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Fast Bikes Sdn Bhd, the exclusive distributor of Triumph Motorcycles in Malaysia, will end its distributorship with the UK brand on January 14, 2023.

  • Fast Bike ceases Triumph distributorship in Malaysia. 
  • Fast Bike’s Petaling Jaya headquarters is to undergo two months of renovation beginning in January. 

The announcement was made during a recent Triumph Ratpack Year-End Gathering and High-Tea session at Fast Bike’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya. 

However, under the leadership of Dato’ Razak Al Malique, Fast Bikes will take on a new adventure in 2023 as a Honda Big Wing dealership. 

Meanwhile, Fast Bike’s outlets in Penang, Johor Bahru and Kota Kinabalu also end their Triumph operation on the same date.

That said, a new Triumph distributor for Malaysia has been appointed pending an official announcement. 

While the news may be shocking, current Triumph owners continue to shower support on Fast Bike’s management for their support all these years. 

MForce Bike Holdings has launched the WMOTO XDV 250i maxi-style scooter for the local market with a recommended selling price of RM18,888 for the standard trim and RM21,888 for the ‘Project-X’ variant. 

In addition, customers can also purchase the up-spec WMOTO XDV 250i ‘Project-X’ for RM. The special unit features wire-spoke wheels, top box and panniers and a taller windscreen.

The urban adventure style scooter offers sporty look and sport a bevy of features including a full-colour digital LCD instrument cluster and keyless ignition.

Mechanically, the XDV 250i is equipped with a 244.3cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that makes 24hp and 22.5Nm. 

On paper, the XDV 250i can hit a max speed of 130km/h putting it on par with the Yamaha XMAX 250. However, the latter does have enough juice squeeze some extra speed. 

Interestingly, the XDV 250i also features a headlight-mounted front apron, an adjustable windscreen and a side-mounted exhaust. 

The scooter also packs a UBS charging port and a twin LED headlamps.

Other notable features include front and rear disc brakes, along with a dual-channel ABS, KYB inverted front forks and dual-rear shock absorbers with preload adjustability.

 

For those who able to make it to EICMA last month, chances are you might’ve visited Moto Guzzi’s booth exhibition booth. 

  • Moto Guzzi confirms the Stelvio to make a comeback. 
  • The Stelvio adventure motorcycle is likely to feature the same powertrain as the newly launched V100 Mandello. 

If you did, it is likely that you also came across the Italian brand latest teaser that confirms that return of the Stelvio adventure motorcycle.

The Moto Guzzi Stelvio was an adventure-touring type motorcycle that was in production for eight years, running from 2007 to 2016.

Despite proving itself as a capable ADV machine, the Stelvio was going up against a stronger foe at the time including the BMW R 1200 GS and KTM 1190 Adventure.

As a result, Guzzi pulled the Stelvio out of production in 2016 due to lacklustre in sales. Moreover, Europe’s transition to Euro 4 didn’t help the motorcycle to remain relevant at the time. 

However, it looks like Moto Guzzi is ready to revive the Stelvio soon as confirmed by a teaser at EICMA. 

The special teaser showcased the Stelvio nameplate that sits above a set of wire-spoke wheels. 

While Moto Guzzi is keeping a tight lipped over the Stelvio’s comeback, ongoing report suggest that the adventure bike will be equipped with the same mill found in the all-new V100 Mandello sport tourer motorcycle. 

*Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello

That said, the Stelvio is likely to feature a revised 1,042cc transverse V-Twin engine taken from the V100 Mandello. At present, the engine makes 115hp and 105Nm. 

Currently, there’s no word regarding the bike’s development and Moto Guzzi has been eerily quiet about the Stelvio following its teaser in Milan. All we can do now is speculate until there is an official word coming from the Mandello del Lario factory.

Chevron Malaysia Limited (Chevron) has launched its first Caltex Havoline bikePro workshop in Malaysia that caters to every motorcyclist that seeks expert servicing experience. 

  • Havoline bikePro workshop offers expert servicing for motorcyclist. 
  • The programme allows every staff to undergo training and business programme. 

Malaysia motorcyclists can enjoy the best service from a fleet of well-equipped staff ready to take on your two-wheel problems.

More importantly, every staff has undergone training and even completed an elaborate business development programme. 

Meanwhile, according to Khoo Huan Teong, Manager of B2B Fuels & Lubricants of Chevron Malaysia Limited, aside from offering the best services to a motorcyclist, the programme also allows existing workshops to up their skills.

“Through our research, we found that there is a behavioural change amongst motorcyclists who are increasingly inclined to seek servicing experiences that account for all their worries. 

“The owners who take a hands-on approach are becoming a small minority as many seek convenience and expertise in keeping their motorcycles in shape. But aside from just benefiting customers, this programme essentially provides the opportunity for our existing workshops to up their skills and better service the motorcycles in Malaysia,” he said. 

In addition, Caltex aims to open 15 more Havoline bikePro workshops by the end of next year, allowing more customers to enjoy first-class services and unparalleled convenience around the country. 

These days, Royal Enfield’s name appears almost every day on any two-wheel website.

  • Royal Enfield to introduce five new motorcycles featuring an all-new 450cc platform.
  • The Himalayan 450 could be the first to make public debut next year. 

That’s because the Chennai-based motorcycle company has been busy introducing a range of new bikes in the last couple of years.

However, Royal Enfield will soon grow its portfolio with five all-new 450cc motorcycles.

According to reports in India, the 450cc range is likely to include an adventure tourer alongside a more off-road capable machine, possibly called the Himalayan 450. Also in the pipeline are a 450 roadster, 450 scramblers and a 450 cafe racer.

Royal Enfield has been caught testing an adventure tourer over the last few months, with reports claiming that it could be the first among the five to make its global debut next year.

Meanwhile, the Himalayan 450 will feature a single-piece flat seat, higher ground clearance and a longer travel suspension to boost the bike’s off-road ability.

Secondly, the roadster is a street-biased motorcycle, thus offering a lower seat height, sportier riding ergonomics and sharper bodywork.

The 450 scramblers and 450 cafe racer are similar to the roadster, offering slightly differing packages, including wired-spoke wheels, lower set clip-on handlebars, shorter fenders and a front beak.

In addition, all five models will boast LED lighting, including modern instrumentation. 

There is a rumour ongoing that Honda could be working on a more powerful Honda Fireblade for 2024 which is set to debut in Japan next year.

  • Honda’s rumoured to be working on a “full power” CBR1000RR-R Fireblade.
  • The new Fireblade could make public debut in October 2023 at the Tokyo Motor Show. 

Apparently, Honda wants to introduced a ‘final edition’ Fireblade before emissions regulations begin to tighten as reported by Webike. 

The latest generation Fireblade introduced in 2020 was considered at the time to be the most powerful, with 215hp on tap. However, the latest iteration was not considered successful as the CBR1000RR-R could not compete with Ducati’s Panigale V4 R, Yamaha’s R1M and Kawasaki’s ZX-10RR at the WorldSBK.

Evidently, Honda has not won a single race in the WorldSBK despite finding success in Japan including winning the Suzuka 8 Hours earlier this year.

That said, Honda wants to return to the front row with a new generation CBR1000RR-R Fireblade ready for 2024, with a public debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2023.

However, the new machine still needs to adhere to the current Euro5 emission standard.

Nevertheless, these are just rumours and no confirmation coming from Honda just yet but it would make sense for Honda to actually working on an even powerful and capable sportsbike. 

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