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CONFIRMED: Petrucci To Make 2022 Dakar Rally Debut With KTM

Danilo Petrucci will fulfil his lifetime dream switch to Dakar Rally after the 2021 MotoGP season concludes.

The Italian rider is a skilled off-road rider in enduro and motocross; however, he understands the discipline and demands of rally racing is on a different spectrum.

Petrucci has already begun his rally preparation with a little help from the experts, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s 2018 Dakar winner and recently crowned FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion Matthias Walkner.

Two-time Dakar champion Toby Price, and reigning Dakar champion Kevin Benavides will also help the former Ducati rider in getting the right mindset ahead of the 2022 Dakar Rally season.

“For me, it is a dream come true to race the Dakar. It’s an event I’ve always wanted to do since I was a child when I was watching videotapes of the Dakar Rally from the 80s and 90s,” said Petrucci.

“Now, thanks to KTM, this dream is coming true. First, I would like to thank KTM for this great opportunity; I think I will be the only rider that has competed in MotoGP and then the Dakar Rally in just over one month – so it is with great pride that I go there.

“My main target is just to finish the race and enjoy it. The first approach was to have some roadbook training with Jordi, he competed in the race many times and finished on the podium, so he has been great in helping me learn this special art,” said Petrucci.

Petrucci began his career in MotoGP with Came Ioda Racing Project in 2012 before moving to Pramac Racing three years later.

He was then promoted to the Ducati factory team in 2019, where he achieved his first premier class win at home before ending the season in 6th place.

Petrucci left Ducati at the end of the 2020 season after agreeing to join Tech3 KTM.

FIRST LOOK: 2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S Arrived In Malaysia – RM92,900

From concept to reality in under two years, the all-new Harley-Davidson Sportster S now lands in Malaysia with a starting price of RM92,900.

Didi Resources, the sole distributor of the Harley-Davidson brand in Malaysia, recently unveiled the new Sportster S officially at Tropicana Grandhill Property Gallery in Genting Highlands.

We also had the opportunity to test out the new Sportster S; however, we will hold on to our thoughts until we have the bike for a proper review later.

Harley-Davidson first unveiled the 1250 Custom in July 2018, a concept motorcycle dubbed to be the heir to the throne of the ageing Sporster range.

Three years later, the Milwaukee-based company finally unveiled the finished product with the 2021 Sportster S.

The new Sportster S is set to take the world by storm thanks to the acclaimed 1250 Revolution Max, a liquid-cooled, DOHC, 1,252cc V-Twin powerplant capable of producing 121hp and 127Nm.

In an effort to make the riding experience even better, the Sportster comes with variable valve timing (VVT) and self-adjusting lifters, the same function available on the Pan America.

According to Harley-Davidson, the powertrain also function as a stressed member, thus eliminating the traditional frame, which significantly reduces motorcycle weight to just 227kg and results in a very stiff chassis that contributes to precise handling.

The Sportster also comes equipped with a preload-adjustable Showa (piggyback) rear shock connected to the steel trellis swingarm and a fully adjustable 43mm Showa upside/down fork.

A four-piston Brembo radial calliper handles the braking with a 320mm disc at the front and a two-piston Brembo calliper at the rear with a 260mm disc.

Harley’s even generous enough to fit the motorcycle with a six-axis IMU that offers cornering enhanced antilock brakes, enhanced traction control, Drag-Torque Slip Control System, and tire-pressure monitoring system.

To complete the 21st-century features, the Sportster S sport a spherical 4″ TFT instrument, all-around LED-lighting, three riding modes with two custom setups and Bluetooth connectivity.

Other notable functions include:

two dedicated power points for pre-wired heated grips
USB-C port
Cruise control
Temperature sensor
12L tank

Triumph Motorcycles Rolls Out Three Special Edition Bikes

Triumph Motorcycles has unveiled the special edition Street Twin, Thruxton RS and Rocket 3 R & GT for 2022.

Each of the motorcycles carries its own story and styling and is made available for one year only, beginning December 2021.

Triumph Rocket 3 R and 3 GT 221 Edition

Triumph has always been proud of the Rocket 3 line, and the special edition celebrates the monstrous 221Nm of peak torque available from the largest production engine on the planet.

The number 221 is also inscribed on the tank to remind you how powerful the engine is.

The 221 Editions also feature a Red Hopper fuel tank and front mudguard with Sapphire Black rear mudguard, flyscreen and front fascia.

Triumph Thruxton RS Ton Up Edition

Claimed to be the ultimate cafe racer, the special edition Thruxton RS was inspired by the ‘Ton-Up Boys’ of the 1950s and 60s.

It features an Aegean Blue fuel tank with jet black knee pad graphics, Fusion White seat cowl with ‘100 Special Edition’ graphics and hand-painted coach lining.

Triumph Street Twin EC1 Edition

Inspired by the two-wheel culture in East London, the EC1 Edition takes you back with a unique paint scheme to reflect the East End.

The EC1 Edtion features Matt Aluminium Silver and Matt Sliver Ice fuel tank with hand-painted silver coach lining.

All three models are not limited but are restricted to just a one-year production beginning from December 2021 until December 2022.

BMW Motorrad Unveils Bespoke BMW R 18 By Shinya Kimura

BMW Motorrad has reached out to Shinya Kimura to bring his distinctive “Zero-style” to the new R 18.

Interestingly, Kimura took the stock R 18 for a ride to understand the character of the big-bore cruiser.

As a result, the custom R 18, dubbed as “The Wal”, gets a bigger fuel tank that was extended rearward and a new subframe that raises the seat height.

The bike also features a bucket-style seat by Japan’s Backdrop Leathers and a newly designed tail section.

Kimura also installed a metal bubble fairing with two asymmetrical headlights at the front, including a teeth-like design that mimics The Wal (German for whale) concept.

To further enhance the esthetics, Kimura also adds a bronze powder coat finish.

Fast facts about the custom R 18:

Handlebars: 8 inches narrower, 6 inches lower.
Fuel tank: Made longer to move the seating position rearward and gain additional fuel capacity of about 1 gallon for longer trips.
Seat pad designed by Kimura himself, handmade by BACKDROP Leathers in Japan in bucket style for more bottom support.
Seat is designed so that it creates a natural flow from the seat cushion and leads to the round rear light.
Semi-shell fairing for comfortable handling at high speed.
The side covers have been designed in such a way that they do not destroy the look of the original frame.
Special paint finish in the form of a bronze powder coating after the components have previously been hammered to give the surface texture.
After Kimura had completed all the bodywork, he decided to keep the classic symbolic shape of the standard exhaust system, but paint it black.

Honda RC213V-S Becomes The Most Expensive Japanese Bike Sold At Auction

The Honda RC213V-S has become the most expensive Japanese motorcycle to be sold at an auction.

The road-legal MotoGP-spec bike was put on auction in a Japanese Bingo & Yahoo Auction on the final day of October 2021, for a price of JPY27.1mil (RM995k).

The bike broke the previous record held by a 1-of-4 Honda CB750 Prototype (1968) sold for JPY25.1mil (RM921k).

Build strictly based on a MotoGP replica, the value of the RC213V-S is said to go up each year despite over 200 units being produced in 2016.

According to reports, the particular model auctioned off comes with the Sports kit included with just 191km on the clock.

The RC213V-S makes around 212hp and is road legal.

Kawasaki To Expand The RS Range With A Smaller 400cc Engine?

There could be another version of the RS range from Kawasaki, as reported by Young Machine.

We usually ignore baseless rumours, but considering the allegation comes from the most reliable Japanese publication, we know there is more to it than rumours.

Team Green recently expanded the RS range with a new Z650RS – prompted by the well-received Z900RS – powered by the same parallel-twin engine found in the Z650 and Ninja 650.

While it is unclear the type of engine to be used on the Z400RS, the Japanese firm is said to introduce an overhauled 400cc engine taken from the Ninja 400.

Nonetheless, it is an exciting time for Kawasaki as the company recently announced plans on dedicating significant resources to developing an all-new hybrid engine to phase out all fossil-fuel vehicles by 2035.

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Latest News

CONFIRMED: Petrucci To Make 2022 Dakar Rally Debut With KTM

FIRST LOOK: 2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S Arrived In Malaysia – RM92,900

Triumph Motorcycles Rolls Out Three Special Edition Bikes

BMW Motorrad Unveils Bespoke BMW R 18 By Shinya Kimura

Honda RC213V-S Becomes The Most Expensive Japanese Bike Sold At Auction

Kawasaki To Expand The RS Range With A Smaller 400cc Engine?

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