The 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa officially launched in the Philippines less than six months after the global release in February 2021.
The newly improved Hayabusa was at the heart of Suzuki’s latest 2022 range, including the GSX-S1000, GSX-S950 and the upcoming GSX-S1000T.
For 2022, the Hayabusa continues to be powered by a 1,340cc inline-four engine capable of producing 187hp @ 9,700rpm and 150Nm @ 7,000rpm.
However, the revised engine (now meets Euro 5 emission standard) makes less horsepower than the previous generation.
Nonetheless, the 2022 Hayabusa features loads of technological advancement, including an all-new six-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) that runs the traction control, cornering ABS and wheelie control.
It also comes equipped with three riding modes and customizable settings that can be easily accessed via the TFT instrument.
The all-new ‘Busa now available in the Philippines for a price of PHP1.1mil (RM93,000).
More than 11,000 spectators witness Fabio Quartararo recorded his fourth win of the season at the Dutch GP.
Despite the win took Quartararo championship points to 156 and comfortably leading the race heading into the mid-season break, his teammate, Maverick Vinales, was at the centre of attention.
Vinales comes second at Assen, followed by Suzuki’s Joan Mir, but the Spaniard looks less than happy with the result, and it was more noticeable on the podium.
“It’s an option (about leaving Yamaha). I’m thinking about it since the beginning of the season because I’m not able to show my full potential.
“I can’t tell you more,” he said after the race.
The 26-year old was left frustrated with Yamaha decision to replace his crew chief, Esteban Garcia, with Valentino Rossi former crew chief, Silvano Galbusera.
He later admitted the lack of respect and answers from Yamaha after suffering the same rear grip issues with the YZR-M1 a couple of weeks ago.
In the most recent news, Vinales is linked with a move to Aprilia for the 2022 season despite having a year left on his contract with the Japanese manufacturer.
While this might be another rumour from the paddock, it does not change the fact that Vinales is clearly frustrated and will utilize the summer break to announce a decision (if there is any).
Here, we sum them up as 10 Steps to be a Better Rider.
Keep these tips in mind everytime you ride.
We’ve published a number of riding tips previously, from avoiding target fixation to braking to body positioning and so forth. To sum them all up, plus adding a few more, here are 10 steps to be a better rider.
Again, as we’ve mentioned many times before, you have to “check” your riding at all times not only to be able to go faster, but more importantly, to be safe. Being safe means you can continue to ride forever.
1. Be attentive
Don’t daydream. Always evaluate your surroundings, speed and space. Be proactive in spotting potential danger – if you find yourself in close call situations all the time, it could pretty well mean that you’re not on top of things.
2. Look further up the road
Not looking far enough could also be attributed to losing concentration. The human vision will default to a view of just a few centimetres in front when a person doesn’t focus on anything in particular. When that happens, reaction time is increased. Additionally, peripheral vision is reduced, and you can’t spot that car swerving into your lane quickly enough. So, keep your eyes up and look ahead as far as possible while continuously scanning to keep your vision and mind active.
3. Maintain a wide vision
As we mentioned above, keep your vision wide by scanning the road back and forth – imagine a forward-looking radar. A wide vision helps to slow things down at any given speed. Sure, zeroing down your vision is fun at speed, but you’ll feel overwhelmed when something unexpected occurs. Keeping your vision wide also avoids from getting surprised from the sides. Finally, a wide vision helps to avoid target fixation as it allows you to spot a route of escape.
4. Body positioning
Seat yourself back a bit by leaving 2.5 cm (1 inch) between the tank and your crotch. You will feel that the steering is lighter, and your upper body will have a more natural bend. Being natural results in better comfort too. Remember to clamp the sides of the fuel tank with your knees and inner thighs to free up the torso. And keep ride with the balls of your feet on the footpegs.
5. Relax!
There are still too many riding with straight arms. Keep them loose. Loosening up the arms loosens up your grip on the handlebar, besides your torso, shoulders, neck and back. The benefits are increased comfort, the bike handles better, and more control. The bike handles better because you allow it to do what it’s supposed to. Riding tense means you’re fighting the bike.
6. Be smooth
Image credit: MotoGP
Notice how smooth professional riders transition from accelerating to braking to turning and back to accelerating? Being smooth avoids feeding extra forces into the bike which causes instability. Being smooth also means that you’re not cramming too many inputs at one go for example, grabbing the brake while downshifting and turning. Here’s a little secret: A smooth rider isn’t afraid of worn tyres or slick road conditions.
7. Ride in the rain
Photo credit cycleworld.com
Speaking of slick road conditions, riding in the rain teaches you the necessity of being relaxed and smooth with your controls. Besides that, you’ll also discover how much your bike and tyres are capable of. All our Editors love riding in the rain!
8. Practice your braking
We’ve written about this before: Don’t treat your brakes as an on/off switch. Instead, find an empty road or parking lot and practice your braking technique. Find how much pressure you need to slow the bike down to a desired speed. Discover how much distance you need to bring the bike to a complete stop from certain speeds. Find how much pressure it takes to trigger the ABS and how it feels when the system activates. Learn to steer the bike when ABS triggers. Know how the bike feels like when a tyre skids. Don’t forget to practice trail braking, too. Last but not least, clamp your knees on the tank when you brake and leave your arms loose.
9. Ride a dirt bike
We can’t stress this enough. Riding a dirt bike teaches you the real basics of throttle control, braking, body positioning, rider inputs, traction and everything else you can shake a stick at it. We understand that many are concerned about safety when riding in the dirt, but guess what, you don’t have to jump like Gabit Saleh in order to ride in the dirt. Just go to Most Fun Gym or Moto Maniac and ask to practice on a flat piece of ground. (That’s what we do.) You’ll be surprised how much better you can after that!
10. Enrol in an advanced riding school
This goes without saying. We think probably less than 1% have done so and that’s what contributes to the exceptionally high number of motorcycle accidents in Malaysia (among other causes). There are so many to choose from that could fit your budget and type of bike you ride.
BONUS
Attend a trackday. You don’t have pressure yourself into riding at Azlan Shah’s pace. Who said you have to, by the way? Go to the track and have fun riding around in a controlled environment while you practice your skills. You can even make new friends who are faster and lead you around the track.
Yamaha recently launched the all-new FZ-X, a retro-styled naked motorcycle in India.
Despite the small displacement, the FZ-X features Bluetooth connectivity via the Yamaha Y-Connect application, allowing the rider to monitor the motorcycle information, including engine health, service intervals, and parking location.
The Y-Connect feature is similar to the one available in Malaysia with the all-new 2021 Yamaha NVX.
However, the latest report suggests that Yamaha plans to update the YZF-R15 and MT-15 range to feature Bluetooth connectivity.
The move is seen as an effort to increase ownership experience, especially aspiring riders.
The Y-Connect function will enable riders to access the bikes overall condition and location, including sharing your ride on social media.
The Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4 doesn’t really need a glittering introduction. Its capabilities are legendary, and the new electronics suite will make a regular rider feel like a riding God. And that is even before we get to that V4 engine. But to break down what exactly makes the Tuono 1100 V4 such a capable machine and a worthy buy, we list down five of its most attractive traits for you to consider:
One bike to do it all
En Rizal has owned an Aprilia Tuono for a couple of years. He is yet to buy the new Tuono 1100 V4 but he is considering it. What makes someone move horizontally when buying a new machine when most people usually trade up? “I love how friendly and versatile the bike is. If I am following some friends for a long weekend ride, I just need to screw on a fly screen and get my tail bag on and I am ready for a getaway to Penang or further. Of course, it is not as comfortable as a BMW GS, but I also ride the Tuono to work on the weekdays, and it is perfect for slicing through traffic.”
There’s a good reason why the Aprilia Tuono is known as the sport rider’s touring bike. With just a few minor modifications such as a fly screen, some handlebar raisers and bag mounts, the bike is ready for some touring. Like what En Rizal mentioned, it is not going to be as comfortable and versatile as a BMW GS or its equivalent, but if there is one bike that you can choose to do it all, the Tuono is the one.
While it is quite possible to go touring with the Aprilia Tuono 1100, it is at its finest when attacking the corners of a mountain, or blasting down the long straights and braking hard for turn one of the Sepang International Circuit.
Its size and friendly demeanour make it perfectly suited to almost all types of riders.
A good service network
There is no point in raving about a bike if there is no place to properly maintain it after you buy it. While some manufacturers only offer 3-4 service centres around the country, Aprilia is actively expanding its network. What is it doing differently? Consider that Aprilia is part of the Piaggio group, which includes brands like Vespa and Moto Guzzi. The latter may not have done very well in Malaysia, but Vespa is huge here and dealerships are popping up everywhere.
How is that relevant to Aprilia? Well in an effort to lower its cost, the computer diagnostics units are almost identical. Known as the Piaggio Advanced Diagnostics System or PADS in short, the system is available at almost all outlets that have the capabilities to diagnose any brand under the Piaggio umbrella. Not only that but the availability of spare parts as well as the affordable service costs is one major point that plays into the hands of the Tuono 1100. And there is also the fact that Aprilia’s are generally known to be a lot more reliable than other European marques.
So keep this in mind when you make your purchasing decision, because it is one thing to buy a bike, and a different thing altogether when it comes to servicing it. You would also be happy to know that the Piaggio network in Malaysia is expanding with a more diverse range of products including some mass-market products slated to be introduced next year. The good news here is the fact that soon there will be more places to buy and maintain your Aprilia.
Stable pricing
There is nothing more painful than losing money as soon as you buy a new bike. Don’t you just hate it when you have just forked out a lot of your hard-earned money for your brand new pride and joy, and just a week later the same dealer you bought the bike from is now offering an unbelievable discount on the very same bike?
Or is perhaps offering a full exhaust kit, or a free helmet, or a riding jacket, or some luggage boxes, or worse, all of that plus a hefty discount. Why didn’t you get all of that?
If you have noticed, Aprilia Malaysia doesn’t quite do a lot of that. Sure they have their seasonal discounts and free merchandise especially for end of life models, but you don’t see this happening every month. This means that your bike will hold its value for a while longer. Because there is nothing worse than losing money.
Usable power
With great power, comes great fun, but there is no point in having loads of power if you can’t use it. With Aprilia’s renowned APRC (Aprilia Performance Ride Control) electronics suite, the rider gets to decide exactly how he wants the power to be delivered to the road and how he wants the bike to feel while laying down the power.
The electronics suite brings together several electronic parameters and gives the rider a wide array of customisation options. This includes Aprilia Traction Control, Aprilia Wheelie Control, Aprilia Launch Control and Aprilia Quick Shift.
Take the Aprilia Traction Control, for example, you get eight different settings (3 on the model that does not come with the APRC package) that let you chose the degree of slip you want when getting on the brakes hard or when you are hard on the throttle.
This combination of gargantuan power from Aprilia’s V4 engine and a super-smart electronics package that gives the rider confidence in all situations makes the Tuono 1100 V4 a friendly demeanour in inexperienced hands, and for those who love to find the edges of grip, the Tuono has that engrained into its very DNA from the multiple race wins in all classes.
Impressive Safety
Motorcycle makers are able to produce phenomenal power from their increasingly advanced engines, while the electronic suite makes it easier to manage all that power.
But the same electronics suite is also able to make a motorcycle much safer than ever in the history of motorcycles.
Take the braking system of the Tuono 1100 V4 for example – it comes with a highly advanced race-derived Anti-Braking System aptly called Race ABS. This system was developed in collaboration with Bosch and uses a 9MP system and uses an actuation strategy called RLM (Rear-Wheel Lift-Up Mitigation) that stops the rear wheel for lifting in abrupt braking situations. This system can be completely disengaged or adjustable to three levels – the first level is for dedicated track use, the second level is for sport riding on the road while the final level is for riding on surfaces with poor grip.
The Race ABS mapping system can be combined with any of the three engine maps (Track, Sport, Race) and lets the rider chose the braking character of the bike.
Then there is also the race-derived double rail frame chassis which is hailed as a “close derivation from the six-time world SBK champion”. A safe bike is one that obliges your every request, even the most sudden of manoeuvres. So in order to do that, the chassis of the Tuono 1100 V4 boasts an unrivalled balance between torsional stiffness and flexibility. This was achieved by changing the headstock from 25.1 degrees to 24.7 degrees while the fork advancement was also changed from 30mm to 35mm for a steeper rake.
The aluminium swingarm is also longer by 4mm which makes the bike more stable in corners, while the rock-solid chassis makes the bike more agile when it comes to changing directions quickly.
There is no doubt that the Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4 is one of, if not the best sports naked bike in its category and successfully transfers all the know-how from its racing pedigree to the streets.
Besides offering a shockingly good package for just RM109,900, the Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4 also offers one of the most complete after-sales service experience for a European brand in Malaysia.
There is no better person to leave a testament for the Aprilia brand in Malaysia than Mr Mustafa, who has owned a few Aprilia’s since the early 2010s.
When asked what was the first thing that came to mind when he thought of the Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4, Mr Mustafa said, “It reminds me of the RSV4 APRC with more torque and horsepower and improved electronics and best in market components. A more upright riding position and the same sexy tail.”
Mr Mustafa then had nothing but praise for the after-sales service as well, “Under the present distributorship, the service is a notch better. Many experienced hands from the previous distributor. They can even spoil you with their personalised services.”
The Head of Sales of Aprilia Malaysia too is a former track junkie that goes by the name of Idon Pang. Being an avid rider and a mega Aprilia fanboy, there is nothing that Idon does not know about Aprilias, having been trained by Piaggio on the art of managing an Aprilia. There is a reason why Aprilia owners keep turning to him for advice and that is because he is known to be the Aprilia encyclopaedia in Malaysia.
Give Idon Pang and the Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4 a visit at MotoPlex Petaling Jaya, or at the closest Aprilia dealer near you. Or you can simply call 016 217 9013 for further information on the Tuono 1100 V4.
How to put a word out there that your new motorcycle has one of the best touring capabilities?
Well, take it for a ride across 11 countries within 24-hours.
That is exactly what MV Agusta just did with their all-new Turismo Veloce, who just set a motorcycle world record by visiting 11 European countries in just 24-hours.
The bike was ridden by an Italian journalist, Valerio Boni, who also etched his name in the record books alongside MV Agusta.
Boni and the Turismo Veloce kick-start the event in Sweden before travelling through Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria before completing the feat at MV Agusta factory in Varese.
The journey took 2,003km, and the duo had to overcome torrential rain and some diversion along the way before eventually making it in time.
“Everything went according to plan, or almost. We reached our objective also thanks to the Turismo Veloce, which proved to be extremely reliable and comfortable, two qualities that certainly were key in this situation.
“The comfortable saddle, the good protection provided by the windshield, the absence of vibrations and the cruise control function are the most important elements that helped me ride the Turismo Veloce for 2.003 km in 24 hours across 11 countries. It was an unforgettable experience and a not too tiring one either,” explained Boni.
