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Red Bull Malaysia Sponsors PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Racing Teams

Red Bull Malaysia sponsors the three PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Racing teams in the PETRONAS MAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship.

The three teams involved are PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha 31 Racing, PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha CKJ, and PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Maju Motor. All three racing teams competed in Round 3 of the prestigious PETRONAS MAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship 2024 from 1st to 2nd of June at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit.

“At Red Bull, we are not just about energising the body, but also igniting the spirit of every individual who dares to push the boundaries of possibilities. This partnership with the PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Racing Teams represents more than just a fusion of logos; it represents a shared commitment to excellence, innovation, and the fiery spirit of competition,” said Andy Lee, Co-Country Director of TCP Red Bull Malaysia.

Here is a look at each team’s background:

PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha 31 Racing Team

Driven by three pillars – RIDE. RACE. LEAD. – the team aims to be one of the best racing teams not only in Asia, but also globally. Since their inception, the racing team strives to conquer races as champions of bringing the trophy home, embracing all communities, wellbeing, and competing with pride. PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha 31 Racing Team has received numerous accolades over 28 years of motorcycle racing, including the Overall Wira KBS Category Championship titles in the PETRONAS MAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship for four consecutive years.

PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha CKJ Racing Team

The team believes in always being ahead, never looking back. Comprising a squad of young talented riders, such as Afif Amran and Akid Aziz, who have clinched numerous Overall Champion titles at the PETRONAS MAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championships, the racing team remains steadfast in their mission to fuel sportsmanship and ignite team camaraderie on the track.

PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Maju Motor Racing Team

Established in 1997 by former rider Yong Ying Hoe, is driven with a purpose of attaining exceptional outcomes. The racing team guards the record for the most significant number of championships clinched in the PETRONAS MAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship. With 5 competing riders this championship season, PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Maju Racing Team aims to leave a lasting impact on each track they compete on.

Special contest commemorating the partnership

As part of the partnership, Red Bull will soon be running a contest, offering two lucky winners a chance to each own a limited-edition Yamaha Y15ZR motorcycle exclusively signed by selected riders from the three PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Racing Teams. Stay tuned for more details by following Red Bull’s Instagram and Facebook pages or visiting the official website.

Red Bull Energy Sparkling launched

To commemorate this exhilarating new chapter, Red Bull introduced a new beverage series – Red Bull Energy Sparkling, perfect for young, active individuals seeking a light, invigorating energy boost.

Available in 250ml cans, the new series offers a delightfully fruity aroma, refreshing taste, is sugar-free, and comes in two exciting flavours: Pomelo and Apple & Muscat Grape. The Red Bull Energy Sparkling series will be available from RM3.10/can at major supermarkets and convenience stores.

2024 Vespa 946 Dragon Arrives in Malaysia

The 2024 Vespa 946 Dragon was previewed as part of the celebration for Italy’s 78th National Day.

It combines the iconic, legendary, avant-garde, and an ancient tradition in this one limited-edition motorcycle, featuring several exclusive accessories such as a windscreen, matching rear bag and saddle material.

“We are truly honoured to be able to pay a part for the annual Italian Day in Malaysia and this year, we managed to preview the limited edition 946 Dragon. The 946 is truly an Italian art piece from the iconic Vespa range,” mentioned Mr. Rewi Hamid Bugo, Chairman Didi Group.

The Vespa 946 Dragon made its debut as a dedication to the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Hong Kong, on 24 January 2024.

As a collector’s edition, the Vespa 946 is reimagined in a golden hue, emblazoned with a vibrant emerald green dragon motif that swirlds around the livery, embodying the fierce spirit of the scooter. There are only 1888 units available worldwide.

Other components such as the rims, handlebars and saddle are crafted with luxurious finishes in alternating and gloss satin gold.

The 2024 Vespa 946 Dragon is not all style, but is also the most advanced Vespa. The 150cc single-cylinder engine has electronic fuel injection, besides ABS and traction control as standard features. The lighting is LED all around, while the LCD dashboard presents pertinent riding data. The steel monocoque frame is combined with aluminium components, ensuring a lightweight yet strong and durable combination.

It is available at Motoplex Petaling Jaya, Motoplex Sungai Buloh, Motoplex Butterworth, and Motorplex Johor Bahru from RM 103,888.

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Confirmed: Jorge Martin goes to Aprilia in 2025

So, it is now official after weeks and weeks of speculation that has driven MotoGP fans into a frenzy and some even to exasperation: Jorge Martin goes to Aprilia in 2025.

The saga became all too intriguing since 7-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez’s move to Gresini Ducati for the 2024 season, and has since been tipped to join the factory Ducati team, replacing Enea Bastianini as the teammate to two-time and defending champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia.

It of course drew much back talk from Martin, who had challenged Pecco for the championship throughout 2023, and is currently leading this year’s championship. Martin rightly feels that he deserves that spot on account of that performance.

Ducati now had a problem: They have three other great riders who were vying for the coveted factory seat, probably giving their bosses sleepless nights. As such, the manufacturer seemed to have stalled making a decision. It was not silly season yet, anyway.

The saga heated up further when Martin publicly stated (read: threatened) that either he gets the factory seat or he leaves Ducati altogether. There were reports that he had spoken to KTM, Aprilia, and even Yamaha since.

Ducati was now forced into a corner. And they have to settle this issue quickly to rid themselves of this kind of distraction so early in the season.

A few hours before Martin’s official announcement, Autosport had published news that, although unconfirmed at the time, that Marquez has been picked as Bagania’s teammate, therefore leaving Martin to dry in the wind. La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Ducati management, Marquez, and Martin had a closed-door meeting on Thursday, in which Marquez was asked to move up to the Pramac team. However, Marquez told them “Pramac is not an option for me,” with “an extremely serious face.”

Again, that news was unconfirmed, then this bombshell that Jorge Martin will be in Aprilia next year.

There is no official news from Ducati regarding Marquez’s fate yet. Bastianini, on the other hand, was also reported to have spoken to KTM, Aprilia, and Yamaha (no one wants to go to Honda, eh).

Martin many not be a great choice as Bagnaia’s teammate, nor a good fit in the Italian team given his propensity in making bombastic statements. MotoGP is not like the days of Wayne Rainey and John Kocinski who berated Yamaha openly. Everyone has to toe the politically-correct company line these days.

As for Marquez, he had shown his immense talent by fighting at the front end of the field, despite riding the Desmosedici GP23 which is some 1.5 seconds slower than the GP24. He is also extremely marketable and has companies dying to sponsor him. As such, it will be foolhardy for Ducati to lose him to another manufacturer.

CFMoto 675 SR Aspar Special Edition Concept Revealed

There is much excitement surrounding the inevitable launch of the CFMoto 675 SR, including its inline-four engine. The Chinese manufacturer seems to be excited themselves, too, going as far as revealing this CFMoto 675 SR Aspar Special Edition Concept.

The bike has not been released, but this is a race edition which pays homage to Jorge Aspar Martinez. CFMoto’s Moto2 and Moto3 campaign in MotoGP are run by the Aspar team. They are enjoying their best season since arriving in 2022, with David Alonso winning four out of six Moto3 races and is currently leading the championship by 14 points.

Back to the CFMoto 675 SR Aspar Special Edition, it wears the number 5 made famous by Aspar when he raced in 80cc and 125cc world championships. The colour scheme of blue, white, and black colours also reflects the Aspar team’s.

Apart from the colour, the bike features several racing accoutrements such as large winglets, rear spoilers, brake cooling ducts, billet aluminium footpegs, billet clip-on handlebars.

The concept was revealed at the opening of CFMoto’s global racing and training academy at the Aspar Circuit in Valencia, Spain. The academy provides riders and mechanics training and links to the Spanish Championship to the MotoGP World Championship.

Brembo GP4-MotoGP Caliper Wins Red Dot Award

The new Brembo GP4-MotoGP caliper has won the Red Dot Award for Design.

This new front brake caliper had just been launched in November 2023. Closely resembling the actual caliper used in MotoGP and WSBK, it is actually meant for sporting use and road riders who want the ultimate in braking performance.

So, what is different about this caliper, you ask?

Let us start with the oblique pad abutments that adds stiffness to the caliper, which is already machined from a solid piece of aluminium alloy (hence, monobloc). Doing so also adds to stopping power since the body of the caliper does not flex. Furthermore, it gives the rider much better feel at the lever, especially great when you are trail-braking into a corner.

Brembo also plated the four pistons with nickel to allow for better action. These pistons are designed to pull the brake pads off the disc’s face to reduce friction when there is no braking pressure. As such, the pads last longer and there is less parasitic power loss.

The fins you see at the front of the caliper, facing the inside, are as what they appear to be: cooling fins, just like on your air-cooled motorcycle engine. This is the distinguishing feature of the “civilian version” of the Brembo GP4-MotoGP compared to the its MotoGP and WSBK counterpart, as the racing version has fins at the back of the caliper, too.

Do we really need these for the road or odd trackday? Who cares! We WANT them!

63 Summons Issued, 6 Motorcycles Confiscated at SUKE

A total of 63 summons were issue to 53 motorcyclists, while 6 motorcycles were confiscated in an operation on the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE) yesterday morning.

A total of 63 summonses were issued to the 53 riders, while the majority of seized vehicles involved those ridden by foreigners.

Ampang Jaya District Deputy Chief of Police, Superintendent Nazruel Ekram Abu Saare, said the operation started at 7.30 in the morning by a team from the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Division (BSPT) of the Ampang Jaya District Police Headquarters (IPD) on the motorcycle route.

“The motorcycle operation is aimed at weeding out road users who do not comply with traffic rules.

“The summons thatwere issued involved common offences including no driving licence, expired road tax, registration number not in accordance with specifications, no side mirror, and modified exhaust,” he said.

Nazruel said, his party also seized six Yamaha Legenda, Yamaha Y15ZR, Yamaha 135LC, and a Honda Wave.

He said, action was taken in accordance with Section 64(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 and Section 6(4) of the same act.

“Of the total of confiscated motorcycles, five were ridden by foreigners and the other one was ridden by a local due to the offence of modifying the exhaust.

“Motorcyclists are the major contributors to accident statistics every day, therefore it is advised that all motorcycle users in particular comply with the rules set for example wearing a helmet properly and certified by the Malaysian Industrial Research and Standards Institute (SIRIM Berhad),” he said.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: The authorities often overlook helmets with the approval of the ECE/UN R22 standard, although the authorities were the ones who approved the importation and sale. We have posted an article on this issue before but we will post it again to avoid confusion.

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Here is a look at each team’s background:

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