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

Brembo Opens a Factory in Thailand

Brembo opens a factory in Thailand. The preeminent Italian braking provider is the latest in the host of automotive brands to set up their production facilities in the kingdom.

Brembo’s investment is said to be worth €40 million (RM 205,148,217.88) with the aim of supplying to the Southeast Asian market. As with other manufacturers, the facility is sited in Rayong, just east of Pattaya. It will focus on braking systems for manufacturers in Thailand. They will employ approximately 150 people with operations expected to being in the first quarter of 2025.

The move is seen as a wise one, given the hotbed of motorcycle usage in the region, consisting of motorcycle-centric countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia. It remains to be seen if Brembo will supply the products from this factory to the wider Asian region such as India, China and Japan.

Brembo’s products are considered the best in the industry and used almost exclusively by premium motorcycles. But Brembo’s acquisition of J. Juan and producing the ByBre brand opens up to a wider market.

As mentioned earlier, Brembo joins a long list of both manufacturers and component suppliers with facilities in Thailand. Motorcycle brands like BMW, Ducati, Kawasaki, Triumph have factories in Thailand that cater to the Asian and in some cases, the global market. On the other hand, virtually any popular car brand has production facilities in that country. The same can be said for component manufacturers such as Bridgestone and Michelin.

So, the question is: Will Brembo parts will be less expensive after 2025?

2024 Yamaha YZF-R25 Debuts with New Colour

Hong Leong Yamaha Motor Sdn. Bhd. launched the 2024 Yamaha YZF-R25 with a new color. It is a white variation called Glacier White. The blue colour variant which is ever-popular since its launch, Racing Blue, is still on sale.

Buyers can find the new color 2024 Yamaha YZF-R25 at all official Yamaha dealers from March 4, 2024. The selling price remains the same as the 2023 price of RM 22,998.00, excluding registration and insurance. As usual every purchase includes a brake disc lock worth RM100.

The R25 engine remains the same, which is a 249cc, DOHC, parallel-twin. It produces 26.4 kW (35.4 HP) at 12,000 RPM and 22.6 Nm of torque at 10,000 RPM. Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) and LED signal lights are standard.

The R25 machine is still popular and well received among local motorcycle enthusiasts, even though it has been on the market since 2015. It has gone through several updates and upgrades since then, until the version that features the ABS braking system in 2023.

The arrival of the ABS version is a good move because the 250cc segment is one most intensely contested among motorcycle manufacturers. It is filled with brands such as Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, CFMoto, KTM, Modenas/Bajaj, Husqvarna.

Regardless, the Yamaha YZF-R25 still gets a lot of attention until now.

MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR Nurburgring Limited Edition Launched in Malaysia

AFY Mobility Industries Sdn. Bhd. (AMI) has launched the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR Nurburgring Limited Edition. Being a very special model, it is therefore apt for the launch of AMI as the official distributor of MV Agusta in Malaysia.

As stated in the name, the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR Nurburgring Limited Edition is based on the legendary Nurburgring circuit in Germany. MV Agusta will produce only 150 units worldwide. However, only one unit will be sold in Asia. We are thereby very lucky because that one Asian country is Malaysia with the number 90/150.

The bike is powered by a 998cc, inline-four engine that produces a maximum power of 208 HP at 13,000 RPM and a maximum torque of 116.5 Nm at 11,000 RPM. This power and torque is sent through a 6-speed transmission.

Other features include carbon fibre components including the wheels; Brembo Stylema front brake caliper, 5.5-inch TFT display, Ohlins suspension system, LED lights, among others. The bike is also sold with the Nurburgring Racing Kit (Nurburgring Racing Kit) which consists of an Arrow titanium full exhaust system, racing ECU, as well as some carbon fiber components.

Electronic features include ride modes, traction control, wheelie control, MV EAS 3.0 quick-shift system, MV MY Ride App communication system, and ABS.

The MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR Nurburgring Limited Edition is sold at a price of RM399,900.

AMI also exhibited a line of other MV Agusta models such as Brutale 1000 RS (RM168,800), F3 RR (RM145,800), Fs Rosso (RM111,800), Superveloce (RM138,800), Dragster RR (RM148,800) , Dragster Rosso (RM99,800), Brutale Rosso (RM96,800), Turismo Veloce Lusso (RM140,800) and Turismo Veloce Rosso (RM99,800).

AFY Two Wheels SEA Sdn. Bhd. which is newly operating at Section 51A, Petaling Jaya and is open Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm.

Housewife Died after Husband’s Bike Crashed

A housewife died after the motorcycle her husband was riding crashed on Jalan Gemencheh – Batang Melaka.

The 51-year-old victim and her husband rode a maxi scooter from Ayer Molek, Melaka.

Tampin District Police Chief, Superintendent Amiruddien Sariman, said the victim was seriously injured in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. “Preliminary investigations found that a couple riding a WMoto RT2 motorcycle from the direction of Ayer Molek were on their way to the woman’s sister’s house in Palong 1 Negeri Sembilan.

I Want a Completely Silent Helmet, is there One?

There are several important aspects we look for when we buy a motorcycle helmet: Style, safety, features, comfort, price, although not necessarily in that order. There is another factor: Wind noise. Or more ideally, a completely silent helmet. Is that possible?

Continued exposure to exceptionally high levels of wind noise results in severe consequences such as permanent hearing loss. And no hearing aid and amount of surgery can bring that hearing back. Problem is, hearing damage creeps up progressively but early symptoms include the ears feeling “stuffy.” If unchecked, this damage will continue until the ears start ringing, a condition called tinnitus.

Additionally, wind noise distracts you from fully concentrating on your riding, besides tiring you out quicker.

Let us cut to the chase: Is there a completely silent helmet?

The law says NO

To be blunt, helmet regulations do not allow for a completely silent helmet. See the picture below, which is a page taken from the ECE R22 regulations pertaining to helmet tests.

Paragraph 6.4.5 states:

The helmet shall not dangerously affect the wearer’s ability to hear.

In other words, the helmet must not filter out environmental sounds and putting the wearer in a bubble of Zen. It is for safety purposes as you may imagine as aural cues keep us safe as we know if there is a vehicle in proximity. Additionally, ride long enough and we listen to the engine’s note as when to shift gears or gauge our speed.

However…

Premium helmet makers would already have the technology to produce a silent helmet by now. But since it is dangerous to do so, there are ways of making helmets as quiet as possible by:

Ensuring a better fit. A better fitting helmet provides less room for air to move around inside the helmet. This fit also goes for the chin curtain which reduces airflow from underneath the helmet.
Better visor seal. Ensuring the visor sits flush with the rubber seal around the helmet’s aperture (face opening) keeps wind out. A side benefit of this keeps water out, too.
Better aerodynamics. The main function of motorcycle helmet aerodynamics is to reduce or eliminate helmet movements due to air pressure at high speeds, and to elevate the wearer’s safety and comfort. An aerodynamically “slippery” helmet also alleviates some of the stresses on the wearer’s neck muscles. A benefit of this is a quieter helmet.

In closing

There are ways in which the wearer can reduce noise, given the absence of a completely silent helmet. One is by wearing earplugs. There are “smart” earplugs that filter out the harmful frequencies and noise while allowing certain important sounds through such as speech, engine note, some environmental sounds through. This writer has gotten so used to wearing earplugs that he cannot ride without them. Cutting out wind noise helps with concentrating on riding, too.

Another is of course by wearing a full-faced helmet. It is absurd to compare the wind noise in an open-faced helmet to a full-faced helmet.

Couple to Ride 14,000km in Kembara Jelebu to Makkah

A married couple will ride a motorcycle for 14,000km in the Jelebu Journey to Makkah to perform the Hajj.

Mohd. Rahmat Mohammed Amin, 38, and his wife, Nurazlinda Mohamad, 36, from Taman Bukit Mohagani want to achieve their dream for the past three years by using a Yamaha Fz150.

Mohd Rahmat said that he had previously performed the Umrah with his wife by flying to the Holy Land. They had then planned to revisit by land since then. This time, they will use the Tibet-Himalaya route which is believed to be more extreme on the journey that will commence on March 20.

“The journey of 14,000 kilometers across 13 countries starting from Malaysia and ending in Saudi Arabia with the target of reaching Makkah on May 5th.”

They will ride through Thailand, Laos, China, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and finally reaching Saudi Arabia.

“The selection of that route follows the closure of Myanmar’s border due to the crisis faced by the country and higher costs are required if continuing the journey by taking a flight from Bangkok, Thailand to India. Therefore, the Tibet-Himalaya route is an option even though it is difficult. We hope to be able to go through it despite facing weather challenges,” he said.

They have even sold some of their motorbikes to raise funds for the Jelebu-Makkah Journey.

“We sold our three other motorbikes, two Yamaha Lc135 and a Yamaha R25 as we try to meet our expenses before starting the journey on March 20.

“We may celebrate Aidilfitri this year at Base Camp at Everest or at the Taj Mahal, India, but it all depends on the journey,” he said.

Mohd. Rahmat said that all preparations related to documents have been completed and the Malaysian embassies in each country have been informed of their plans.

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Latest News

Brembo Opens a Factory in Thailand

2024 Yamaha YZF-R25 Debuts with New Colour

MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR Nurburgring Limited Edition Launched in Malaysia

Housewife Died after Husband’s Bike Crashed