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

Honda to Produce Only Electric Motorcycles and Cars from 2040

Honda is set to produce only electric motorcycles and cars from 2040. In other words, no more new gasoline powered internal combustion engine (ICE) from the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer.

This decision was highlighted in the manufacturer’s Summary of 2024 Honda Business Briefing on Direction of Electrification Initiatives and Investment Strategy.

According to the brief, “Honda has not changed its belief that EVs are the most effective solution in the area of small mobility products such as motorcycles and automobiles, and Honda’s electrification target to make EVs and FCEVs represent 100% of its global vehicle sales by 2040 remains unchanged. Honda must look ahead to the period of EV popularization and build a strong EV brand and a strong EV business foundation from a medium- to long-term perspective.”

Honda has a solution to address the issue of range, which is mentioned further into the document. These electric motorcycles will use the upcoming Honda Mobile Power Pack e: (MPP) which “Honda will introduce a micro-mobility product which will be equipped with 4 MPPs in Japan before the end of FY2026.” The company is also planning to launch two new electric motorcycles powered by 2 MPPs later this year.

As for the e-Fuels, Honda did say that they find it intriguing but that technology is not mature yet for the company to plan their future products on.

What is the CE Standard for Motorcycle Footwear?

You probably are already aware that reputable motorcycle gear such as jackets, pants, gloves, race suits, helmets are CE approved. And yes, there is also a CE standard for motorcycle footwear.

As you may be aware by now, the European standards committee is very serious when it comes to safety; so much so that their standards have been adopted by the United Nations. The CE mark is not something to be taken lightly, because insurance companies certain European countries will deny claims to injured motorcyclists found not wearing CE-certified gear.

CE standard for motorcycle footwear

The current CE standard for motorcycle footwear is EN 13634:2017. This is the third and latest revision after the standard was established in 2002. The revisions concerns how the shoes and boots are tested besides other safety criteria.

The label shows that this is a personal protective equipment (PPE) for motorcycling use.

The CE standard for motorcycle footwear, EN 13634:20XX. The year at the end notes the year of the EN 13634 standard was revised, in this case, 2017. It DOES NOT denote the year the footwear was made.

Height of the footwear. “1” is for ankle height, while “2” is for tall boots that cover the shin. Some manufacturers forgo this digit.

Level of abrasion resistance. The footwear is divided into two areas: Area A includes the sole, front and back of the boot. Area B includes all other areas outside A. Three samples are cut from each area and they are held against a moving abrasive belt. Thus, the abrasion level is determined from how soon the material develops a hole.

- Level 1 means the Area A sample lasted a minimum of 1.5 seconds while the Area B sample lasted a minimum of 5 seconds.
- Level 2 is certified when the Area A sample lasted at least 2.5 seconds, and Area B lasted a minimum of 12 seconds before holing.

Impact cut resistance – how well the footwear holds up against sharp objects. A blade is mounted to a block which is then dropped at different speeds onto the footwear’s Areas A and B.

- For Area A, the blade is dropped at 2 m/s. The blade must not penetrate more than 25mm to earn Level 1 and Level 2 rating.
- For Area B, the blade is dropped at 2.8 m/s. Level 1 approval is accorded if the blade does not protrude more than 25mm. Level 2 approval is given if the blade does not go through more than 15mm.

Transverse rigidity – The strength for the footwear in resisting being crushed i.e. motorcycle dropping onto the wearer’s foot.

- The widest part of the footwear is positioned between two compression plates that presses together at 30 mm/min. An apparatus records the force required to compress the sole. The machine is stopped when the plates stop compressing or the force remains constant or the sole has been crushed by 20mm. The test is repeated three times.
- If a force less than 1kN compressed the sole to 20mm, the footwear fails the test. If the force was above 1kN to 1.4kN, the footwear is certified at Level 1 for transverse rigidity. If 1.5kN or higher was required to compress the footwear by 20mm, it gets a Level 2 pass.

Optional tests

Manufacturers may opt to submit their products for additional tests. The passed criteria will be printed on the label beneath the mandatory boxes.

IPS/IPS – Impact protection for the ankle or shin. The footwear is cut open at the sole and the protector is subjected to a force of 10 joules. The protector must not transmit more than 5kN through it. Should the ankle protector pass, IP will be printed on the label. If the shin protector passes, IPS will be indicated.

WR – Water resistance. There are two ways of testing for this. The first is a person donning the footwear and walking a total of 1km in shallow water. Another method is by fixing the footwear to a machine with toes and replicating 4,600 steps while submerged in water. The area of dampness inside the footwear must not exceed 3cm².

FO – Fuel and oil resistance on the sole. The sample footwear is first weighed before being soaked in fuel for 22 hours. It is then removed and weighed again. The new weight should not increase more than 12%.

SRA/SRB/SRC – Sole’s slip resistance. The tests are carried out with a mechanical heel placed at a 7-degree angle. If the footwear’s label shows “SRA,” it passed on a ceramic tile surface covered with diluted soap. “SRB” means steel floor treated with glycerol. “SRC” means the footwear passed both the SRA and SRB tests.

Breathability of upper parts – If the footwear’s label has a “B” on it, it has passed the test for moisture vapour escape.

WAD – Water absorption/desorption of inner. The footwear is tested to see how much water gets soaked into the inner and how much of that is released.

In closing

Do consider wearing CE tested footwear when you ride because they were exhaustively tested before being approved for sale.

Granted, there are also motorcycle footwear in the market without without CE approval but there is no telling how well they will protect your leg and feet in any accident.

And no, your Nike Air Jordan is not CE certified for motorcycle riding.

Yamaha Test Data Scandal Affects Japan Market Only

The automotive world was recently shaken by a scandal among Japanese manufacturers which involved them falsifying test data. Among those caught in the mix was Yamaha, the only Japanese motorcycle manufacturer found to have done so.

Investigators found that Yamaha had falsified the sound emission test data for three models namely the YZF-R1, YZF-R3, and TMAX. The company has since halted the shipment of all models.

We reached out to the official Yamaha distributor in Malaysia, Hong Leong Yamaha Motor for clarification and was told that the issue only involved motorcycles for the Japanese market, hence local models are not affected.

Afterwards, the Yamaha Motor Company issued an official statement confirming that the issue does indeed involve Japanese-only models. Below the official statement, translated from Japanese.

“The issue recently announced in Japan does not affect overseas production units, Japanese domestic distribution only. The safety of the product has been confirmed, and (Yamaha Motor Corporation] YMC reports there are no concerns using the product with confidence. Yamaha takes incidents of inappropriate handling very seriously and offers our deepest apologies to our customers, suppliers, business partners, and all other stakeholders for damaging their trust in Yamaha Motor Co., LTD.”)

Yamaha Motor Company maintained that they did not falsify or alter the data concerning the safety aspects of their motorcycles.

What does Obstructing the Traffic Mean in the Eyes of the Law?

We posted a news item about obstructing the traffic offences being the most during Operasi Hormat Undang-undang (Ops HUU) which is currently running. So much so that a total of 15,075 summons related to the offence were issued in just seven days.

Accordingly, it is only appropriate that we look at the definition of the offence of “obstructing the traffic” more closely.

What does “obstructing the traffic” mean?

Obstructing the traffic refers to actions that interrupt, prevent, or restrict the smooth flow of traffic on the road.

What is classified as a traffic obstruction offence?

These offenses are governed by Malaysian traffic laws, such as the Road Transport Act 1987, and may result in legal action such as a summons, fine, or other disciplinary action against the responsible party. The purpose of this enforcement is to ensure the safety and smoothness of traffic for all road users.

This can include various types of errors such as:

Illegal parking: Parking a vehicle in a place that is not allowed or that obstructs traffic, such as at an intersection, in a pedestrian area, or in a no-parking zone.

Abandoning damaged vehicle/vehicle involved in an accident: Leaving a damaged vehicle or one involved in an accident in the middle of the road without taking steps to remove it or without giving adequate warning to other drivers.
Using the emergency lane: Using the emergency lane for purposes other than an actual emergency, such as cutting through heavy traffic.

Stopping in the yellow box: Entering and stopping in a yellow box when conditions do not allow a smooth passage is an offence.
Unlawful activities on the road: Carrying out activities such as selling goods, waiting for passengers, or any other activity that obstructs the flow of traffic in unauthorised areas.

Temporary construction or obstruction: Placing cones, barricades, or any temporary structure on the road without a permit that may impede or block traffic.
Unmanaged traffic congestion: Not taking appropriate action to manage traffic congestion during major events, accidents, or emergency situations.

15,705 Fines for Obstructing Traffic in Operasi Hormat Undang-undang

A total of 15,705 fines were issued involving traffic obstruction offences in Operasi Hormat Undang-undang (Op HUU) conducted by the Kuala Lumpur Police over a seven-day period.

Head of the Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT), Assistant Commissioner Sarifudin Mohd Salleh said a total of 21,169 traffic summonses were issued in the same period.

“The highest were traffic obstruction offences amounting to 15,705 summonses, followed by parking on footpaths (1,102), no license (678), expired road tax (450), vehicle number not according to specifications (336), and stopping in the yellow box (29).

“In addition, there were offences of having no side mirror (248), no registration number (156), not affixing a P sticker (167), using a mobile phone (111), expired license (107), not fastening the helmet properly (64) and several other offences,” he said in a statement today.

Sarifudin also said that his party also carried out 137 traffic operations during the same period.

“A total of 38 individuals were arrested for various offenses during the implementation of Ops HUU while five motorcycles and a lorry were confiscated,” he said.

According to him, a total of 228 senior officers and 2,642 members of JSPT Kuala Lumpur were involved in the operation with the help of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Road Transport Department (JPJ) and Department of Environment (JAS).

Kuala Lumpur Police will continue Operation HUU until June 15.

Kuala Lumpur Police Chief, Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa have said that the operation emphasises traffic offences such as obstruction, white lines, registration numbers, motorcycles, students, illegal parking, red lights, and mobile phones.

Trailer Rammed 13 Vehicles, 4 Injured

A trailer rammed 13 vehicles on Kilometer 21 of the BKE Highway heading to Baling, this morning. The accident caused at least 4 injuries among the drivers involved.

Kulim Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) chief, Assistant Fire Superintendent Hamizul Azwan Hamdan said his team received a call about the accident at 7.37am.

He also said that a team of nine members from BBP Kulim led by Zaidi Yaacob was despatched to the location.

“Upon arrival at the location, we found that there had been an accident involving 13 vehicles and four victims, including a woman who were rescued by members of the public before the fire department arrived.

“They were sent to the Kulim Hospital by ambulance for further treatment,” he said in a statement today.

Hamizul Azwan said that his members proceeded to clear the road and advised road users to avoid the area of the accident.

There have been several serious accidents along the BKE (Butterworth-Kulim Expressway), including a fatal accident last May that involved a motorcycle being squeezed to the side by a lorry. The lorry driver’s actions caused the motorcycle to swipe the side of the lorry, and throwing the motorcyclist onto the road barrier. The rider died a few hours after receiving treatment at the hospital.

This route is often plied by heavy vehicles carrying goods between the industrial areas in Kulim, Butterworth, and Prai. So, our advice is to be careful when riding a motorcycle and driving on this highway.

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Latest News

Honda to Produce Only Electric Motorcycles and Cars from 2040

What is the CE Standard for Motorcycle Footwear?

CE standard for motorcycle footwear

Optional tests

In closing

Yamaha Test Data Scandal Affects Japan Market Only

What does Obstructing the Traffic Mean in the Eyes of the Law?

What does “obstructing the traffic” mean?

What is classified as a traffic obstruction offence?

15,705 Fines for Obstructing Traffic in Operasi Hormat Undang-undang

Trailer Rammed 13 Vehicles, 4 Injured

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