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

MSBK: KIP Set To Return To The Grid With TKKR Racing Team?

Former Moto3 rider Khairul Idham Pawi is set to return to two-wheel racing in Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) 2021.

Despite no confirmation from the 23-year-old rider, KIP looks likely to feature in this year’s MSBK 2021 with TKKR Racing Team.

This is based on the latest posting on Facebook by MSBK, which TKKR Racing Team also shared on their official Facebook page.

The photo unveiled the TKKR Racing Team looking busy prepping a race bike that features the number 89, the same number used by KIP during his time in Moto3 with Petronas Sprinta Racing last season.

KIP also shared a picture of him wearing his racing glove on his Instagram Story, which further fueled the speculation that he is most likely to return to racing at the 2021 MSBK.

Nevertheless, we could only hope for the best for the former two-time Moto3 race winner and looking forward to his long-awaited comeback on the grid.

Malaysia May Surpass Thailand As The World’s Worst Motorcycle Deaths

Malaysia may overtake Thailand as the world’s worst death rate for motorcyclists, as reported by FMT.

According to Bukit Aman’s traffic department reports, motorcyclists accounted for more than 70.2 per cent of nationwide death of 2,954 from January to August. That is seven out of 10 deaths just this year.

Muhammad Marizwan Abdul Manan, Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) Road Safety Engineering and Environment Research Centre Director, concluded that Malaysia could reach a staggering fatality rate in a few years.

“The latest data by police is staggering since we projected that Malaysia could only reach the fatal crash rate of 70% by 2025 (for motorcycles) if we compare with other road users,” he said.

So far, Thailand is ranked as the worst motorcycle death rate globally since 2015, with over 74 per cent of overall 22,491 road casualties.

Meanwhile, since 2015 Malaysia’s motorcyclist death rate currently ranging from 62.7 to 67.3 per cent, with a total of 26,316 death.

According to Marizwan, the rate will continue upward as traffic volume is expected to increase exponentially once inter-state travel is allowed.

“Since last year, road traffic in Malaysia, in general, was not heavy because of various travelling restrictions due to the pandemic but looking at the current situation, this is possible by 2025 if we do nothing now,” he added.

(Source: FMT)

2021 Ducati Monster Lands In Malaysia – RM69,900

Finally, you can get your hands on the all-new 2021 Ducati Monster almost a year since its global reveal back in December 2020.

Going back to its roots when the first Monster was launched back in 1993, the 2021 Ducati Monster is now sportier than ever thanks to its superbike-derived frame. Its engine is now an integral stress member of the chassis which is directly connected to its front frame and rear tail, just like the Panigale V4.

Compared to the previous 821, the new Monster is a whopping 18kg lighter thanks to this new setup (166kg dry, the same weight as a fully fuelled Yamaha YZF-R25).

A part of that new weight loss regime consists of a new 937cc engine which is bigger and more powerful than the 821, but 2.4kg lighter.

The 937cc twin-cylinder Desmodromic Testastretta 11° engine is tuned to produce 111hp at 9,250rpm and 93Nm torque at 6,500rpm.

That’s an extra 3hp and 7Nm more on a bike that’s considerably lighter. This also means that the new 2021 Monster has a much better power-to-weight ratio.

In terms of design, the new Monster is now more compact and narrower on the sides that make it easier to ride and place your foot on the ground for easier handling. Other specs include:

43mm USD front fork
Preload adjustable monoshock + double-sided swingarm
17-inch alloy wheels + Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tyres
Front twin 320mm disc brakes + Brembo M4.32 monobloc 4-piston callipers
Rear single 245mm disc + Brembo 2-piston floating calliper
4.3-inch TFT display
820mm seat height (optional 800mm seat height available)
Cornering ABS, riding modes, Ducati Traction Control, Ducati Wheelie Control
Ducati Quick Shift, Ducati Power Launch, dynamic turn indicator + more

There’s also the 2021 Ducati Monster +, which is essentially similar to the base Monster with the addition of a flyscreen and passenger seat cover. Customers can choose between three base colours as well as a number of cover and sticker kits for that ‘custom’ look.

The 2021 Ducati Monster is available for a promotional price of RM69,900.

Damon Motorcycles To Begin Production At New State-Of-The-Art Facility

In a push for a sustainable future, Damon Motorcycles has unveiled its latest facility located in Surrey, British Columbia.

The new state-of-the-art 110,000sq.ft facility will be the centre of producing the all-electric range while premiering a cleaner and advanced manufacturing process.

The new facility mark another milestone for the company as it recently surpassed USD40 million orders for the award-winning Hyersport range.

The Hypersport is seen as the central pillar of Damon Motorcycles. It is the first monocoque-constructed, fully electric with a multi-variant powertrain ever produced based on the company electric powertrain, the Hyperdrive.

Damon claims the Hyperdrive deliver better speed, range and acceleration than any of the previous motor produced.

There are four Hypersport models available in the market, ranging from USD16,995 (RM71k) to USD39,995 (RM167k).

Kawasaki To Go All-Electric By 2035

Kawasaki Heavy Industries plans to convert all of its petrol-powered motorcycles to electric by 2035.

Although the global market was hit by Covid-19, there is a resurgent demand for motorcycles. This is partly because two-wheels are seen as the best transportation to move around and carries the lowest risk of infection.

In order to get things moving, Yasuhiko Hashimoto, president of KHI, reveals that the company is open to establishing a partnership with other companies to strengthen environmental efforts.

“Outdoor leisure activity has been popular during the COVID pandemic. We will strengthen our environmental efforts with our sights set on post-pandemic lifestyles.

“Partnerships with other companies may be possible in the future,” he said.

One of the main efforts of KHI via its spin-off motorcycle company, Kawasaki Motors Limited, is to set foot in introducing an electric range.

While there are no electric motorcycles with the Team Green badge, Kawasaki plans to launch ten electric-powered motorcycles by 2025. The main goal is to switch to electricity entirely by 2035 in Japan, Europe, U.S, Canada and Australia.

Interestingly, Kawasaki is one of a few companies that is currently working on a hydrogen-powered engine.

Suzuki Developing New 700cc Parallel-Twin Engine For Next-Gen SV650, V-Strom 650

Suzuki will soon adopt the parallel-twin platform as the Hamamatsu factory reportedly working on a 700cc engine to replace the current 650cc V-Twin on the SV650 and V-Strom 650.

Parallel twins have been popular among motorcycle manufacturers as newer bikes have now adopted the same platform.

Kawasaki has long preferred the parallel-twins, notably on the Ninja 650, Z650, Versys 650 and the newly launched Z650RS.

Yamaha understood the versatility of parallel twins and introduced them on the MT-07, Tracer 7, Tenere 700 and the recent YZF-R7.

Aprilia took the same approach with the RS 660, Tuono 660 and the upcoming Tuareg 660, followed by BMW with the F 750 GS, 850 GS, F 900 R and the F 900 XR.

Honda also joins the bandwagon with the CRF1100L Africa Twin and Rebel 11000 hence proving the popularity of the parallel-twin engine.

The major aspect of a parallel-twin is that it offers a compact alternative to the V-Twin that currently powers the SV650 and V-Strom 650. Moreover, it is also simpler to build a bike around.

While classic parallel-twin provides an uninspiring engine sound, it can easily be countered by a 270-degree crank which helps produce a firing interval similar to a 90-degree V-Twin.

The same approach is currently being applied on Aprilia’s 660 range, BMW’s F 900 range and Honda’s Africa Twin.

Suzuki’s latest patent suggests that the new 700cc parallel-twin engine focus on serviceability. Therefore, placing the airbox under the rider’s seat will allow the air filter to be swapped without removing the tank, reducing the maintenance cost.

Nevertheless, it is still unclear how soon will the Hamamatsu factory move the new platform into the production stage as we are nearing the end of 2021.

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MSBK: KIP Set To Return To The Grid With TKKR Racing Team?

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2021 Ducati Monster Lands In Malaysia – RM69,900

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