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The Can-Am Origin and Can-Am Pulse electric motorcycles have been launched, taking the Canadian producer of the three-wheeled Spyder back to their roots.

Today, we are reclaiming our two-wheel heritage by bringing new excitement to the electric motorcycle industry,” President and CEO of Can-Am parent company BRP, José Boisjoli said. “Fifty years ago, Can-Am celebrated many victories with its Track ’n Trail motorcycles, and we are bringing that pedigree back with a focus on modern electric power, connectivity and thrill.

We intend to become a global leader in that space with true innovation designed to simplify the riding experience for new riders and introduce electric motorcycles to all.

Both bikes use BRP’s own Rotax E-Power liquid-cooled motor and a fully automatic transmission. The motor’s output is 78.9NM of torque at 4,600 RPM. The 8.9kWh battery, charger, and inverter are also liquid-cooled and BRP says it helps to reduce battery degradation whilst also boosting charge time.

Speaking about charging time, Can-Am says the battery will go from 20%-80% in 50 minutes by using a Level 2 charger (the type you find in mall carparks and home wall units).

Can-Am Origin

The Origin is the off-road variant of the two, hence rolling on 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels. The tyres are Dunlop D605 dual-purpose, and suspension is KYB. Can-Am says the dry weight is 187kg.

The seat is 865mm high, with 274mm of ground clearance for off-road duty.

Can-Am Pulse

The Pulse is the road-oriented version, rolling on 17-in Dunlop Sportmax GPR 300 tyres, plus 41mm KYB forks, and a Sachs shock adjustable for preload.

It features a fairly low 784mm seat height, with just 146mm of ground clearance, and weighs 177kg.

Shared features

Shared between the two bikes though is a large 10.25in touchscreen colour TFT dash, which helps to control your riding modes. On the Pulse, there’s four to choose from; Normal, Eco, Rain, and Sport+ with each one altering the throttle response plus ABS and traction control input. The Origin, meanwhile, gets six to play with consisting of; Normal, ECO, Rain, Sport, Off-Road and Off-Road+. Both get a single 320mm disc braking set up at the front featuring a two-piston J.Juan floating caliper and ABS.

For a little extra bling, both models will also be available in a more exclusive ’73 special trim, featuring additional optional extras and an exclusive silver paint scheme.

The latest KTM 990 RC R spyshots reveal an almost production ready bike.

The photos were revealed in MCN, showing the all-black prototype being put through its paces on the road. These are the latest pictures adding to a prototype being wrung on a racetrack in May.

It will be available in two versions, one track-exclusive and another for a standard road-ready variant. The latter is said to be arriving in the second quarter of 2025.

Its engine will be the current 947cc LC8c twin-cylinder unit in the 990 Duke which produces 126.2hp and 103.1Nm.

The frame may be the very same as the 990 Duke, or similar, or even new altogether to cater for a full-on sportbike riding characteristic. But the riding position shown in the pictures show similar to that of the 900 Duke, albeit with lower clip-ons.

Other details include WP suspension and radial mounted four piston calipers. Its fairing has winglets up top and another pair down low to promote laminar flow.

Click here for the official pitcures.

Ex-Formula 1, sportscar, and endurance driver Mark Webber rode a motorcycle the first time on track and came away impressed, going on to say that it is “not possible for four wheel guys to race on two wheels.”

Webber, a nine-time Formula 1 race winner rode a Yamaha YZF-R1 alongside 23-time Isle of Man TT winner John McGuiness who rode a Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade ahead of British MotoGP at the Silverstone circuit. However, the R1 appeared to be a race-kitted GYTR Pata yamaha.

 

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Webber is familiar with the circuit, having raced there many times and won twice there in Formula 1.

Speaking about his day at Silverstone, he said: “It was my first time (on track two wheels)! Completely different. For us four wheel guys it’s not possible for us to race on two wheels.

“It’s so demanding, so different. The skill set you need from a young age to make that transition across if not possible. It seems to be easier for the two wheel guys, they’re probably more gifted than us to go onto four wheels.

“But to watch him take you around and have a look at the track – I think, optically it’s a flat circuit and was used in the war as an air field, but in terms of the optics and your references it’s a tricky venue but it’s fast and flowing. It was a brilliant day.”

Webber was not the first high-profile car racer to try on motorcycles. Other F1 drivers who did so include drivers Fernando Alonso (at Motegi) and Lewis Hamilton (at Valencia). Hamilton famously rode alongside Valentino Rossi. Rossi, on the other hand, has gone on to car racing after his retirement from MotoGP.

But perhaps the most famous F1 driver to race on two wheels was seven-time champion Michael Schumacher. He met with some success while racing in the German superbike series.

Oxford Products just celebrated their best ever start to a year, achieving record sales in the first half of 2024.

The company’s products catalogue is extensive – even “extensive” does not truly cover the entire range – which includes almost every motorcycle accessory apart from the mechanicals and electronics, to rider comfort. Oxford Products produces motorcycle covers, grips, replacement turn signals, mirrors, tools, tank grips, tyre pressure gauges, lever guards, battery chargers, earplugs, balaclavas, etc., etc.

Speaking to MCN, Managing Director, Henry Rivers Fletcher said, “The story of 2024 is one of stability. Gone are the ups and downs of recent years. Our sales this year have been much more consistent, our stock management much more accurate, our business practises more disciplined – all enabling us to run the business more efficiently.

Founded in 1973 by Alec Hammond, the British brand had humble beginnings, with Hammond selling fibreglass boxes from the back of his van. From there, it has grown to offer thousands of products, boasting an annual turnover over £50m (RM 285,497,500).

Hammond added, “Like most businesses in the UK, if not the world, we have experienced some challenging, unpredictable, stormy times since March 2020. But for those of us old enough to remember, there have always been challenges. Recessions, political upheavals, energy crises, financial crashes. We’ve seen them all, but always had the right people with the right ideas, the tenacity, the creativity and the sheer willpower to turn adversity into opportunity and opportunity into success.

He went on to promise more investment in the coming year.

Oxford Products are officially distributed by Hodaka Motoworld.

Ay, just when we thought the recent Ducati Panigale V2 Superquardro Final Edition was the last V-Twin superbike that Ducati will make, they say there is a new Ducati V2 superbike is on the way.

MCN said that an interview with the manufacturer’s Head of Product Communications, Giulio Fabbri during the World Ducati Week revealed that the companyt has other plans.

Fabbri told MCN: “It’s not the V2 that is leaving the market, it’s just that particular engine that is going. It’s just the final edition of the V2 Superquadro, but something new will come.

“For sure, we will continue to see a supersport Panigale with a V2. But it’s still very early to talk about the future. I cannot say when something new will arrive, but for us it is very important and the V2 engine is special. It is part of the culture of Ducati.”

What Fabbri said was correct, as it was the V-Twin (also known as V2 or L-Twin in Ducati’s parlance) was what brought the brand to prominence – from the Imola bikes to the 851, 916, and all the way to the Panigale 1299 – prior to the current Panigale V4.

But of course, the Ducati man did not revealed the new bike’s specifications. The last Panigale V2 Superquardro engine displaced 955cc and produced 153hp.

BMW has purchased Suzuki’s MotoGP data, possibly to fast-track their entry into the premier class.

According the Motosport.com, this was an insider’s news during the British GP over the weekend. And if it was true, BMW is seeking to pay €18 million for all the GSX-RR’s data acquired.

While BMW knows how to build high powered engines, they possibly need the data in terms of chassis setup and traction control strategies. 18 million is a lot of money, for sure, but it is definitely cheaper than throwing it at a blank sheet. Having the data in hand means BMW has a base to work from and develop their bike.

Dorna has been leaving an empty slot on the grid for the Bavarian brand and it is hoped that the latter will join the championship in 2027. 2027 is the year when MotoGP will go through another large revision, including the use of smaller 850cc engines in place of the current 1000cc engines, and not unimportantly, limiting the use of aerodynamic devices. BMW is already currently making an inline-four engine for their S 1000 RR superbike, so the MotoGP bike could very well adapt that engine.

At the time being, BMW has gleaned a lot of data from the WSBK project. They may have scored only one win in each of the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons, but the signing of Toprak Razgatlıoğlu has since yielded 12 wins from 18 races this year. Will the Turkish rider be apart of BMW’s MotoGP assault? We can bet on this one.

Pirelli took over from Dunlop as the exclusive tyre supplier in the Moto2 and Moto3 classes this year, and immediately saw lap records tumble one by one.

At the British GP at the Silverstone circuit last weekend, Ivan Ortola’s victory was 53 seconds faster overall, compared to 2023. That averaged to 3.5 per lap faster.

Let us not forget that even a 0.1-second per lap improvement is already considered a huge deal at this level of competition, let alone 3.5 seconds. That is because 0.1 second multiplied by 15 laps (at Silverstone) equates to a 1.5-second lead at the end of the race.

Over to Moto2, Jake Dixon’s last lap victory over Aron Canet was also a record-breaking affair. His overall time was 12.5 seconds faster than in 2023. That averaged out to 0.7 second faster per lap.

In fact, of the 40 Moto3 and Moto2 sessions thus far, 38 of those have seen faster times than when Dunlop was the supplier.

It also reminds us of what Sam Lowes said many years before while he was riding in Moto2, when Honda was the engine supplier. According to him, lap times had stagnated because of the tyres.

Seeing this sort of achievement in the very first year is nothing short of breathtaking. Pirelli says they will use the data collected this year to make further improvements for the next rounds and beyond.

While most pay almost all attention to the premier MotoGP class, the real battles are in Moto3. The class features some hair-raising up close and personal racing consisting of multiple overtakes and dive bombs that thrill even grizzled observers. And the new tyres certainly gave the riders more grip to play with, translated into faster lap times and new records.

Tesla is being sued by the family of a biker who was killed when he was rear ended by a Tesla Model 3 whose driver was using Autopilot mode. The lawsuit was filed in Salt Lake City, USA.

The family of Landon Embry are suing the company on the grounds that the driver assistant software and other safety features were not fully functioning. As such, the car which was travelling between 120 – 128 km/h, rammed in Embry’s Harley-Davidson.

Embry, 34, was thrown off his motorcycle and died at the scene.

The driver of the Model 3 involved was deemed to be “tired and not in a condition to drive as an ordinarily prudent driver” in the lawsuit. The family’s complaint said: “A reasonably prudent driver, or adequate auto braking system, would have, and could have slowed or stopped without colliding with the motorcycle.”

This was not the first time that a Tesla was involved in crashing and causing harm to either the driver or another party while on Autopilot. In fact, Tesla had just settled another lawsuit after being sued by the family of a Model X owner who was killed when his car crashed into a median, whilst on Autopilot.

Many quarters including the US National Highway Transport Safety Agency (NHTSA), have called out Tesla’s Autopilot program, citing that it is not fully “auto” and still requires inputs from the driver. However, it seems that some drivers have taken the term to literally mean that they can lay back and take their hands off the steering wheel and feet off the pedals. Hey, even an aircraft’s sophisticated autopilot requires the pilots to monitor other systems of the aircraft and make decisions.

This is perhaps something no one wants to hear, especially when the bike is so new. In this case, the new BMW R 1300 GS is recalled worldwide. We have to state that we saw this news from European and American quarters, so do check with BMW Motorrad Malaysia’s Technical Campaign page to see if your unit is affected.

What triggered the campaign?

According to the safety report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the starter relay housing was produced with an insufficient injection moulding process. The defect may make the housing susceptible to damage during motorcycle assembly or a dealer maintenance visit, leading to possible moisture ingress. Consequently, this could lead to corrosion of internal electrical contacts in the relay.

Leakage of current between corroded contacts could result in heat damage to the starter relay. In rare cases, this could increase the risk of a thermal event or a fire. BMW states riders should be wary of warning signs such as the starter motor turning on its own, odour of overheating electric components, and even smoke.

Persisting Issue

It turns out that this is not the first recall related to the R 1300 GS’s starter relay.

The manufacturer had discovered it even during the launch events in October 2024 with several bikes not starting, or the starter motor running themselves. The issue was traced to the starter relay housing which let moisture in.

BMW issued the first recall in February 2024 to replace the relay’s plastic cover but the issue persisted, showing that the rectification was not effective. So, another recall was issued in July 2024.

Affected units

It is estimated that 25,000 units of the BMW R 1300 GS are affected, for those produced between 14 July 2023 to 18 March 2024.

Again, you can check if your unit is affected by keying in the VIN in BMW Motorrad Malaysia’s Technical Campaign page.

 

 

There will be new colours for the 2025 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin. The model had just gone through an update for 2024, so it is just colours for different variants this time.

The three variants are: Africa Twin, Africa Twin ES (main picture), and Africa Twin Adventure Sports.

All three variants share the same 1084cc parallel-twin engine that produces 101hp and 112.6Nm of torque. The main differences are in the chassis department, and the new colour schemes.

  • Africa Twin (base variant): Standard Showa suspension, 21-inch front wheel. Colour options are Grand Prix Red and Matt Ballistic Black Metallic.
  • Africa Twin ES: Showa Electronically Equipped Ride Adjustment (EERATM) suspension, 21-inch front wheel. Colour options are the existing Grand Prix RedMatt Ballistic Black Metallic, while adding Pearl Glare White with Pearl Hawkseye Blue Metallic Tricolour and black wheels.
  • Africa Twin Adventure Sports: Showa Electronically Equipped Ride Adjustment (EERATM) suspension, 19-inch front wheel. Colour options are the existing Pearl Glare White Tricolour with gold wheels, with a new Matt Iridium Grey Metallic and black wheels. This second colour is actually based on the original Honda XRV650 Africa Twin’s.

The new colours for the 2025 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin were launched in the UK, so they will be available in Malaysia at a later date.

World Ducati Week 2024 set a new attendance record, after seeing more than 94,000 attendees from 86 different countries.

And in social media, Ducati reported 17 million impressions, but most likely due to Marc Marquez’s antics in the Race of Champions.

Speaking after the event, Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO, said:

“World Ducati Week is the event that better than anything else embodies our brand’s mission to offer memorable experiences to our enthusiasts, created around special bikes, which are a magical combination of technology and beauty in pure Italian sporting style. The numbers of this edition are extraordinary and are proof that the love for Ducati in the world has never been so strong. I want to thank every single participant, but also all the staff composed mostly of Ducati employees who, as usual, worked hard to make this incredible experience possible. Thanks also to all of Ducati Corse and in particular to the riders, the heroes of WDW, who made themselves available to the fans and gave us a show that is unique in the world like the Lenovo Race of Champions. The performance achieved by the new Panigale V4 is truly incredible: the fastest lap in qualifying was just 3.2 seconds away from the MotoGP race track record, which belongs to Francesco Bagnaia with 1m31.8s. Equally incredible is the determination with which Pecco once again proved to be the best, in a race where everyone had exactly the same bike.”

While the race was an exhibition event, Francesco Bagnaia put in an incredible 1m35.4s qualifying lap to put himself on pole, riding the newly launched 2025 Ducati Panigale V4. It was only 3.2s slower than the MotoGP lap record at the Misano circuit where the race was held. By comparison, the previous Panigale V4 was 4.0 seconds off the record.

Then, on the last lap of the race, Marquez lunged at WSBK Ducati factory rider Nicolò Bulega from a long way back into the final corner. Bulega crashed heavily but did not sustain any serious injuries. Trackside video footage looked as if Marc had used Bulega as a berm and punted him off the track, but Bulega would later state that he was surprised by the move and overbraked, therefore causing himself to crash. Still, it showed Marc’s aggression and desire to win more than anything else, even it was at a “friendly.”

Well, we guess the attendees at World Ducati Week 2024 had the time of their lives.

Following the unveiling of the Yamaha Y-AMT (Yamaha Automatic Manual Transmission) last month, the MT-09 will be the first Yamaha motorcycle to receive the feature.

Yamaha says base specifications of the upcoming bike with the new option will remain the same. The Y-AMT system enables the rider to shift gears via handlebar-mounted buttons, or leave it to the system to sort out gear changes automatically. The functions are similar to Honda’s Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), but the Y-AMT system does not have dual clutches. Another similarity is the deletion of the clutch and gear levers.

Gear shifting is controlled by two electric actuators, in place of the rider’s left hand and left foot. The system weighs 2.8kg and is slim enough without increasing the bike’s width.

The Y-AMT is not the first Yamaha automatic transmission (apart from scooters with CVTs, of course), as the the manufacturer had equipped the 2007 FJR1300A with the YCC-S (Yamaha Chip Controlled Shift). It uses an automatic hydraulic clutch and the rider changes gears through a finger operated gear lever.

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