Over the weekend Kawasaki Motors
Malaysia had launched its first ever flag-ship CKD concept shop called the Ninja Shop in Malaysia.
Located in Taman Sri Serdang, the Ninja shop by Serdang Motocycle will feature all Kawasaki only bikes and also a Kawasaki exclusive Service Centre for its customer’s aftersales requirement.
“I believe that this opportunity will definitely bring up Kawasaki to a new level as a premium brand,” said Takeshi Asano, executive officer and GM for Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Motorcycle and engine, Marketing and Sales division.
Close to 230 Kawasaki owners came to support the 7th Kawasaki Motors Malaysia Anual Blood Donation Campaign at the AEON Bukit Tinggi Shopping Centre last saturday 11th of April. (more…)
Here’s a cool fact about the new Kawasaki Vulcan S, it can be “adjusted” to fit you. Yes it is true, the foot pegs, handle bars and seat can be adjusted to fit your physique. It is also a particularly low bike, which means just about anyone can ride it. (more…)
Good news for Kawasaki owners, potential or current ones as Kawasaki Motors Malaysia (KMM) had just signed an MOU with insurance company, Tokio Marine for the first ever bike company backed road side assistance service.
The program, Kawasaki RoadAssist will be able to aid riders to get back on the road from simple inconveniences such as aflat tyre, ran out of fuel or flat battery to major problems such as mechanical failures or even an accident.
According to KMM Director and GM, Jeffrey Lim, the service will be available to the rider or whoever is riding the covered bike, 24hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year in West Malaysia and certain parts of Sabah and Sarawak.
“All the rider needs to do is call the Kawasaki RoadAssist toll free number and the situation will be assessed and assistance is dispatched to the rider immediately,” explained Jeffrey.
The program is targeted to start on the 20th of April and interested owners can get more information about it at any Kawasaki authorised dealers.
A friend recently told me the wife or the Ministry of Finance as he fondly calls her said he can finally trade up his 250cc bike, thats the good news.
However since he has been riding for at least two years he is in a conundrum as he cant decide on what bike to go for since the bike have to cater to three types of riding that he plans to do.
It has to be practical enough to replace a car to go to work (once in a while if not everyday) like his Ninja and at the same time comfortable enough for some long distance riding. Many can easily fill those points however the last bit is the hardest to fit which is the bike has to be fast enough and fun for track days.
After looking at a long list of bikes available now in Malaysia, it seems that Kawasaki holds the answer to his salvation, it’s the big brother to his Ninja 250, in the form of the Ninja Z1000 SX.
This bike have been in the market for slightly over one year but still not many on the road as most riders go for the more touring centric GTR, another good bike and easily fill his first two criteria but a bit too bulky for trackdays.
Starting with the heart of the machine, the Ninja 1000 comes with a tweaked 1043cc liquid cooled in-line four, the same one in the Z1000 even down to the nice and easy 6-speed multi wet clutch transmission.
It makes the same 138hp and usable power comes as low as 3500rpm and spreads out all the way to redline. Silky smooth, very linear power delivery and quite rev happy, the perfect storm some would say.
While the whole bike weights about 230kg, it does not feel so as the almost straight up sitting position and low centre of gravity makes the Ninja 1000 feels nimble and easy to manoeuvre instead. Without the panniers you can easily navigate the busy city streets and commute to work on it if you want to.
But even with the panniers on, its still very manageable as the pannier system was designed along with the bike and it sits very close between the bike centre line and handle bar. And with some bikes thats designed with panniers, they look a bit silly and naked without the cargo boxes off, the Ninja 1000 look good with or without its panniers, not the best looking but smart enough to get a second glance from others.
And the upright sitting position not only helps while riding in traffic but also perfect for those long-distance travel. The moderately low seat is plush and supportive, which is the opposite of the Z1000. The passenger seat though looks more like an ornament, ok for short stints but not more than 20 minutes before she starts complaining.
The large fuel tank takes 19litres and on touring mode this bike was frugal enough that I didn’t even worry so much about where to find fuel and just enjoy the ride. Wind coverage is good for a sports tourer thanks to the adjustable windscreen and body cowling.
Get to the track and all you need to do is go to the sports mode on the engine and lower down the windscreen to the lowest setting and off you go, even at that setting there is still enough room for you to tuck in behind the screen.
The grippy brakes makes slowing down and stopping quick, easy and drama free while the adjustable suspension, monoshock on the rear and usd fork upfront makes the bike adaptable to different riding style and weight though with a bit of tweaking around.
All in all if you are hoping to get something that could do the same like my friend wanted here then the Ninja 1000 is probably your best bet.
Engine: Liquid-cooled, in-line 4cyl, DOHC, 16v, 1,043cc
Transmission: 6-speed return
Power: 138hp @ 7,000rpm
Bore/Stroke: 77.0 x 56.0
Price: RM82,900 – RM87,900 ( with or without the panniers respectively)
Like you (or its just us), we writers will scour magazines, books and the net to find information, loads of information and sometimes we stumble on interesting things.
I was doing some research for a future biking trip which will involve some camping when I came up to this hilarious video which is titled “Which dual sport motorcycle is right for you?”.
Basically the video shows a guy kicking his Kawasaki KLR hard enough to the point that it tips over and fall on its side. He then go on and explains that one of the main criteria to choosing a DP bike is the kick test (he has a special name for it which is too long) where you know you got the right bike when the kick wont feel as painful, comparing dropping his bike to as to dropping something like a Ducati or BMW.
Technically I agree on his drop test but not because one bike is cheaper than the other but more so that it might survive the fall in better shape or with less damage.
And it does not also imply that the Ducati Multistrada or BMW GS is not going to survive a simple drop but generally the KLR might come out in better shape because it’s lighter thus having less inertia when it hits the ground.
While there are other points to add to the tick list for the DP that is right for you, like big fuel capacity, comfortable seat, heavy carrying capability and such. The drop test survivability or how tough the bike is could be the most important as it might mean the difference between still being able to ride your bike out or walking out of the wilderness after a drop.
So there you go, watch the video and cringe at how the guy nonchalantly kicks his bike. I wont have the heart to do it to my bike, even if its as tough as a tank.
What else would you consider as must have for your DP?
Its been a testing year for Malaysians and bikers with the famous Karak fiery crash, downed planes and missing ones, natural disasters which we are still suffering from. (more…)
Over the weekend about 30 Kawasaki bike owners joined the Kawasaki Motors Malaysia (KMM) 2014 CBU ride. (more…)
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