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

Yamaha MT-07 Tracer Coming to Malaysia?

The Yamaha MT-07 Tracer is missing from Hong Leong Yamaha Motor’s lineup.
Could we see the model launched during the Yamaha Dealer Conference at the end of this month?
Or might we see the MT-09 Tracer GT, instead?

There is model which is currently missing from Hong Leong Yamaha Motor’s big bike repertoire – the MT-07 Tracer.

It’s near the end of January, which is time for another HLYM Annual Dealer Conference. The conference has always been held at Genting Highlands and welcomes Yamaha dealers from around Malaysia. Therefore, it’s the best opportunity to launch new models.

However, the MT-07 Tracer (or Tracer 700 in other countries) is nowhere to be seen in Malaysia ever since its debut in 2016.

On the other hand, The MT-09 Tracer is the sport-touring version of the MT-09 naked sportbike. In order to fulfill that role, it is equipped with a top fairing with dual headlamps, tall windshield, handguards and a flatter passenger seat.

Therefore, Yamaha gives the MT-07 Tracer the same treatment as its bigger cousin. As in top fairing with dual headlights, tall windshield, handguards and a flatter passenger seat.

The MT-07 is renowned for its low-down and midrange torque, ease of handling and low seat height. As such, it provides a great base for the sport-touring version.

However, there are other version to both Tracers called the MT-09 Tracer GT and MT-07 Tracer GT, respectively. These variants include colour-matched side bags (panniers), besides larger and adjustable windscreens.

Could we see the Mt-07 Tracer or both GTs at Genting? Watch this space!

KMSB organises Kawasaki Road Safety Campaign 2019

Kawasaki Motors Malaysia (KMSB) organised their annual Kawasaki Road Safety Campaign.
Held at the Sungai Besi toll plaza, the campaign entered its fourth year focused on improving overall road safety for bikers.
Complimentary 16-point bike checks were conducted for all bikes of different brands and models.

In conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year 2019 celebrations, Kawasaki Motors Malaysia (KMSB) organised their annual Kawasaki Road Safety Campaign 2019 or “Kempen Keselamatan Jalan Raya Kawasaki 2019”. Held at the Sungai Besi toll plaza (Southbound), the campaign entered its fourth year which was jointly-organised with the Malaysia Motorcycle and Scooter Dealers Association (MMSDA) to promote riding safety. (more…)

Norton Seals £5 Million Japanese Contract

Norton has sealed a £5 Million contract with a Japanese distributor.
The plans calls for the delivery of 1,000 bikes over five years.
The deal allows Norton to expand its workforce.

The fledgling Norton seals a £5 million business deal in Japan.

According to the agreement, Norton will supply 1,000 motorcycles over the next five years.

Announced as the Japanese Prime Minister is visiting the UK, the deal should help to ease some of the Brexit related fears that are currently sweeping UK businesses and is said to support 200 jobs at the Castle Donington headquarters.

Norton’s Head of Global Sales, Kay Johnson said: “Norton have an agreement with our distributor, PCI Limited in Japan which will run over a five-year term to manufacture over 1,000 bikes and will achieve an estimated value of £5m.

“We very much look forward to growing our workforce to support the demand for motorbikes in this territory and, in doing so, continue to build a strong trading business with Japan.”

The news comes just weeks after Norton welcomed the first owners of its new V4SS superbikes to the factory to collect their machines.

The current Norton line-up includes the V4SS, the Dominator and Commando Sport and Café Racer. The firm also debuted three new lightweight bikes at Motocycle Live, including the Superlight 650 (basically half the engine of the V4SS to suit Isle of Man TT Lightweight TT regulations) and the Atlas and Ranger which are café racer / scrambler inspired nakeds.

Source: Visordown

Honda UK Reveals 2019 Honda CBR650R Price

Honda UK has also revealed the 2019 Honda CBR650R’s price.
The new CBR650R has gained power while lost some weight.
Best of all, it now looks like a CBR1000RR Fireblade!

Ready to lose sleep? We reported on Honda taking the wraps off the 2019 Honda CBR650R at EICMA 2018 and it garnered plenty of positive interest. But just as Honda UK revealed its CB650R sibling’s price yesterday, they now do so for the CB650R, as well.

The CBR650R is the replacement for the current CBR650F fully-faired midrange sportbike. The new bike uses the same engine as the CB650R Neo Sport Café, which has gained 5% more power. Together with a weight reduction of 6kg from the frame, fuel tank and other parts, the new bike gains 8% in terms of power-to-weight ratio. That is something a rider can feel.

Its ergonomics has also been revised to provide a more aggressive ride. The clip-on handlebars are 30mm further in front, in addition to being lower. Similarly, Honda moved the footpegs back by 3mm and 6mm higher. This arrangement puts more of the rider’s weight over the front wheel for sportier handling.

Honda has also updated the chassis. The new bike features fully-adjustable Showa SFF upside-down forks and radially-mounted Nissin four-piston calipers.

Last but not least, the package is wrapped in a bodywork inspired by the company’s flagship CBR1000RR Fireblade sportbike.

Although the CBR650R doesn’t produce as much power as the discontinued CBR600RR, the former is still a motorcycle worthy in filling the gap. In fact, the CBR600F would look like the CBR650R had it continued on its development arc.

Oh yes, the price. The 2019 Honda CBR650R sells for £7729 (RM 40,730.66 as on 15^thJanuary 2019) on the road.

Try getting some sleep now. Goodnight.

Shoei IT-HT Smart Helmet Displayed at CES

The Shoei IT-HT smart helmet went on display at CES (Consumer Electronics Show).
It features a built-in HUD (head-up-display) and Bluetooth connectivity.
The HUD can display real-time riding data such as speed, engine RPM, navigation, etc.

So far, smart helmets are confined among independent makers. Start-up Brands such as Jarvish and Skully usually raise funds through crowd-funding. But now Shoei has just shown off their smart helmet at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Shoei’s IT-HT includes Bluetooth connectivity and a head-up-display (HUD). Real time riding data is displayed on the translucent HUD, allowing the rider to keep his eyes on the road at all times.

As with the features offered by other smart helmet makers, the rider can customize the data including speed, engine RPM, navigation, incoming call, and so forth.

There are also start-ups such as Hudway, Nuviz and Seemore who provide add-on HUD devices, but Shoei partnered with NS West to develop the technology. The Japanese company produces instrumentation and HUDs for Mazda.

The IT-HT is a demonstrator in the meantime and the Shoei headquarters did not announce when it will go into production. However, they will be the first among major helmet manufacturers to venture into smart helmets should they pursue that direction.

Could this be the impetus to all major helmet manufacturers, as well?

2019 Honda CB650R Price Released in UK

Honda UK has revealed the 2019 Honda CB650R price.
The new bike is almost entire new, besides its styling.
Honda UK is selling it at £6999 on-the-road.

Just as we are currently testing both the CB250R and CB1000R, Honda released the price of the new CB600F in the UK.

First making its appearance at the Paris Motor Show last year, CB650R is an almost total revamp of its CB600F predecessor. Styling wise, the new bike fits into Honda’s Neo Sports Café line-up which includes the two models we are testing.

We were impressed by the CB650F during our testing. We called it an all-rounder as it filled a number of roles comfortably. However, its styling hardly caught anyone’s eyes. Sure, it fitted in with modern motorcycle designs, but there was just something missing.

As such, Honda addressed that issue by redesigning the bike completely. It now has a modern retro styling, yet with modern twists, hence the “Neo Sports Café” designation.

Honda didn’t just perform a makeover, however. The new CB650R is almost entirely new.

Revisions to the frame, fuel tank and other parts lowered weight by 6kg. The frame itself is 1.9kg lighter with a stiffer headstock and more flexible side spars. The forks are now Showa SFF (Separate Function Forks) that are adjustable for preload and rebound damping. The front brakes consist of radially-mounted four-piston Nissin calipers. The rims are new, too.

The engine gains a 1000 RPM rev limit, besides revisions to the fueling and mechanical bits. The result is a 5% power boost from the inline-Four.

As for ergonomics, the riding position is now more aggressive. The handlebar has moved forward by 13mm and down by 8mm. Additionally, the footpegs have gone backwards by 3mm and up by 6mm.

The TFT screen is shared with the Honda CB500 range.

Honda UK quoted the 2019 Honda CB650R at £6999 (RM36,950.52 as of 15^thJanuary) on the road. We expect it to cost between RM 45,000 to 52,000 in Malaysia.