SHAH ALAM: BMW Group Malaysia aims to sell at least 300 premium motorcycles this year with the launch of two new models yesterday. Speaking to reporters after the launch of the BMW K1600GT and BMW K1600GTL at their showroom in Glenmarie, group managing director Geoffery Briscoe said the Motorrad division saw double digit growth for the past few years. "We consistently record 20-35 per cent growth each year. Last year, we sold 281 bikes. In the first three months of this year, we have already sold 74 bikes, so we are confident that we will exceed 300 bikes this year," he said. Briscoe said that the encouraging sales figure was an indication of the strong state of the economy. He added that motorcycle sales in the country corresponded closely to their car sales. Priced at RM158,000 and RM168,000 respectively OTR without insurance, the K1600GT and K1600 GTL are the first BMW bikes to have six cylinders. "We have a long heritage of six-cylinder engines which are common in our cars and which goes back to the days when we built airplanes. Over the years we have refined this and are now offering this in our motorcycles," said Briscoe. BMW are touting the flagship models as super tourers. Both bikes have a capacity of 1649cc and produce 160hp with 175Nm of torque. Cruise control, Xenon headlamps and an onboard computer come as standard. The K1600GTL - which is the higher specced luxury model has a host of additional extras including a top carrier and passenger backrest. BMW Motorrad manager Fazli Hisham Shukor said 70 per cent of their allocation of both models for the year had already been sold. "We were given an allocation of 20 units of the GT and GTL model for this year, and most of this has been prebooked by loyal BMW Motorrad customers. About 60 per cent opted for the GTL model," he said.

I always thought the big GS was too big. I remember thinking to myself - when Long Way Round was first released - why in heavens name would those two actor-cum explorers Ewan McGregor and Charlier Boorman use such a big, heavy bike to circle the world on? I mean - it's all find and dandy if your'e making a trip travelling across America, Europe or even in Malaysia - where there are great expanses of highways to ride on. If you want to circle the globe though, you might want something lighter - because there are many parts of the world where the roads are unpaved, and shouldn't even be called roads at all. Now, I know there are many GS fanatics out there who are going to run me down when I say this - but I think the R1200GS is a bit overweight. I know, I know - Nigella Lawson is overweight too, but she's still sexy, and so is the R1200GS - especially the Triple Black. But if you bought the GS to be a world traveller, then I have a niggling feeling you will find yourself bogged down somewhere in mud in Laos, wishing you had set out on an agile 650cc bike with a wet weight of 180kg, instead of 229kg . Or maybe you would find yourself wrestling the behemoth on the Khyber Pass, where a single mistake would mean taking a plunge down a 300 meter ravine.

At this point, you would think that a lighter, smaller bike - would be most ideal. In the world of sports touring bikes or cruisers - where bikes routinely tip in at more than 250kg, you would probably think that 229kg is very light. But these bikes never leave the tarmac. When you go offroad, that kind of weight is not easy to handle. There are many compelling reasons why the GS is not the bike to take around the world. But having spent a week with a new R1200 GS Triple Black, I can understand why many people swear that it is one of the best, if not the best world traveller out there. For travelling around Malaysia, or any other country with road systems similar to our country, this bike is simply perfect. For starters, the bike has one of the best engines out there. That 1200 cc boxer is the result of year after year of real life development. In it's present incarnation, it produces 110 hp, and a head redesign has increased maximum engine speed by 500 rpm to 8,500 rpm. For sport bike riders, 110hp might not seem like much. But this is an engine that can generate usable torque from very low down in the rev range.

 While riding the bike up Cameron Highlands, I could easily leave it in the higher gears, casually overtaking slower cars on the windy route. Try that on a four cylinder sportsbike, and you would have to downshift and spool the engine up before attempting the overtake. The new flat-twin power units in the R 1200 GS motorcycle models are similar to the power unit in the BMW HP2 Sport and come with two overhead, chain-driven camshafts (DOHC) per cylinder. The suspension and frame on the GS are also extraordinary. This is a do-it-all bike. It can carve fast, predictable lines on the highway, and at the same time turn on a dime on the trunk routes. This is a bike that has been categorised as a "Grand Touring Enduro" motorcycle. Yet, I was astounded by how easy it was to bank the GS on the Ringlet to Tanah Rata stretch on the way up Cameron Highlands. While the bike is tall and may look imposing to some riders of smaller stature, it is suprisingly light handling once on the move. While it is not as nimble as a KTM Adventure, I find that the bike has a good compromise between performance and comfort. Having spent the night in Cameron Highlands, I left for KL the next day. Arriving in time for lunch, the ride back through Tapah felt more like a leasurely stroll rather than a long distance journey.

I have a feeling that I could easily clock in 700 to 800 km a day on this bike on trunk roads without getting too tired. The light handling nature of the bike and the plush seat combine to make it really easy and comfortable to ride. So yes, if your'e thinking of making a journey around the world - the GS is about the best thing there is to embark upon that journey on. If you're wondering what differences the Triple Black has compared to the standard GS - the Triple black has black cross-spoke wheels, a blacked out engine and fork. The swingarm, rear frame and valve covers are painted Asphalt Grey Metallic. And of course, the seat has a GS embroidered in it. I must say that the 'dark' treatment has improved the looks of the GS tremendously. One drawback to world travellers and Paris-Dakar derived adventure bikes is that they are often lacking in the looks department. Now you can travel around the world, and look good at the same time. Brilliant.

p/s. You may have noticed there is a girl standing next to the bike.

Her name is Farah Wahidah Azli, she's a student and she's one of the talents from ETMA models.

Over the years, I have found that there are many things in life which are best when they are naked. Interestingly though, this is not the case when it comes to the Z1000. While it is a gem of a bike, I have always thought that the huge amount of power available from that modern in-line four was not properly matched to the skimpy windshield that acted as wind protection. The bike is so competent that you could ride it the whole day at 150 km/h. The only drawback is the windblast.
That's probably why you see many Z1000 riders opting for bigger aftermarket windshields. I guess Kawasaki eventually picked up on that need. Late last year, they introduced the Z1000SX. It's basically a Z1000 with a fairing. SX is not an abbreviation like that used in our local movie ratings. Apparently the "S" stands for Special, and the "X" stands for Extra. Combined, this would make the bike "Extra Special".

Acronyms aside, this bike is a pretty nifty all rounder. It is actually being marketed as an all new category of sports tourer that sits somewhere between the ZX10R and the naked Z1000. It's an aside for sports riders who have become disenchanted with the sadomachoistic ways of the supersports. Wearing full leathers and trying too hard to ride like Rossi does get tiring after a while.
My first impression of the bike was that it had all the best features of the Z1000 'plus a little extra'.
The engine is silky smooth. Handling is quick, precise, predictable and easy. The bike always feels planted, even under heavy braking. The brakes are powerful and predictable. A gentle tug with the tip of your fingers brings the speed down quickly.
When I first took a look at the Z1000SX, I thought the 'stacked' look of the fairing looked a bit odd. But the looks do grow on you. After a few days of riding, I thought the bike looked quite nice.

The screen can be adjusted on any one of 3 settings, and at speed - on the taller screen settings, the S1000SX is relatively quiet and comfortable with the wind being directed over and around you. Add the thickly padded seat which give all-day comfort, and you get a bike that can cover huge distances with ease.
Despite the touring amenities, the bike has more of a sporty feel to it than a touring one. Just like the Z1000, the Z1000SX is the culmination of years of rigourous engineering improvement. Beginning from the Z1, which was first introduced in 1972, Kawasaki has continuosly improved its Z bike until it has reached the fantastic level of development which it is at now.
My only complaint is that while it produces a respectable 143hp, the z1000sx felt a little tame and civilised. Perhaps it's because the brakes are so hugely powerful and the chassis is so capable.
I rode a 1993 Zephyr 1100 just a few days after the Z1000sx, and was shocked at how much nearly two decades of development changes things.

Acceleration on the Zephyr is mild compared to the Z1000sx. However, the real shock comes when you try to brake at speed and realise you can't. The brakes on the Zephyr are almost non-existent compared to the brutal stoppers on the Z1000sx.

The ER-6n is becoming a familiar sight on Malaysian roads. It's a pretty good bike in standard trim. This AVA MC Turbo from Sweden on the other hand, is an ER-6n that's been put on steroids. There is a KKK K03 turbocharger with integrated wastegate hooked up to the engine. Fuelling has been improved with the addition of bigger injectors and a Power Commander. The bike churns out 112hp at the rear wheel with 0.7 bar of boost pressure. Engine compression has been lowered from 11.3:1 to 8.2:1 to keep the engine from blowing itself to bits. The camshaft has been adjusted to suit the turbo, but otherwise, the engine remains original. Pictures are from AVA MC.

I was reading through some Thai biking magazines when I came through this article on a Ninja 250r done up by customising company Bikers from Thailand. The bike is amazing. All the bits - which include the footrest, passenger footrest, sliders, chain cover and reservoir cover have been CNC machined. The results speak for themselves. The usually plain Ninja 250r looks really good wearing all the jewellry. The anodised items lend a high tech look to the bike which kind of reminds you of one of those smaller robots in the new Transformers movie.

 Unfortunately for the company, they chose a real generic name to brand themselves. 'Bikers' is not a very good name to brand yourself in the age of Google searches. Searching for 'Ninja 250r Bikers' can bring up a lot of other unrelated stuff. The motto 'Smart and Strong' is also kind of lame. When it comes to machining however, their work is extraordinary. You can look at the bikes at www.bikers.co.th. All images are taken from the site.

KTM had a swanky launch party to celebrate the launch of two new locally assembled KTM models on Tuesday.
The Duke 690 retails at RM44,800 OTR while the Duke 690R retails for RM48,915 OTR.
If your'e wondering how much different that is from the CBU price - you will save RM10,272 on the Duke and RM10,262 on the Duke R. That's a 18.6 per cent price reduction for the Duke and a 17.3 per cent reduction for the Duke R.
Bravo KTM. Pretty good move. There's a lot of young riders who would love to own one of your bikes, so work hard to push down that price further.

The thing about superbikes is that - while they can beat anything on the open road - a lot of times, they're pretty hard to ride everyday.
Yeah, sure - you got nearly 200 bhps at the rear wheel, but when you're stuck in KL on Jalan Raja Laut with a few inches to squeeze between a bus and one of those ugly overpriced SUVs, those horsies are worth nothing. If your'e riding a supersports, after a few minutes of crouching, you will start feeling the strain of resting your body weight on your wrists. Even if you own one of those adventure bikes, you won't be able to squeeze in those tiny spaces like kapcais do in Malaysian gridlocks. There is a reason why kapcais are so ubiquitos in South East Asian countries like Malaysia. They are probably the best transport solution ever for these places. But the problem with kapcais is - while they are cheap and reliable to run, they are just plain bland. Almost all of them look the same. That's exactly why the Momos MadAss 125 can carve a niche for itself. This little nipper has a lot of character.
From it's geniusly simple frame which contains the bike's fuel tank, to it's stacked projector beam headlights and oddly suspended exhaust - the MadAss is as uncoventional as it's name suggests. At first glance, it looks as if the designers had taken the motorcycle making handbook and flushed it down the toilet, then decided to develop the first, wackiest thing that came to mind.
The bike weighs in at a whisker under 100kg. The light weight and frugal 119.7cc 4-stroke Single motor equates to amazing fuel economy. A 100km trip on the MadAss will cost you RM4.60, which means you could ride from KL to Thailand and all the way back with RM50, and still have a enough fuel to putter around KL for a few days.
I took it for a spin a while back when it first came out. It's very light and nimble to ride, and with 16-inch wheels - is pretty comfortable to ride. In some ways, it does feel almost like a motorised mountain bike. But it's a full size motorcycle, and makes perfect sense for puttering around town. The best thing about the bike is it's solid, high quality construction. It feels well put together, and at RM5800 OTR, is good value for money.

About five minutes after picking up the S1000rr, I made a conclusion that should have embarrassed my journalistic sensibilities. I had barely covered a few kilometres on it, but in that time I had already concluded that the S1000rr was the best bike I had ever ridden. It wasn't something I had expected. You see, I had always been a cynic about BMW's venture into making sportsbikes - and was always skeptical that the German firm would ever come close to rivalling the superb Japanese bikes in production today. When the early press photos of the S1000rr came out - I was even more convinced that this bike was taking the firm nowhere. In pictures, the bike looked odd - why put M3 grills on just ONE side of the fairing? And the lights - they were just plain bizzare. Surely BMW should just build on their adventure-touring pedigree- rather than going the pure sportsbike route. But when I looked at the S1000rr for the first time in real life at the BMW HQ in Cyberjaya, I suddenly realised what the designers where gunning for. The bike looked good. The design probably won't age as  well as say - the Ducati 916, but the S1000rr is already an original. Perhaps one day, it will even become a cult classic.

The first thing you realise about the bike when you sit on it, is how compact it is. It's probably the smallest BMW in recent times. It is also relatively light. It weighs in at 207 kgs. However, this is not actually svelte by sportsbikes standards. Kawasaki's ZX10 for example, is just 196kg, with a similar engine configuration.
But lightness isn't everything. What makes a superbike great, is a combination of factors. It is the sum of all the various aspects of the bike. The S1000rr seems to have everything right. Everything about the bike - engine, frame, suspension, brakes blends to make a superb ride. The best part is that despite the huge amount of power, the bike is actually quite easy to ride.
There is a large roundabout outside BMW, and within a few seconds of taking the keys from BMW motorcycle manager, Fazli, I was already taking the S1000RR low. The bike made short work of the Cyberjaya backroads as I headed towards the Maju expressway. It was amazing how agile it was. Gear shifts are slick. Acceleration is super fast and smooth. Despite it's agility - at speed, the bike has a sort of planted,long legged feel. Kind of like the old Aprilia RSV. It's easy to ride the bike fast. In fact, you get this feeling of safety.

Of course, on something that weighs slightly over 200kg and makes nearly the same amount of horsepower, you shouldn't get too complacent. A twist of the throttle even in sixth gear sends you barreling down the expressway with tremendous acceleration. Just a few minutes after riding it, it was clear to me that BMW had spent a lot of time and effort developing and delivering a well sorted bike. Often, you ride a good bike after a new model launch, but just one or two years later, it will be vastly improved upon. I don't think this is going to be one of those bikes. It would be a seriously hard job to improve on what they have already done so far.
A few key notes about the bike which sets it apart from others:
There is traction control with four different 'modes' affecting how much power you get at different lean angles, wheel speeds and throttle openings. In this respect, the S1000rr is more similar to the Ducati 1198 compared to it's Jap competitors in the 1000cc sports class which it was supposed to go against. Then there is also the ABS system, which purists hate but BMW has added anyway. I think they were wise to add it.

 
To be entirely truthful, I got kind of embarrased after writing such a good review and had decided to rewrite this article - to try to be more objective.
That is until my buddy and seasoned reviewer Pravin Menon came back after taking the S1000RR for a spin and came back with wide open eyes and his hair in a tangled mess.
"Holy &*^$%%. That's the best bike I've ever ridden," he exclaimed.
Guess he took the words right out of my mouth.

The S1000RR retails at RM114,984.75 OTR with insurance.

Ever wondered how far the kapcai you ride to the nearby sundry shop can take you? Well one Malaysian not only has ridden his kapcai across Thailand, Nepal and India - he has now ridden the little bike all the way to the highest road on earth. At 5359 metres, the Khardung Pass is the highest road in the world, and Syed Ahmad Abdul Hadi Syed Hussien reached the summit on the 8th of June 2010.

Khardung La Summit is situated in the Ladakh mountain range in Jammu-Kashmir, India. The 39-year old humanitarian worker took a day and a half to reach the summit from Leh, the capital state of Ladakh, due to snow storm that had hit the area and also due to the uneven and icy road conditions.

Hadi was flagged off from Sri Pentas on the 24th of April 2010 and is currently enroute to London in a project named IAMALAYSIAN. He plans to wave the Jalur Gemilang in several Asian, Middle Eastern and European countries before arriving in London in mid August 2010.

Hadi has used up almost all his personal savings for his project after many attempts to secure corporate sponsorship proved fruitless. He has said that he may continue the journey after London, going around the globe, if an interested corporation would come on board as his sponsor.

The next destination for Hadi will be Pakistan and Iran. Progress of Hadi’s journey can be viewed on his personal blog: iamalaysian.com and on his Facebook fan page: I Am Malaysian.

This is Pravin Menon's interpretation of an ER6-n done up in the cafe racer style. What do you guys think? The only trade-off I can think of is that with the plastic headlight shroud removed, there will be a lot more wind blast hitting the rider. With that single seat cover in place, luggage carrying will also be compromised, although you could always strap a magnetic tank bag up front. But maybe the slightly reduced functionality is a worthy trade off to gain some retro style.

Download the full size image here:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4583635254_4c83c946cf_b.jpg