Want to reduce the weight of your BMW S 1000 RR, increase riding performance AND look cool altogether? Lucky for you, BMW Motorrad has just the thing. These M Performance carbon fibre wheels are perfect for those looking for that extra ‘edge’ on the streets and racetrack. (more…)
Downsizing and efficiency among motorcycle makers is all the rage these days – after decades of upsizing in terms of weight and engine displacement.
Perhaps it is safe to say that KTM was the one that started this with the 200, 250 and 390. But there is news that Yamaha is about to jump on the bandwagon with a new Tenere 300.
This makes sense considering that the Tenere itself has proven to be such a capable bike, and the Asian region is booming in terms of motorcycle sales and has been longing for capable bikes with smaller capacity.
How did this news about a Tenere 300 come about though? Apparently an Italian motorcycle publication called Motociclismo had interviewed the Product Communications Manager for Yamaha Italy, Fabrizio Corsi, during the Yamaha MT-03 test ride.
The journalist involved in the test ride had asked about the possibility of Yamaha coming up with a Tenere 300 and Corsi pointed out that the BMW G310GS and KTM 390 Adventure has received a lot of attention.
And if there is enough demand for a small capacity Yamaha adventure bike, then yes, Yamaha will come up with something.
Though it all sound nice and interesting, especially considering that there are already two models utilising the 300cc engine – the YZF-R3 (above) and the MT-03 – an adventure variant will make a lot of sense.
And it is unlikely that Yamaha will give up on the chance to make life difficult for Kawasaki’s Versys-X 300 as well as BMW and KTM.
But before we get too excited, the chances of a Yamaha Tenere 300 making it to the Malaysian market are slim – simply because of the way our motorcycle licensing structure is set up.
The B2 license, which is what most motorcyclist have, limits the owner to 250cc bikes and below. To trade up to a full-B license will cost quite a bit of money for most people and is extremely time consuming.
Hence why most people tend to stick to small capacity bikes, and it is also why we have not yet seen the new Kawasaki Versys-X 300 even though it has been a few years since its global introduction.
So yes, the Yamaha Tenere 300 sounds like a lot of fun, but it is unlike to be offered here. At least not officially.
Fret not though, for hardcore fans of the Big Blue there is the Yamaha Tenere 250 – but that too is not offered officially by Yamaha Malaysia.
Electrification is the future, and there is no doubt about that. Our prediction is that almost every form of transportation will be electric powered in about 100 years.
Honda for one is already working on patenting such technologies, and though we have had electric motorcycles for a while now, this is interesting because it marks the possible arrival of an electric powered 125 sized motorcycle from Honda.
How do we know this? Well the internet is a abuzz with news about Honda filing patents on a new electric motorcycle that looks a lot like the existing CB125R.
From the patent drawings seen here, it is probably safe to assume that the electric powered CB125R is already in its final R&D form somewhere in a Honda lab.
The internet is speculating that the electric power plant will be small and lightweight and perhaps even ‘dinner plate sized’.
This is not too far fetched considering the CB125 itself is a compact lightweight motorcycle.
Having a small lightweight electric power plant means it will fit right into the form and purpose of the CB125R.
Other than the obvious change in power plant, the rest of the CB125R’s frame, suspension and braking systems look unchanged.
Of course this is all we can tell from the renderings, but you can be sure that there will be lots of small adaptations inside the frame to accommodate the electric engine and batteries.
We hear you asking about performance and range and charging periods, but all we know so far is that Honda has filed patents and with all patents, performance and range specifications are kept secret.
But you can safely assume that power won’t differ much from the 125cc engine. This is because the overall chassis and related parts are also designed to handle a certain amount of power and torque.
Any more and the frame won’t be able to handle it. Redesigning the frame doesn’t make sense due to the cost factors involved.
And so, because 75% of the electric CB125R is production ready, it won’t take more than a year or so for the final product to reach global markets. Watch this space!
Well, where should we start? How about the fact that Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) won the Austrian MotoGP round a day after he announced that he will be staying with the team for 2021? Or how about the drama-filled race full of crashes and incidents? One thing is for sure, this weekend will be the talk of the town for the next few years as one of the most sensational races in MotoGP’s history. (more…)
Just when you thought that the MotoGP paddock won’t get any more chaotic, Andrea Dovizioso has finally made up his mind regarding his position in the Ducati factory squad. At the end of the 2020 season, “DesmoDovi” will no longer be a Ducati rider. (more…)
It is safe to say that the CFMoto brand here in Malaysia is definitely getting bigger and being noticed by a bigger crowd, especially with its recently launched 2020 CFMoto 250SR. With a wide range of models ranging from 250cc up to 650cc, the company wants to make waves with their latest and biggest model yet, the 2021 CFMoto 700CL-X. (more…)
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