How the story of Suzuki dominance last year in MotoGP could have changed if former team manager, Davide Brivio, opted for Jorge Lorenzo in 2019.
Brivio, who recently left Suzuki and MotoGP to join Alpine’s Formula 1 team explained the reason behind the Japanese marque decision to pick Joan Mir in 2019 which consequently led to the team first-ever premier class world championship since 2000.
Lorenzo was ousted from Ducati in 2019 after a difficult start in 2017 and continue to struggle the following season.
Suzuki was eyeing the former three-time world champion but according to Brivio, their attention was swayed towards Mir later on.
“Winning 10 races (in 2017) and being a Moto3 champion is something that caught our attention.
“At that time we had the option of signing Jorge Lorenzo. In the end, we had to decide between Lorenzo and Mir.
“It was not a choice between two riders, rather it was choosing a philosophy and the direction that we wanted to take in the future: take a veteran rider like Lorenzo or develop young talent.
“The more we got to know Joan and the more we learned about him,” explained Brivio.
Mir had an option to sign for Honda in 2019 but only for satellite placement.
Mir was a no brainer for Brivio who maintain a philosophy of signing young talent, having done so with Maverick Vinales in 2015 and Alex Rins two years later.
It has been a few months since the first spy shot of KTM new RC390 makes its way online.
Nevertheless, the Austrian outfit managed well in hiding the details except for the noticeable change of the headlamps.
However, the latest spy shots reveal a very detailed look at the bike that is expected to launch soon this year.
The headlamps and the turn-indicators clearly using an all-LED unit, arranged in two columns much like the one on 390 Duke and 390 Adventure.
The RC390 also mounts newly designed rear-view mirrors.
From another angle, it shows that the motorcycle comes with a new set of clip-on handlebars, redesigned fairing with the riding ergonomics slightly updated.
Much like the latest 390 Duke and 390 Adventure, the next-gen RC390 also received full-colour TFT screen which operates the ride-by-wire, switchable ABS, and KTM MY Ride function which opens up to various features.
The bike is expected to receive bigger disc brakes paired with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS).
The next-generation KTM RC390 is expected to powered by a single-cylinder 373cc, liquid-cooled engine that churns 44 PS and 37 Nm, mated to a 6-speed sequential gearbox.
The Milwaukee based motorcycle manufacturer recently rolled out an array of so-called new motorcycles for 2021 from the flagship CVO’s, Street Bob 114 and The Fat Boy.
*2021 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special
However, for someone who stayed 15,081 kilometres from Uncle Sam and had to stay up at 1 am just to witness one of Harley-Davidson biggest virtual launch, the end result was a tad disappointing.
It is not a secret Harley-Davidson is currently in flux, from Rewire to Hardwire before making a considerable u-turn and now shifting back their attention towards their core customers.
*Harley-Davidson Bronx streetfighter
2021 was supposed to be one of the most exciting years for Harley-Davidson when they introduced the all-new and modern motorcycles in the form of (streetfighter) Bronx and (adventure) Pan-America.
Scheduled for 2021, only Pan-America made it while Harley-Davidson under their new boss, Jochen Zeitz, decided to scrap Bronx entirely and other ‘future’ electric bikes.
*Harley-Davidson Pan America 2021
Although it was mentioned that the Bronx project might be revived, we have our doubt.
These two bikes (plus the all-electric LiveWire) could have ‘saved’ Harley’s future with modern design and advanced electronics instead of just ‘updating’ the existing models with more chrome and bling that comes with mouth-watering price tags.
Obviously, Harley’s do not fall under the ‘affordable’ category, nor it has any plan to do so under the new management even though they planned to introduce a 300cc motorcycle with China-based, Qianjiang Motorcycle when they were under the helm of Matt Levatich.
*Harley-Davidson 338R
However, that too seems to go up in smoke as the two parties, was initially rumoured to launch the Harley-Davidson 338R this year.
Nevertheless, it seems Qianjiang went ahead with the plans and might introduced these models under their own brands, QJ Motor.
*BMW G 310 R & G 310 GS
Every other premium brands have started to expand customer demographics by introducing more affordable options through small capacity bikes.
BMW teamed up with TVS and successfully reached out to a wider audience via 310 GS and the 310 R in India and South East Asia, Triumph Motorcycles plans to follow suit with Bajaj Auto.
*Aprilia RS150
At the same time, Aprilia did the same in India and China with affordable 150cc motorcycles and scooters.
*Harley-Davidson Street 750
With HD already pulled the plug on the 883 and the ever accessible Street 750, where do Harley-Davidson new riders coming from?
New riders equal new customers which lead to increase of fortune to ensure a company runs for many more years to come.
We all want Harley-Davidson to succeed as it embodies what motorcycle is all about but the year is 2021 and although not all the time, sometimes things need to change for the better.
The LiveWire seemed like a fantastic sports bike on a battery, the Pan America (albeit heavy) looks like a rhinoceros born off a Transformers movie and this two makes us excited and hopefully, Harley-Davidson will continue to do so soon enough.
After endless speculation and non-stop rumours, Boon Siew Honda is finally introducing the ‘adventure’ scooter, Honda ADV 150 for the Malaysian market.
However, the latest news is not a surprise since we were ‘informed’ as early as September last year that the 150cc scooter will be making rounds early this year.
Sensasi Terkini! Akan datang!?
Free kan sendiri anda pada 5hb Feb 2021 (Jumaat) untuk menyaksikan pelancaran motosikal baharu Honda pada tahun baharu ni ?️
According to the latest posting by Honda Motorcycle Malaysia on Facebook, Boon Siew Honda will launch the ADV 150 this coming February 5 (Tuesday) at 8 pm via a live stream.
Although the picture above is not too clear the silhouette of the bike explains otherwise, the headlight design clearly depicts those available on the ADV 150.
The so-called ‘baby’ X-ADV 750 is packed with a 150 cc engine that produces 14.7hp at 8,500rpm and 13.8Nm torque at 6,500rpm.
Suzuki is confirmed to bring back the iconic Hayabusa for 2021 after releasing a short teaser on YouTube.
The 25-sec clip provides a glimpse of what we can expect once Suzuki officially introduces the Hayabusa this coming 5th February.
The first clue we gathered was the Hayabusa comes with an analog meter paired with a small TFT screen in the middle.
The small TFT is neat and compact, but under our watchful eyes, we can see that it offers major electronic updates, mainly the Suzuki S- DMS Engine Management Systems consisting of various riding modes.
The screen also features a quickshifter function that can be turned on or off!
Suzuki will unveil the new Hayabusa this coming 5th February, and yes, we are excited!
The friends and families of Christine Wong are seeking help from the public relating to the victim’s alleged hit and run incident that occurred at Puchong heading to Subang Jaya.
The incident happened at a junction before Shell petrol station at around 6 pm.
Christine, 30, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to local reports, Christine was doing her daily delivery with Food Panda and was on her way to Subang Jaya.
“I was informed by another driver saying that he saw Christine skidded near a car; however, it was not certain whether my sister rubbed against the car or not,” explained Wong, Christine’s sister.
Meanwhile, any eyewitnesses urged to come forward with any evidence relating to the incident.
The case is currently being investigated under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987. – HM
