There is beyond any doubt that the BMW S 1000 RR is an immense success among Malaysian motorcycle enthusiasts. As such, it is befitting that the BMW S 1000 RR/HP4 Malaysia group organised the BMW S1K Mega Gathering 2024 which took place on 10 August 2024.
Unlike previous years, this latest edition saw owners riding to Colmar Tropicale, Bukit Tinggi. Over 430 participants joined the event.
Begin press release:
The BMW S 1000 RR/HP4 Malaysia group ignited the passion of motorcycle enthusiasts with the highly anticipated return of the BMW S1K Mega Gathering, which took place on 10 August 2024, from 9 AM to 4 PM. Roaring to life at the Le Chavelier Ballroom in Colmar Tropicale, Bukit Tinggi, the event brought together over 430 participants, including riders of the iconic BMW S 1000 RR, BMW M 1000 RR, BMW S 1000 R, BMW M 1000 R and BMW HP4 models, alongside esteemed partners, dealers and sponsors.
The BMW S1K Mega Gathering 2024 event delivered an exhilarating day of motorcycling excitement, and also featured exclusive test rides of BMW Motorrad’s cutting-edge electric models, the BMW CE 02 and BMW CE 04. The event not only aimed to showcase BMW Group Malaysia’s commitment to performance and innovation within the premium two-wheel segment, but also offered participants a unique opportunity to experience the future of urban mobility.
Opening the event was a recorded video message from Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, the Turkish world champion motorcycle racer and new BMW Group rider for the Superbike World Championship, who made history by achieving 13 consecutive World Superbike race wins – a first in the championship’s history – on the BMW M 1000 RR. Additionally, the highlight of the BMW S1K Mega Gathering 2024 was a special appearance by Azlan Shah bin Kamaruzaman, a celebrated Malaysian professional Grand Prix motorcycle racer who currently competes in the Asia Road Racing Championship ASB1000 with the BMW S 1000 RR.
Benjamin Nagel, Managing Director of BMW Group Malaysia states, “The BMW S1K Mega Gathering 2024 exemplifies our commitment to Make Life A Ride, while also fostering a vibrant motorcycle community. This gathering was not just about camaraderie and a shared passion for the thrill of the open road and the racetrack, but also about celebrating the exceptional heritage of our premium sport bikes. At the same time, we are also taking the opportunity to showcase the pioneering spirit of our electric models, carrying the spirit of adventure into the future.”
We had published the Glossary of Motorcycle Terms (A-B) previously, so let us continue with the series, this time for terms beginning with the letter “C.”
Café Racer:
The café racer style of motorcycle originated in the 1960s and is known for its stripped-down appearance, low-slung handlebars, and rear-set footpegs. It is said that they were modified from standard bikes for racing between cafés.
Cage:
Bikers refer to a car as a “cage” since it traps the occupants inside rather being exposed to the environment.
Caliper:
Refer to “Brake Caliper” in the previous article. Anyway, the caliper consists of several other parts including the piston(s) that push the brake pads against the brake disc (a.k.a. rotor).
Camshaft (cam), cam lobes:
A spinning metal shaft with oval cam lobes to open the valves in a four-stroke engine.
cc:
“CC,” written in small letters as “cc” refers to the engine’s displacement in cubic centimetres. It is also the measurement for the amount of fluids.
ci:
CC is a metric measurement, so the imperial measurement is “ci” (cubic inch). It was formerly used by many motorcycle makers, but it is now only limited to Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycles. 1 ci = 16.39 cc.
Harley-Davidson’s new Milwaukee-Eight engine, the ninth Big Twin in the company’s history, delivers more power and an improved riding experience while retaining the iconic look, sound and feel of its predecessors. (PRNewsFoto/Harley-Davidson)
Carburetor/Carb:
A carburetor is a mechanical device for mixing air and fuel in the correct ratio for combustion in an internal combustion engine. Virtually all motorcycles are fuel injected these days, apart from a few budget ones that still use the carb.
CE protector:
Also known as CE-certified motorcycle armour, it refers to protective paddings in motorcycle gear. CE stands for Conformité Européene in French, which translates to European Conformity. CE certification ensures the armour meets specific safety requirements and has undergone testing to validate its protective qualities.
Center stand:
Colloquially called the “full stand” here, a center stand is the large, double-legged, fold-out motorcycle stand, mostly found on small cc, adventure, sport-touring, and touring bikes.
Chain drive:
The chain connecting the front small sprocket on the bike’s transmission output shaft to a larger sprocket mounted to the rear wheel hub, to transfer the engine’s torque and power to the rear wheel.
Chassis:
The frame or structure of a motorcycle that act as the central component to where various components such as the engine, suspension, wheels, and bodywork are connected.
Chatter:
Mechanical oscillation or vibration with a bike. Also a term that describes oscillation or vibrations from the tyres.
Chicken strips:
The untouched outer sections of the motorcycle’s tyres, due to lack of cornering angle. “Chicken” here alludes to being less than brave.
Choke:
A mechanism or plate in a carburetor that restricts the airflow during cold engine starting and warm-up. Limiting the air amount of air “enriches” the air-fuel mixture (more fuel). The choke must be deactivated when the engine is sufficiently warm to run smoothly.
Chopper:
A motorcycle with its non-essential parts “chopped” (stripped) to lighten it, making it faster. However, the chopper styling now includes lengthened and raked forks.
Clip-ons:
Motorcycle handlebars clamped around the top of the bike’s fork tubes instead of being bolted to the top triple-clamp. Usually for sportbikes and café racers.
Clutch:
The device that engages and disengages the power transfer from the engine to the transmission. It allows for smooth gears changes plus control of power delivery to the driving wheel.
Compression damping:
Rate the suspension (forks and rear shock) compresses when contacting a bump.
Compression ratio:
In simple terms, it describes how much the fuel-air mixture gets compressed when the engine’s piston rises to its highest point (TDC/top dead centre). The ratio is derived by dividing the cylinder’s volume at the piston’s lowest point in the stroke (BDC/bottom dead centre) to the volume when the piston is at TDC.
Compression release:
Also known as a decompression valve or a decompressor, this mechanism is used to reduce compression pressure for easier starting. It is commonly found in large single-cylinder engines (a.k.a. thumpers).
Counterbalancer:
Also known as a balance shaft, it is mounted in then engine to reduce vibrations and improve engine smoothness, by counteracting vibrations in engines with unevenly spaced cylinders, such as (narrow spaced) V-twins, triples, and parallel-twins.
Countersteer:
Counter-steering is the technique to initiate a turn. It involves briefly steering the handlebars in the opposite direction of the intended turn, causing the motorcycle to lean in the desired direction and initiate the turn. In other words, push left to go left, push right to go right.
Cowl/Cowling:
Also known as the fairing, it is a piece of bodywork to cover certain parts of a motorcycle. It serves multiple purposes, including enhancing the aesthetics of the bike, improving aerodynamics, insulate the rider from wind blast, and protect internal components.
Crash bars:
Engine guards, or frame sliders, are protective bars mounted to a motorcycle’s frame to minimise damage to the motorcycle in the event of a tip-over, low-side, or other types of accidents.
Cruiser:
A style of motorcycle known for its laid-back and relaxed riding posture. It is designed with a comfortable riding position, low seat height, and emphasis on style and aesthetics. Cruisers are often associated with a classic and timeless look.
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.
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.
Did you know that Ducati built a Formula One engine?
Speak of the name “Ducati” and there is no ambiguity to what they build. They have ruled the racetrack for so many years now and their current form in MotoGP has some detractors calling it “The Ducati Cup.” The Italian manufacturer is so proud of their achievements that the CEO Claudio Domenicali rubbished any suggestion of building mopeds and scooters recently.
But yes, they did build a Formula One engine.
Those years
The Italian icon found their calling of building motorcycles after WWII. They were producing radios, parts of radios and even artillery shells prior to that.
But the post-war era was tough on many companies other than those on American soil. Ducati’s factory was bombed to smithereens in 1944. All they had to go on with was Aldo Farinelli’s Cucuiolo (puppy) engine. So, Ducati had to find some money and they did so by trying on almost anything.
The car industry was starting to boom in Italy, so Ducati they put together a car prototype called the DU4 in 1946. It failed and that put the maker out of the automotive business for the next 14 years.
Changing rules in Formula One
In 1960, the deaths of three prominent drivers served as an impetus for the Formula One organisers to force manufacturers to downsize their engine sizes from 2500cc to 1500cc, to curb the speeds of their cars. This change appealed to the legendary Ducati engineer Fabio Taglioni. He went ahead and worked on an engine which he thought may do well in Formula One.
He came up with a 1500cc V8 featuring his signature desmodromic valve actuation (of course). It produced 170 hp, which was a big deal back then.
At the same time, the OSCA-Maserati Formula One team was looking for a new engine. But they had been losing so much money that they could not afford Ducati’s F1 engine. Besides that, other teams have already ironed out their engine supplier and have no place for Ducati.
It was thus that the Ducati F1 engine was never produced in volume. It would have been lost to history had not for their achievements in the motorcycling world.
Hong Leong Yamaha Motor Sdn. Bhd. supports DEL Racing and WR Performance to form Yamaha’s assault on the Rimba Raid 2024 rally.
The team, managed by Dato’ Eric Loo, will field Muhamad Fareez and Alan Ng. They will be the riding the Yamaha T7 Ténéré which had already proven itself to be the machine to dominate the race over the last two years. As for WR Performance, they will provide technical support and Motoz tyres to the team.
It marks Hong Leong Yamaha’s inaugural official involvement in Rimba Raid. The Yamaha T7 Ténéré puts them in the Class B for multi-cylinder motorcycles between 250cc to 999cc. This cooperation with DEL Racing and WR Performance is set to continue for Rimba Raid 2025.
Rimba Raid 2024 will take place from 25-29 September at Lenggong, Perak, moving away from their familiar territories in Pahang.
Yes, the title sounds macabre and perhaps, too direct, but that is the reality of not respecting the risks of motorcycling and taking things for granted.
But, we can reduce some of these risks. On the other hand, we get into trouble because we choose to ignore them. Make a mistake in a car and you could very well survive, but make a mistake, even a small one, on a motorcycle and you are guaranteed to get hurt.
So here are mistakes that we should never make.
1. Riding the wrong motorcycle
Hitting the road on a Kawasaki H2 or anything with 200hp burning in its belly immediately after getting your license is a recipe for disaster. Always start with a bike that is manageable such as a 250cc or no more than 500cc and work your way up.
Even then, do seek out ways to improve your riding (oh, I dunno, by reading more articles?).
2. Riding above your skill level
This is a mistake any rider can make, no matter how new or experienced. New riders are usually rather careful since they’re still getting used to riding. After six months to a year, though, you might think, “I’ve got this,” and kick the pace up a couple of notches. That’s where you have just enough skill to be dangerous. It has a higher propensity to happen especially when you ride among competitive group.
If you find yourself constantly overcooking your corner entrance speed or panicking when a challenge presents itself, it means you need to work on your riding skills.
3. Riding like you are on the track
This can easily happen on your favourite road, thinking you can twist that throttle more and more each time. You should not be pushing the limits that closely anywhere outside a race track anyway.
Tracks do not have any traffic that is not paying attention or expecting you to be there, and hazards, among many other variables. If you want to ride like you are on the track, just go to a trackday. It’s more accessible than you might think, even if you have no interest in racing.
4. Not thinking of the consequences of your actions
Too many riders seem self-absorbed and do many stupid things like running the red light and riding against traffic. We have not even started mentioning riding haphazardly or without regard to their own safety and that of others.
A good rider will think of what would happen if he did this or that. It may sound un-fun but again, what is the point of getting hurt?
And stop listening to your ego that you are already good rider, or worse, better than all others.
5. Having too much faith in other road users
Let us start by saying that there is no sane driver who wakes up in the morning and decides to harm a motorcyclist on purpose. Every road user is another human being, just like you and I. We make mistakes, they make mistakes, so do not take it personal.
And because everyone makes mistakes, do not take your own safety for granted.
Never think that the car ahead would not cut across your front wheel, or if that truck would not pull out of the intersection. While some motorcyclists may feel that takes the “flow” out of their riding because they have to be paranoid, it sure beats being worm food. So, always ride with a sense that others can hurt you, although no sane person wants any trouble.
