Some time ago, Scorpion was almost unknown to the motorcycle industry. Still, the company rose to the spotlight after it became the helmet of choice for 2021 MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo.
While Quartararo will continue to wear the company’s helmet for the 2022 season, Scorpion has revamped its range of helmets for the new year, especially its ever-popular ADX-1 modular adventure helmet.
After five years in the market, Scorpion decided to update its popular modular ADV helmet with the ADX-2.
According to Scorpion, the ADX-2 offers better comfort and increased safety as the helmet now meets ECE 22.06 standard after undergoing a more stringent test process.
The ECE 22.06 compliant also means that the ADX-2 received double P/J homologation, making it safe to wear the helmet with the chin-bar up.
Nonetheless, the ADX-2 maintains the same versatility as its predecessor, whereby the helmet can be worn in various ways to suit the rider riding style. The peak is detachable to suit the riders need and can also act as an open face helmet with the chin-bar up.
The Scorpion ADX-2 also offers a detachable and washable interior, retractable sun visor and multi-channel ventilation system. The visor is also Pinlock ready and compatible to wear with an intercom.
According to Scorpion, the ADX-2 is available for EUR249.99 (RM1,2k).
If you own a classic Kawasaki motorcycle, you might be familiar with Japan’s Doremi Collection, as the company has been crafting high-quality reproduction parts for classic Japanese bikes for years.
For 2022, Doremi has announced the release of a new reproduction tank explicitly built for the 1984 Kawasaki Ninja GPZ900R.
According to reports, the tank is something that customers have been asking for quite some time, and the new reproduction tank is expected to make a lot of the GPZ900R happy.
Interestingly, the tank is unpainted to allow owners the freedom to paint it freely to match with their GPZ900R. Moreover, instead of recreating the exact tank, Doremi has improved the design and material so owners can enjoy their GPZ900R for many more years to come.
This is because the stock tank had some apparent weakness, namely the tendency for the bottom part to rust.
According to Doremi, the tank can be fitted to all GPZ900R models.
Nevertheless, the high-quality tank comes with a price, JPY148,500 (RM5.4k) to be exact and with only 300 units built, we’re pretty sure it’s going to be a hot-selling despite the price tag.
The MotoAmerica King of the Baggers quickly gained worldwide attention when it first started, with every Harley-Davidson owner turning their baggers of something similar to the race bike.
As it turns out, the popularity of the big bagger race has its influence over the company new 2022 range.
Harley-Davidson kickstarts its 2022 calendar with a new ST range for 2022, including the new Low Rider ST.
Despite sharing the exact blueprint as the 2022 Low Rider S, which includes the Softail chassis and associated components, the Low Rider ST features a different fairing and pannier.
The three ST models (including the Street Glide ST and Road Glide ST) also became the company first mass-made Harley to adopt the 117 Milwaukee-Eight V-Twin engine, previously reserved for the flagship CVO range.
In addition, the 2022 ST range only offers single-seaters with no passenger footpegs available. To ensure an exciting riding experience, the ST also gain longer rear shocks for better cornering clearance.
Meanwhile, the Low Rider ST is built based on the heavily updated Low Rider S and features the 117 Milwaukee-Eight engine that makes 103hp @ 4,750 rpm and 170Nm @ 3,500rpm.
Despite the bigger engine, the Low Rider S weighs as much as its predecessor, while the ST version weighs 327 kilograms.
According to Harley, the Low Rider S and ST also gain longer rear shocks allowing better cornering than its predecessor.
Nonetheless, the ST is differentiated by the addition of lockable panniers taken from the Sport Glide.
While the saddlebags are mounted higher to allow better lean angles, the new fairing, on the other hand, is inspired by the 80s FXRT, which itself followed the same styling from the water-cooled Nova V-4 prototype developed in the 70s.
However, while the air duct on the side of the headlight on the Nova fed air to the under-seat radiator, the one on the Low Rider ST is designed to help airflow around the rider.
Harley-Davidson also replaced the Low Rider S console-mounted gauge with a single mounted instrument that combines an analogue tachometer with a digital speedometer.
On another note, Harley adds the Street Glide ST and Road Glide ST alongside the already launched 2022 Street Gide and Street Glide Special and the Road Glide and Road Glide Special.
Like the Low Ride, the ST also represents the introduction of the 117 Milwaukee-Eight engine but with a higher 106hp and 172Nm. The two models also gained taller suspension for better cornering clearance.
It has been about seven years since I had last attended an official BMW Motorrad ride. The year was 2015 and the destination was somewhere in Spain.
The model that was introduced back then was the much loved BMW S1000XR – Munich’s first ever salvo at the Ducati Multistrada. That is of course an entirely different story.
Fast forward to 2022, and I write this lounging at the Century Pines Hotel in Cameron Highlands, after completing day one of the first ever BMW R18 Getaway.
This is a unique event put together by BMW Motorrad Malaysia for R18 owners or those who would like to experience the R18 and the lifestyle it offers.
The ride costs somewhere in the RM8,000 region, but you could have it for a little over RM3,000, owner or non.
To be able to offer this, BMW Motorrad Malaysia partnered with a company that could just be the authority on BMW motorcycles in Malaysia – FS Adventures which owned and run by BMW fanatics Faisal Sukree (above) and KK Wong (below).
FS Adventures is a company that specialises in putting together adventure rides for BMW owners in Malaysia and around the world.
Faizal is also a contestant in the extremely demanding GS Trophy, while KK is a BMW road riding trainer.
We had interviewed Faizal in depth some time ago and spoke to him about his rides and adventures. He is a man of many tales, like how he once rode off a snow cliff in Alaska because he couldn’t see the road ahead in the thick snow.
The ride started after a brief at Bungalow 37 in Bangsar. The destination for the day was Cameron Highlands.
It wasn’t too far of a ride but the roads were beautiful.
After a quick splash and dash at the famous BHP station at Karak, we headed towards Century Pines hotel in Tanah Rata via the secluded but much loved Sungai Koyan – Cameron Highlands road.
Lunch was served at a quaint cafe and guest house called Tiny Boutique.
When Faizal told us that the cafe serves some of the best pizzas in Malaysia, I dismissed that. Almost everyone says that about pizza at some cafe.
But after trying it out for myself, admittedly it is one of the best I’ve had. Even the soup served as a starter was made of five different types of mushrooms, Alaskan snow crab and mussels. It was unique and a must visit.
We reached the hotel at about 330pm for some downtime before riding back out for dinner later at 7pm.
How were the bikes?
Both the BMW R18 Pure and R18 Classic was on offer in the morning, but I chose to start with the classic.
Why? Well, it came with a windscreen and cruise control, which is not available on the Pure.
The windscreen offered some protection from the wind blast at illegal speeds, while the cruise control provided some comfort after about an hour and a half of my arms being stretched out to grip the handle bars.
The R18 Classic came with a bigger front tyre as well. Measuring in at a chunky 130/90 16 while the Pure offers a slimmer Michelin tyre measuring in at 120/70 R19.
This made the front end feel a little less eager to turn especially around the winding rounds of Sungai Koyan and up Cameron Highlands towards Tanah Rata.
More saddle time should fix that issue.
Talking about saddles, the seat on the R18 could be better. My bum was absolutely murdered after about two hours of riding.
But that isn’t too surprising though, BMW does after all offer a selection of aftermarket seats, and there’s even more from BMW’s aftermarket partner – Mustang Seats.
This is a strategy seen in other cruisers such as Harley-Davidsons as well.
The BMW R18 is after all supposed to be a blank canvas for you to customise according to your taste. To create your own custom BMW according to your whim and fancy.
It is a very capable canvas too.
That 1,802cc engine is a masterpiece, not only to look at but the way it delivers its power as well.
The controls are mid-set with no option of forward set controls simply because the mammoth of an engine gets in the way.
It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful engines ever to grace a motorcycle.
It puts out 91hp at 4,750rpm and about 158Nm of torque from just 3,000rpm.
This means that on the highway and around fast bends, you can simply ride the torque wave without downshifting.
But when the corners get tighter, you need to adopt the regular riding style of downshifting or risk the bike running wide.
There are also three different riding modes, and in typical BMW fashion, are called Rain, Roll and Rock.
As you would probably expect, Rain dumbs down all the electronics and power to keep you safe when the roads are wet.
Roll is for regular dry road riding with maximum power available at a squirt of the throttle.
While Rock is what we regular folks would usually call Sport. This is when the bike is at its liveliest and gives you full beans.
So what’s next?
Tomorrow we head to Penang with some corner carving on the way down from Cameron Highlands and some highway time on the north south highway.
I will bring you more about the R18, and also hope to spend some time with the R18 pure.
Benelli has been landing some impressive sales figures over the recent years.
Back in 2020, the China-owned company marked an impressive sales performance with the Benelli TRK 502 crowned as the best-selling bike in Italy.
The TRK 502 is a good sized bike, though a little cramped for taller riders.
However, its 2021 sales figures smashed its 2020 record in 2021 with Italian publication, Moto.IT reported that Benelli registered a 57 per cent growth compared to 2020.
Not only that, the Benelli TRK 502 adventure motorcycle managed to hold on to its top spot as the best selling bike in the region, with over 6,543 units sold in 2021 alone.
Moreover, two other models, the Leoncino 500 and Benelli BN 125 made it to the top 15 best-selling bikes for 2021, marking another proud moment.
“We are very satisfied with the goals achieved in 2021, but we are convinced that these results are not a point of arrival but a stimulus to improve our performance, day after day.
“There are many Italian motorcyclists who have decided to trust us in recent years by purchasing our vehicles and now we are ready to offer them new and exciting models that will complete the range, such as Leoncino 125, Leoncino 800, Leoncino 800 Trail and TRK 800,” said Gianni Monini, Benelli Italy sales manager.
Looking at the numbers, Benelli currently holds a significant portion in the 300cc to 500cc segment in Italy, with a 40 per cent market share. This means that the company might make a strong impact in the bigger segment in the coming years once the TRK 800, Leoncino 800 and the big 1200 GT tourer make their way to Europe.
Team Green latest patents have confirmed that its maiden hybrid project is edging closer to production based on the company latest patent.
Kawasaki announced its plans to have more than ten electric or hybrid motorcycles by 2025, and looking at how things are progressing, and the Japanese firm is definitely on track to reveal their first bike soon.
Kawasaki has already shown a prototype hybrid featuring a twin-cylinder engine mated to a 48-volt electric motor that could run on different modes according to its environment.
The bike would run on a conventional combustion engine while cruising but switch to the electric motor during city riding.
However, the combustion engine and the electric motor will work together if the rider wants the best performance.
According to the latest patents, the hybrid engine could be utilized across multiple existing Kawasaki models, which makes more sense than developing ten entirely new motorcycles from scratch.
Introducing a hybrid version of existing models is a common practice among car companies; hence it’s only relevant that Kawasaki follows the same route.
The newly published patents indicate that the first hybrid model could be based on Kawasaki’s Ninja 400/Z400 range, as it used the same parallel-twin engine borrowed from the brand 400cc motorcycle.
Also available is a visually identical 250cc version, mounted in a steel frame, while the 48-volt lithium-ion battery only takes the size of a small conventional car battery and is fitted under the seat.
Nevertheless, the battery is kept cool via an air-cooled system to ensure a lower cost and more straightforward construction than a liquid-cooled design that takes more space and complexity.
Meanwhile, the patents revealed that the electric motor is placed above the motorcycle six-speed transmission. The gearbox will allow the bike to operate as a conventional combustion engine motorcycle and a clutch to engage or disengage the motor.
The motorcycle will also feature bar-mounted switches to change the gear, presumably similar to Honda’s DCT manual mode.
Another patent also shows that Kawasaki has reinforced the electric motor, allowing it to be used as the rear shock mount, courtesy of a cast alloy plate that connects the frame.
The company’s latest patent’s intricate detail shows that Kawasaki is moving in the right direction in developing a production-ready hybrid motorcycle by 2025. Looking at how things are progressing, 2025 could be an exciting time for the two-wheels industry.
