Together with Norton Motorcycles, Warwick University has built an all-electric motorcycle capable of competing at the Isle of Man TT.
To help with the engineering students effort, Norton has donated a motorcycle frame from the Norton V4 along with some crucial data for the university project.
*Norton V4
According to reports, the electric powertrain designed to work with the frame has a power output of 201hp and 400Nm.
The power comes from an immersion-cooled battery pack with 16Wh capacity designed to last longer, thanks to robust thermal management strategies.
The cooling system will allow the motorcycle to operate at an efficient temperature rate based on the requirements of the track.
Interestingly, it took just seven months for the students to develop a functioning electric motorcycle based on the Norton V4 frame.
The motorcycle has since undergone a significant amount of tests and is currently in the process of mitigating the risk of failure.
Bonhams has listed more than 800 classic motorcycles ahead of their three-day Summer Sale’ auction set to take place on the 2nd to 4th of July.
Among the long list of classics, motorcycles include a Honda VFR750R (RC30), Vincent HDR 1000 Black Shadow, 1979 Mike Hailwood Replica Ducati 864 and Brough Superior.
According to reports, Bonhams will also auction off some memorabilia, spare parts and project bikes.
There is also a list of affordable bikes available, including a Honda Monkey, Yamaha TZR 250, Yamaha FZR600, and Honda VFR400R (NC30).
If you feel lucky and have some money lying around, head to Bonhams.com to check all of the 800 motorcycles available.
If you have seen 1994 Dumb and Dumber, you will instantly recognize one of the most iconic scenes in the movie, when Lloyd and Harry rode to Aspen on a mini-bike to return a lost briefcase.
While the two actors (Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels) did not actually ride to Aspen (obviously), Zack Courts and Ari Henning from RevZilla went ahead and recreated the scene for real.
In the movie, Lloyd and Harry took just 3-minutes to reach Aspen, Colorado, but in reality, Zack and Ari had to travel more than 600 kilometres in a span of 3-days on a 4hp mini-bike capable of topping just 50km/h!
In the 30 minute video available at RevZilla YouTube channel, you can witness the pair faced mountains of challenges from uneven pathways to gravel roads and occasionally had to change the rear tyres a few times before reaching their destination.
“The rider triangle is more accommodating than it looks, thanks to Ari stretching the frame to match the movie bike.
“The seat, on the other hand, is worse than it looks and the paint-shaker vibration rattled our joints to numbness.
“Ari had predicted that the novelty of the bike and the journey would wear off after about 15 minutes on the road, but I’m not sure it even lasted that long.
“On some motorcycles, the thought of open pasture might be appealing, but aboard our hog, it was exciting enough just staying on the straight and narrow,” said Courts.
So if you consider riding to Lemang To’ki or the occasional run to Starbucks at Genting Highland onboard your precious BMW GS as an adventure, you might want to hold that thought.
Back in December, the folks in Rimini, Italy was busy carrying out some tests on the all-new KB4.
Still in its early prototype stages, the motorcycle was clad in an all-white panel in an effort to hide all the little details.
The company also releases a couple of renders as a teaser, but recent photos reveal the Bimota KB4 in finished form, thus providing a better insight into the new motorcycle.
Thanks to Kawasaki owning a minority stake in the Italian company, the KB4 was build based on the Ninja 1000 SX.
However, apart from the engine, the KB4 does not share many similarities with its Japanese cousin.
Nonetheless, Bimota did not reveal further details on the new motorcycle instead, we expect the KB4 to make its official debut later this year, perhaps at EICMA.
BMW Motorrad was caught testing the all-new R 1300 GS at BMW’s Enduro Park Hechlingen.
Thanks to leaked photos by Motorrad Magazin, the motorcycle appears to be in an early prototype form, with most of the bike is covered up with an all-black panel.
Despite the hidden details, the bike’s overall look proves that the R 1300 GS offers different styling elements from the current R 1250 GS.
Firstly, the front headlight is now integrated into the beak, thus leaving a flat panel underneath the windscreen, which we assume to fit in the radar sensor for adaptive cruise control.
The license plate holder also features a flat surface that could accommodate a rear radar sensor for blind-spot detection, the same approach taken by Ducati for the 2021 Multistrada V4.
We also spot a new exhaust system and a bigger radiator, which also hints at a complete liquid-cooled system than the targeted water cooling on the cylinder heads available on the current GS range.
BMW Motorrad might also introduce a premium version of the R 1300 GS based on a trademark filed back in 2019 for an M 1300 GS.
Nevertheless, considering the R 1300 GS is still in an early stage and BMW has decided not to involve in this year EICMA, the new ADV beast might only appear in a complete form in late 2022 as a 2023 model.
Unik Edition is a Portugal-based workshop that operates in the capital city of Lisbon that was founded several years ago by two individuals.
Uni Edition has become one of the established workshops in the region thanks to its outstanding and unique (no pun intended) design.
This time around, the shop breathe new life into a 1996 Honda CB750 with all the aftermarket goodies.
For starters, the CB750 gets a state-of-the-art Koso headlight followed by an analogue speedometer from Motogadget.
Then the bike is installed with a unique CNC-machine triple clamp to accommodate the bike’s front fork (taken from a Suzuki GSX-R), including a top-of-the-line dual Ohlins shocks rear.
Interestingly, the 747cc inline-four engine also gets a comprehensive rebuild thanks to fresh cylinder heads, which boost the power to 73hp and 62Nm.
Lastly, Unik Edition modified the subframe to accommodate a single saddle followed by applying a unique golden-yellow paint job.
The Swiss National Council is planning to stop all noisy vehicles, including motorcycles and cars.
According to reports, Switzerland is looking to ban any vehicles with idling noise over 95 decibels.
Interestingly, the ban might not be issued for the whole country instead only on certain roads, much like in Austria, where a specific scenic road popular among motorists was officially closed to motorcycles.
However, the proposed initiative received a huge backlash, especially from the Swiss Motorcycle Federation.
The proposed plan (if agreed) is expected to go into effect by the end of 2022.
Monster Energy Yamaha announced Maverick Vinales would leave the team at the end of the 2021 MotoGP season.
Vinales and Yamaha have mutually agreed to put an early end to the two-year deal following the rider request.
Vinales spend five seasons with the factory Yamaha since joining in 2017 and has accumulated eight victories so far.
“This partnership has been very significant to me over the last five years, and it proved a difficult decision to part ways.
“In these seasons together, we experienced both great achievements and tough times.
“However, the underlying feeling is of mutual respect and appreciation.
“I am fully committed and will strive to achieve the best results for the rest of the season,” said Vinales.
The relationship between Vinales and Yamaha turn sour ever since the team decided to replace his crew chief, Esteban Garcia, with Valentino Rossi’s former aid, Silvano Galbusera.
Last week, he admitted that he is frustrated at the lack of respect and answers from Yamaha involving his factory M1 machine.
In other news, the 26-year old rider is expected to join Aleix Espargaro at Aprilia for the 2022 season despite denying the link earlier.
The 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa officially launched in the Philippines less than six months after the global release in February 2021.
The newly improved Hayabusa was at the heart of Suzuki’s latest 2022 range, including the GSX-S1000, GSX-S950 and the upcoming GSX-S1000T.
For 2022, the Hayabusa continues to be powered by a 1,340cc inline-four engine capable of producing 187hp @ 9,700rpm and 150Nm @ 7,000rpm.
However, the revised engine (now meets Euro 5 emission standard) makes less horsepower than the previous generation.
Nonetheless, the 2022 Hayabusa features loads of technological advancement, including an all-new six-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) that runs the traction control, cornering ABS and wheelie control.
It also comes equipped with three riding modes and customizable settings that can be easily accessed via the TFT instrument.
The all-new ‘Busa now available in the Philippines for a price of PHP1.1mil (RM93,000).
More than 11,000 spectators witness Fabio Quartararo recorded his fourth win of the season at the Dutch GP.
Despite the win took Quartararo championship points to 156 and comfortably leading the race heading into the mid-season break, his teammate, Maverick Vinales, was at the centre of attention.
Vinales comes second at Assen, followed by Suzuki’s Joan Mir, but the Spaniard looks less than happy with the result, and it was more noticeable on the podium.
“It’s an option (about leaving Yamaha). I’m thinking about it since the beginning of the season because I’m not able to show my full potential.
“I can’t tell you more,” he said after the race.
The 26-year old was left frustrated with Yamaha decision to replace his crew chief, Esteban Garcia, with Valentino Rossi former crew chief, Silvano Galbusera.
He later admitted the lack of respect and answers from Yamaha after suffering the same rear grip issues with the YZR-M1 a couple of weeks ago.
In the most recent news, Vinales is linked with a move to Aprilia for the 2022 season despite having a year left on his contract with the Japanese manufacturer.
While this might be another rumour from the paddock, it does not change the fact that Vinales is clearly frustrated and will utilize the summer break to announce a decision (if there is any).
Yamaha recently launched the all-new FZ-X, a retro-styled naked motorcycle in India.
Despite the small displacement, the FZ-X features Bluetooth connectivity via the Yamaha Y-Connect application, allowing the rider to monitor the motorcycle information, including engine health, service intervals, and parking location.
The Y-Connect feature is similar to the one available in Malaysia with the all-new 2021 Yamaha NVX.
However, the latest report suggests that Yamaha plans to update the YZF-R15 and MT-15 range to feature Bluetooth connectivity.
The move is seen as an effort to increase ownership experience, especially aspiring riders.
The Y-Connect function will enable riders to access the bikes overall condition and location, including sharing your ride on social media.
The Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4 doesn’t really need a glittering introduction. Its capabilities are legendary, and the new electronics suite will make a regular rider feel like a riding God. And that is even before we get to that V4 engine. But to break down what exactly makes the Tuono 1100 V4 such a capable machine and a worthy buy, we list down five of its most attractive traits for you to consider:
One bike to do it all
En Rizal has owned an Aprilia Tuono for a couple of years. He is yet to buy the new Tuono 1100 V4 but he is considering it. What makes someone move horizontally when buying a new machine when most people usually trade up? “I love how friendly and versatile the bike is. If I am following some friends for a long weekend ride, I just need to screw on a fly screen and get my tail bag on and I am ready for a getaway to Penang or further. Of course, it is not as comfortable as a BMW GS, but I also ride the Tuono to work on the weekdays, and it is perfect for slicing through traffic.”
There’s a good reason why the Aprilia Tuono is known as the sport rider’s touring bike. With just a few minor modifications such as a fly screen, some handlebar raisers and bag mounts, the bike is ready for some touring. Like what En Rizal mentioned, it is not going to be as comfortable and versatile as a BMW GS or its equivalent, but if there is one bike that you can choose to do it all, the Tuono is the one.
While it is quite possible to go touring with the Aprilia Tuono 1100, it is at its finest when attacking the corners of a mountain, or blasting down the long straights and braking hard for turn one of the Sepang International Circuit.
Its size and friendly demeanour make it perfectly suited to almost all types of riders.
A good service network
There is no point in raving about a bike if there is no place to properly maintain it after you buy it. While some manufacturers only offer 3-4 service centres around the country, Aprilia is actively expanding its network. What is it doing differently? Consider that Aprilia is part of the Piaggio group, which includes brands like Vespa and Moto Guzzi. The latter may not have done very well in Malaysia, but Vespa is huge here and dealerships are popping up everywhere.
How is that relevant to Aprilia? Well in an effort to lower its cost, the computer diagnostics units are almost identical. Known as the Piaggio Advanced Diagnostics System or PADS in short, the system is available at almost all outlets that have the capabilities to diagnose any brand under the Piaggio umbrella. Not only that but the availability of spare parts as well as the affordable service costs is one major point that plays into the hands of the Tuono 1100. And there is also the fact that Aprilia’s are generally known to be a lot more reliable than other European marques.
So keep this in mind when you make your purchasing decision, because it is one thing to buy a bike, and a different thing altogether when it comes to servicing it. You would also be happy to know that the Piaggio network in Malaysia is expanding with a more diverse range of products including some mass-market products slated to be introduced next year. The good news here is the fact that soon there will be more places to buy and maintain your Aprilia.
Stable pricing
There is nothing more painful than losing money as soon as you buy a new bike. Don’t you just hate it when you have just forked out a lot of your hard-earned money for your brand new pride and joy, and just a week later the same dealer you bought the bike from is now offering an unbelievable discount on the very same bike?
Or is perhaps offering a full exhaust kit, or a free helmet, or a riding jacket, or some luggage boxes, or worse, all of that plus a hefty discount. Why didn’t you get all of that?
If you have noticed, Aprilia Malaysia doesn’t quite do a lot of that. Sure they have their seasonal discounts and free merchandise especially for end of life models, but you don’t see this happening every month. This means that your bike will hold its value for a while longer. Because there is nothing worse than losing money.
Usable power
With great power, comes great fun, but there is no point in having loads of power if you can’t use it. With Aprilia’s renowned APRC (Aprilia Performance Ride Control) electronics suite, the rider gets to decide exactly how he wants the power to be delivered to the road and how he wants the bike to feel while laying down the power.
The electronics suite brings together several electronic parameters and gives the rider a wide array of customisation options. This includes Aprilia Traction Control, Aprilia Wheelie Control, Aprilia Launch Control and Aprilia Quick Shift.
Take the Aprilia Traction Control, for example, you get eight different settings (3 on the model that does not come with the APRC package) that let you chose the degree of slip you want when getting on the brakes hard or when you are hard on the throttle.
This combination of gargantuan power from Aprilia’s V4 engine and a super-smart electronics package that gives the rider confidence in all situations makes the Tuono 1100 V4 a friendly demeanour in inexperienced hands, and for those who love to find the edges of grip, the Tuono has that engrained into its very DNA from the multiple race wins in all classes.
Impressive Safety
Motorcycle makers are able to produce phenomenal power from their increasingly advanced engines, while the electronic suite makes it easier to manage all that power.
But the same electronics suite is also able to make a motorcycle much safer than ever in the history of motorcycles.
Take the braking system of the Tuono 1100 V4 for example – it comes with a highly advanced race-derived Anti-Braking System aptly called Race ABS. This system was developed in collaboration with Bosch and uses a 9MP system and uses an actuation strategy called RLM (Rear-Wheel Lift-Up Mitigation) that stops the rear wheel for lifting in abrupt braking situations. This system can be completely disengaged or adjustable to three levels – the first level is for dedicated track use, the second level is for sport riding on the road while the final level is for riding on surfaces with poor grip.
The Race ABS mapping system can be combined with any of the three engine maps (Track, Sport, Race) and lets the rider chose the braking character of the bike.
Then there is also the race-derived double rail frame chassis which is hailed as a “close derivation from the six-time world SBK champion”. A safe bike is one that obliges your every request, even the most sudden of manoeuvres. So in order to do that, the chassis of the Tuono 1100 V4 boasts an unrivalled balance between torsional stiffness and flexibility. This was achieved by changing the headstock from 25.1 degrees to 24.7 degrees while the fork advancement was also changed from 30mm to 35mm for a steeper rake.
The aluminium swingarm is also longer by 4mm which makes the bike more stable in corners, while the rock-solid chassis makes the bike more agile when it comes to changing directions quickly.
There is no doubt that the Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4 is one of, if not the best sports naked bike in its category and successfully transfers all the know-how from its racing pedigree to the streets.
Besides offering a shockingly good package for just RM109,900, the Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4 also offers one of the most complete after-sales service experience for a European brand in Malaysia.
There is no better person to leave a testament for the Aprilia brand in Malaysia than Mr Mustafa, who has owned a few Aprilia’s since the early 2010s.
When asked what was the first thing that came to mind when he thought of the Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4, Mr Mustafa said, “It reminds me of the RSV4 APRC with more torque and horsepower and improved electronics and best in market components. A more upright riding position and the same sexy tail.”
Mr Mustafa then had nothing but praise for the after-sales service as well, “Under the present distributorship, the service is a notch better. Many experienced hands from the previous distributor. They can even spoil you with their personalised services.”
The Head of Sales of Aprilia Malaysia too is a former track junkie that goes by the name of Idon Pang. Being an avid rider and a mega Aprilia fanboy, there is nothing that Idon does not know about Aprilias, having been trained by Piaggio on the art of managing an Aprilia. There is a reason why Aprilia owners keep turning to him for advice and that is because he is known to be the Aprilia encyclopaedia in Malaysia.
Give Idon Pang and the Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4 a visit at MotoPlex Petaling Jaya, or at the closest Aprilia dealer near you. Or you can simply call 016 217 9013 for further information on the Tuono 1100 V4.
