2024 Yamaha NVX Launched with Four New Colours

Hong Leong Yamaha Motor has launched the 2024 Yamaha NVX, with four new colours.

The perky performance scooter is still a favourite among many Malaysian riders, despite being launched way back in 2017. Seven years is a long production run, and the bike has seen some revisions cosmetics and design wise during that time. That popularity has to do with its sporty demeanour and handling.

The 2024 version features four stylish colours, separated into two respectively for each of the two versions of the Yamaha NVX. Meaning, the standard, non-ABS version gets the Blue, or Bronze colours, while the ABS version gets the Cyan Sky, and Premium Navy colours.

Click here for our review of the Yamaha NVX

Its ABS system made its debut in the 2023 edition and is single-channel which serves only the front wheel, while the rear wheel is (still) served by a drum brake. But to us, having an ABS at the front is much more useful because it is not easy to control a skidding front tyre!

The engine remains unchanged, featuring the single-cylinder, 155cc, liquid-cooled, SOHC with VVA (Variable Valve Actuation) powerplant which also powers the Yamaha Y16ZR and Yamaha YZF-R15. It produces 15 hp (11.3 kW) at 8,000 RPM, and 13.9 Nm of torque at 6,500 RPM.

The ABS version features higher-spec rear shock absorbers with sub-tank, smart key, and stop-start idling system to enhance fuel efficiency.

Hong Leong Yamaha says the new colours will be available at all authorised Yamaha dealers nationwide from 24 April 2024. The recommended retail price for the standard version is RM 9,998.00, while the ABS version is priced at RM 11,698. These prices are not on-the-road. Every buyer comes with a Yamaha disc lock worth RM 100.

GWM 8-Cylinder Motorcycle Engine Breaks Cover!

The motorcycle world had plenty of groundbreaking innovations in the 80’s and early 90’s but that seems to have slowed down since. But let us leave it to the Chinese to do it now. Just last week, rumours were rampant of a GWM 8-cylinder motorcycle engine and the drawings from the company’s patent submissions made rounds on the internet. There was also speculation that the engine will break cover at the Beijing Motor Show, which begins today.

Well, our man Keshy Dhillon is at the show and look what he ran into. The actual prototype of the engine!

This is GWM (Great World Motor) going for the Honda Gold Wing’s jugular. But instead of settling for some established engine formats i.e. Boxer and inline-six (BMW), V-Twin (CFMoto), V-four (Yamaha and Kawasaki), and the flat-six (Gold Wing), GWM ups the ante by going eight (auspicious number for the Chinese, anyway).

The flat-eight is believed to displace approximately 2000cc, higher than the current Gold Wing’s 1833cc. Both engines feature similar architecture, with the transmission tucked underneath to shorten the entire package. There is a huge alternator toward the back, and of course, it is necessary to support all the electrical and electronics the rider and his passenger would lug along. GWM is said to be developing a dual-clutch, semi-auto gearbox similar to Honda’s DCT, too.

There are several standouts here: Check out the quality of the casting on those cases.

Not shown in these pictures are the dual-overhead cams underneath those beautifully polished valve covers, upping the Gold Wing’s SOHC. The patent drawings illustrate the side-mounted radiators, following Honda’s cooling solution.

But that was as much as the GWM 8-cylinder motorcycle engine was shown in the Beijing show. However, there was a footage of GWM’s Chairman showing a Xiaomi SU7 gifted to him, and there in the background was a touring motorcycle peeking out underneath a black cover.

So, let us wait a little further and see the final product.

What does “IP Rating” Mean?

You may have seen or noticed that some gadgets are being touted as being IP this, or IP that, and “waterproof” or in particular with numbers such as “IP67.” dust and waterproof. So, what does IP rating mean, actually?

In our opinion, the IP rating is not something to be taken lightly unless you do not care about whether your purchase can stand up to the environment.

What is IP rating?

No, “IP” does mean “intellectual property” in this case. Instead, the term stands for “Ingress Protection.” The rating measures how well a device stands up to dust and/or water incursion.

Good news is, the IP rating is not conferred by manufacturers arbitrarally (although some may unscrupulously do so). The device must be tested by an official lab according to the EN 60529 standard by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in order to be certified for international markets.

The rating is specified as:

IPXX

Generally, the rating actually consists of three parts:

IP – Ingress Protection.
First X – For protection against solid objects including dust and stones.
Second X – For protection against water.

Please refer to the chart below.

Therefore, if your gadget has the IP67 rating, it is protected against dust and water incursion.

On the other hand, and “X” in the rating means it does not confer that kind of protection or it was not tested as such by the manufacturer. For example, a product with IPX4 rating means it is not rated for protection against solids but is protected against water splashes. This rating is usually for water-resistant (if not waterproof) bags.

Speaking of rainsuits, they may or may not be tested for IP ratings. Instead they are tested through waterproof rating or breathability rating. We shall touch on this in the next article.

Yamaha RX-Z the most Confiscated at Sungai Golok

Apparently there are also hardcore Yamaha RX-Z fans in Thailand because it is the most confiscated item at Sungai Golok.

The Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) said the motorcycle and other cloned vehicles were the most smuggled goods through illegal bases along the Golok River during the first three months of this year.

JKDM Deputy Director General of Customs Enforcement and Compliance, Datuk Sazali Mohamad said 272 investigation papers were opened as a result of the seizures. The biggest seizure recorded was the motorcycle model and the cloned vehicles, which involved a tax-inclusive value of RM784,738.

Commenting further, he said the increase in smuggling was due to the dry season which made the Golok River shallow.

“There is no denying that with the distance of the Sungai Golok border as far as 106 kilometers, assignments are quite limited but JKDM with a membership of 500 people always helps other agencies that are more important in guarding the national border.

“We identified about 140 illegal bases along the 106 kilometers of Sungai Golok and on average there is one illegal base per kilometer.

The second highest seizure involved contraband cigarettes with a value and tax amounting to RM418,735.79.

Bimota Returning to WorldSBK in 2025

Bimota is returning to WorldSBK in 2025. The announcement was made in Bimota’s press release posted on their website, last night.

It is also somewhat a return to their roots for the legendary Italian boutique motorcycle brand. Bimota’s claim to fame was by building sublime chassis while housing the engines sourced from contemporary bikes. So, in this case, the frame will be Bimota, housing the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR powerplant. As a note, the H2’s engine is disallowed in WorldSBK as the rules permit only naturally-aspirated engines.

As such, the program will be known as Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (BbK). Kawasaki had acquired a 49.9% stake in Bimota back in 2019. And soon, the Bimota Tesi H2 was unveiled at EICMA 2019, complete with the famed Tesi hub steering front end.

It was quickly followed up by the KB4 sportbike, KB4 RC naked bike, and Tera sport-tourer.

The team has not unveiled their rider lineup, although as the names suggests, will be run the present Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT). It makes sense to utilise Kawasaki’s multiple championship winning experience to fast-track Bimota’s brand back into superbike glory.

Another tantalising possibility is that Kawasaki will look to Bimota to develop their ZX-10RR’s handling and performance further, to wrestle the WorldSBK title back.

A little history about Bimota

The name Bimota is a combination of the names of its founders, namely Valerio BIanchi, Giuseppe MOrri, and Massimo TAmburini. Yes, the great maestro Tamburini who designed the Ducati 916 and original MV Agusta F4.

The company built frames around some powerful engines to fully realise their full potential, utilising the likes of Ducati, Suzuki, BMW, Kawasaki, Yamaha engines.

They had raced and found success in WorldSBK prior to this in 1988. A certain Davide Tardozzi took the YB4 EI to seven wins in the season. If the name sounds familiar, Tardozzi is the current Ducati factory MotoGP team manager.

Let us hope that Bimota will be on the top step once again.

8 Main Reasons for Traffic Congestions in Malaysia

We have decided to put together these 8 main reasons for traffic congestions in Malaysia, following the worst traffic congestion ever during last week’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri exodus.

There were news that some motorists were trapped on the road for up to 20 hours. Think of it… that is almost an entire day.

As usual, one person faulted this, another faulted that, so that why we thought of putting the main reasons down in one list. Yes, we know we kind of look like Captain Obvious here, but we wish to highlight these in case the authorities pick it up. It is a pipe dream, but who knows? Do let us know if we missed a point, or two.

1. Too many darn vehicles

One netizen said correctly that there are just too many vehicles for our roads to sustain, especially when everyone is travelling everywhere during festive seasons.

We only have to look at the number of new vehicle registrations (called Total Industry Volume/TIV) per year. A whopping 799,731 new vehicles went onto the roads in 2023, alone. That was a massive increase over the 720,658 in 2022.

Let us crunch some numbers. There are some 24 million active vehicles in Malaysia, while the total distance of paved roads in Malaysia is 160,392 km. (These numbers are approximate, of course, since the authorities did not publish the exact numbers.) So, 24,000,000 ÷ 160,392 = 149 vehicles per km. Let us add in the total sales from 2023: 24,799,731 ÷ 160,392 = 154 vehicles per km.

Of course, not every vehicle will be on the road at the same time in the same place, but let us average it out and assume 30% of all vehicles do hit the roads at once:

(24,799,731 x 30%) ÷ 160,392 = 7,439,919 ÷ 160,392 = 46 vehicles per km.

It is alarming to say the least.

2. Driver attitude

Okay, coming back to the road: Road hoggers, selfish individuals, unskilled drivers, or drivers with just no common sense are still plaguing our roads. Some drive with completely zero concept of assisting smoother traffic flow. Some drive like they own the roads. Some drive with no tolerance. Then there are the queue hoppers. There are just too many to list here.

3. Toll plazas

Toll plazas are relics in this days and age. Traffic has to slow down and fan out to multiple lanes, then converging back to fewer lanes thereafter. How many times have been caught waiting for hours to beep through only to get stuck again on the other side? Why the authorities are still dragging their feet to create a smooth flowing toll system like Singapore’s ERP is beyond us.

4. Not enough roads

We will come right out and say that adding more roads or highways is not an end to and end. Roads and certainly highways take time to build, usually over years. As more and more new vehicles are added to the system each year, the new roads will still be inadequate by the time they are completed.

Certain areas around Kuala Lumpur are so crowded with on- and off-ramps for multiple highways that even navigation goes haywire.

5. Lack of a cohesive public transportation system

Talking about infrastructure, the government has been spending billions of Ringgit to upgrade, if not build more public transportation facilities. Yet, it is not enough. Compounding the problem is the lack of a cohesive system. To paint a broad picture, only certain areas are covered, while a majority are not. Public bus schedules are like some bad joke although the consortiums are promising higher frequency but their buses are caught in the jam. There is no proper last-mile (or km, if you wish) connectivity once one gets off the train and heads to the office. Heck, there is no proper pedestrian walkways 100 metres away from most stations, apart from those at hotspots.

So, what do people do when they are faced with these problems and more? Buy a car or bike!

6. Construction/Over-development

Road works or construction projects are no doubt another culprit that cause traffic to back up. This is also why we said that building more roads is not the final answer. Then add large construction projects that need to divert traffic and you have a congestion.

Apart from that, housing projects are being pushed further and further out of the city. (And ironically, every project flattens the jungle and then the developers call them “Eco.”)

Since these projects are way outside the reach of existing public transportation, residents will continue to use their own vehicles, if not adding more. Public transportation development could not catch up with so many projects going on everywhere.

7. Roads that do not favour smooth traffic flow

Some roads seem to exist merely because a road is needed. Unfortunately, some of these roads are the arteries that connect to main roads and they consist of many intersections, traffic lights, roundabouts, and speed bumps.

There are so many roads that see shoddy patching over potholes, that makes you think your car has just hit a hill or mountain.

8. Weather

Granted, we cannot control the weather, but some drivers seem to be petrified of rain despite having four large contact patches and a roof over their heads, as if the road is covered with ice with engine oil as icing. Cars do not just slide off as soon as the road is wet. Please.

To be fair, there are places on our roads that grow huge deep puddles in thunderstorms and these can cause aquaplaning if approached too fast. Besides that, there are flash floods such as one a few days ag0 at the super busy Berjaya Times Square intersection. The water was as deep as the car’s bumper.

Conclusion

So there you have it, some of the major causes of traffic congestions in our country. There should be more factors, but it is already getting to long. We will see some suggestions for solutions in a future article. Ride and drive safe, everyone.

2025 KTM 450 Rally Replica Launched

The KTM 450 Rally Replica is the closest the buying public can get to a factory-kitted race bike as one can get, and it has proven to be popular. Now, the 2025 KTM 450 Rally Replica has been launched, with the biggest changes since its introduction in 2020.

Up until recently, KTM is the force to be reckoned with in motorcycle rallies (in the 450cc, class). They have since won the Dakar Rally 19 times since 2001. But Honda has since made inroads to this dominance for the last two years, and it is high time for the Austrian brand to move the goalposts.

Changes for the 2025 KTM 450 Rally Replica ranges from the powertrain and right through the chassis.

Highlights:

The single-cylinder 450cc engine gets a new cylinder head (still SOHC, though), reinforced clutch, and a strengthened transmission.
The radiator is now double-sided.
Engine frame guard at the rear near the engine mounts. The sections of this guard were laser-cut and hydro-formed, then welded by hand at KTM Motorsports.
According to KTM, the frame features “specifically calculated” longitudinal and torsional flex characteristics, but “maintains exceptional” rider feedback, bump absorption, and straight-line stability. That is a lot of different parameters from the frame.
Biggest change here is the absence of a “traditional” rear subframe. Instead, the new bike uses its new self-supporting 16-litre fuel tank as the subframe.

Speaking of fuel, the 16-litres at the back, combined with one front 9-litre tank, and another with 9.5-litres means the 2025 model can carry 34.5 litres in total.
Up front are WP Xact Pro 7548 closed cartridge cone valved 48mm diameter forks, clamped in new 23mm offset CNC-machined triple clamp, plus a Scotts steering damper.
The rear is supended by a WP Xact Pro 7750 shock, which acts on a new die-cast hollow aluminium swingarm.
Up in the cockpit, the navigation tower takes centre stage behind a redesigned fairing.
New LED lighting to improve output by 33%.

Only 100 2025 KTM 450 Rally Replicas will be built. Price on application.

New Vehicle Sales Dropped 10 Percent in March 2024

New vehicle sales dropped 10 percent in March 2024, compared to March 2023.

That means 71,052 units were registered compared to 78,881 in the same month last year, said the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).

However, the association stated that total industry volume (TIV) in March was +10% higher than February 2024 at 64,290 units.

“This is because the companies were pushing to make deliveries as their financial year ended on March 31, 2024 in addition to promotional campaigns for the Hari Raya festive season,” MAA added.

Of that number, 64,760 were passenger vehicles (PV), which dropped -9% compared to the 70,490 units sold in February 2024. For commercial vehicles (CV), sales dropped -21% to 6,292 units from 7,941 units.

However, the annual total up to March 2024 saw an increase of +5% to 202,245 units compared to 192,615 units registered in the same period in 2023. This included 184,994 PV units (+8%) and 17,251 CV units (-16%).

Production figures

In terms of production, MAA said 66,923 vehicles were produced in March 2024, a reduction of -12% from the 76,069 units witnessed during March last year.

The total included 63,778 PV units, down -11% from 71,731 units in the same month last year, while the remaining 3,145 units were CV (-28%) compared to the previous 4,338 units.

Total production in 2024 up to March increased by +6%, amounting to 210,431 units compared to 198,394 units in the same period last year.

This includes 199,199 PV units (+7%) from the same period last year while the remaining 11,232 (-8%) are CVs.

Sales for April 2024 are expected to be weaker due to a shorter working month following the Hari Raya holiday.

Pol Tarres and Yamaha Ténéré 700 Triumphs in Moroccan Desert Challenge 2024

Pol Tarres and the Yamaha Ténéré 700 triumphs in Moroccan Desert Challenge 2024.

The victory goes into the record books as the first rider to win the rally on a twin-cylinder adventure motorcycle, by beating out specialised single-cylinder 450cc Rally entrants. Tarres won in six of the eight stages, including the last special stage.

This was the rider’s maiden desert rally win. He led from the start by attacking the stages despite being the “sweeper” and trailblazer being in front. By doing so, he won the first four stages. A sandstorm swept in during the fifth stage, so Tarres waited it out before finishing in second.

The sixth stage saw him finishing in fourth despite errors in his roadbook which missed two waypoints.

He came back to winning the seventh and penultimate stage, and gassed through the final stage to win the crown.

Another amazing fact is that Tarres had been competing in Rally Raids only since 2022. He had been on the podium of the Morocco Desert Challenge in 2023. This victory is another notch in his cap after the 2023 TransAnatolia, and the third place at the Africa Eco Race this January.

His performance meant he took the overall victory by an astounding margin of 2 hours, 21 minutes, and 6 seconds, a feat made all the more remarkable due to the fact he was competing on the Yamaha Ténéré 700 against lighter single-cylinder 450cc purpose-built machines.

This year’s Morocco Desert Challenge covered more terrain this year, despite an extremely tough 2023 edition that took the life of two participants. The 3,000 km route connected the Mediterranean sea and Atlantic ocean through some of the toughest terrain on the planet.

Closer to home, the Yamaha Ténéré 700 has been reigning supreme in the Rimba Raid rally races, particularly among the Thai participants.

Yoshimura SERT Suzuki Wins Le Mans 24 Hours for the 10th Time

The Yoshimura SERT Suzuki team won the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race for an unprecedented 10th time over the weekend.

The team had an early scare when one of their riders, Greg Black, was chucked over the handlebars and crashed at the exit of Les Esse Blue. It was later learned that the bike had traction control issues. Black managed to nurse the bike back to the pits for repairs and they rejoined the race far behind the field.

Black’s crash meant that the YART Yamaha racing team took over the lead, and built it up to being in front by several laps. However, Karel Hanika also crashed at the same corner as Black on early Sunday morning. Luckily, the corner was just next to the pit lane, so Hanika brought the bike back to the pits for repairs. Unfortunately, they were already laps behind when they rejoined.

Yamaha’s misfortune handed the lead to the MRP BMW team but they suffered a slow pit stop, which saw Suzuki back into the lead.

Suzuki’s rider Black, who crashed 20 hours earlier, seemed to redeem himself by riding a steady final stint to the victory flag, the Yoshimura SERT Suzuki’s 10th victory at the event. It was also the rider’s third Le Mans 24 Hour win.

YART Yamaha riders Marvin Fritz and Niccolo Canepa made their way up the field and back on the podium in third, behind the BMW team.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures Motos) was the first race in the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship. There are only 4 races this year, and unfortunately, they will not visit the Sepang International Circuit.

Detained Traffic Policemen in Extortion Case Back on Duty

The two traffic police officers who were detained for assisting in the extortion case against the public at Bangunan Sultan Ismail (BSI) in Johor Bahru have returned to duty as the remand order against them expired today.

South Johor Bahru District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat said they were on duty as usual because no work stoppage order had been imposed.

“They are now back on duty under the Johor contingent as usual until there is a stop work order (if any),” he said when contacted by Berita Harian.

Yesterday, the Johor police stated that they would submit a letter to Bukit Aman to obtain a suspension order against the two policemen.

The two policemen on duty at the BSI were arrested on April 5, to assist in the investigation of an extortion case involving a victim by asking for a payment of RM2,000 to avoid being prosecuted for having a record of past offenses in an incident earlier this month.

They were arrested again last Saturday for a complaint submitted by a 50-year-old victim who was allegedly threatened by the two suspects while at BSI, on January 4.

JPJ Penang Concerned about Increase of Foreigners Breaking Laws

The Penang Road Transport Department (JPJ) raised concerns regarding the increase in road offenses involving foreigners. The main and increasingly serious offense is not having a driver’s license.

The state JPJ director, Zulkifly Ismail, said that since the beginning of January until today, a total of 267 summons notices were issued to foreign drivers and 124 vehicles were confiscated, all due to not having a driving license.

He said, that does not include last year where 534 summons notices were issued to foreign drivers of which 416 vehicles were seized.

“We have noticed a trend in recent times of offenses committed by foreigners being quite serious and increasing.

“So I would like to remind vehicle owners to be careful not to arbitrarily let their vehicles be driven by foreigners who do not have valid driving documents.

“Otherwise they will also face action especially under Section 26 of the Road Transport Act 1987 if their vehicles are detected being driven by individuals who do not have a valid driving document,” he said when met while inspecting a special operation in conjunction with Aidilfitri at the JPJ Enforcement Station in Valdor, here. today.

In the operation, a total of 670 vehicles were inspected with 181 being taken action, while 213 summons notices were issued and six vehicles were seized for various offences.

The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) who were also involved in the same ops issued 30 summons notices, followed by the Immigration Department who arrested eight foreigners.

The Department of Environment (JAS) and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) issued two and six compounds respectively, while the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) conducted urine tests on 15 drivers, six of whom were found to be positive for drugs.

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