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We managed to get in touch with Petronas Sepang Racing Team (SRT) team principal Datuk Razlan Razali earlier today after the team official virtual launch.

Petronas SRT is one of the team to look out for in 2021 after claiming the Top Independent Team and Top Independent Rider last season with Franco Morbidelli, who finished vice-champions behind Joan Mir.

Morbidelli clinched three wins and six podium finish while his fellow rider, Fabio Quartararo (who swapped teams with Valentino Rossi this season), finished 8th in the championship standing.

With both Rossi and Morbidelli in the same team this year, we were intrigued to find out who is the “main” player for Petronas SRT this season from the main boss himself, Razlan Razali.

“Personally, I consider Franky (Morbidelli) our no.1 rider purely because of what he had done last year.

“I know there’s a lot of respect between Franky and Valentino. We try not to distinguished who’s no.1 and no.2.

“We did not try to do that last year even though there was a higher expectation on Fabio than Franky.

“For me, we try to treat them all the same because at the end of the day, both have different sets of bikes.

“Nonetheless, we do put more focus on Franky. However, we are talking about Valentino here; he can surprise everyone,” expressed Razlan.

Rossi will prove his worth at the age of 42 with the “Factory-spec” YZR-M1, while Morbidelli remains with his “A-spec+” for 2021.

Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team (SRT) enters their third successful season in MotoGP with Franco Morbidelli and Valentino via virtual team presentation today.

Petronas SRT recorded stellar performance in 2020. Morbidelli finished the season as vice-champions in the premier class after accumulating 158 points, while Fabio Quartararo, who moved to the Yamaha factory team this season, finished 8th last year with 127 points.

The two secured six wins last season and helped the team clinched Top Independent Team and Top Independent Rider.

For 2021, Morbidelli will join his mentor and 8-time world champion, Valentino Rossi, to continue the team effort to battle out the world championship title.

Rossi will carry the “Factory-spec” Yamaha YZR-M1 while Morbidelli will continue with his reliable “A-spec+” machine that has proved fruitful last season compared to the ever-established factory bike.

Meanwhile, Razlan Razali expressed his desire to keep pushing for the upcoming season.

“We are proud to represent Malaysia and PETRONAS on the world stage in MotoGP for a third season as PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team.

“We are looking forward to the season ahead, eager to give Franco and Valentino the best opportunity. For Franco, it’s a fabulous opportunity to achieve even better things than his stellar season in 2020. For Valentino, we’re hoping the new team will give him the best opportunities to harness his talent and expertise.

“2020 was an incredible year for us, but we are mindful that there are always areas where we can improve. We expect another tough fight on track over the season ahead and we will be pushing at every step to support Franco and Valentino and ensure they have all the tools at their disposal,” he said.

The CFMOTO brand is undeniably getting bigger and bigger, especially in Malaysia, with its wide range of 250cc up to 650cc motorcycles.

The 250SR quickly gained attention when CFMOTO launched the motorcycle in Penang back in 2019, with the brand already making its mark previously with the 400NK and 650MT.

During the launch, CFMOTO informed us that the all-new 700CL-X would also arrive in Malaysia in 2021 before it was put on hold due to the current pandemic Covid-19.

Nevertheless, it is rumoured that the new cafe-racer-type machine will reach shores at the end of 2021.

When it was unveiled at 2019 EICMA, three variants were on display: Heritage, Adventure, and Sport with the motorcycle powered by a 693cc parallel-twin engine that punches around 74hp and 68Nm of torque.

The 700CL-X boast with variety of features which includes:

  • 41mm KYB USD front forks (fully adjustable)
  • Rear KYB single shock (preload & rebound adjustability)
  • Retro-looking front LED headlights (all-round LED lighting system)
  • 17-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels + Pirelli MT60 RS tyres
  • Slipper clutch
  • Selectable riding modes, cruise control + LCD dashboard
  • Continental ABS

Although no official price has been revealed, we expect it to be sold at around RM30,000 to RM35,000, which we think is an excellent price for a motorcycle that packs with all the latest goodies.

Petronas Sepang Racing Team (SRT) team principal Datuk Razlan Razali admits the main challenge for the upcoming 2021 MotoGP is to make Valentino Rossi competitive again.

The 42-year old Italian will be the oldest rider on the grid when the new season kickstart in Qatar.

“Our challenge is to get him back on the podium. We hope with the new environment where it’s a bit more relaxed and with a great atmosphere present, he can settle down fast.

“He has this certain aura around him. The first time when I met him, I got goosebumps. I was starstruck when we sat down,” said Razlan.

Rossi swap places with the much younger Fabio Quartararo at Petronas SRT with the Frenchman went the opposite way to partner Maverick Vinales at the Yamaha factory team.

Meanwhile, Rossi will race the new season with his former protege Franco Morbidelli, who is currently the most successful rider who graduated from the VR46 academy after securing 2nd place behind world champion Joan Mir last season.

Rossi and Morbidelli will spearhead Petronas SRT title challenge this season.

It looks like Kawasaki is next in line to adopt the radar assisted adaptive cruise control with the 2022 H2 SX after BMW R 1250 RT, Ducati Multistrada V4 and the recently launched KTM 1290 Super Adventure S.

Kawasaki inked a deal with Bosch over the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) back in 2019, including the adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning system, and rear blind spot monitoring setups.

However, in a statement, Kawasaki suggests that they haven’t set a date for the introduction of the ADAS system.

Nonetheless, it looks like Kawasaki already has the answer with the 2022 H2 SX that was recently caught testing with the fancy radar.

Based on the images shown, the H2 SX had the front headlamp revised to accommodate the Bosch radar sensor, although there is no significant styling change to the overall design.

The system is much like the Multistrada V4, R 1250 RT and 1290 Super Adventure S, enabling adaptive cruise control and blind-spot detection.

The adaptive cruise control operates by detecting and reading the front vehicle and makes necessary adjustments to the motorcycle distance and speed.

While the radar is visible on the Ducati, BMW and KTM, Kawasaki managed to “hide” it via a cleverly sculpted cover.

However, the recent spied photo does not reveal the rear radar, which usually sits below the rear light unless Kawasaki has a way of hiding it.

Recent reports also suggest Kawasaki will introduce a radar-equipped Versys 1000.

The authorities will only consider lifting the inter-district and interstate travel when close to 80 per cent of the population has been vaccinated for Covid-19, says Health Director-General, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham.

“Once 70% of the population have been vaccinated, we may then consider reopening borders,” he said.

The government decision to lift the travel ban on Dec 7 last year resulted in outbreaks in “green states”.

“We saw on Dec 7 when the government allowed interstate travel the infection spread to other states.

“Those who were from red zones travelled to green zones, such as Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan,” said Dr Noor Hisham.

Meanwhile, Malaysia is in discussion with other nation to allow cross-border travel after reaching herd immunity.

“Countries are discussing if we can allow cross-border travel after we have reached herd immunity.

“We are also looking at whether those who have been vaccinated are still required to undergo quarantine when entering a country,” he added.

(source: NST)

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