Motorcycle news, Motorcycle reviews from Malaysia, Asia and the world

OFFICIAL: Francesco Bagnaia To Remain At Ducati Until 2024

Francesco Bagnaia and Ducati Corse have reached an agreement that will see the Italian rider continue to ride the Desmosedici GP for another two season.

Bagnaia will remain with Ducati Lenovo Team until 2024 after agreeing a two-year contract with the Italian outfit.

According to Bagnaia, the decision to extend his stay with the team was easy one considering that it was his dream to race with Team Red.

“Being a Ducati rider in MotoGP has always been my dream, and knowing that I can continue with the Ducati Lenovo Team for another two seasons makes me happy and proud.

“I have found a serene environment in the factory team: I feel very much in tune with my team and know that we can do great things together.

Now I can only concentrate on doing well in this Championship. A big thank you to Claudio, Gigi, Paolo, Davide and all the Ducati Corse staff.

“I’ll try to repay their trust with my results on the track!,” he said.

The 25-year-old rider came closed to win 2021 MotoGP season in his debut season with Factory Ducati, after claiming nine podiums, four victories and six pole position before losing out to eventual winner, Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo.

He will now shift his focused to overcome last season disappointment with the new season, which will start on 6th March at the Losail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar.

Meanwhile, Luigi Dall’Igna, General Manager of Ducati Corse, also expressed his excitement over the new deal.
“We are delighted to have Bagnaia with us for another two seasons.

“Since he arrived at Ducati in 2019, Pecco has shown great talent and the ability to interpret our Desmosedici GP very well, adapting to ride it in any condition.

“He did it, especially in the last season, during which he had significant growth and got to play for the World Title.

“The way he managed the races at Aragón, Misano, Portimão and Valencia, scoring four fantastic victories, is proof of his maturity as a rider. With these great qualities, we are sure that he has the potential to aim for the title with us,” he said.

New KTM 390 Adventure R On Its Way?

A new spy shot has confirmed that Austrian motorcycle company KTM is working on a more hardcore 390 Adventure-type motorcycle.

It might look similar to the standard KTM 390 Adventure, but if you look closer, you could notice that it comes with an all-new swingarm and suspension setup.

The revised swingarm looks to be of CNC construction; however, whether it will make its way to production remains to be seen as it could simply be used for the prototype testing.

Another new component is the beefier engine brace, which looks like an aluminium construction.

Other significant changes include a bigger 21-inch front wheel – 19″ on the 390 Adventure – and proper wire-spoke rims instead of the alloy rims available on the base 390 Adventure.

While further details remain scarce, reports suggest that KTM might unveil the new motorcycle in 2023.

Yamaha Bids Farewell To Dakar And FIM Rally Series

Yamaha incredible journey in rally racing comes to an end as the company bids farewell to Dakar and FIM Rally Series.

Yamaha is the only team to participate in all 43 Dakar Rally, with Cyril Neveu handed the Japanese firm first victory at the 1979 Paris-Dakar, onboard the Yamaha XT 500.

Neveu delivered another victory a year later for Team Blue, however, while the Frenchman continued to rack up wins in 82, ’86 and ’87 (with a different outfit), Yamaha only returns to the podium in 1991 with Stephane Peterhansel and Italy’s Edie Orioli delivering six more victories aboard the Yamaha YZE 750T and YZE 850T.

Unfortunately, Peterhansel’s 1998 campaign was Yamaha’s last Dakar win, with KTM emerging as a new powerhouse in Dakar and the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.

Despite the struggle against the Austrian machine, Yamaha came in strong for the 2022 Dakar Rally, with factory rider Adrien Van Beveren turning in a solid display.

Van Beveren led the overall standings with only two legs to go, but a navigational issue in the penultimate round relinquished the lead to the eventual winner, Gas Gas Rider Sam Sunderland.

According to Yamaha Europe President Eric De Seyness, the decision to exit from the two most established rally competitions was due to the ever-changing market.

“While the Dakar Rally has managed to stay close to its roots while leaving its spiritual homeland of Africa, the world around it has changed a lot.

“Our off-road customers have different expectations and are looking for different products, and we need to cater to that if we want to stay connected. For this reason, we have decided to end our long history on two wheels in the Dakar Rally and in the World Championship,” he said.

Colove Excelle 400RR Marks The Return Of A 400cc Screamer

Chinese motorcycle manufacturer, Colove is currently working on a new motorcycle, the Excelle 400RR, as confirm by new design sketches.

According to the firm, the Excelle 400RR will feature a twin-headlamp setup, full-fairing panel and underbelly exhaust, among others.

The best part about the bike however, is the engine. The Excelle 400RR will run on a 400cc four-cylinder, DOHC, liquid-cooled engine that is capable pumping 73hp @ 13,500rpm and 44Nm @ 12,000rpm.

Interestingly, Colove claimed that the Excelle 400RR is capable of hitting a top speed of 220km/h, that is within the same region as the Honda CBR650R.

The Colove Excelle 400RR will sit on a trellis frame and features a muscular fuel tank, fairing with vents, single-rider saddle and raised windshield much like a proper supersport machine.

The Excelle 400RR will also get the nifty single-sided swingarm, much like the Ducati Panigale.

Meanwhile, stopping power comes from a twin disc brakes at the front along with an ABS for added saftely. Unfortunately, Colove opted for a conventional telescopic fork rather than the ‘fancier’ USD fork.

Based on reports, Colove plans to unveil the Excelle 400RR by the end of the year.

On another note, the company also plans to enter the adventure bike segment with the Colove 800X that will run on a 800cc parallel-twin platform, much similar to KTM’s LC8 engine.

Benda Suspend Bookings For The In-Demand LFS 700 In China

Chinese motorcycle manufacturer, Benda, made the headlines in 2021 with the unveiling of the all-new LFC 700.

Benda was instantly given credits for not taking the easier route by copying the design by European and Japanese motorcycles; instead, the company came up with a unique design.

While it may look like a typical power cruiser, underneath the “Cybertronian” bodywork sits a 680cc inline-four engine, making it the only cruiser that runs an inline-four powerplant.

Shortly after, Benda unveiled the LFS 700, a neo-retro flat-track-esque motorcycle based on the same platform as the LFC 700.

Benda has since received a flood of demands in China for the LFS 700. So much, in fact, Benda had to stop accepting bookings to keep up with the requests.

Retailing at just USD6,100 (RM25k), the LFS 700 is a remarkable value for money considering it is the only Chinese motorcycle company to feature an inline-four engine, apart from the Benelli TNT600.

The LFS 700 features some nifty components despite the affordability, including Brembo brakes, KYB suspension, and a full-colour TFT instrument cluster with smartphone connectivity.

Power-wise, the LFS 700 puts out 92.5hp @ 11,000rpm, similar to the Honda CB650R.

2022 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR Now Available In Malaysia – RM119,900

The highly-anticipated 2022 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR finally arrived in Malaysia and is priced at RM119,900.

The official announcement was made by the brand official distributor in Malaysia, Fast Bike Sdn Bhd.

According to the statement, the introduction of the Speed Triple 1200 RR – including the Tiger 1200 and Tiger Sport 660 – will set a new benchmark in their respective segment in Malaysia.

“Motorcycles like the Tiger Sport 660, Tiger 1200 and Speed Triple RR are not only engineered and designed to set new benchmarks in their respective classes, but to make a very bold statement with their on the road presence.

“These are truly game changing motorcycles for an increasingly discerning
Malaysian motorcycle market,” said Chief Executive Officer of Fast Bike Sdn Bhd, Dato’ Razak Al Malique Hussain.

The new Speed Triple RR is based around its naked cousin (the Speed Triple RS) but with additional electronic suspension and semi-front fairing.

While it may feature the same frame, subframe and fuel tank, the Speed Triple RR is an altogether new motorcycle.

The most notable change is the introduction of the semi-active Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 electronic suspension, replacing the NIX30 inverted fork and TTX36 twin-tube monoshock on the RS.

Other significant revisions include more aggressive ergonomics thanks to 5 inches lower and 2 inches forward clip-on handlebars and raised footpegs.

Moreover, the use of a single circular LED headlamp paired to a retro-ish front panel, and Red Hopper/Storm Grey colour scheme creates a striking image.

Nonetheless, underneath the elegant looking sports bike sits the same liquid-cooled, DOHC, 1,160cc triple-cylinder engine with 177hp and 125Nm that powers the Speed Triple RS, including a 6-speed gearbox with slip and assist function.

Other exciting features include:

Brembo MCS lever
Brembo Sytlema calliper
320mm front disc and 220mm single rear disc
Five riding modes
advanced wheelie control
cornering ABS
traction control
bi-directional quickshifter
cruise control
5″ TFT instrument cluster with My Triumph connectivity

Meanwhile, customers can enjoy 2-years service package with every purchase of the new Speed Triple 1200 RR from Triumph Motorcycles Malaysia, valid until 31st of March 2022.