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‘Kapcai’ Owners Can Now Enjoy Free Roadside Assistance By Allianz General

Motorcycle users, mainly those who rode small capacity bikes (in this case ‘kapcai’), have long for extensive protection, especially during breakdown.

While big bike users and cars received all the extra benefits from insurance companies, ‘kapcai’ owners, on the other hand, lack the proper coverage they deserve.

This is no longer the case, as last month, Allianz General Insurance Company (Malaysia) Berhad introduced free roadside assistance for its policyholders who take comprehensive coverage for their motorcycles (below 250cc).

Nationwide value-added service

According to Allianz General’s CEO, Sean Wang, the company’s introduction of the roadside assistance service for motorcycles means that riders have everything to gain with heightened value-added service. The service, available to Allianz Motorcycle Plus (Comprehensive) and Allianz Motorcycle (Comprehensive below 250cc) policyholders nationwide, includes emergency towing assistance (free for up to 50 kms, round-trip), fuel delivery, battery, and flat tyre service. It will be provided by the Allianz Road Rangers.

“We have all seen motorcycle riders left stranded or worse, involved in an accident, and every single time, it is fellow riders that are at the scene offering assistance. Now, with our roadside assistance services, our own riders know that come rain or shine, we will be just a phone call away,” said Mr. Wang at the ‘Crash, Boom, Bang! Part II #Roger’ Allianz Media Roundtable today.

“As an insurer, we should be there for our customers. It is as simple as that. While many others have shunned away from such a service simply for not being financially lucrative, sometimes, there is no harm in giving a little more. This is our way of saying thank you to our customers and letting them know that we are here for them in times of need,” he added.

Allianz Road Rangers ready to assist

The Allianz Road Rangers service for motor comprehensive policyholders was introduced in the Klang Valley in 2017 as a first within the General Insurance industry. The following year, it was available nationwide.

Taking a leaf out of the existing Allianz Road Rangers service, Allianz General Head of Claims, Damian Williams, said there are the following touchpoints:

♦ 24-hour helpline assistance – in the event of an accident, policyholders can call 1-800-22-5542 to have a technician or tow truck dispatched to their location for assistance, repair work, or to provide towing services.

♦ Allianz Road Rangers Tow trucks – the Allianz Road Ranger will provide riders emergency towing assistance (free for up to 50 kms, round-trip), fuel delivery, battery, and flat tyre service.

♦ E-hailing vouchers – the policyholder will also receive e-hailing vouchers that they can use to get home from the accident site and back to their home (where the service is available).

According to Mr. Williams, it was crucial that the service was able to nullify a rider’s pain points and offer flexibility in terms of towing options. “Our goal was simple – provide quick solutions to common issues like fixing a flat tyre or delivering petrol that would allow riders to continue their journey and should the need arise, provide them with towing assistance to get them to a workshop or their preferred location and get them home safely,” he explained.

“Everything that we do at Allianz General, at the end of the day, is about our customers, and this service is solely about taking care of the rider. So we took extra care in ensuring that our touchpoints offer thoughtful assistance,” he added. “Plus, having an established towing assistance service in the Allianz Road Rangers meant we already have 190 tow trucks at our disposal and we could hit the ground running.”

How to lower motorcycle accident numbers

At the roundtable, there was also discussion about the best way to curb the high rate of motorcycle accidents is with rider attitude and cultural change, according to the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS). On top of being grossly underserved, motorcyclists also suffer the most accidents and fatalities in Malaysia. According to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) statistics for 2020, while road accidents dropped by 26% last year, largely due to movement restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet there were still 418,237 road accidents and 4,634 fatalities, with most accidents involving motorcyclists with 3,118 deaths.

MIROS Director of the Road User Behavioural Change Research Centre, Azhar Hamzah, revealed that on average, motorcycle accidents stood at around 20%, but motorcyclists and pillion passengers were most affected in terms of injuries, with more than 60% of the deaths each year. He also quoted a recent PDRM statistic which indicated that the highest percentage of motorcycle deaths, at 36% percent, involved riders aged 16-25 years old.

Users (80.6%), the environment (13.2%), and vehicles (6.2% percent) are the three main factors involved in accidents. The changing of behavioural habits and heighten awareness of safety is the quickest way to get rides to be safer on the roads. Simple, doable changes such as speed control, adhering to traffic rules like stopping at red lights, and just overall riding etiquette can make a huge difference,” said Encik Azhar.

“Motorcycles provide very little physical protection. So, for injury prevention, protective equipment like a proper-fitting, SIRIM-approved helmet can safeguard the head-on impact while, riding jackets and closed-toe footwear can help reduce injury risks such as abrasion. These are readily available items that riders should consider incorporating into their ride to keep themselves safer,” he said.

All-New Honda Transalp 750 To Roll Out Soon

A strong rumour is making its rounds in Japan that Honda is finally preparing to launch an all-new Transalp.

Using a newly developed 755cc parallel-twin, the Transalp will be Honda’s first mid-segment adventure bike with genuine off-road capabilities.

Honda also rumoured to introduce another model with the same motor dubbed the CB750S, which we will get into later.

We rarely take any rumour a serious consideration; however, since the claim was made by Japanese publication Young-Machine, everyone in the industry knows that this is as real as it gets.

The Japanese marquee already applied for the Transalp trademark worldwide, including Malaysia, meaning we might get the chance to see the all-new Transalp here soon.

The previous report suggests that the Transalp will run the same parallel-twin motor from the existing NC750; however, the latest updates suggest this is not the case.

Instead, it could be powered by an entirely different engine, tuned not just for performance but also off-road capabilities.

Nonetheless, it remains unknown when Honda is planning to unveil the Transalp, but we might not have to wait for too long, considering the 2021 EICMA is happening in a few months.

The most extensive motorcycle exhibition in the world could be the best platform for the new Transalp to make its appearance.

Honda To End The CB1100 Range With A Final Edition?

The Honda CB1100 range could end in 2022 as the Japanese firm just dropped a teaser image with the name ‘Final Edition’.

This CB1100 EX and RS Final Edition models could spell the end of the road for the much-loved air-cooled inline-four motorcycle.

Barely updated since 2014, the tightening emission regulations are finally catching up on the ageing engine.

According to reports, the CB1100 EX and RS will be available in cast alloy wheels and spoked, followed by a new colourway consisting of classic red and gloss black, while the CB1100 RS looks to be available in matt denim colour.

Since this could be the last updated model of the CB1100 range, we see no reason for Honda to revised the air-cooled engine setup.

Moreover, the ‘Final Edition’ could be an attempt by Honda to offer fans the chance to appreciate the CB1100 for one last time.

However, we hope the CB1100 will make a comeback in a few years, just like what Suzuki did with the returning Hayabusa.

New Type-Approval Documents Confirms Upcoming Kawasaki Z650RS

Kawasaki recently dropped a teaser trailer with the tagline “Retrovolution” on what could be the next retro classic motorcycle by Team Green.

While the short video did not reveal anything except a glimpse of the bike’s side mirrors, there is an ongoing rumour referring to the highly rumoured Z650RS.

However, the latest updates have confirmed those rumours based on a new type of approval documents from Europe that officially list the Z650RS as Kawasaki 2022 range.

The documents unveil some critical facts about the upcoming motorcycle, including using the same 650cc engine from the existing Z650, capable of generating 67hp and 63.7Nm.

The Z650RS will continue to feature the same tubular steel frame from the Z650; however, it has a 5mm shorter wheelbase and longer handlebars. Another identical features with the Z650 are the use of a 17″ tyre.

More details on the new Kawasaki Z650RS will be unveiled soon.

MV Agusta Announced New 2022 Brutale 1000 RS

MV Agusta has just unveiled what is tipped to be accessible Brutale 1000 RS.

Frankly, it’s hard to determine what could make the Brutale 1000 RS the cheaper version of the top-spec Brutale 1000 RR.

Looking at the specifications, the only prominent point of difference between the RS and the RR is in its suspension set-up, which we expected a few months back.

The Italian firm has replaced the electronically controlled Ohlins NIX EC front forks and TTX rear shock with Marzocchi upside/down fork and Sachs rear shock.

However, the Brutale RS features the same electronic rider aid, including the top-spec Brembo Stylema callipers.

Other minimal changes include a new seat, footpegs, rear-view mirrors and revised ergonomics.

Moving on to the important bits, the Brutale RS benefited from the RR engine upgrades introduced this year, including titanium conrods and valves, DLC coated tappets, sintered valve guides, and new cam profiles.