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

How to Fix a Tubeless Tyre Puncture?

One of the most irritating (and dangerous) thing to pick up a tyre puncture. Good news is, plugging a tubeless tyre puncture is rather straightforward as you do not have to remove the tyre, unless the hole is too large to plug. On the other hand, a tube tyre requires you remove the tyre from the rim.

What we need

Firstly, you need an Oxford Tyre Repair Kit. The kit is complete with:

1 x Connector complete with valve.
1 X Cutter.
5 x Sealing strips, also known as rope strips (also colloquially known as “cacing” in Malaysia).
1 x Plug insert tool.
1 x Hole routing tool.
1 x Tube of glue.
3 x CO₂ canisters (avoiding the need for an air pump).

Secondly, you need the Oxford Tool Kit Pro. The set includes further pieces of tools including pliers to pull the thing that punctured the tyre. You may also consider the Oxford Tool Kit.

Plugging the puncture

Usually, the hole is easy to find as there is still a nail, screw or some object embedded in it.

1. Rotate the tyre and check for other signs of puncture.

2. Pull offending item out with the pliers.

3. Pick up the corkscrew-like tool and ream in and out of the hole to rough it up a bit.

4. Apply the cement into and around hole. The cement is to hold the rope plug (also called ‘cacing‘ colloquially in Malaysia) in place.

5. Insert the sticky rope plug through the eyelet of the needle.

6. Push the needle with the rope plug through the hole and pull the needle back out quickly.

7. Cut off the excess rope plug, leaving just a little higher than the tyre’s surface.

8. Place the metal part of the valve adapter on the tyre valve.

9. Push in a CO² canister into the red end of the adapter.

10. Check again to see if air is escaping from the repaired hole, by sprinkling some water on it or spitting on it.

11. You can ride away if there’s no further leak, or you may need to insert another plug if there is.

After plugging

You can ride away after inflating the tyre with the CO² canisters. Ride slowly, not over 80 km/h for 15 minutes to let the plug settle in.

However, the tyre pressure may not be correct after doing so, thus the first thing you should do is head to a petrol station or workshop to reinflate the tyre, whichever comes first.

Also do visit a motorcycle workshop to have the tyre removed and patched from the inside, as the rope plug is NOT a permanent fix. After that, remember that the tyre’s top speed is reduced by one level i.e. Z => V.

The best solution is to replace the punctured tyre completely, as its structure has been compromised.

The Bell Star – The World’s First Full-Face Helmet

The biggest milestone in motorcycle safety is the one which protects your head. It was in 1963 when the first ever full-face motorcycle helmet called the Bell Star, was designed and developed in the by Bell Helmets.

Motorcyclists (as well as drag, car and boat racers) were faced with limited choice in safety headgear. back then. There were only either three-quarter open-faced or half-helmets. Some car and bike racers wore so-called “helmets” made from leather or cork. Deaths due to severe head trauma were common.

According to Bell, it was motorcyclists that pushed for a better helmet design. Bell engineers finally came up with the first full-face motorcycle helmet called the Bell Star.

The rigid outer shell was constructed from stain weave fibreglass cloth, which was used in the aircraft industry. The direction of the weave was crucial to ensure maximum strength across the helmet’s surface and it was bonded with a high-impact polyester resin that was then coated with a scuff-resistant epoxy coating. Inside there was a conventional EPS liner, not that dissimilar to type you find on today’s helmets. In the 1960s Bell made a point of marketing the fact that the liners used in all of its crash helmets were made from the same material used by the U.S. military in its HGU 2/P flight helmet and by NASA astronaut helmets.

The Santa Cruz-based company began selling the Bell Star in February 1963 and described the helmet in its catalogue as being revolutionary, with maximum face protection, better visibility and breathing for the wearer than a conventional helmet.

But of course, being the first full-face helmet, it did not have the features of modern helmets. Firstly, there is no flip up visor. Instead, it was a shatterproof plastic lens that had to be popped out of its rubber mouldings. The eyeport was also rather small vertically, more like how auto racing helmets would have. And there were no openings for airflow.

Still, it was a good beginning. The Bell Star met the crash criteria set up by the Snell Foundation independent safety organisation. The requirement simulated crash tests to see if the helmet could withstand serious damage to the helmet or the wearer’s head. The impact test involved holding up to a 162.7 Nm impact, or the equivalent of a 7.3 kg (16 lb.) weight traveling at 25.7 km/h (16 mph) and hitting the helmet.

The Bell Star sold at USD59.50, and was the most expensive in Bell’s helmet line-up. It quickly found a big following among motorcycle enthusiasts, including racers, as well many of the world’s leading race car drivers.

Today’s crash helmet technologies are light years away from the 1963 Bell Star in terms of design, construction, materials, and features. But every single one can trace its heritage back to the iconic Bell Star.

10 Most Common and Alarming Tyre Myths

Ride a motorcycle and hang around with other motorcyclists long enough and you will start to hear all sorts of myths. These myths involve every aspect of riding from riding techniques to components to maintenance. Today, we will look at the 10 most common and alarming tyre myths.

Tyres have come a long way since the invention of pneumatic tyres. Unfortunately, myths started to appear along the way as there is more and more misunderstanding when it comes to the technology and science of modern tyres.

1. “Racing compound tyres faster, safer.”

First and foremost, not all products meant for racing are suitable for everyday street use. For example, racing brake fluid is totally unsuitable for road use as it is super hydrophilic.

Back to tyres, there are reasons why there are different types of tyres for different purposes. Each type is designed to accommodate variables such as grip, longevity, weather, heat cycles, comfort and feel, warm-up times, etc.

That said, leave the racing slicks for the track and stick to sport/track, sport, sport-touring, road/adventure tyres for the road.

2. “Ride aggressively to break in new tyres.”

While it is true that tyre makers have stopped using mould release agent during the manufacturing process, a new tyre still needs to be broken in. Heat generated from riding further homogenises the different compounds in the tyre’s compound (because it is made up of many different materials hence the word), while friction with the road scuffs away the smooth surface of the tread.

As such, riding too aggressively on new tyres will cause the compounds to not break in correctly, and will usually result in a bad tyre by the time you get their midlife. So take it easy for at least the first 300km.

3. “Breaking in new tyres is faster with lower inflation pressure.”

Best to stick with the recommended tyre pressure. Running a tyre with lower inflation pressure will generate too much heat too quickly and can result in overcooking the elements in the compound and destroying the tyre in the process. Also, running lower pressures on the road may cause bump damage to the tyre and rim, apart from higher rolling resistance, more steering effort, and increased fuel consumption.

4. “Traction is due the tread compound.”

It is true that traction is the result of friction between the tyre’s tread and road surface, thus a softer compound offers more traction. However, there are also other complex mechanics at play that influence a tyre’s grip performance.

The construction of the tyre’s carcass and sidewalls also play a large factor in traction. More malleable carcass and sidewalls allow the tyre to absorb bumps and conform to irregularities of the road surface, enhancing traction. Conversely, a harder tyre will bounce over road irregularities, thus compromising grip.

5. “Lower/higher inflation pressure is better for traction.”

There are road riders who intentionally overinflate their tyres (by way too much!) because they want to “feel the tyres.” On the other hand, there are riders who lower the inflation pressure by too much to promote grip.

Truth is, the biggest issue here is due to incorrect riding techniques. Sticking to the recommended pressure is the best way, although you may increase or decrease the pressure slightly to cater for bodyweight, passenger, cargo, tyre construction, and such, but not by a whopping 30-100 kPa!

6. “Sport-touring tyres are for slow riders”

The question here is slow in what sense? On the road? On the track? For the daily commute? In good weather? Under heavy rain?

Of course, one should not use sport-touring tyres for racing, but there are sport-touring tyres that can be used on the track for high paced riding, just not for all-out racing. Truth is, there are current sport-touring tyres can outpace sport-oriented tyres of just two generations ago on the track! Sure, sport tyres are grippier, but sport-touring tyres are by no means inferior especially when the road conditions get gnarly, and in the rain.

7. “You can just leave a ‘cacing’ in place.”

Using the rope repair (‘cacing’ in Malaysia) is a temporary fix for a puncture, intended to get the rider to the nearest workshop. Leaving the rope in place will cause the hole to grow bigger over time. Instead, the puncture should be repaired with the proper tyre plug as soon as possible. However, remember that a punctured and subsequently repaired tyre has its speed rating dropped by one level.

8. “Old tyres are bad.”

There is no “used by” date on any tyre. Why? Because there is no true expiry date. The condition of a new tyre depends more on how the workshop stores it. Improper storage such as leaving the tyre on a concrete floor and stacked to the ceiling, in a hot and humid environment will cause the tyre’s compound to oxidise faster. Conversely, an older tyre which was stored properly (stood up, rotated once a while, in a climate controlled area) will still be in great shape.

9. “No need to follow the tyre’s intended direction of rotation.”

No, you should not. Tyre manufacturers designed and constructed a tyre with a certain rotational direction to optimise their performance. Mounting it backwards can lead to dire consequences. There are bidirectional tyres in the market, but the majority of road tyres are unidirectional.

10. “Mixing tyre type/brand is okay.”

Different tyres have different properties and performance envelopes. As such, they are designed to work in pairs. Combining different tyres will compromise the bike’s handling characteristics and even safety. And no, it is not a conspiracy to sell more tyres!

2025 Ducati Scrambler 10° Anniversario Rizoma Edition Revealed

The 2025 Ducati Scrambler 10° Anniversario Rizoma Edition has been revealed to celebrate the Scrambler’s 10th anniversary. Only 500 will be made.

Based on the recently launched second generation Scrambler launched in 2023, the Scrambler Anniversario Rizoma Edition shares some of the recently launched Full Throttle’s components, but with several differences.

Rizoma creative designer Fabrizio Rigolio said: “This Scrambler is different from the others. It is dedicated to the 500 who dare, who see beyond, who wants to leave an indelible mark.”

The colourway for this bike, defined by Rizoma in collaboration with the Centre Stile Ducati, is based on the chromatic balance of Stone White, black and Metal Rose.

Andrea Ferraresi, Director of Strategy and Centro Stile Ducati, added: “Rizoma has succeeded in the difficult task of reinterpreting Scrambler while maintaining its essence unchanged.

“I was struck by the formal rigour, the attention to detail and the cleanliness of the treatment, including the colour, that Rizoma has incorporated in the concept that then became this celebratory version of the tenth anniversary of Scrambler.”

The 2025 Ducati Scrambler 10° Anniversario Rizoma Edition is priced at £13,095 (RM73,425.89) in the UK.

What Exactly is a Crossplane Engine?

Yamaha made big waves back in 2009 when they introduced the YZF-R1 of that year with a “crossplane engine.” It is also known as the CP4 in short for “crossplane four cylinder.” Yes, it has been 15 years already, yet there still exists some confusion on what it actually means.

Not helping to clear the air is Yamaha calling their parallel-twin CP2 (MT-07, Tenere 700, and YZF-R7) and their triple CP3 (MT-09, Tracer/Tracer GT, YZF-R9).

So, let us take a closer look as to what a “crossplane engine” actually means.

Let us start with the “flat plane” engine

The “plane” in the word alludes to the crankshaft’s throws i.e. how the crankpins are arranged. Crankpins are the cylindrical extrusions on a crankshaft where big end of a connecting rod (conrod) is mounted. On the top of this conrod is a smaller end where a piston is attached via a wrist pin. As such, combustion pressure pushes down on the crown (top) of the piston, forcing the piston down. This motion is carried by conrod to push the crankshaft, making the later go around. The rotation of the crankshaft is what gives the engine its torque and power.

Traditionally, inline-four engines have their crankpins arranged in 180° intervals between them. In other words, piston one is up, the piston two is down, the following piston three is also down, and finally the last piston four is up. Seen from one end of the crankshaft, all the crankpins appear one a single plane (axis), hence the engine is known as a “flat plane.”

In accordance to this, the engine’s firing order (the order which a spark is introduced to ignite the fuel/air mixture) is every 180° of crank rotation i.e. 720°/4 cylinders = 180°. Why 720°? That is because a four-stroke engine requires two crankshaft rotations (720°) to complete the four strokes i.e. intake, compression, combustion, exhaust.

To illustrate this: Cylinder one fires, the crank turns 180°, cylinder three fires, the crank turns another 180°, cylinder four fires, and finally, cylinder two fires after another 180°. This is called an even firing order since it is 180°-180°-180°-180°.

With this crankshaft structure all 4 pistons generate the secondary force in the same direction at the same time. 2 pistons move from TDC towards 90° and 2 other pistons move from BDC to 270°. It results in accumulating all the forces, because all forces are directed in one and the same direction. This is the total secondary force of this 180°crankshaft structure.

In other words, the inline-four engine has a lot of vibration but it only feels smooth because the shakes are quelled by a counterbalancer shaft.

Now the “crossplane engine”

The first crossplane crankshat/engine was actually first proposed in 1915, before Cadillac introduced the first crossplane V8 in 1923. V8 engines used flat-plane cranks prior to that.

Now, since we have illustrated the flat-plane crank, the crossplane crank has its crankpins offset by 90°. This means, while crankpin one fully up, crankpin two is 90° away. The last crankpin is 180° from crankpin one, thus crankpin three is 90° away from crankpin four.

This arrangement would give the engine a 90°-90°-90°-90° firing order but(!) it results in a very wild power delivery like the traditional 500cc two-stroke (albeit V4) GP bikes. Mick Doohan called this the “Screamer” engine.

So, to quell that kind of character, the Big Bang firing order was introduced in the 1990 Honda NSR500, which crowded all the four cylinders’ firing order closer together, while leaving the crankshaft to turn the rest of the way without power pulses.

This is especially useful for high-powered motorcycles, because power pulses will disrupt the tyre’s grip. Each power pulse “kicks” the tyre and if the rear tyre starts to lose grip and spin, the power pulses will keep it spinning, hence losing grip. The rider has two choices here: Roll out of the throttle or end up having less acceleration off a corner, and even crash. In today’s world, traction control will interfere to cut the torque to the rear wheel causing the rider to lose acceleration off a corner.

On the other hand, having no power pulse lets the tyre “rest,” allowing it time to grip. Another advantage of this is better tyre life.

Moving forward to the Yamaha R1’s, its inline-four crossplane engine fires at 270°-180°-90°-180°. The firing order has also been changed to 1-3-2-4, instead of the flat-plane’s 1-3-4-2.

We have 4 pistons that are all in a different position from each other. Two pistons are at the beginning of moving downwards, and two pistons are at the beginning of moving upwards.

Piston 1 is at TDC and moves to 90°, while piston 4 is at BDC and moves to 270°. Both these pistons generate a force that is directed upwards (conrod outward movement), but piston 2 is at 270° and moves to TDC, while piston 3 is at 90° and moves to BDC. Both these pistons generate a force that is directed downwards (conrod inward movement).

This means that pistons 1 and 4 are a pair that have a force upwards and pistons 2 and 3 have a force directed downwards. As such, the upward forces are cancelled out by the downward forces. Ultimately, the crossplane crankshaft has no secondary force.

Benefits of the inline-four crossplane engine

With the crossplane crankshaft design, the inertia force (= inertia torque) is reduced to almost zero, apart from a little due to flex and torsion from the crankshaft. So what remains is the ‘pure’ combustion torque. The feeling of the combustion torque is what is meant by throttle feeling. The combustion torque is no longer overruled by the inertia torque with the crossplane crankshaft. This gives the rider the feeling he is directly controlling the rear wheel without any interference, thus improving the ride ability.

In addition to this is the irregular firing order which allows the rear tyre to rest as we mentioned earlier.

This was why Valentino Rossi chose the crossplane engined YZR-M1 when he joined the Yamaha MotoGP team in 2004. To him, it had a smoother throttle response and promoted better rear tyre traction. Remember this was when traction control and certainly aerodynamics were still decades away.

Yamaha then became the first manufacturer to adopt that crankshaft arrangement to a road bike, namely the YZF-R1 in 2009. It continues to be the only inline-four road bike with a crossplane crankshaft.

So, what about CP2 and CP3?

There are two types of parallel-twin crankshaft layouts, initially. Traditionally, the British twins used a 360° layout which the both pistons rose and fall together. Then, it was revised to the 180° twin, which one piston is at TDC while another is at BDC. But the former has a high secondary and primary vibrations, while the latter has high primary vibrations.

So, Yamaha first introduced the TRX850 in 1995 with a parallel-twin engine with a 270° crankshaft, to mimic the firing order of a 90° V-Twin’s.

But somehow, the TRX850 faded away. Not the engine layout, though, because Yamaha revived that format in the MT-07 in 2014, and called it the CP2 (crossplane 2-cylinder).

As for the CP3, as you may have guessed it, it is a three-cylinder engine with a crossplane crankshaft. However, it has to be said that the inline three-cylinder engine is already a crossplane engine, as the crankpins are spaced at 120° to each other rather than being on a flat-plane. It is just a matter of familial continue (and for marketing purposes) that Yamaha calls it the CP3.

So while the CP2 and CP3 are trademarks for Yamaha, the technology is not.

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