With the advent of 2019, BMW Motorrad Malaysia has released its updated price list, effective this month. All prices include personal registration but exclude insurance and are applicable to Peninsular Malaysia.
Topping out the BMW Motorrad Malaysia 2019 range is the HP4 Race, which has a recommended retail price of RM521,000. This limited edition, track-only weapon is intended for superbike racing and comes with a carbon-fibre frame and wheels, pumping out 215 hp and weighs 146 kg dry.
BMW Motorrad’s best seller in Malaysia, the GS adventure bike series, starts at RM29,500 for the baby G310 GS and goes all the way up to the R1200 GS Adventure, priced at RM122,500. In between, the 2019 F850 GS is priced at RM79,500, while the more sports oriented S1000 XR and standard R1200 GS go for RM108,500 and RM111,500 respectively.
On the touring side of things, the R1200 RT boxer-engined tourer retails for RM128,500 while the six-cylinder K1600 GT goes for RM166,500. BMW Motorrad’s biggest touring rigs, the K1600 GTL and K1600 Grand America are priced identically at RM175,500.
For the retro motorcycle fan, BMW Motorrad offers five options in the Heritage series, with the R nineT going up to RM104,500 from the RM99,800 we reviewed it at in 2016. Base model in the Heritage range is the R nineT Pure, which can be yours for RM84,500 while the R nineT Urban GS, our particular favourite of BMW’s retro bikes, priced at RM89,500.
Rounding out the range is the S1000 RR, which comes in two flavours. The base model S1000 RR goes for RM108,500 while the Motorsport Edition retails at RM110,500.
Not to be forgotten are the scooters, the C650 Sport priced at RM68,500 and the C650 GT at RM72,500. For 2019, BMW Motorrad Malaysia is providing a three-year unlimited mileage warranty programme back by BMW Group AG for any manufacturing or material defect.
This is combined with a Roadside Assistance Programme that operates 365 days a year, 24-hours a day for any support in emergency situations such as roadside breakdown and towing service. The two new programmes are applicable to any BMW Motorrad registered after 1 January 2019, except the HP4 Race.
In a bid to overcome the issue of youth riding motorcycles without a licence, the Terengganu state government is holding a special programme to issue free licences. Dubbed Lesen Motosikal Terengganu Sejahtera (LMTS), the programme will be held between February to March 2019, says Harian Metro.
Registration for the LMTS programme can be done both manually and online, with the intended target audience being youth aged between 16 and 40 years. “This month we have held a final meeting with all agencies concerned in the implementation of this programme,” said Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah, chairman of the Youth Development, Sports and Non-government Agencies committee.
“Forms have been distributed to all State Legislative Council (DUN), Institut Modal Insan Terengganu Sejahtera (i-MiTS) and Village Community Management Council (MPKK) offices,” Sukairi said. Those interested in the LMTS programme can fill in the form and submit it to the respective office in their area.
A selection process will be done based on specific criteria and successful applicants will be provided with a voucher to be submitted to participating driving schools. Aside from the motorcycle licence, participants will be provided with one year’s takaful insurance, which will cost RM7 million.
Moving forward into the future and part of its new model release plans, Harley-Davidson (H-D) announced pricing for its first electric motorcycle, the Harley-Davidson LiveWire. Pricing for the LiveWire starts at 29,799 USD (RM123,260) with pre-orders now being taken on the H-D website and slated as a 2020 model.
Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, USA, H-D says LiveWire will do the 0-100 km/h sprint in under 3.5 seconds. H-D’s new Revelation electric motor, cradled in a cast aluminium frame, delivers 100% of torque from standstill, although no power figures were provided.
Range for the LiveWire is claimed to be 177 kilometres on a single charge based on a mixed-use cycle. Charging options include Level 1 (standard house outlet) with a charge rate of 13 km per hour of charging, Level 2 which charges at Level 1 rate but uses a Level 2 connector and Level 3 or DC Fast Charge which gives 308 kilometres per hour of charging.
Coming standard on LiveWire is cornering-enhanced ABS and traction control. Also included is H-D Connect, an app that interfaces with the rider using a touchscreen mounted on the handlebars which gives functionality such as charge status, charging locations, service reminders and vehicle location via the rider’s smartphone.
Three colour options are available for LiveWire. These are Vivid Black, which is a standard H-D colour and Orange Fuse or Yellow Fuse, which are unique to LiveWire and not found on any other bike in the H-D range.
Also displayed at CES were two lightweight H-D e-bike concepts, part of its move towards electric motorcycles and its modernisation plan across the range. The concept designs include an off-road capable e-bike and Ruckus look-a-like for urban commutes.
Now in its 41st edition, the legendary Dakar Rally – formerly the Paris-Dakar Rally – flags off in Lima, Peru, this weekend. Event organisers promise the 2019 Dakar Rally will be one of “unequalled intensity” with equal importance being placed on rider ability and vehicle reliability.
From the start in Lima, competitors in this year’s Dakar Rally will cover a total of 5,000 km over 10 days, of which 3,000 km will be timed special stages. The route will comprise of approximately 70% sand dune riding with navigation, endurance and ultimate speed playing key roles.
2018 Dakar Rally champion Austrian Matthias Walkner returns to defend his title with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, riding a KTM 450 Rally. Walkner comes fresh from runner-up wins at the Desafio Inka and Rallye du Maroc events and says, “there is a little bit of added pressure for me but my plan is exactly the same as always – stay safe and do my best at the event.”
Walkner’s team mates for the Dakar Rally include FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion, Toby Price, Sam Sunderland and Luciano Benavides. Also joining the Dakar Rally are female rider Laia Sanz, recently recovered from illness and Mario Patrao, who are both members of the KTM Factory Racing team.
Vehicle reviews can be very subjective things, with the author’s experience, opinions and views sometimes colouring things in a way readers might not like or appreciate. On the other side of the coin, are the paultan.org readers, who have their own diverse set of opinions and their own favourites amongst the many car and motorcycle reviews we posted.
This 2018 set of fan favourite motorcycle reviews showed a particular brand coming to the fore, taking the lion’s share of readership. Two reviews from 2018 reappear, after first coming up in the previous year’s list.
As can be seen, readers have a strong interest in the smaller displacement motorcycle segment, along with two-wheelers that represent value for money. This does not mean you guys and gals did not have an interest in motorcycle exotica, as least in the local market, with two examples making it into the top 10.
At a reader’s suggestion we did several comparison reviews last year as a way of testing the tarmac and response from readers was gratifying. This means we will try to do several more class and type shootouts in 2018 and attempt to give readers a more direct basis for comparison before you put down your cash on a new bike purchase.
So, here are the top 10 bike reviews in 2018 which paultan.org readers decided were worthy of attention. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did writing.
Last year was momentous for Malaysia and Malaysians, with the change of government after 61 years and and a new spirit felt all over the country. While changes are still happening, some for better and some for worse, the Malaysian motorcycle market reached a plateau of sorts with fewer new models released but many companies stepping up marketing efforts.
Some events did take the market by surprise, such as the sudden closure of Demak and the disappearance of a MV Agusta from the local market. In other events, a couple of big brands – Harley-Davidson and Aprilia – changed distributors in 2018, along with the resurgence of Italian brand Moto Guzzi.
As for bike posts, paultan.org readers showed a particular preference for motorcycles on the smaller displacement end of things which is not surprising, really, considering the trying economic times we all live in at the moment. Yamaha’s 150 cc offerings had a lot of readership, reflecting the popularity of that displacement class in Malaysia.
Other notable news was the emergence of Malaysian Hafizh Syahrin as a mid-pack contender in MotoGP with the Tech 3 team under Herve Poncheral. The team’s move to KTM with Hafizh given to opportunity to ride the KTM GP16 was indeed a surprise to many, considering Tech 3‘s 20-year history with Yamaha.
Malaysian brand Modenas also returned to the market with several new models re-badged from Indian manufacturer Bajaj, notably the Pulsar series and the Dominar 400 based on the previous generation KTM 390. Here are the 10 most popular motorcycle articles with paultan.org readers in 2018.
Happy New Year! As you get home from the first working day of 2019, we thought we’d give you a look at our most popular videos of the year prior. We greatly stepped up our video production in 2018, offering you a closer look at the most important cars and the biggest stories of the past 12 months – plus two episodes of the Driven Web Series that compare the most talked about cars of the year.
Those episodes feature prominently in this list, as do a high-powered underbone motorcycle, a local concept car, two hot hatches, a new Japanese MPV and a high-performance pick-up truck. We’ve got plenty more in store for 2019, and yes – we’ve got more Driven episodes coming soon. Until then, let’s get straight into the list of what our viewers watched the most in 2018.
10. FIRST LOOK: 2018 SYM VF3i supercub – 237k views
The supercub market blew up last year with the launch of the new SYM VF3i. Touted as having the largest engine in the class, it boasted 183 cc of cubic capacity at a time when the most models came with 150 cc at best, and held a sizeable power advantage as a result. Our man Mohan K Ramanujam went in front of the camera to explore some of the details of this lightweight powerhouse – our most popular bike video of 2018.
Say all you want about Proton, but there’s no doubt that in terms of crash safety, the national carmaker’s products are some the best out there. That doesn’t stop the armchair detractors that go into the showroom, thumb around various “soft” body panels and declare its cars unsafe. Hafriz Shah went out to dispel this “Milo tin” myth, and this video generated significant traction among our viewers.
The new Nissan Serena S-Hybrid was surprisingly popular, popping up twice on this list. Then again, its predecessor was a moderate successful people carrier on our shores, so there were plenty who no doubt wanted to see how the new one fared. Hafriz put the new pretender through its paces and found some likeable qualities in a car that is proving instrumental to Edaran Tan Chong Motor’s revival over here.
Ranking in as high as seventh, this video review of the Mk7.5 Volkswagen Golf GTI and R showed that there are still plenty of performance car enthusiasts in Malaysia. Here, Hafriz and Matthew Tong pitted two of Wolfsburg’s hottest machinery against each other to see which one delivered the biggest bang for your buck.
The new Perodua Myvi was arguably the most talked about car for much of the year. We were so enamoured by the new bestseller’s space, performance and active safety kit that we used it to relaunch our Driven Web Series, putting it head-to-head with the new Kia Picanto and the revamped Proton Iriz. The fact that this car managed to enter our Top 10 – and not the highly-anticipated Proton X70 SUV – speaks volumes.
Yet more proof that the Myvi encapsulated the zeitgeist of 2018. What more do Malaysians love than a Myvi fitted with an aggressive widebody kit, slammed on huge alloys and fitted with Brembo brakes, bucket seats and a VW-derived flat-bottomed steering wheel? This tuner concept beat out all the new metal on display at the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show – even Perodua’s own SUV and its “Perodua of tomorrow“.
And yet the Myvi was eclipsed by the growing SUV phenomenon. The second Driven episode of 2018 saw the new Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5 and Peugeot 3008 slug it out for class honours, with the Honda taking the crown of not only the best SUV, but also the best family car, period. It’s gonna face stiffer competition this year in the form of the Proton X70 in the next episode – stay tuned for that much-vaunted bout.
Against all odds, the Serena reached the third spot in our list, this time in the form of a walk-around video tour. Here, Matthew pointed out some of the key features of this seven-seater MPV, including the handsfree powered sliding doors, novel split-opening tailgate and no less than seven (!) USB charging ports. This car may not be the first pick for enthusiasts, but for large families, these features make it hard to beat.
One of the biggest stories of the year was the introduction of Touch ‘n Go’s radio frequency identification (RFID) system for electronic toll payment. The programme is currently in public pilot phase, and in response to the myriad of questions from the public, Hafriz went ahead and tested the system, going into finer detail about the installation process and how it all works.
It’s emblematic of how much a RM200,000 pick-up has captured the public’s imagination that the Ford Ranger Raptor ended up on the top of our list. We were invited to Bangkok to witness the global unveiling of the new Baja-inspired high-performance truck, and Matthew was on hand to pore over every detail, from its new 2.0 litre biturbo diesel engine to its Fox Racing dampers dedicated to making mincemeat out of big jumps. It may look like it had just driven through a Brothers outlet, but this thing is the real deal.
Rebranded in 2018 from the former Confederate Motorcycles, Curtiss Motorcycles is now back producing electric motorcycles after issuing its last combustion engined motorcycle, the Curtiss Warhawk. There are three models on offer, the Zeus in Bobber and Cafe Racer styling and the retro-styled Hera, named after the Greek god of women and queen of Mount Olympus.
Pricing for the Zeus begins at $60,000 USD (RM248,324) while expressions of interest are being taken for the Hera. Styling on the Curtiss e-bikes follows flat tracker style with flat seat and battery pack where an engine is located on a standard motorcycle.
Power comes from an electric motor mounted under the seat and while Curtiss does not provide any specifications, it does say the Zeus produces the equivalent of 190 hp and 195 Nm of torque with an estimated range of 450 km on a single charge.
Driven by a belt to the 240/45 rear solid disc wheel, the Zeus uses a fully-adjustable girder fork assembly at the front while the back end is propped by a monoshock. Everything is tied together with a chassis machined out of 6061-T6 aluminium, clad in carbon-fibre bodywork.
Braking is done with twin Beringer 4D four-piston calipers clamping 230 mm floating cast iron discs and a single Beringer Aerotec caliper is used at the back. Curtiss claims the Zeus weighs in at 215 kg and seat height is set at 724 mm.
Singapore’s ministry of transport has revealed that it will remove motorcycle tolls at the Second Link from January 21, 2019, mirroring the Malaysian government’s move to abolish toll collection for motorcycles at the turn of the new year, Bernama reports.
“We note Malaysia’s removal of motorcycle toll charges at the Second Link. Singapore’s long-standing policy is to match Malaysia’s toll rates,” it was quoted as saying by The Straits Times. Toll charges for motorcycle was SG$0.40 (about RM1.20) at the Tuas Checkpoint for both arrival and departure.
As announced during the tabling of Budget 2019, Malaysia had abolished toll collection – costing an estimated RM20 million – for motorcycles at the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link (Linkedua) Expressway’s Tanjung Kupang Toll Plaza near Gelang Patah, Johor, from midnight of January 1. Prior to that, motorcyclists had to pay a toll of RM1.10 at the Tanjung Kupang Toll Plaza.
It has been an interesting 2018 for Malaysians, especially with the change in government and many coping with the rising cost of living, stagnating salaries and general malaise in both the cabinet and the economy. But, there is an outlet from the daily drudgery and for the author, 2018 has been a fun year for riding motorcycles, with this year’s Top Five bikes list.
With a new transport minister at the helm, many paultan.org readers would have perhaps noticed there has been something of a sea change in the way Malaysian roads are being administered. The crackdown on motorists infringing the law has been much in the news and police roadblocks have become ubiquitous in the last few months.
Whether this means the “New Malaysia” as promised will come to fruition remains to be seen but in the meantime, we remain cautiously optimistic that there are better things ahead for our country. What needs to be done is that Malaysian motorists, two- or four-wheeled, must continue to be considerate, safe and courteous road users.
As always, choosing the best five bikes out of the 60 or so review machines that passed through our hands during the year is no easy task. Every rider expects different things from a bike and the rider wanting a reliable daily commuter that is frugal has different needs from a rider who wants to get his knee down.
We had the chance, this year, to extend the range of our test rides somewhat, with several international and cross-border jaunts. This allowed us the chance to sample several different bikes in environments for which they were both suited and unsuited.
The overwhelming criteria for this year’s list of top five motorcycle is fun. While some of the choices we made are not exactly bikes the ordinary Joe Rider might be able to buy or afford, the one thing all the bikes in the list did was make the author giggle inside his helmet.
One is a work-a-day scooter which performed admirably well on a work trip, loaded two-up with camera and video gear. Another is a strange mash-up of motorcycle and scooter that spelled ‘fun’ in capital letters.
