the spring will re-extend past its original length. When that happens, the elongated spring now stores potential energy and will recompress the spring when released. This process happens over and over again, the spring will “oscillate” until the energy turns translates totally to heat. You will feel the bike wallow up and down, like sitting on a motionless boat on a stormy sea – up and down, down and up, up and down.
Spring oscillation graph – hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu
This is where damping comes into play. Damping controls the movements of the spring.
Compression damping (marked as “COM”on the fork/s or shock/s) pertains to how “quickly” or “slowly” the wheel is allowed to push upwards when it contacts a bump. If you increase compression, the valves inside the fork or shock shuts off the flow of hydraulic oil or gas, thereby resisting the wheel’s upward movement. Conversely, if you decrease compression, the valves open up and oil or gas is able to flow more freely, hence the wheel comes up faster.
But DO NOT go to extremes. Just because you ride fast, it does not mean you need more compression damping. If you increase it too much, there will be too much resistance to the wheel’s movement, rendering it difficult to “soak” up bumps i.e. the suspension could not comply with road irregularities. This will cause the wheel to hop and lose traction. Additionally, a lot of bump energy is transferred to the rider. A bit less compression works for cornering at times, allowing the tyre to absorb the bumps and “dig” into the road (better mid-corner stability, too).
Rebound damping is opposite to compression damping. It regulates how quickly or slowly the wheel returns to its normal position after compression. Too much rebound will cause the suspension to “pack up,” as in it returns too slowly and that end of the bike will feel loose as the wheel stays up too long from its optimal position. Too little rebound, conversely, causes the wheel to be pushed back down too quickly (“packing down”) and the bike will feel harsh.
Too little rebound can be confused with too much compression but pay attention to whether the “hit” is felt immediately when you contact a bump or just after it. If it is felt immediately when you hit a bump, it is due to too much compression (or a spring that is too hard). Conversely, if the bump is felt after contacting it, it is due to too little rebound damping.
So, adjust the preload to obtain the correct sag (30 to 40 mm or 1/3 of total suspension travel) and ride height, compression damping for bump absorption and rebound damping for how the wheel returns after bump absorption. Understanding this will do wonders to the handling of your motorcycle.
Although suspension settings are subjective as every rider has a different comfort zone and riding environment, personally, I always like to set both compression and rebound damping on the softer side, and work my way up, using the factory (stock) setting as the baseline. An overly soft setting is more forgiving than overly hard one, as the former is more pliant while the latter is harsh and unforgiving, which could lead to extreme occurrences such as tyre slides and tank slappers.
You can learn more about this in the TOC Automotive College’s Superbike Technician Course. Please visit TOC Automotive College’s Facebook page or their campus (map below) or call call (+603) 7960 8833 for more information. Likewise, you can find more information about the TOC Bina Bakat Program here, or email info@toc.edu.my. Please click on this link for further information on the TOC Superbike Technician Course.
You may also visit Most Fun Gym for off-road training, as it improves your riding skills for all riding conditions. Please call +6012-2072516 for more enquiries or to book an appointment.
TOC and SIC have partnered to develop talents through Bina Bakat program and Superbike Technician Course.
The announcement was made with Hafizh Syahrin, Adam Norrodin and Zulfahmi Khairuddin in attendance.
The partnership augurs well for both parties as SIC is actively expanding into motorsports.
As we’ve reported on previous occasions, the TOC Automotive College (TOC) is providing a loan for students aspiring to be certified superbike technicians through a program called, “Bina Bakat (Talent Development).” (Please click here for the full article.) Now, to provide graduates opportunities for greater job placement portfolios, as the college has announced their partnership with the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).
This augurs well with SIC as the world-class motorsports venue’s management has expanded their reach into two-motorsports by running their own MotoGP team next year, after SIC tied up with the Angel Nieto Team and Yamaha to run the manufacturer’s satellite team beginning 2019 (please click here to read the full news). Besides that, SIC has also set up a Talent Cup to develop young racers in Malaysia, managed by Zulfahmi Khairuddin.
This is on top of Hafizh Syahrin making the jump to the MotoGP premier class this year.
Dato’ Ahmad Razlan Razali, the CEO of Sepang International Circuit said that such expansion requires certified and skilled mechanics, who are disciplined in their work ethics. He is confident that these are the very sort of technicians who are produced by TOC through the Superbike Technician Course, which also encompasses motorsports as part of their syllabus.
Indeed, as part of TOC’s “Enriching Lives” theme, the college seeks to provide the best talent development program through Bina Bakat. The program builds the students’ development path through 80% practical work, preparing them for potential job placements after graduation. Obviously, SIC is an attractive goal for many students.
To rehash, Bina Bakat program offers 100% education loan to eligible student to follow the Superbike Technician Course. They will then repay their loans after they have found job placements.
The announcement was made during a special get-together event at the TOC Automotive College’s campus in Petaling Jaya. Present were Hafizh Syahrin (MotoGP), Adam Norrodin (Moto3), Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Team Manager), Dato’ Ahmad Razlan Razali, Oh Kah Beng (TOC Motorsports Director), Jeffrey Oh (Oh Kah Beng’s brother and co-ordinator for the Asia Talent Cup and British Talent Cup) and Habibtullah Fuad Mohamad (Moto2 Mechanic), among other dignitaries and well-known figures in Malaysian motosports.
The guests were given a guided tour of TOC’s facilities and they signed autographs for their fans after the press conference.
Please visit TOC Automotive College’s Facebook page or their campus (map below) or call call (+603) 7960 8833 for more information. Likewise, you can find more information about the TOC Bina Bakat Program here, or email info@toc.edu.my. Please click on this link for further information on the TOC Superbike Technician Course.
TOC Automotive College provides funding for students interested to pursue the Superbike Technician Course!
The Bina Bakat option funds up to 100% of the course fees.
Bina Bakat students only repay after they have secured employment after completing the course.
Education is one of the most important aspects of modern life, if not the most important. Lives are built based on education, and goals too are achieved through good education. Unfortunately education sometimes is out of reach for the regular person due to accessibility issues such as the costs associated with education.
While there are many scholarships available in the market, these are usually reserved for top tier students with near perfect results. Options are not as great for others, and that is what TOC Automotive College aims to change through a special financing program called TOC Bina Bakat Program.
Launched at the beginning of 2018, the TOC Bina Bakat Program which translates to Building Talents Program in English, works to provide financing to students who need it the most. It offers both apprenticeship programs and loan repayment plan for students where an education loan is provided for the enrolled courses and the students will only need to make the repayments through a monthly deduction from their salary or allowance. This deduction will only take place once the student obtains apprenticeship or a permanent job placement.
“With living costs increasing steadily, more parents and students find themselves struggling to pay for tertiary education cost. Our role as the pioneering educator in Malaysia’s automotive industry is committed towards overcoming external challenges which could deprive higher learning opportunities among the younger generation. Through the TOC Bina Bakat Program, we hope to bridge the financial differences and provide easier access to quality education for everyone,” said Adelaine Foo, Founder of TOC Automotive College.
Foo further added, “TOC Bina Bakat Program strikes long term mutual benefits for students and TOC’s Industry Partners as these students will be groomed in the very organization they hope to secure permanent placement with, be it in after sales-service or in the technical area.”
Students who are interested to pursue this course will be able to secure a 100% loan to finance their education, repayable only when they secure a job.
Click here for more information regarding TOC Bina Bakat Program and the Superbike Technician Course.
