“Competition is the fuel that ignites innovation.”
That is a quote that a lot of us should live by, but unfortunately many do not.
The publication you read today took root in 2013. Three friends got together and saw a void in the industry.
While there were many automotive platforms that focused on cars and motorcycles, there were none that focused solely on motorcycles. (more…)
Now, for the highlight of the Allianz-BikesRepublic.com Motorcycle of the Year Awards 2025. The winner of the Overall Champion is the Suzuki GSX-S1000GX. The bike also captured the important Best Tourer 2025 category.
Suzuki already has the GSX-S1000GT, which is a sport-tourer. On the other hand, Suzuki calls the GSX-S1000GX “The Supreme Sport Crossover.” That is correct, it is a sport-tourer crossed with an adventure tourer.
It means that the bike has longer travel suspension, a more upright handblebar, and higher seat height.
Speaking of the suspension, it is Suzuki Advanced Electronic Suspension. It gets data from the inertial measurement unit (IMU) to deliver the right kind of damping, covering all aspects of riding. The rear suspension includes an auto-levelling feature which adjusts the spring’s preload to cater for different weights being carried. The right balance is always important in ensuring optimal control.
The engine is a 999cc inline-four is actually derived from the sublime 2005 GSX-R1000 K5 sportsbike. Yes, the very sportsbike that BMW used to develop their S 1000 RR sportsbike. It produces 150 HP at 11,000 RPM and 106 Nm at 9,250 RPM. This is a supremely wonderful engine, delivering all the torque and power at an instant, while still remaining smooth.
Despite its 845mm seat height which may be a little challenging for some riders, putting a foot on the ground was never an issue. In fact, the rider could use the electronic rear preload function to lower the back of the bike when he stops, and switch back to AUTO once under way.
That kind of up-specced package delivered a supremely capable motorcycle. Comfortable on bad roads, while being able to be hustled along quickly in the twisties. Together with the 19-litre fuel tank, chewing up thousands of kilometres in one day would be of no problem – the rider’s resolve and stamina is the only limitation.
Its selling price of RM 89,900 may be steep for some, but remember the great specs and that the Suzuki GSX-S1000GX is fully made in Japan.
What we liked: Great specs, engine, handling at a good price. Great value.
What we did not like: We tried hard to find something, but we could not.
Nett selling price: RM89,900
No better motorcycle deserves the Modern Classic of the Year (Below 500cc) award at the Allianz-BikesRepublic.com Motorcycle of the Year Awards 2025 than the Triumph Speed 400.
Anyone has to ride it just once and know how good it really is. Even we got blown away.
The new Triumph 400 line up had been in the works for so many years that some had begun to think that it would not come to fruition. The child of the Triumph UK and Bajaj Auto collaboration, the former had wanted to access the lower capacity market, which is especially lucrative in Asia.
But oh it was worth the long wait!
The Triumph Speed 400 is not what you think. It is a very complete and supremely capable motorcycle, despite its price.
The main character of any Triumph is the handling and this one demonstrates that philosophy the best, even among Triumphs. In fact, its handling is so good that if the motorcycling cliché “telepathic connection,” had not existed, it would have been written to describe it.
See that corner up ahead? Just pick your line and you are already at the exit, applying power. It did not matter what kind of corner, camber, radius, the Speed 400’s suspension lets the tyres bite into the road and flings you through them. We were even surprised to see the scuffed up the tyres – on a classic looking 400.
And that TR Series 398cc engine. (It is not shared with the Bajaj Dominar 400!) So torquey and has so much grunt up high in the rev range that you will not believe it is a single.
The whole package lets the bike handle like a 150cc motorcycle but with more torque, power, and better suspension. But wait, what sealed the deal for us was its relaxed riding position, practicality, and accessibility. Speaking of accessibility, anyone can ride well on this bike, without needing mountains of skill to conquer the er… mountain (no pun intended).
And it sells for only RM 26,900 which cost just a little more 250cc bikes. What value!
What we liked: Superb handling, easy to ride, practical, good engine, quality, value for money.
What we did not like: The first and second gears are too short.
Nett selling price: RM 26,900
Ah, the modern classic motorcycle. It harks back to the days when all motorcycles were of this form whether you rode them on the streets, raced them at the track or even off-road (modified suspension, of course). They were pure motorcycles without the modern-day segmentation, hence they could be called “standards.” And the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 embraces that spirit perfectly to win the Modern Classic Bike of the Year 2025 category in the Allianz-BikesRepublic.com Motorcycle of the Year 2025 Awards.
The Shotgun 650 has sportier ergonomics compared to the Interceptor 650. Additionally, the Shotgun has a custom bike feel to it. In fact, Royal Enfield stresses that they offer a large selection of accessories for this particular model (including the passenger seat).
Riding the Shotgun 650 is an experience of its own. As with other REs, it is not about going fast. Instead it is about feeling the thumps from the parallel-twin engine with a 270° crank. (It was a 360° crank which has the pistons rise and fall as a pair in the past.) The motor has a longer stroke, so it is all about torque.
Riding it up Genting Highlands was a joy as it thumped-thumped-thumped from corner to corner without bogging down and requiring multiple gear changes, apart from the two hairpins. Again, it is not about setting the fastest climb, but to destress on your off day on a bike.
It is of course a great bike for the daily commute, too, which returns us to the subject about the standard motorcycle.
What we liked: Thumping engine, good torque.
We we did not like: A little heavy.
Nett selling price: From RM 34,900
Surprised that the Honda Transalp 750 won the Adventure Bike of the Year 2025 (Below 800cc) category? So were we! It beat out a whole wave of contenders in its class, some with racing success, some are among the best selling motorcycles.
Did you know that Honda launched the XL600V Transalp in 1986, two years before the XRV650 Africa Twin? The latter was built upon Honda’s Paris-Dakar Rally concept and subsequent winner, thus it went on to become an icon. The Transalp meanwhile escaped buyers’ radars, although Honda did debut two new versions in 2000 and 2008.
Come the 2020s, Honda found themselves with midrange adventure bike vacuum. Buyers could either opt for either the CRF250 Rally or the XL1000 Africa Twin (before it became the XL1100). So, in 2023, Honda launched the Transalp 750.
And it was worth the wait.
Despite having 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels, Honda made it a solid all-rounder, with the ability to coddle new adventure riders and provide ample capabilities to veteran riders. The seat is not too tall, the body is slim, and the ergonomics is touring friendly. With a claimed wet weight of just 208 kg, it works as a daily commuter, too.
The engine is a 755cc parallel-twin with a 270° crank, producing 90.5 HP at 9,500 RPM and 75 Nm at 7,500 RPM. So, it is no slouch.
Last but not least, it looks great. It is priced competitively too, and well below some of the players in the segment.
What we liked: Very good all-rounder.
What we did not like: Needs a 19/17-inch version, perhaps?
Nett selling price: RM 56,800.
We live in the age of adventure bikes and as such, virtually every manufacturer – even the most sportsbike-centric ones – has at least one adventure model. There are many reasons for this phenomena, but let us begin by saying that the Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro took home the Adventure Bike of the Year 2025 (Above 800cc) category win at the Allianz-BikesRepublic.com Motorcycle of the Year Awards 2025.
The Tiger 900 consists of two distinct variants, one which is road-centric and another which is off-road biased. The former variant has the ‘GT’ moniker attached and is further split in two, namely the base Tiger 900 GT and Tiger 900 GT Pro. Well yeah, you know how some netizens can be, some one them calling out Triumph for naming the line up like iPhones…
No surprise here that the Tiger 900 GT Pro is the higher-specification variant. Extra features include Triumph Shift Assist (fancy name for a quickshifter), 7-inch colour TFT display, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and heated grips. All three Tiger 900 variants get Brembo Stylema brake calipers.
As with all Triumphs, the Tiger 900 GT Pro’s strongest suite is its handling. In fact, it rides like a tall sportsbike with an upright riding position. See that corner? Done and dusted. See that bump? What bump? The chassis, although made of venerable steel tubing connects you, the rider, like you are a part of it, communicating what the tyre contact patches are doing.
Speaking of being part of the bike, the throttle control is as if your fingers are directly opening the butterfly valves in the throttle bodies.
Adding to this is its ability to tackle (light) off-road trails with ease, ensuring that your favourite durian orchard is never out of reach.
What we liked: Superb chassis and handling, torquey engine
What we did not like: The engine’s new firing order is buzzy at higher RPMs.
Nett selling price: RM 82,100
This is another difficult category as any motorcycle that is not ‘clothed’ in a fairing can be considered as a naked bike to some degree. However, after much gnashing of the teeth and rising voices (no, just joking), the Yamaha MT-09 won out as the best Naked Bike of the Year 2025 (Below 1000cc) category in the Allianz-BikesRepublic.com Motorcycle of the Year Awards 2025, but only just.
Why did the Yamaha MT win?
The bike is the embodiment of what a naked bike (sportsbike) should be: Light, flickable, and rowdy. But Yamaha pushed it toward the ‘streetfighter’ end of the spectrum. Stripped of superfluous parts but given an outlandish and purposeful look.
In fact, the MT-09 was designed from the ground up to be a hooligan bike. If you are riding it like a law-abiding citizen, the you are not riding it right. It is the bike encourages you to cut loose and be naughty. It wants you to blast off the lights while pulling a wheelie, scythe through traffic like a bat out of hell, and chucked into corners like a supermoto.
To recap, “MT” stands for Monstrous Torque, and that is what the engine delivers in spades. How do you wheelie without torque?!
It is of no surprise that many stunt riders overseas use it, including one in Australia who fitted a turbocharger.
What we liked: Monster torque(!), lithe body, madcap character.
What we did not like: Running out of excuses why we rode like maniacs.
Nett selling price: RM 57,900
Cruisers, yes, motorcycles that do everything it in style. Some of them can be considered the queens (or kings) of motorcycles, and none more so than the Harley-Davidson Road Glide which won the Cruiser of the Year category.
We shall start off by saying that it was not an age thing, because our judging panel consisted of both young and older individuals. Nor was it because of being wannabe ‘bad boys’. No, it is more subtle possibly enigmatic.
As regulations choke motorcycles more and more, they start to lose their character. Instead of providing something palpable, bikes are starting to feel very machine-like. Their souls have been robbed and are increasingly muted. It is like someone installed an AI program in your brain and it is starting to take over. Yes, yes, there are more refined and comfortable cruisers in the market but the Harley sticks two fingers in their faces.
Make no mistake, the new Road Glide has been refined a lot. The build quality, fitting, can be seen and felt. The audio system is now much better, the switches are more tactile instead of feeling cheap, and the suspension does not feel like you hit a mountain instead of a speed bump.
The heart of ‘Glide is the Milwaukee Eight 117. That is 117 cubic inches which translates to 1917cc to us Metric people. It produces 115 HP and 188 Nm. It rumbles along at less than 1,500 RPM at 110 km/h. By comparison, a 1000cc inline-four sportsbike would be turning nearly 5,000-plus RPM at that speed.
Vibration? Of course the Harley vibrates. But, the difference is that Road Glide’s engine beats like a huge mechanical heart, inline-four’s buzziness numbs your hands and arms.
And there is the torque. The engine does not feature high specific horsepower but its torque is useful in the real world. Open up and the heart beats faster but still feel lazy at the same time, while you overtake a whole line of cars.
And that was why the Harley-Davidson Road Glide won.
Nett selling price (base model): RM 211,900
What we liked: Character!
What we did not like: If there was, then we would be missing the plot.
The Triumph Daytona 660, oh what a love affair.
Winning the Sportsbike of the Year 2025 category in the Allianz-BikesRepublic.com Motorcycle of the Year Awards 2025 means knocking out some very advanced and powerful contenders, some of which are of World Superbike Championship winning pedigree.
You see, we ourselves love the 1000cc supersports bikes too. However, we cannot ride them on a daily basis, no matter how hard we try. The roads conditions are not getting any better, and there are increasingly more poorly skilled drivers out there who would add you to the national road accident statistics.
Also, the closest the 8 out of 10 supersports bike get to a track is the parking lot.
The segment in which the Daytona 660 resides is itself hotly contested. These are “everyday” sportsbikes that you can commute and tour on, and then ride on trackdays. And this was the biggest consideration.
Built on the amazingly popular Trident 660 platform, it provides superb handling, confidence, ease of controls, and a super punchy engine. The way it was designed even allows for saddlebags should you want to go touring. The seating position does not have your buttocks in the faces of other road users. And the handlebars are not placed so low that have you doing push-ups.
Let us not forget that engine. Triples usually have an aggressive punchy (along with a rowdy exhaust to it). However, Triumph have always worked hard to produce linear throttle response for all their bikes. As such (along with confidence inspiring handling), new and inexperience riders will not find it intimidating, while veteran bikers will still find it entertaining.
And that was why the Triumph Daytona 660 is the Sportsbike of the Year.
Nett selling price: RM 49,500
What we liked: Everyday usability, styling, handling, character.
What we did not like: No fully adjustable suspension.
The Best Scooter of the Year (Below 250cc) category is another segment that proved supremely difficult to determine the winner for the Allianz-BikesRepublic.com Motorcycle of the Year Awards 2025, as there are more than 10 models. And all of them are worthy. However, one stood out and that was the Vespa Sprint 150 S.
Firstly, the Vespa Sprint 150 S is not the fastest scooter. Nor is it the more powerful.
But motorcycling is a way of life. It goes further than about how many HP and Nm. It transcends the top speed of a motorcycle. It is not about about how much a motorcycle costs to buy and maintain. Sometimes, it does not even matter if the motorcycle has the latest features.
The bike evokes emotions, albeit differently, to those young and old. The younger generation sees it as hip, while oldies like me look at it behind nostalgic glasses. Some spend thousands more than the price of the bike to personalise it. Some just want to enjoy the wind on their faces and hair, just like in the Roman Holiday (the 1953 version). You do not even have to understand it: Love the best parts, and live with the flaws.
This model continues the traditions of the very first Vespa, such as the wasp-like body, wide floor boards, seating position, but is as modern as it can be without trampling on those long-lived features.
It is about La Passione (the passion – make sure to include the hand gesture).
And that, our friends, is what the Vespa Sprint S embodies to a tee.
Nett selling price: RM 20,900
What we like: Easy going, undying style.
What we did not like: We will be missing the point is there was something we did not like!
Scooters, well, more specifically adventure scooters are all the rage these days. It all began when Honda introduced the X-ADV (750), which turned out to be a sales success. Before long, Honda scaled things down to the ADV160. Since then, almost every manufacturer has an “adventure scooter.” Finally, the Honda ADV350 “Urban Adventure Scooter” was launched amidst heady anticipation in 2022 and arrived in Malaysia in 2024.
The ADV350 was the first 350cc adventure scooter in market when it was launched, and continues to enjoy steady sales despite several new challengers. This maxi adventure scooter category is definitely heating up.
First and foremost, it bears striking resemblance to its bigger X-ADV brethren, more so that the ADV160. A big sized body, which also ensures maximum space for storage and the seats, in addition to providing protective features such as a large screen from the elements. It looks great, too, maybe even more so than the bigger bike.
Powered by a 330cc, single-cylinder, SOHC, liquid-cooled engine equipped with PGM-FI fuel injection with enhanced Smart Power Plus (eSP+) technology, it produces 28.8 HP at 7,500 RPM and 31.8 Nm at 5,250 RPM. It provides punchy torque and power, while maintaining frugal fuel consumption.
Its transmission is CVT, unlike the X-ADV’s trick Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT).
One nifty feature is the Emergency Stop Signal (ESS – Emergency Stop Signal) which flashes the brake lights when the rider apply sudden and hard braking. it is the first for a scooter.
Lighting is LED all-around, the underseat ‘trunk’ can accommodate two full-faced helmets, the TFT screen provides Bluetooth connection, and fuel capacity is 11.7 litres.
These are the aspects that endeared us to the bike. Talk about having your cake and eating it.
Nett selling price: RM 33,999
What we liked: Practicality, great looks, build quality, torque.
What we did not like: The waiting period!
Winning the Best Kapcai of the Year category for the Yamaha Y16ZR in the Allianz-BikesRepublic.com Motorcycle of the Year Awards 2025 is no easy feat.
This is a hard-fought category, chock-full of motorcycles that are truly capable, showing us just how far kapcais have come. It used to be that kapcais were just a means of getting from Points A to B, but there are so many these days that are full of great features. It is no surprise that even veteran bikers buy kapcais to get their adrenaline fix while revelling in the bike’s practicality.
Supporting this category of motorcycles is a fully mature aftermarket industry that provides all the solutions to customise one’s kapcai from bog stock to personalised, and of course, the upgrade the bikes’ performance from mild to wild.
Launched in 2021, the model took performance kapcai category to a new level, even overshadowing its long-running cousin, the Y15ZR, more commonly known as the YSuku.
Central to this shift is the Yamaha Y16ZR’s engine. The 155cc, liquid-cooled, SOHC with Variable Valve Actuation (VVA) powerplant produces 17.7 HP at 9,500 RPM and 14 Nm at 8,000 RPM. It remains as the only kapcai to utilise an engine with VVA, and was the first to feature a slipper and assist clutch.
Heck, this engine platform is so good that it powers another three of Yamaha’s super popular motorcycles, namely the YZF-R15/R15M sportbike, MT-15 naked bike, and the NVX scooter.
The VVA features ensures that the bike pulls hard from the lights, and continues to pull all the way to its redline. Overtaking is a breeze, too, as there is torque and power available throughout the rev range.
While there is one particularly more powerful kapcai in the market, the Y16ZR boasts a well-rounded character, in terms of performance, handling, (passable) comfort, practicality, and features. Its overall build quality is fine, too.
Last but not least, although it is not something we recommend, there are plenty of aftermarket parts and accessories to support the model.
These are the reasons why the Yamaha Y15ZR is the Best Kapcai of the Year in the Allianz-BikesRepublic.com Motorcycle of the Year Awards 2025, despite being launched 4 years ago.
What we liked: Flexible engine, sportiness, handling.
What we did not like: Seats need more cushioning.
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