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

Suzuki Q1 and Q2 2024 Worldwide Sales Increased

Suzuki Q1 and Q2 2024 worldwide sales has increased, so much so that the maker has adjusted their forecast higher for the entire year.

Suzuki sold 523,000 bikes in Q1 and 499,000 bikes in Q2 this year, compared to 479,000 in Q1 and 494,000 in Q2, 2023. Should the trend continue, Suzuki will see a 4.5 percent increase in revenues, 10.4 percent increase in profits, and 4.9 percent rise in global motorcycle sales.

The manufacturer’s annual sales has been increasing steadily since 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. They had sold 1,535,000 motorcycles that year, 1,634,000 in 2021, 1,859,000 in 2022, and 1,912,000 in 2023. So, the higher projections for FY 2024, given their current performance should see sales above the 2,000,000 mark.

Breaking performance down by region, Asia continues to be the best performer by notching up 1,225,000 sales from 2020-2023. The Asian countries which saw the biggest sales during the same period were India with 557,000 units, China (374,000), and the Philippines (136,000). Other Asian countries contributed 158,000 of sales, altogether.

Suzuki hopes that the new 2024 Suzuki V-Strom 250SX which we reviewed recently will strengthen their sales in the Asian region.

Updated 2025 BMW F 900 XR and 2025 BMW F 900 R Debut

The updated 2025 BMW F 900 R and 2025 BMW F 900 XR have been announced. Both feature lower weight, improved ergonomics, upgraded suspension, and revised aerodynamics. Most of the changes went to the XR sport-tourer variant.

With both variants based on the same F 900 platform, they share several features and components. The different being that the F 900 R is a ‘roadster’ in BMW’s terms a.k.a. naked bike, while the F 900 XR is a sport-tourer, hence the ‘X’ designation.

Highlights

The 895cc, parallel-twin, with 270° cranks is now Euro 5+ compliant but remain unchanged, including its peak power output of 105hp at 8,500 RPM and 93.0Nm of peak torque at 6,500 RPM.
Engine power is channelled through an anti-hopping slipper clutch, but now with the aid of the MSR Engine Drag Torque Control electronic aid to reduce engine braking at while downshifting at higher RPMs.

Both variants receive upgraded 43mm upside down, fully-adjustable forks. However, the R variant has 135mm, and the XR has 170mm of fork travel.
The monoshock at the back of each variant is adjustable for preload and rebound damping only. Owners can opt for the Dynamic ESA suspension.

The wheels are cast aluminium and borrowed from the S 1000 R, reducing 1.8kg on both ends. Lighter wheels means lesser unsprung weight allowing for quicker handling, faster acceleration and deceleration.
Speaking of weight reduction, a new, 800g lighter battery. All in all, there is a 3kg weight reduction for both the 2025 BMW F 900 R and 2025 BMW F 900 XR.

Other revisions include the lights, now featuring turn signals that also function as the brake lights.
The headlight now features Headlight Pro functionality as standard, with additional LEDs that light up inside corners while cornering.

Ergonomics on F 900 R have been revised to provide a sportier riding position. There is an optional sport seat to raise the ride height from 835mm to 860mm. There is also an optional 780mm low seat, which added to an optional low suspension results in a seat height of 760mm.
A for the F 900 XR, the windscreen is reshaped and handguards are fitted as standard. There is an optional 30mm higher windscreen through the Premium Package.

Electronic features include the two standard Road and Rain ride modes. The optional Ride Modes Pro adds Dynamic Mode as part of the Premium Package. Dynamic Traction Control and BMW Motorrad ABS Pro are included as standard, as is Dynamic Brake Control, which improves braking by suppressing any throttle input under deceleration.

Colour options and prices

Base price of the 2025 BMW F 900 R starts from USD8,995 (RM40,187.04), and comes in three colour options called Snapper Rocks Blue Metallic; Style Sport: Racing Blue/Light White (+USD695/RM3,105.06); Triple Black: Black Storm Metallic (+USD235/RM1,049.84).

Base price of the 2025 F 900 XR starts from USD12,370 (RM55,261.97) and is available in Racing Red; Style Sport: Racing Blue/Light White (+USD375/RM1,675.37); or Triple Black: Black Storm Metallic (+USD275/RM1,228.65).

2025 Benelli Tornado 550 Debuts

As far as we know, there are numerous Benelli fans in Malaysia, although we have not seen many new Benellis on the road these days apart from the odd Leoncino. So, will this 2025 Benelli Tornado 550 sportbike be a hit?

The 2025 Tornado 550 is the uprated model after the Tornado 500 prototype was teased at EICMA last year.

As such, it sports a new 554cc parallel-twin, claimed to produce 56hp at 8,250 RPM and 54Nm at 5,400 RPM, and is Euro5+ compliant. So, it is not shared with the Leoncino 500 nor the 502 range. There is of course a six-speed gearbox, but there is no mention of a slipper clutch.

The frame is no other than tubular steel, with yes, none other than Marzocchi forks. These are 41mm and fully adjustable. The monoshock at the back is bolted directly to the swingarm and is adjustable for preload and rebound.

Brakes consist of dual 320mm discs up front, both clamped by four-piston Brembo monobloc calipers (not the usual Benelli-branded ones). Dual channel ABS is standard. Wheels on both ends are 17-inch, made from aluminium alloy. Seat height is a low 790mm. The bike’s weight was not announced, too, but we hope it will be light unlike how hefty other Benellis are.

The bike is equipped with several electronic features including a 5-inch TFT colour screen with smartphone connectivity for navigation, music streaming, and phone call management.

The Benelli Tornado 550 will be available in 2025 in three colour options called Midnight Black, Tech Silver, and Gres White.

2024 Suzuki V-Strom 250SX Test and Review, The Most User-Friendly Dual-Purpose Bike?

So, the motorcycling world has been shifting towards dual-purpose/adventure and sport-touring motorcycles for many seasons now. Say ‘dual-purpose’ and people usually think about those 1000cc and above behemoths such as the GS, Africa Twin, Super Adventure, V-Strom 1050… But, there is a demand for lightweight adventure bikes, as well, hence the 250cc dual-purpose/adventure market is fought over teeth and nails by manufacturers. And this is where the 2024 Suzuki V-Strom 250SX fits in.

The smallest of the V-Strom family is not new, by the way, and it was in fact one of the very first 250cc adventure bikes, known as the DL250 since 2017. However, the updated bike, now wearing the ‘V-Strom’ family name has just arrived in Malaysia.

Features

As with its peers in this segment, it is a simple bike.

The engine is a 248cc, single-cylinder, SOHC, oil-cooled unit which produces 26hp at 9,300 RPM and 22.2Nm at 7,300 RPM. Before we forget, the bike is a certified EEV – Energy Efficient Vehicle.

That power is sent through a six-speed transmission. There is no assist and slipper clutch.
The engine is housed in a tubular steel frame, to which the front telescopic forks and rear monoshock are also mounted.

Brakes are discs front and rear, with ABS as standard.
Steering angle is a relaxed 27º, seat height is 835mm, and kerb weight is 167kg.

Lighting is LED all-around, the instrument panel consists of an LCD screen, and there is a USB charging port at the side of the instrument “tower.”
Speaking of the tower, the windscreen occupies a high position and is unadjustable.

There are several adventure bike features such as hand protectors and a small sump guard.

And that is all, folks.

Riding the 2024 Suzuki V-Strom 250SX

The seat heigh of 835mm is not low but it is not the highest among its rivals, either. Suzuki did a great job of slimming the area where the seat meets the tank, allowing the rider to place a foot on the ground easily. Anyway, just an advice from us, which we learned from Chris Birch, “The biggest mistake among new adventure bike riders is trying to place both feet on the ground at the same time. Putting one foot down is more secure.”

Having ridden other 250cc adventure bikes before, we kind of expected the engine’s torque to be further up the rev range. Instead, the Suzuki pulled away briskly when the clutch was released.

It turned out to be a good thing because it made short work of riding through heavy traffic. We took the bike off-road and that low-down torque made the bike easy to manage, too. All we needed to do was open the throttle slightly and modulate the clutch. Easy.

While it makes a “mere” 26hp, we found that it was more than sufficient while cruising at 120-130km/h on highways. If you are looking for high top speeds from this bike, you are missing the point.

Road handling is good, just like other Suzukis, but the bike turned in a little slower, before plopping on its side. We attributed that to the MRF tyres. These tyres offer some good grip on dry roads and light off-road trails, but they are super slippery in the wet. The first to go was the front as it tries to slide underneath. So, to overcome this, we pushed the bike down on wet roads and leaned to the inside when it was dry.

But the true revelation of the Suzuki V-Strom 250SX is the suspension. It was supple yet held its own when hitting bumps and potholes. In fact, we had to confirm it by purposely riding over bumpy roads and through potholes. We even jumped over speed bumps. Sorry, Suzuki Malaysia.

Mated to superbly padded seats and you have a bike that made riding around in KL an easy and comfortable affair. Riding it felt like a bigger bike but with lower weight and easier handling.

The icing on the cake was the fuel frugal engine. We averaged 31km/litre consistently despite riding the bike between 110-130km/h.

Build quality

The bike’s build quality was superb: Flush fitting panels, even paint, and there was no wayward cables and wires when you took down past the top triple clamp. Even the undersides of luggage rack was smooth to the touch.

Pricing

It is actually hard to believe that the 2024 Suzuki V-Strom 250SX is priced at only RM17,800, while all its rivals are above RM20,000. You get a lot of value given its quality, engine, suspension, comfort, and looks.

Conclusion

Truth is, if you want an user-friendly beginning adventure bike, or a lightweight adventure bike for the daily commute, this is it. Beginners can use the V-Strom 250SX to learn the intricacies of off-road riding, while veteran riders can look forward to a jump they can jump on and ride away.

In closing, it is a great buy. Just make ours in Champion Yellow No. 2.

Photo gallery

Yamaha did Make V4 Grand Prix Engines Previously

Yamaha announced several months ago that they will be trying out a new V4 engine in MotoGP next year. It is the first time that the manufacturer will be fielding the configuration since MotoGP first signalled the start of four-stroke engines in 2002. However, it is not the first Yamaha V4 Grand Prix engine.

Just like what is happening now since Fabio Quartararo’s rider’s title in 2021, Yamaha’s GP efforts had lost their way in the early 1980s. The maker had won three world 500cc titles on the trot in 1978, 1979, and 1980 with ‘King’ Kenny Roberts onboard the Yamaha YZR500 OW48 inline-four two-stroke machine, but Suzuki had been close especially in 1980 with their rotary valved square four RG500.

So, Yamaha built their own rotary valved square four engine for the 1981 season, dubbed the OW60. But Suzuki improved their bike further and caused Roberts to finish third overall behind Suzuki riders Marco Lucchinelli and Randy Mamola.

Yamaha decided to take another route for 1982, this time with the OW61 V4. However, Roberts found it difficult to ride and he dropped to fifth in the championship. Legend has it that the OW61 was so bad that Yamaha’s race chief Mike Maekawa personally dumped the bikes into the crusher at the end of the season.

The factory introduced an improved OW70 V4 for 1983 and Roberts so nearly won his fourth title that year, only to lose by a mere 2 points to Freddie Spencer on the sweeter handling Honda NS500 V3.

“The Yamaha OW70 was the first GP bike to utilise Öhlins suspension.”

Frustrated, Roberts decided to retire but it was too soon because in 1984, Eddie Lawson was crowned champion on the new OW76, becoming the first V4 champion. Lawson would repeat the feat in 1986 and 1988.

Thus it became apparent to other makers that the V4 configuration is the best bet for power and chassis performance. Honda, Suzuki, Cagiva soon built their own V4 machines. This continued until the 500cc two-strokes were replaced by 990cc four-strokes in 2002.

Hence, if Roberts’ era was the war between Yamaha and Suzuki, Lawson’s era started the epic Honda vs. Yamaha war in 500cc GP. Freddie Spencer (Honda – 1985), Lawson (Yamaha – 1986, 1988, Honda – 1989), Wayne Gardner (Honda – 1987).

Come 1990, it was another American rider who would go on to be a GP legend on the Yamaha V4 GP bike: Wayne Rainey. He would win the title in 1990, 1991, and 1992 while battling his Suzuki arch rival, Kevin Schwantz on the Suzuki.

Rainey was on his way to his fourth consecutive title in 1993 but a crash at Misano caused him to be paralysed from the chest down.

Schwantz would take his only 500cc GP title that year.

“1993 was also the end of the Yamaha V4’s winning streak and they would not win another 500cc two-stroke title.”

The subsequent years from 1994 to 2001 saw Honda’s dominance of the championship with Mick Doohan (1994-1998), Alex Criville (1999), Valentino Rossi (who won 11 races in 2001). The only year when a Honda rider did not win the championship was in 2000 when Kenny Roberts, Jr. won on a Suzuki ).

“Yamaha’s next championship title would only materialise in 2004 when Valentino Rossi switched over from Honda.”

However, Yamaha had gone the inline-four route in MotoGP since the beginning in 2002, perhaps because they worked off the YZF-R1’s engine as the base. The R1 ruled the 1000cc superbike sales during the time, anyway, so Yamaha may have wanted to tie in the R1 to the YZR-M1 racebike.

They are the last manufacturer to switch to a V4 in MotoGP after Suzuki left the championship, amongst their rivals Ducati, Aprilia, KTM, and Honda who run V4 bikes. In any case, Yamaha has said that the performance of new V4 engine will be compared against the inline-four, and will only complete the changeover should the new engine perform better.

Let us see if the new engine will debut in the Winter Tests.

Tyre Review: Michelin Power 6 – Predictable In The Wet & Dry

Michelin Malaysia expanded its motorcycle tyre line-up with the introduction of the Power 6 earlier this year. The Power 6 is the successor to the Power 5 and in terms of line-up, it sits above Michelin’s Road 6 sports touring tyre, and just below the Power GP2.

The Power 6 has been developed using knowledge derived from MotoGP. It utilises a new carcass construction as well as silica rubber that maximises long-term durability and grip in all conditions.

As for the compound of the tyre, the Power 6 is made of dual compound material – soft on the outside and hard in the middle. This is said to improve cornering grip while also improving long durability.

The Power 6 is a road tyre and hence a lot of its construction material is focused on that. According to Michelin, the Power 6 is designed for 10% track use and 90% road use. But despite that, some reviews suggest that the new tyre does pretty well on track as well.

What bikes is it suitable for?

When Michelin Malaysia introduced the tyre back in April, the company said the tyre is suitable for bikes above 600cc. However, according to the official press release on the company’s global media site, the Power 6 is suitable for motorcycles over 300cc, and has already been homologated on the 2024 KTM 390 Duke.

What is it like?
Michelin Malaysia handed us a pair for review about two months ago. We fitted it onto a Aprilia Shiver belonging to a member of our team.

The 10 year bike previously ran on Michelin Power GT at the rear and a Power Cup 2 on the front. According to owner Raimi, this set up gave him the confidence to attack corners.

Raimi is not exactly a power rider in the usual sense, he rides about 200km per weekend and describes himself as a leisure rider.

After two months and 2000km of corner carving fun, and having ridden the bike in fair and rainy weather, Raimi came back with a glowing report.

He said that it has good wet weather grip, and it performs in the wet just as Michelin describes it. He was initially concerned that the hard compound of the mid-section may result in some squirms or slides, but there was none of that.

In the dry, he said the bike feels more ‘flickable’, with sharper cornering characteristics and more predictable grip than his previous tyre choice.

However, he mentions that some tend to mistake the tyre for the Road 6, so Michelin’s idea of having the Power 6 branding embosses onto the tyre was a good idea.