TOC Archives

A day in the life of a Superbike Technician during race day

If you’re reading this then there’s a pretty good chance you wouldn’t mind getting paid to work with superbikes.
There has been a recent rise in demand for superbike technicians, amid the lack of qualified technicians in the market.
TOC Automotive College is now offering a Superbike Technician Course that aims to equip technicians with the proper qualification. Get more info here.
The course includes working with a full-fledged race team in order to get the necessary experience from real-world scenarios.

The world of motorcycle racing or any other motorsports for that matter is all about one thing; TEAMWORK. Racers can’t win by themselves and bikes can’t be maintained to their optimum performance without all of the team members and crews.

This is where a dedicated group of individuals comes to play. From team bosses, pit crews to race mechanics and technicians, each person has a huge role to play in obtaining the best possible results during race day.

For superbike technicians, there’s nothing like witnessing your motorcycle racer crossing the finish line and finishing on the podium. Despite the celebrations, all of the work that has been put through in order to achieve the results for your riders however, does not start the night before. Here’s a look into a day in the life of a superbike technician during race day.

After at least a week’s worth of preparation prior to the race weekend, teams as well as their race machines and racers make their way to the track on Friday or Saturday depending on the race series format. Witnessing them functioning as a well-oiled singular unit is nothing short of amazing.

After scrambling through practice and qualifying sessions, it’s time for race day. People often mention the ‘calm before the storm’ but it’s only a temporary silence before the race bikes are fired up and superbike technicians are seen getting everything ready in an organised manner despite all the chaos.

The TOC HKM Racing Team currently competing in the 2018 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship is a great example of how superbike technicians are trained and develop their skills in the art of motorcycle racing.

It’s all down to one thing and one thing only; getting the bike at its most optimum performance for the rider. From getting the right tyres, fitting the tyre warmers, checking fuel and fluid levels, and everything else in between, it’s a breathtaking sight once you see that high-performance machine ready to blast down the straights and carve through corners as fast as the rider can ride it.

As most of you may have heard, the TOC Automotive College has recently launched their first-ever Superbike Technician Course and part of their program is to get future superbike technicians involved in motorcycle racing as part of their curriculum.

Race days are not just about getting the race bikes ready to battle it out on the track but also provide real-world situations to the superbike technicians from swift maintenance to emergency parts replacements. Maintaining a cool head in a stressful environment will make any person grow and if they are able to practice their craft in the scenario, the results are certainly impressive. This is what the TOC Automotive College is all about.

In other words, TOC’s involvement in motorcycle racing will broaden their students’ knowledge as well as motor skills where some things can’t be obtained by working in garages and workshops. Their recent collaboration with the Malaysia Speed Festival also gave birth to the MSF Motor Racing Study Course which further elevates their dedication in bringing nothing but the best for future superbike technicians.

When it comes to becoming the best Superbike Technician, TOC Automotive College provides the best program catered to any passionate individuals wanting to start their career with motorcycles whether at the workshops or race track.

To know more about TOC’s Superbike Technician Course, CLICK HERE!

Juruteknik Superbike Bertauliah Kini Semakin Diperlukan!

Dengan binaan motosikal masa kini yang semakin rumit, keperluan untuk juruteknik yang lebih pakar amat diperlukan.
Lebih rama pemilik yang menghantar motosikal mereka ke bengkel rasmi oleh kerana kerumitannya.
TOC Automotive College menawarkan Kursus Juruteknik Superbike yang memenuhi matlamat tersebut.

(more…)

TechTOC: Technical Answers by “Foreman” Oh Kah Beng

TechTOC is a new weekly technical column moderated by “Foreman” Oh Kah Beng (KB).
KB is now the Consultant for the TOC Automotive College’s motorcycle racing venture.
Send in your technical questions, as the winner receives a complimentary session at KB’s Most Fun Gym MX-school!

Malaysian GP legend and now motocross instructor, “Foreman” Oh Kah Beng is no stranger to most of us. He was the very first Malaysian to have ridden in international GP events on 500cc 2-stroke machines in the 80’s, before moving over to the automotive industry where he was the head of Lotus Cars Malaysia and Driving Instructor for the Lotus community’s Performance Driving Program.

Growing up at his father’s motorcycle shop, he had learned about wrenching on a motorcycle from an early age. In fact, all his brothers are well-known technicians, too, including Sunny Oh and Randy Oh.

Most Interesting Biker –Oh Kah Beng

Lately, he is the operating his own motocross and off-roading as the Principal Coach, to teach riders the finer points of motorcycle control at his facility, Most Fun Gym (MFG). His students start from as young as four-years-old.

As TOC Automotive College makes a foray into two-wheeled education and racing, in addition to auto racing, it was only right that KB (as he likes to be called) plays the role of consultant to the racing project.

Please click on this link to visit TOC Automotive College to know more about their new TOC Superbike Technician Course. https://www.facebook.com/TOC.edu/

TOC Automotive College introduces new superbike course – Learn to be a qualified superbike mechanic!

Here, we kick off the first installment of TechTOC, where readers such as you can send in technical questions regarding your motorcycle and KB will answer them. The best question earns a complementary riding session at Most Fun Gym! So get typing!

Kah Beng (far left) with Sebastian Foo and the TOC Automotive College MSBK Malaysia Superbike Team

Question:

I own a Harley-Davidson and a Ducati 1299 Panigale. What would be the ideal operating temperature for these bikes? I also own a scooter for my daily runabout, should the same temperatures apply to it as well?

– Muhammad “Don Ducati” Anis, Kuala Lumpur

Answer:

Motorcycle engines need to operate at a certain temperature range for the optimal thermodynamic efficiency. At this optimal temperature, the fuel-air mixture is in a state which is easier to burn efficiently. This efficiency translates to better power production, fuel efficiency and lower exhaust emission.

As an example, you may have noticed that familiar exhaust smell from a cold engine as it heats up. That is because the engine has not reached it working temperature.

Now, over to your questions.

The operating temperature range of a motorcycle depends on what type of motorcycle, which brand, whether it is Japanese or “continental” and if it is liquid- or air/oil-cooled, so please note that this is a general statement.

An air-cooled Harley-Davidson engine’s operating temperature correlates to its oil temperature. From what I understand, that is around 90^o to 120^o C on a 32^o C day. It is okay as long as it stays below 150^o C. The only way to tell is if you install an oil temperature gauge, sold by Harley as an accessory. (It’s a dispstick-like device which fits in the place of the stock engine oil filler cap.)

As for the Ducati 1299 Panigale, the operating range for Ducatis, including my Monster is around 90^o to 105^o C. Ducatis, Cagivas and most Italian bikes have traditionally run temperatures up in this range. Our TOC BMW S 1000 RR racebikes could hit close to 100^o C in the heat (pun intended) of competition.

What scooter do you own? May I safely assume that it is from a Japanese manufacturer? The Japanese manufacturers adhere to lower engine operating temperatures, usually between 70^o to 80^o C, conversely.

Why it is Important to Have a Certified Technician Working on Your Bike

• Trusting your bike to a certified technician is a no-brainer.
• There are great “traditional” mechanics out there but motorcycles are getting more complex.
• A certified technician invariably means official training, discipline and knowledge.

Before we go on, surely you have experienced a horrific visit or two to a motorcycle workshop. You have ridden motorcycles for decades, but there always seem to be something to surprise you.

We had written about this earlier, please click on the link below to read about the horror stories of giving your bike to the wrong mechanic.

Bad Mechanics: Horror Stories for Your Bike

As we mentioned before, there are a few great mechanics around. These ‘otais’ cut their teeth in motorcycle maintenance and repairs usually from when they were very young. However, the key to their businesses surviving for so long is not due to offering cheap parts and accessories; instead, it is due their passion in applying proper workshop practice and techniques. Visit one and you may see a good workshop manual or two in the office.

But how about the younger generation coming into the job market? It was something of an eye-opener for us when the TOC Automotive College launched their Superbike Technician Course a few weeks ago.

To recap, the TOC Automotive College (TOC) launched their Superbike Technician Course. Also during the launch, TOC signed an agreement with the Malaysian Motorcycle and Scooter Dealers Association (MMSDA). To summarize, the agreement will see students of TOC’s Superbike Technician Course be sent to MMSDA affiliated workshops to undergo industrial training as part of their curriculum and find job placements there when they have completed the course.

Mr. Wee Hong, Chairman of MMSDA iterated that there is a pressing need for qualified technicians at member workshops. (Please click on the link below for more details.)

TOC Automotive College Launches Superbike Technician Course

So why the need for qualified technicians over those who were self-taught? (Again, we stress that not all self-taught technicians are bad.)

Therefore, the benefits of having your pride and joy looked after by a certified technician are:

• Proper workshop practices such as using the right tool for the right job. For example, using a torque wrench rather than whacking away with the pneumatic impact driver.

• TOC, for example, requires a passing mark of 80% for each subject. That means their graduates have already been ingrained with most, if not all, knowledge about motorcycles.

• Again, TOC does not compromise with students who missed any class twice in a semester. This sort of training inculcates not only skill and knowledge, but also discipline.

• Discipline translates to ownership and responsibility. We’ve had some great experience visiting a few workshops whose technicians performed superbly, despite their young age.

• Being certified means the technician is able to understand English. Now, it is not that we are ostracizing non-English speakers, but the cold, hard fact is that workshop manuals, owners’ manuals for imported motorcycles, guidebooks, most technical publications and videos are in English.

Motorcycles are getting ever more complex, especially in terms of electronics. The new crop of technicians is trained to diagnose these problems with the help of electronic testers.

While the above may not be 100% representative of the real world, at least it is better than having your bike’s CAN-bus worked on by a pokok ceri mechanic. Think of it this way: Would you visit a doctor or your neighbor (because he has a hot daughter) to diagnose your illness?

Interested to sign up for the TOC Superbike Technician Course? Want to build a career out of your passion? Click here to get more details about this course! And don’t worry about financing, TOC has you covered. Read about TOC’s financing program here.

TOC Automotive College Provides Funding for Superbike Technician Course Students!

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.”

The TOC Bina Bakat Program also applies to the recently introduced Superbike Technician Course, which aims to provide certified training to students who want to pursue a career in superbike maintenance. What’s more is that TOC Automotive College has partnered with the Malaysian Motorcycle and Scooter Dealers Association (MMSDA), and through this partnership students who have undergone TOC’S Superbike Technician Course will be able to find almost instant employment among the MMSDA’s 5,000-member workshops.

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.

TOC Introduces MSF Motor Racing Study Course

TOC Automotive College has just signed an agreement with Malaysia Speed Festival.
The collaboration launches the MSF Motor Racing study course.
Students will learn about racing management and technical aspects in the 20-week course.

Hot on the heels of the launch of the TOC Superbike Technician Course, the TOC Automotive College (TOC) has signed another collaborative effort with the Malaysia Speed Festival (MSF) on 25^th May 2018.

TOC Automotive College Launches Superbike Technician Course

As we mentioned before, motorsports is the fast lane to a student’s real world experience. That is why the TOC Automotive College has a fully-equipped Motorsports Division, which caters to both auto and now motorcycle racing.

The partnership seeks to enhance the knowledge of TOC’s students in the cutthroat world of motorsports before they hit the workforce. More specifically, this collaboration with train a select group of TOC students as future leaders and workers in Malaysia’s motorsport industry through the new “MSF Motor Racing” study course.

In Adian Yein, MSF’s Principal’s speech, it was revealed that while the motorsport industry is still small in terms of budgets compared to the international team, it was still worth RM 2 million a few years ago. As such, there exists a need for more new blood to take part. Besides that, it ought to be time to concentrate not only on the drivers and riders, but also those in the background.

Mr. Liew Chin Hooi, MSF Superbike Representative, iterated in his speech, “The technical portion of motorsports has traditionally been relegated to the blue-collar status. We aim to change that through the tie-up with TOC.”

Ms. Adelaine Foo, Founder and CEO of TOC Automotive College, added that, “Everybody knows who the drivers and riders are, but what TOC has done is to bring a lot of focus to the people who made the machine for the drivers and riders to drive and ride. There is no Lewis Hamilton if there’s no technicians.”

“It’s about bringing respect to the people behind the scenes,” she added.

The topics covered in the 20-week course are:

WEEK	TOPIC	OUTLINE
1	Introduction to Motorsports and MSF Racing	· Introducing MSF. · Overview of the motorsports industry: Worldwide, US, Australia, Britain, Malaysia. · Importance of regulations and safety.
2	Race technical operations – Registration and Scrutineering	· Registration – license checking, sign in. · Scrutineering – safety checks, technical compliance.
3	Race Technical Operations – Race Control, Timing and Gridding	· Timing and gridding – results, labelling, gridding. · Race Control – race diary, incidents reporting.
4	MSF 2018 Round 3	· Event duties.
5	MSF Race Car Body Preparation and Safety Items	· Body lightening. · Body straightening. · Installing safety items.
6	MSF Race Engine Preparation – Top-end Modifications and Improvements	· Improving breathing and volumetric efficiency. · Improving ignition.
7	MSF Race Engine Preparation – Bottom-end improvements and Building	· Improving compression · Lightening · Building the bottom end
8	Race Technical Operations – Revision for all groups	· Briefing of responsibilities and revision.
9	MSF 2018 Round 4	· Event duties
10	Chassis and Suspension (Cars)	· Basic chassis and suspension design. · Understanding suspension.
11	Suspension – Basics and Setup (Cars)	· Introduction to vehicle dynamics. · Understanding damping. · Basic vehicle set up.
12	Suspension – Basics and Setup (Bikes)	· Introduction to bike suspension. · Understanding bike chassis dynamics. · Basic superbike set up.
13	Race technical operations – Revision for all groups	· Briefing of responsibilities and revision.
14	MSF 2018 Round 5	· Event duties.
15	Aerodynamics	· Understanding air pressure and movement.
16	Drivetrain	· Gearbox and gear ratios. · Flywheel and clutch.
17	Race Strategy and Testing	· Tyre and fuel strategy. · Effect of weather. · Communicating with the driver. · Objectives of testing and understanding the data.
18	Race Technical Operations – Revision for all groups	· Briefing of responsibilities and revision.
19	MSF 2018 Round 6	· Event duties.
20	Assessment

Industry players in Malaysia will also give talks from time to time. Confirmed partners are Fawster Suspension, K-Tech Suspension, Hankook Motorsports Malaysia and Proton-R3 Motorsports.

As you could see, TOC and MSF want to breed race team engineers or race officials that are intelligent with solid technical backgrounds, instead of mere grease monkeys.

You may refer to TOC Automotive College and Malaysia Speed Festival Facebook pages for more information on the MSF Motor Racing study course. You may also visit TOC Automotive College’s website.

PICTURE GALLERY

2018 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship: TOC HKMTOYO Racing Team Leads

TOC HKMTOYO Racing Team leads the Superbike standings.
The team is formed through the TOC Technical College and HKMToyo Racing Team.
Round 1 of the 2018 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship marked the first outing for the team.

The TOC HKMTOYO Racing Team was recently constituted, concurrently with the launch of TOC Automotive College’s (TOC) Motorcycle Technician Training course. (Please click here for our coverage.)

As TOC believes that technical training does not only involve repairing vehicles, as motorsports is seen as the ultimate way for the school to impart knowledge and training to their students in a fun way to face the challenges associated with racing. As such, they have also a racing division called School of Motorsports. This division has spawned four-wheeled racing champions in the past and it is only natural that they extend it to two-wheeled motorsports as well.

Headed by Team Principal Mohd. Najuib Alias, HKMTOYO Racing Team is the defending MSBK champion from 2017. The team had also worked with MARA for industrial training in the past thus the tie-up with TOC Automotive College for the 2018 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship makes sense, if not inevitable.

The newly formed team combines the technical skills, knowledge and experience of the HKMTOYO Racing Team and personnel from TOC. TOC had also secured the services of Malaysian GP legend and current MX trainer at Most Fun Gym “Foreman” Oh Kah Beng as the Motosports Director to supervise the team and provide MX training.

Four riders are contracted to the team for the Superbike and Superstock classes.

In the Superbike category, Ramdan Rosli raced in the FIM CEV Moto2 Championship in Spain. He was also a wildcard rider in the World Moto2 championship between 2014 to 2016. He rides the BMW S 1000 RR.

The second rider is Muhammad Jamalul Tarmizi, riding the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R.

As for the Superstock category, Amirul Hafiq Azmi and Nasarudin Mat Yop are the riders.

In Race 1 of the Superbike class, Ramdan took it easy at start of the wet race, falling behind Rajini Krishnan of Team RACR and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of Chia Motor PJ. Soon, he was able to find his rhythm and started stalking the second-place man, and eventually passing Azlan Shah with 4 laps remaining to finish 2^nd.

Muhammad Jamalul rode a steady race to finish 5^th, for a tally of two TOC HKMTOYO bikes in the Top 5.

As for Race 2, Ramdan had started strong and was in a three-way battle among Rajini and Azlan Shah. However, Rajini crashed at the start of Lap 3, leaving the two other riders to fight it out. Unfortunately, Ramdan had started to slow from that point with brake problems and allowing Azlan Shah to ride away 2 seconds faster per lap.

As for Muhammad Jamalul, he went one better this time and came home in fourth.

“There was no front brake. The lever came all the way back to the handle grip,” lamented Ramdan. “The only I could make it work was to hold the lever back slightly but I still didn’t have full braking power.”

That was amazing feat considering the monumental challenge.

In the Superstock category, Amirul Hafiz Azmi finished in 5^th in Race 1 but forced to retire in Race 2, while his teammate Nasarudin May Yusop picked up 3^rd in Race 2.

The TOC HKMTOYO Racing Team now leads the riders’ and teams’ championship in the Superbike Category of the 2018 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) as the series heads into the Ramadhan and Hari Raya Puasa break.

PICTURE GALLERY

TOC Automotive College Launches Superbike Technician Course

TOC Automotive College (TOC) has always been Malaysia’s premier automotive college.
TOC has just launched their Superbike Technician Course.
Registration for the course is open and will begin in July 2018.
Also unveiled was TOC’s bike that will be entered into the Malaysian Superbike (MSBK).

If you own a vehicle long enough, you may encounter the difficulty in finding a mechanic or technician you could truly trust, based on the accuracy in dealing with your vehicle’s problems in a correct and prompt manner.

Indeed, we wrote an article about “nightmare mechanics” not too long ago (please click here for the article).

Bad Mechanics: Horror Stories for Your Bike

Truth is, this quagmire doesn’t only exist for us bikers but for workshop operators and manufacturers, as well.

It is that vacuum that TOC and the Malaysian Motorcycle and Scooter Dealers Association (MMSDA) want to see filled, by signing a partnership. Through this partnership, students who had undergone TOC’s Superbike Technician Course will find almost instant employment among the MMSDA’s 5,000-member workshops. Nothing is worse than not being able to find a job after spending thousands of Ringgit for education.

The signing of this partnership also connects readily with the Bina Bakat (Building Talents) program. TOC understands that there exist individuals who are passionate about automotive technology but are unfortunately unable to bear the costs of education. Hence, successful applicants will undergo training with up to 100% loan until they begin their journey in the workplace.

Adelaine L.K. Foo, CEO and founder of TOC said in her speech, “Alongside the growth of the four-wheel market, there should be fair competency through improved skillsets given to the motorcycle scene, which also contributes to a large part of the automotive industry.”

“One of the common challenges I have come across which resonates well with me as a parent, is the financial struggle for single parents putting their children through higher education,” she continued. “Through this collaboration, one of our main objectives is to help ease the financial burden and raise the quality of higher education at the same time.”

Chairman of MMSDA, Wee Hong says, “The support of the Bina Bakat Program has increased the opportunity for our industry to have a greater access to quality skilled talents, something which had been lacking before.”

He further added, “MMSDA and TOC share a collective passion and dedication to delivery excellence towards the motorcycle industry. Through this partnership, not only will we see updated and improved facilities for conducive learning but also the increased employment of qualified and skilled technicians with our members and partners.”

The Superbike Technician Course runs for 18 months with 3 levels of academic and career development opportunities. The students will be exposed to real-world experience during industrial training with TOC’s partners during the course.

Adelaine stressed the importance of sending the students out for industrial training, “We can’t have for example a student who graduate wtih a degree in all expects of automotive engineering or maintenance but has never lifted a single spanner.”

This augurs well for motorcycle owners throughout Malaysia as we will have well-trained and experienced mechanics handling our pride and joy.

At the same time, TOC also unveiled the TOC Malaysian Superbike Championship (MSBK) race bike. The team was set up with the assistance of Most Fun Gym’s (MFG) chief instructor and Malaysian GP legend, Oh Kah Beng.

TOC already has a School of Motorsport division and will now see the inclusion of motorcycle racing. “We want our students to experience the immediacy of racing. Fixing stuff under the tutelage of their lecturers is one thing but being pushed by a third-party race team manager is quite another,” said Sebastian K.L. Foo, who is in charge of operations at TOC.

The technicians for the motorcycle race team will also undergo a riding course with MFG. Oh Kah Beng said, “The technicians should feel what a bike does, besides how the components perform in order to easily relate to what the riders tell them. That way, they could fix handling characteristics and problems much easier and faster during a race.” (Please click here to see how we also trained at MFG.)

We were also given a tour of TOC’s facilities afterwards. It was apparent that TOC has the latest machinery, testers and tools utilized in the industry. The Resource Centre (library) was similarly well-stocked. The students are also trained to maintain a clean working environment. A single drop of oil on the workshop floor invites a stiff reprimand. It is also mandatory for students to maintain good personal hygiene and appearance.

“The students may be taken aback to our strict policies such as workplace cleanliness, attendance and passing marks at first, but many have come back to thank us for preparing them, after they’ve gone out to the workplace,” said Adelaine who guided us through the tour.

We also came across groups of students dressed in shirts and neckties. “They’re undergoing the Service Advisor training module. They take turns to play the role of angry customers and techniques to address customer issues correctly.”

“As for the Superbike Technician Course, we’ve purchased eight new motorcycles for the students to work on. They weren’t sponsor,” stressed Sebastian further.

Application for the first batch of the Superbike Technician Course is open for its first intake in July 2018. Please visit www.toc.edu.my or www.facebook.com/TOC.edu/ for more information.