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KTM has dropped the cover on the new 1290 Super Adventure R with the enduro focused motorcycle that now meets Euro 5 standards and a wide range of upgrades.

According to KTM, the 1290 Super Adventure R was built solely by focusing on the ability to move on the most inaccessible terrain in a simple and intuitive way.

The redesigned 23L fuel tank improves agility and provides a lower centre of gravity and an improved riding feel in all conditions.

KTM also applies changes to the steering head which was moved back by 15mm, and the engine was rotated forward by 2°, and the die-cast open-lattice swingarm was lengthened.

The handling and comfort also improved with a renewed WP XPLOR 48mm suspension at the front that guarantees a travel of 220 mm and WP PDS fully adjustable shock at the rear.

The 1290 Super Adventure R now packs with advanced electronic packages as standard, consist of a new six-axis inertial platform, Traction Control, stability control, ASB off-road, four riding modes (RAIN, STREET, SPORT and OFFROAD), easily accessed via a 7″ TFT display.

The motorcycle is powered by a Euro 5 approved KTM LC8 V-Twin engine that produces 160 hp at 9,000rpm and 138 Nm of torque at 6,500rpm.

For 2021, the model features two separate radiators; instead of the single unit on the previous model. Meanwhile, the redesigned air ducts help reduce the amount of hot air hitting the rider’s legs.

Thanks to the renewed air filter box, riders can easily access the air filter by simply removing four screws.

The all-new KTM 1290 Super Adventure R is available at EUR19,850 (RM97,413).

Triumph has updated the entire Bonneville range with the T100, T120, Street Twin, Speedmaster and Bobber.

Whereas other manufacturers decided to kill off specific models due to Euro 5 regulations, the British marque decided it is the best time to update their Modern Classic line.

Not just to meet Euro 5 standards but also to introduce a series of upgrades.

Triumph T120 and T120 Black 2021

For 2021, Triumph updated the 1200cc High Torque twin-engine to meet the Euro 5 standards, and what you get is more responsive and lower emissions.

According to Triumph, the T120 has been specifically tuned to deliver high torque and delivers 80PS at 6,550rpm and 105Nm at 3,500rpm.

The engine mass has been reduced significantly by using a lighter crankshaft, optimised clutch, and balancer shafts, all of which have reduced inertia and the overall weight of the bike.

The use of new aluminium wheels helps the bike to weight 7kg less than the previous model.

The T120 is available in three colour scheme; Jet Black, Cordovan Red and Silver Ice, Cobalt Blue and Silver Ice with a hand-painted gold lining.

Meanwhile, the T120 Black is available in Jet Black or Matt Jet Black and Matt Graphite with silver coach lining.

Triumph T100 2021

The 900cc High Torque engine now produces 10PS more than the previous T100 due to the engine tweak to meet Euro 5, while the bike has also shed 4kg in weight.

The use of a new crank and aluminium wheel rim contributed to the significant weight loss.

The motorcycle also gains other upgrades with revised cartridge forks, Brembo twin-pot brakes, traction control and ABS systems.

Triumph T100 is available in three colours – Lucerne Blue and Fusion White scheme, single tone Jet Black option, Carnival Red and Fusion White.

Triumph Street Twin 2021

For 2021, the Street Twin received comfort upgrades with a 10mm thicker seat and new foam padding for a more comfortable ride.

The 900cc High Torque twin-engine retains all the power but now meets Euro 5 requirements, producing lower emission and excellent fuel efficiency.

The motorcycle now achieves incredible torque from low down, right through the rev range for thrilling acceleration anytime it’s needed, with 65PS peak power arriving at 7,500 rpm and with 80Nm peak torque 3,800 rpm.

Triumph also offers a Gold Line limited edition model of the Street Twin limited to only 1,000 units worldwide.

It features a Matt Sapphire Black paint scheme with Triumph heritage logo and hand-painted gold lining.

Triumph Speedmaster 2021

The Speedmaster also received extensive upgrades with the 1200cc Euro 5 engine producing 77hp and 105Nm.

Triumph claimed that 90 per cent of its torque is available up to 5,750rpm.

The new Speedmaster also gain better handling thanks to new 47mm Showa cartridge forks replacing the 41mm KYB found on the previous model.

To better suit a long-distance ride, the Speedmaster also received an 11mm thicker pillion seat.

Triumph Bobber 2021

The Bobber received beefy suspension via 47mm non-adjustable front forks, while the new Euro 5 engine now produces 105Nm and 77hp.

Triumph also ditched the 9L tank and opted for more range via 12L tank, which Triumph claimed to achieve 33 per cent more range than the previous Bobber.

The new generation Bobber comes in three colour options, Matt Storm grey and Matt Ironstone, Cordovan Red and classic Jet Black.

More to come..

Triumph will also reveal the 2021 Scrambler 1200 XC and XE and Street Scrambler on the 13th and 20th of April.

Marc Marquez makes an appearance alongside new team-mate, Pol Espargaro during the 2021 Repsol Honda presentation.

However, the six-time world champion admits he will set to sit out from the Qatar Test pending recovery of his right arm.

The 28-year-old rider has undergone three operations so far after suffering a horrific accident during last season opener in Jerez and hasn’t been on track since last July.

After the online presentation, Marquez ruled himself out of the official Qatar testing next month.

“Now we just try to follow my body with the physio and doctor, increase the work at home. But I don’t know – and the doctors don’t know – when I will be ready to return. But the most important is that every week I feel better.

“It’s been 10 months without a bike and the first time I will ride the MotoGP again I will not be 100%. One thing is to be 100% on the bone side, another is to be 100% for the muscles and everything,” explained Marquez.

Moreover, Marquez admits it might take him a half-a-season to return to his best form.

“We’ll see if it takes one race, two races or half-a-season to be the same Marc as before,” he added.

Many dream of racing, of racing wheel to wheel, shoulder to shoulder and stepping onto the top step of a podium.

And there is no doubt that there are many who go at it alone, who managed their racing adventures all by themselves.

But many just don’t know how to do it.

Others think it is too expensive, while a few think it is better to do it on the streets.

A couple of weeks ago, I came across a comment on Facebook that sparked a bit of curiosity and the motivation for this article. It was a comment that went something along the lines of “you’re a one man racing team, bro.”

And I thought, “wow, that is so true of a guy called Kishore Singham.”

The name may be reminiscent of a moustachioed Bollywood hero that beats up villains for breakfast and then again for dinner.

But Kishore is loved by many, including his competitors, and is not new to the local racing scene.

And so that comment proved to be the spark I needed to revive a column we started some years ago but dwindled away in the many pursuits of ours – the Most Interesting Biker.

Kishore says motorcycles have been a part of him since he was five years old.

“It has always been a passion of mine since I was five. I loved motorcycle racing and count Wayne Rainey, Gardner, Doohan and Schwantz as my idols,” he says.

He was 10 when he got his first taste of the track life when his mum took him along to a Saturday night track day at the old Batu 3 Track. “Back in 93, 94 and 95, I spent every Saturday night at the track with my mum. In 1995, I also attended my first Grand Prix at the Batu 3. But unfortunately, I never got the chance to ride a motorcycle around Batu 3 as I was still too young.”

“I started riding a motorcycle when I was 11 years old. My neighbor used to lend me his old Honda C70 for me to go around the neighborhood. That’s before my mum found out and told him to never let me ride again. After that, my mum made me a deal. She said she would pay for my license and half a bike if I scored two A’s in any subject. Next thing you know, I had a motorcycle license and a Yamaha RXZ which I bought for RM3,000 back in the year 2000.”

It was soon after that that Kishore started his track riding career, and it all began on a Aprilia RS125 two-stroker.

Kishore fondly remembers the first day he raced, “I really had fun at track days, but it was not until 2014 that I raced for the first time at the IMF Supermoto event in Bukit Jalil. I raced a bone stock Pitster Pro and really enjoyed it. That was when I caught the racing bug.”

When asked how difficult it is to start a career in motorcycle racing, Kishore sounded cautious during the Zoom interview, he explains, “It is pretty tough to start off motorcycle racing, you need to know the proper people and you need supportive parents. My mother never encouraged me to become a racer, but she never stopped me either, she always used to tell me not to take unnecessary risks, but congratulated me when I brought home the trophies.”

“It is also an expensive hobby, but there are ways you can save. I raced at MSF and that just costed me RM7,000 for an entire season not including the bike of course.”

“ I spent RM35,000 buying a Kawasaki ZX6, it is almost stock except for a slip on exhaust, an upgraded air filter, and that is it. It still has the stock brake pads, stock frame and standard fairings.”

“I also only changed the tyres on the first and last race during the entire five race season. I managed 75 – 80 laps on used tyres and that includes practice and qualifying. And I still managed to clock a lap time of below 2:30. That’s how I saved money and made my racing more affordable.”

He says racing is like a black hole that sucks in all your money, but the sense of accomplishment is incomparable. Kishore does not have any financial sponsors, but has sponsors that help him in other ways.

“I am lucky in a way, I have Kratos Motorsport that gives me a good discount on KTEC suspension bits, and I have a buddy called Ayun who runs a gym and gives me a subsidized fees so I can keep in shape for races, and of course there is Chia Motor who always helps me out where ever they can to keep my bike running in perfect condition. So I don’t have major financial support, but I have good friends that keep my racing going.”

But even so, Kishore still is a one man racing team as he does everything from transportation to race preparation by himself.

On a race weekend he leaves home at 6am and rides his race bike to the track. He arrives in time to prep the bike up for the weekend and for scrutineering and rider briefing. After that he does whatever he needs to the bike and it is game on from there.

When asked what his best memory in motorcycle racing was, he says it is the day he won the KTM Supermoto Championship, “I beat the other guy by just one point. I was disadvantaged but gave it everything I had to secure the championship by a single point. That was the best ever”

“But the worst memory I have was when I high-sided at MIMC in Melaka. I suffered a slight concussion and lost 10 minutes of my life. This was back in 2016-2017 and I woke up at the back of an ambulance, not knowing what had happened. That is 10 minutes of my life I am never getting back.

What advise does he have for upcoming racers?

“Don’t give up. Just go out and do your best and always open for your mind to learning something new and also always have an open mind when racing so you are able to make changes in a blink of an eye.”

Kishore’s Wishlist:
1. That the current pandemic ends soon.
2. To have impacted peoples live in a positive way.
3. To add more time on track and bikes in the garage.

Know anyone who is an Interesting Biker? Email us at info@bikesrepublic.com and we will be happy to feature him or her.

After months of waiting, finally, the Milwaukee based company officially launched the 2021 Pan America.

The Pan America is available in two variants; the Standard comes in Vivid Black and River Rock Grey while the Special in Vivid Black, Gauntlet Grey Metallic, Deadwood Green and the two-tone Baja Orange and Stone Washed White Pearl.

Engine

 

The all-new Pan America is powered by a Revolution Max 1250 dual spark VVT that produces 150hp @ 9,000rpm and 127Nm @ 6,750rpm.

According to Harley-Davidson, the unit is built from the ground-up in an effort to improve the weight distribution.

Specifications

The Pan-America Special is packed with a beefy 47mm inverted fork with trick semi-active suspension, including Adaptive Ride Height adjustment.

The Adaptive Ride Height works by adjusting the seat height accordingly, which we think a very innovative move by Harley-Davidson.

The suspension automatically drops the bike down to 855mm once you come to a stop before returning to 890mm once you are on the move, simple yet practical for many.

The rear shocks are handled by a linkage-mounted monoshock with automatic electronic preload control and semi-active compression and rebound damping.

The braking is done by radially mounted, monoblock, 4-piston calliper at the front and dual rotor, floating, tower-mounted at the rear.

The standard and Special comes with a full colour 6.8″ TFT touchscreen display, full LED Light setup, cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control, cruise control and hill control which put the Pan America as the most technologically advanced motorcycle coming out of Milwaukee.

As far as an adventure motorcycle goes, Pan America offers a 21L tank with a weight of 258kg for the Special and 245kg for the standard.

BMW Motorrad received huge applause when they launch the retro-styled muscle cruiser R 18 last year.

The R 18 is powered by the biggest boxer engine ever built and offers a wide range of features and accessories.

BMW Motorrad did not stop there, instead, they introduced two more variants; the first debuted in October last year with tall windscreen and saddlebags, while the second variant was spied with a batwing fairing and expected to launch in a few months.

However, French publication Le Repaire des Motards had a chat with BMW Motorrad’s head, Dr Markus Schramm, regarding its future plans.

While Schramm evaded some of the more in-depth questions, he did disclose that it is logical to follow up the R 18 with a smaller size cruiser.

We have yet to get our hands on the new R 18 due to the current pandemic. Nevertheless, we are excited at how BMW Motorrad is pushing for a classic-styled cruiser.

The BMW R 18 Frist Edition is currently available in Malaysia for RM149,500.

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