Motorcycle news, Motorcycle reviews from Malaysia, Asia and the world

2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Launched (Finally)

The 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 has officially and finally been launched after years of rumours and several rounds of teasers.

It is now the biggest Svartpilen/Vitpilen model by utilising the KTM 790 Duke’s LC8c engine. Comparatively, the Norden 901 remains the largest Husqvarna by way of engine capacity, as it uses the KTM 890 Adventure’s engine, but it was tuned for torque, rather than horsepower, resulting in 103hp.

Highlights of the 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 801:

Powertrain

799cc, parallel-twin, DOHC, liquid-cooled LC8c engine makes 77 kW (103 hp).
Engine power is sent through a six-speed gearbox with a PASC assist and slipper clutch. There is an up-and-down quickshifter, too.
Service interval for the Svartpilen 801 is 15,000 kilometers.
Fuel consumption is claimed at 4.5 liters/100 kilometers.

Chassis

Chromium-molybdenum tubular steel frame with tuned flex and rigidity.
Adjustable WP Apex 43 front forks with 140mm travel.
WP Apex monoshock at the back, offering 150mm of travel.
The wheels are 17-inch alloy, wearing Pirelli MT60 RS rubber.
Up front, J. Juan radially mounted four-piston calipers clamp on 300mm brake discs.
The rear brake consists of a single two-piston caliper and a 240mm brake disc.
Bosch ABS is standard with Supermoto ABS mode.
The fuel tank holds 14 liters of fuel.
Husqvarna claims the Svartpilen 801 weights 181 kg, dry.

Electronics

A five-inch TFT dash and connectivity unit fitted as standard.
The rider can pair with TFT via the Ride Husqvarna Motorcycles smartphone app, for navigation, calls, and music.
There are three ride modes: Street, Rain, and Sport. The owner can purchase the optional Dynamic Pack which adds the Dynamic ride mode, Cruise Control, ten levels of traction control, and five levels of wheelie control.
LED lighting is also standard.

How much?

The 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 sells for USD 10,899 (RM 51,650.36) and will begin to enter several global markets by June. Might as well be the end of year or early next year for us.

KTM, Pierer Mobility Acquires Controlling Stake in MV Agusta

We recently ran a story about how MV Agusta may be in financial trouble after a dismal performance in 2023. We also mentioned that MV’s CEO Timur Sardarov was adamant in not relinquishing control of the company to the giant Pierer Mobility Group (KTM, Husqvarna, GasGas). Well, news just broke that Pierer Mobility has indeed acquired a controlling stake in MV Agusta.

Pierer Mobility Group (PMG) has made clear that they wish to acquire a controlling stake in MV since their initial 25% purchase in 2020. The finalisation of the agreement sees PMG as the controlling shareholder when they issued a call option, increasing their share in MV to 50.1%.

The deal also sees a shakeup in MV’s day-to-day business. Hubert Trunkenpolz replaces Timur Sardarov as the CEO and Chairmon of the Board of Director. (Hubert is the nephew of Hans Trunkenpolz, who co-founded KTM, hence the “T” in brand’s name.) Sardarov will remain with MV in the role of Vice-Chairman. Apart from that, PMG is planning to expand MV’s headquarters at Varese, Italy.

Sadarov said:

“MV Agusta embodies passion and a unique sense of romance that captivated me, a seasoned entrepreneur, from day one. The personal challenge of guiding the company out of crisis and steering it towards success through innovative business strategies, team expansion, and new product developments has been conquered. It is an honor to play a role in shaping MV Agusta’s legacy. Over the past five years, both the company and I have evolved significantly. Our growth together is a testament to the transformative journey we’ve shared. My time with MV Agusta has been a pivotal chapter in my life, filled with mutual joys and challenges. As I continue to serve as a dedicated Vice-Chairman, I am committed to supporting the company and its ongoing success.”

So what now? It is going to really interesting to see what kind of products that this new venture will produce. KTM, for one, has stated unequivocally that they did not wish to produce anymore sportbikes since the RC8’s production ended. As for nakeds, KTM already have their bases covered with the 890 Duke and 1390 Super Duke R. In fact, KTM, GasGas, Husqvarna have covered many segments among them, more so KTM.

Or will PMG continue with putting out the existing lineup of MV Agustas?

Time will tell.

MV Agusta In Dire Straits (Again)?

New 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Debuts

When Harley-Davidson announced their returning models, two of them has received significant upgrades, namely the 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide and 2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide. Both these models got many of the same styling, suspension and electronics upgrades, that were previously only available on the limited edition (read: expensive) CVO Street Glide and CVO Road Glide.

But let us talk about the Street Glide first.

Highlights of the 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide:

The heart of the Street Glide is the bigger Milwaukee-Eight 117 (that is 117 cubic inches, or 1917cc to us in the metric world).
The new cylinders utilise liquid-cooled heads, along with a new colling system.
It is a major upgrade from the previous Milwaukee-Eight 107 (1753cc).
The 117ci engine produces 105 hp and 176.3 Nm of torque, which is much healthier than the 86 hp for the 107ci powerplant.

Sure, 105 hp from 1.9 liters is not a lot, but consider the engine turning over below 1,500 RPM when cruising at 110 km/h and you will get the idea.
However, the 117ci engine does not have the VVT of the CVO’s 121ci (1982cc) engine.
Addition of a new infotainment system, with a powerful 200-watt amplifier, powering a pair of fairing-mounted speakers.

A huge (ok, gargantuan) 12.3-inch TFT colour touchscreen (the Apple iPad 2’s screen is 12.9-inches for comparison).
Riders can select riding modes (Rain, Road, Sport, Custom), interact with the infotainment system, etc. via the TFT screen as the analog buttons on the handlebar have been deleted.
Of course, H-D upgraded the bike’s styling too, to well, make it more contemporary, although the fairing retains the legendary batwing and shark nose profiles.
The fuel tank has a new shape.
The one-piece seat’s padding is improved for long-distance touring.

How much?

The 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide sells for USD 25,999 (RM 123,053.27), although the mind-numbing number of taxes will likely drive the price way up.

And my friends wonder why I wish I were rich…

Victorious First Outing for Ducati Desmo450 MX

It was a victorious first outing for the Ducati Desmo450 MX in its competitive debut in the Italian Motocross Prestige Championship.

Alessandro Lupino rode the Ducati to the MX1 class pole position on Saturday. Lupino, a former MXGP (Motocross World Championship) Champion converted the pole position to a win in the first moto (first race) on Sunday. Unfortunately, he made a bad start in the second moto (second race) to finish in 7th. The result meant that he could only secure 2nd overall.

There is understandably a lot of vibe surrounding the Ducati Desmo450 MX. The Italian factory was able to “lure” former MXGP legend Antonio “Toni” Cairoli over from his long-time home, KTM to act as the development and test rider.

Also, the bike is an effort to diversify into another segment different from the expensive sport-oriented bikes they are synonymous with. We can look forward to a Ducati MX bike, and sure enough, an enduro in the coming years.

Apart from that, the single-cylinder 450cc engine is an interesting development, again, moving away from their multi-cylinder offerings.

It has to be said that Ducati is hot on the heels of another European factory – Triumph – in building dirtbikes. However, the latter’s TF 250-X is a 250cc machine and is now racing in the American Supercross series. It had achieved great results in its opening race, as well. Additionally, the Triumph is already on sale.

New Vehicle Sales Dipped in February

As expected, new vehicle sales dipped in February 2024 compared to January 2024.

According to the Automotive Association of Malaysia (AAM), there were 62,833 units sold in February 2024, compared to 65,499 in January 2024. It was a 4% decrease, due to the shorter month and shorter working days following the Chinese New Year holiday.

Of that number, 57,979 were passenger vehicles, while another 4,584 were commercial vehicles. When compared to the same period last year, a total of 56,443 passenger vehicles, and 7,128 commercial vehicles were sold.

Total sales as of February 2024 were 128,332 units, which is 13 percent higher than 113,729 units in the same period in 2023.

In terms of manufacturing, vehicle production rose 3% to 65,611 in February 2024 compared to 63,798 in February 2023.

Of that number, 61,935 units were passenger vehicles (up 3 percent from 59,843 units in the same month last year), while the remaining 3,676 units were commercial vehicles (down 7 percent from the previous 3,955 units).

New vehicle sales are expected to increase in March 2024, following fast deliveries by the company as the financial year will end on March 31, 2024, as well as various Hari Raya Aidilfitri promotional campaigns.

JDT Racing Team, Hafizh Syahrin takes First ARRC 2024 Podium

Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) Racing Team and Hafizh Syahrin took their inaugural podium finish in the FIM Asia Motorcycle Championship (ARRC) 2024, thereby achieving their hopes, yesterday. The first ARRC 2024 round took place at the Buriram International Circuit, Thailand.

Hafizh who rode a Ducati V4 R in the Asian Superbike 1000cc (ASB1000) class made up for the disappointment of failing to finish in Race 1 on Saturday. He had to withdraw due to technical problems on his motorcycle.

Regardless, he was able to ride consistently in Race 2. He was also able to lead the race at one stage, but was overtaken by Indonesian rider Andi Farid Izdihar (Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo) to finish the race as the winner.

Andi’s teammate from Thailand, Nakarin Atiratphuvapa crossed the finish line in third place. Yuki Kunii (SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda Philippines), and another Malaysian rider, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (TKKR BMW Racing Team) rounded out the top five.

The first race witnessed Azlah Shah’s amazing performance. He had started from 7th place on the grid and was able to overtake every rider in front of him until catching he caught the leader Nakarin who was already quite far ahead. Azlan then overtook Nakarin on the 9th lap and led until the end of the race.

Behind Azlan, Andi was able to overtake Nakarin for second place, while the Malaysian rider, Md. Zaqhwan Zaidi (Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo) jumped to third place.

FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2024, ASB1000 Overall Standings (Top 5)
Pelumba	Pasukan	Mata
1. Andi Farid Izdihar (INA)	Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo	45
2. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS)	TKKR BMW Racing Team	36
3. Nakarin Atiratphuvapa (THA)	Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo	27
4. Md. Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS)	Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo	26
5. Yuki Kunii (JPN)	(SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda Philippines)	26

Bikesrepublic

Latest News

2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Launched (Finally)

Highlights of the 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 801:

How much?

KTM, Pierer Mobility Acquires Controlling Stake in MV Agusta

New 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Debuts

Highlights of the 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide:

How much?

Victorious First Outing for Ducati Desmo450 MX

New Vehicle Sales Dipped in February

JDT Racing Team, Hafizh Syahrin takes First ARRC 2024 Podium

New Colours for 2025 Honda Vario 160

Who’s Got Your Back? Back Protectors

2025 Yamaha YZF-R1 and 2025 Yamaha YZF-R1M Launched

Yamaha V4 MotoGP Engine Confirmed

What are Differences among Sintered, Ceramic, Organic Brake Pads – Plus their Pros and Cons ?

The History of the Radial Motorcycle Tyre

2025 Triumph Speed Twin 120 Launched – More Power, Higher Specs

“Obey the Law” JPJ Warns RXZ Members 6.0 Organiser and Participants

5 Things we Liked About the Triumph Speed 400 – Test and Review

Berjaya Sompo Insurance Strengthens Commitment To Motorcyclists

Archive

Honda CBR600RR Leads Middleweight Sales in UK

B2 to Full B License Transition Program Approved

2024 SM Sport 110R – New Features, Colours

Glossary of Motorcycle Terms (C)

Why are Carbon Brakes only in MotoGP

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on YouTube

BikesRepublic