Motorcycle news, Motorcycle reviews from Malaysia, Asia and the world

PETRONAS Sprinta is now Ducati Official Club Malaysia’s Strategic Partner

PETRONAS Sprinta is now the strategic partner of the Ducati Official Club Malaysia (DOCM).

This collaboration was announced during the club’s 8th Annual General Meeting (AGM). This event also marked the largest gathering for DUCATI in Asia, signifying a significant milestone in the club’s legacy since its establishment in 2016. The AGM brought together DOCM members and avid Ducati enthusiasts to discuss the club’s achievements, future direction, and upcoming initiatives.

DOCM boasts a membership of 1,600 individuals under 13 wings/chapters, each representing different regions and Ducati models. DOCM has become a highly prestigious club, trusted by Ducati fans across Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Thailand.

The meeting was chaired by Hishamuddin Md Sani, the 2024 President of DOCM, who shared the club’s progress over the past year, including activities, collaborations, and strategic partnerships. A key highlight of this year’s AGM was the announcement of PETRONAS Sprinta as the primary strategic partner of DOCM for 2025, a collaboration that will elevate DOCM’s status and strengthen its position as a leading Ducati community in Malaysia and Asia.

The event was also graced by YB Datuk Seri Dr. Shamsul Anuar bin Haji Nasarah, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, as the guest of honor.

Today’s Annual Gathering successfully assembled 301 Ducati motorcycles of various models. DOCM organizes this event annually, solidifying its reputation as a premier platform for Ducati enthusiasts to connect, share experiences, and celebrate their passion for the brand.

“DOCM continues to grow as a premier Ducati rider community in Malaysia, thanks to the unwavering support of our members and partners. We are committed to further developing the club, strengthening the spirit of camaraderie, and promoting safe and thrilling riding experiences for all Ducati enthusiasts,” said 2025 President Datuk Seri Nazir Hussin Akhtar Hussin.

Collaboratio with PETRONAS

Zameer Zahur Hussain, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PETRONAS Lubricants Marketing Malaysia (PLMM), expressed his excitement about the new partnership: “We are thrilled to collaborate with DOCM and become their primary partner for 2025. Our goal is to enhance our brand’s presence in the local two-wheeler community and showcase the superior quality of PETRONAS Sprinta products. Through this partnership, we aim to support the Ducati community while strengthening the market penetration of our Malaysian-made products domestically.”

Moving forward, DOCM plans to organize more exclusive events, convoys, and international collaborations to enhance its global presence.

Ducati Official Club Malaysia Instagram: docmducatiofficialclubmalaysia

PETRONAS Sprinta: www.facebook.com/PETRONASSprintaAsiaPacific

Honda Transalp 750 – Adventure Bike of the Year 2025 (Below 800cc)

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.

Why did the Honda Transalp 750 win?

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.

Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro – Adventure Bike of the Year 2025 (Above 800cc)

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.

Why did the Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro win?

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

Allianz General Insurance Wins Motorcycle Insurance of the Year 2025 Award

It is said that the best partnerships makes things work, and the smoother the work, the stronger the partnership is. This was certainly true about recent and inaugural Allianz-BikesRepublic.com Motorcycle of the Year Awards 2025. Held at the Saujana Hotel Kuala Lumpur, it was the first time that such awards had been held for the two-wheel industry.

It was only made possible by Allianz General Insurance Company (Malaysia) Berhad, who was the title sponsor the event.

Mr. Sean Wang, CEO of Allianz General said it best, “After more than a decade of being involved in the popular VOTY (Vehicle of the Year) awards, we are glad to now sponsor the Malaysian Motorcycle of the Year awards. This event will recognise and celebrate the achievements of motorcycle manufacturers in the country and provide riders with more insight into the various types of motorcycles out there in the market.”

Thanks to the partnership, there are now 11 motorcycles of various categories that are the best of the best in Malaysia. In turn, it will result in a better informed consumers when making their choices. The motorcycle industry players will also benefit from the awards, which goes beyond marketing the particular winning model. The awards will be an impetus for manufacturers to produce better motorcycles to again benefit the consumers and themselves.

The Malaysian Motorcycle Of The Year Overall Champion went to the Suzuki GSX-S1000GX. Other than that award, Suzuki also picked up the Touring Bike of The Year.

“We are absolutely thrilled and delighted to win this award. It was really an unexpected surprise and this is our first motorcycle award win. I am confident with this victory, our sales will shoot up and we will use this platform to market our brand further,” said Leong Kam Yew, Senior Manager, Sales and Marketing department, Suzuki Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

Beyond the Awards

The awards was not just about specific motorcycle models, however, as there were four categories to recognise companies and individuals as movers of the motorcycle industry. The Motorcycle Insurance Provider Of The Year award was won by Allianz General Insurance Company (Malaysia) Berhad.

The MMOTY awards were judged by a panel of distinguished experts and enthusiasts including Keshy Dillon, a motoring journalist with over 18 years over experience in the industry, Datuk Captain Nik Huzlan, organiser of the iconic Rimba Raid, and former actor and motorcycle enthusiast, Jehan Miskin.

Title sponsors, Allianz General, offers the Allianz Motorcycle Plus coverage which has recently been enhanced to provide extensive coverage for both riders and pillion passengers at no additional cost. This plan is specifically designed for motorcycles with engine capacities of 250cc and below.

Key features include accident coverage which provides a benefit of RM10,000 in the event of death or permanent disability resulting from a road accident, roadside assistance – complimentary roadside assistance for distances up to a 50km roundtrip and under the Rahmah Insurance Initiative, Allianz Motorcycle Plus now offers a complimentary one-time flood relief of RM1,000 if the motorcycle is damaged due to flooding.

Allianz General is the number one general insurer in the industry with a market share of 14.6%.

You can refer to the Roll of Honour of the Allianz Bikes Republic Malaysian Motorcycle of the Year Awards 2025 here.

To learn more about Allianz Malaysia, visit:

Website: allianz.com.my
Facebook: facebook.com/AllianzMalaysia/ | Instagram: instagram.com/allianzmalaysia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/allianzmalaysia/

Yamaha MT-09 – Best Naked Bike of the Year 2025 (Below 1000cc)

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

Harley-Davidson Road Glide – Cruiser of the Year 2025

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.

Why did the Harley-Davidson Road Glide win?

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.

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