KLIA Ride @ 23/11/2012

Woke up at 5 am on Saturday and the sky was still dark, while the lights peppering KL were still litted. Thought of going for a ride at around 6 am but it started to drizzle then.

"No biggie", I thought, "I could then test the K3 in the drizzle anyway".

LOL, typical bikers to find any excuses to go riding.

After getting breakfast ready for the family, I donned on my gear and hit the open road. I wasn't sure where would the open road take me as yet- but traffic was good in the morning with hardly any cars, and Green Hornet felt very much alive with the new BMC Italy air filter and Akrapovic exhaust combination so I just let the bike run along.

 
Before long, I was on the NSH doing triple-digit touring speeds best not written in black and white. The parallel twin engine excelled at such "duty", and the panniers gave the extra weight so that the bike felt planted on the highway at speed. The wind-in-my-face was a great feeling. And somehow, I find myself thinking about work and many solutions came naturally to my mind while riding. This was killing 2 birds with a stone.

 
Digressing a little, since KTM recently launched its 2012 CKD Duke 690 at RM46k, I have been quite interested to test-ride that handsome streetfighter as well as the previous 2010 CBU KTM Duke 690R (you could get a pre-owned at app RM40k depending on the accessories installed). The 2012 looks smarter but the 2010 looked more hardcore yet futuristic in the same package.

The parts that came stock were from pretty good brand names and quality control should be assured. But typical of the single-cylinder engine, while the engine is torquey and great for stunts and short rides, your bottom may bottom out during longer touring with the vibration of the engine.

That's where the parallel twin engine has a distinct advantage over the single-cylinder engine. 

Let's continue to sleep over it first.

Before long, I find myself reaching KLIA. There were lots of cars receiving groups of Malaysians back from their umrah. Green Hornet was able to move in-between the cars at ease and it felt good to be so versatile. The increased torque from the mods definitely make riding the bike so much more enjoyable.

In the evening, I rode the bike to the condo vehicle wash area and gave it a good wash and polish. A very friendly chap by the name of Wahab came over to chat with me. Turned out that he was an ardent reader of this blog and it was good catching up with a fellow from who has his heart at riding. While I have met quite a few readers of this blog around KL (normally they recognise the bike and came over to make friends), this is the first time I am meeting a reader whom was staying in the same condo as me.

T'was great knowing you, Wahab. Hope you get your ER6N soon and we'll go riding together sometime then.

As for the K3, it felt pretty comfortable during my ride today- although at higher speed, the visor would just clamped shut (I had it slightly opened initially to get rid of the inner misting). And everywhere I stopped, the helmet simply drew lots of attention to itself. Not for the shy riders then!

Let the good times roll!

Review : AGV K3 Dreamtime Rossi Replica

I would compare the AGV K3 Dreamtime alongside the Nolan N104 N-Com and Caberg Konda, simply because all 3 are Italian brand helmets. The N104 and Konda impressed me with their design, quality and finishings- and therefore, I was expecting similar qualities from the K3.

Let’s talk about its design first. The K3 Dreamtime being a Rossi helmet replica, looked great and I still take time to marvel and gaze at its graphic every now and then. It simply looked marvellous, and put to shame some of the more expensive helmets that I have seen and tried. The paint was vivid and quite a no. of fellow riders and drivers complimented me on the K3. Not bad at all for a helmet costing less than RM900.

But scrutinise it in more depth and it starts to fall apart a bit. The N104 and Konda were made-in-Italy articles, the K3 was made-in-China. No biggie as lots of products worldwide are produced in China these days with good QC, but I don’t feel a sense of high QC with my K3. I took apart the inner fittings and noticed that the neckroll was coming off. It was put in place with a layer of glue, that’s all. I could glue it back easily; but still, that’s additional work and I was expecting more from an AGV.

The chin curtain fell off easily. A quick Google later, I found out that it was a normal occurrence worldwide and many riders had lost their chin curtain while riding or taking off their helmets. This could be a design flaw then- the ones on the N104 and Konda felt so much more solid and stayed in place. Still not a deal-breaker though, as many riders reported that the flimsy little chin curtain did not contribute much to masking the wind noise or turbulence. I won’t be putting this on then.

The clip for the strap (to prevent the strap flipping) came off all too easily. Most helmets with DD rings do not use the clip anyway; but the K3 had it and I was expecting it to stay in place then. It was simply not impressing me in this manner.

But fitting was good, and I have been using L-size for my Daytona, Shoei, Nolan and Caberg. The AGV’s L-size fitted well and comfortably. And the K3 was quite light at app 1.5 kg and the weight savings helped during riding.

The visor was easy to take off and re-install with the AGV no-tools-necessary-just-press-here system; and I believe I would be getting a AGV Iradium Silver/Blue visor to complement the looks of the K3.

If you’re getting this from overseas and paying the regular sub-USD200 price for this helmet, by all means it’s a good deal. Heck, just the design itself was well-worth the price- if you commission a painter to airbrush the same design on your fullface helmet, it would cost quite a few hundred RMs to do so already.

But local pricing as seen at Mudah seem to vary quite a fair bit- from as low as RM660 (lower price than overseas?) to sub-RM1k+. At the higher-end of the spectrum, I would rather top-up a bit more and get a Shoei instead. Do check that you are getting the real deal though with all the necessary AGV markings and manual pack though, as you wouldn’t want to pay low prices only to get “brand replica” helmets.

Would I keep this helmet? Well, I believe so- I just can’t stop marvelling at the graphics. In fact, I may be collecting more K3 Rossi helmets soon.

Enjoy the colourful artpiece!

Consider This : AGV K3 Rossi Dreamtime Fullface Helmet

My Italian-made helmets included the Nolan N104 N-Com Action and Caberg "Top Gun" Konda. Both are modular helmets, but I have always eyed another Italian brand that makes deliciously-handsome and artistic fixed fullface helmets.

I am, of course, referring to the AGV K3 Rossi replicas.

RevZilla states that the K3 is near the top end of the AGV entry-level range. GP-tech lines and Valentino Rossi replica helmet graphics make this the ideal helmet for young riders and fans of the racing world. The only full-face thermoplastic model in the AGV range, the K3 is the perfect choice for riders in search of a safe, high-quality helmet with attractive design at a modest price. The K3 design is inspired by the latest AGV developments starting from the Stealth, S-4, and Ti-Tech and continuing with the Blade/Blade LX and GP-Tech that have so clearly and distinctive defined the company’s style. This makes the helmets immediately recognizable and distinguished from all the other proposals on the market.

• Fabrics: Dry-Lex with hygienic treatment
• Inside padding: Removable and washable (excluding neckroll)
• Number of shells: 1 shell size
• Retention System: Double-D ring
• Shell: Painted HIR-TH (high resistant thermoplastic) resin
• Shield Mechanism: Perimetrical visor seal, XQRS (Extra Quick Release System) - shield replacement without tools in few seconds
• Ventilation System: Front air intakes and rear extractors

Purchasing vide RevZilla K3 Dreamtime would get you the K3 at a mere USD220 (ie app RM660); but you would have to deal with customs and taxes when it reaches Malaysian soil, of course. If you are not used to online purchases, you could always purchase from local resellers at app RM900.

Well, watch up for this space when I put on this K3 Dreamtime for a spin one of these days, when the sky clear up and the road beckons for a long, smooth ride.

And doesn't it simply look handsome to the core!

Review : BMC Street + Akrapovic Slip-on = OMG! Torque

A Tale of Two Cities

Back in 2010, the Ninja 650R was selling at RM36k (CKD Malaysia) or RM45k (CBU Japan), while the Ninja ZX6R was selling at RM68k (CBU Japan).

"Why the big price difference?", a novice may ask; and that was even before he realized that the Ninja 650R had a 650 cc engine (parallel-twin) while the ZX6R had a 600 cc engine (inline-four).

"Surely a 650 cc engine should be better than the other 600 cc engine, right?", the novice may add.

Well, the Ninja 650R was designed as a sports tourer to tackle city-riding and the occasional long-distance touring; while the ZX6R was designed purely as a racer. Take it to track and the difference between both stock machines could be felt immediately.

Maximum Power :
1) Ninja 650R - 64.8 hp (48.3 kW) @ 9,000 rpm
2) ZX6R -  129.3 hp (96.4 kW) @ 13,500 rpm

Maximum Torque :
1) Ninja 650R - 44.7 lb·ft (60.6 N·m) @ 7,250 rpm
2) ZX6R -  52 lb·ft (71 N·m) @ 11,500 rpm

From the aforementioned publicly-published figures, one could see that the strength of the Ninja 650R was in the delivery of the maximum torque at the lower-end of the rpm. This made the Ninja 650R a very enjoyable ride around town, where stop-look-go traffic were aplenty.

Torque Gear 

I never intended for Green Hornet to be a racer-wannabe, for that was not its nature. I enjoy its high-torque performance during city commutes.

Earlier in August 2012, I invested in an Akrapovic Titanium slip-on when its prices were gradually reducing from RM3,000 (2008) to RM1,500 (2012). Cost of installation at KS was RM90.

According to the information provided, the exhaust system modification with the SLIP-ON system results in a major boost in performance, delivering a usable 72.3 HP at 8900 rpm on back wheel. But the increased power isn't available just at the top of the range; the system shows its quality already from 2000 rpm up through entire rpm range. The maximum power in-crease between the Akrapovic and the stock system is 5.2 HP at 5280 rpm. Additionally, the torque is substantially higher in the lower rpm area at 3000 rpm and in the middle of rpm area.

The installation of the Akrapovic Titanium slip-on brought an urgency in torque previously not milked from its parallel-twin engine, and made riding Green Hornet a lot more fun.

Air Asia X

You could board Air Asia X and fly to Italy to get your hands on the BMC Street air filter that I got; but an easier and smarter way would be to buy it off the shelf at bike performance shops hereabouts, or purchase from the many online sites.

I tried installing the air filter myself some weeks back but the fact that the fuel tank has to come off and I didn't know the best way of supporting the tank while I work on the air filter had me going to KS a few rounds already- but Ah Ho had been busy on the 3-4 times that I dropped by.

Today, being the Awal Muharam public holiday with our Muslim friends a-celebrating, I figured that I may stand a better chance of catching him today and lo and behold, it turned out exactly as planned. Green Hornet was immediately worked on the moment I rode in. Mileage was at 12,900 km when the BMC was installed.

Cost of installation at KS was RM15 (I read from Pielang Bikers forum that it was a RM10 charge, but disregarded the 50% increase anyway as I was going to buy Ah Ho a drink anyway), and Ah Ho worked on it himself.

Oh, and I found out that they support the fuel tank with an old tire- works well too!

The torque increase could be immediately felt at the rev of the throttle, and the bike was almost jumping up and about. Definitely a worthwhile upgrade with the imported BMC air filter selling at RM320 locally.

I would definitely not hesitate to recommend the combination of BMC and Akrapovic to milk the extra torque from the Ninja 650R's parallel-twin engine. What an even more enjoyable ride it has been after the installation of both upgrade parts.

Alright, got to hit the road now- ride safe, mates!

BMC Italy - Street and Race Air Filters

BMC Italy website

BMC Italy produces 2 types of aftermarket air filters for the Ninja 650R ie Street and Race versions. To know which one are you getting, look at the barcode sticker on the box- the model no. is written as FM579/04 or FM579/04Race. The one that I got for my Green Hornet was the Street version.

1) Street Air Filter no. FM579/04 for Ninja 650R
@ http://www.bmcairfilters.com/standard-bike-filters/fm579-04_d779_1.aspx

The knowledge and experience gained on track is transferred to street production in order to offer performance products, tested and in continuous evolution, designed to satisfy the requirements of the most demanding motorcyclists.

The materials used in production are of the highest standard: filters are made in one single piece with no welded joints thus avoiding breakage; the filtering material is composed of a special cotton gauze soaked with low viscosity oil and covered with an epoxy coated alloy mesh to ensure protection from petrol fumes and oxidization due to air humidity.

Furthermore the cotton has the advantage of being washable and therefore reusable. In this way BMC air filters guarantee superior air capacity in respect to traditional paper filters enabling minimum loss of power in the air flow and therefore obtaining better performance from the engine.


2) Race Air Filter no. FM579/04Race for Ninja 650R
@ http://www.bmcairfilters.com/race-bike-filters/fm579-04race_d1073_1.aspx

Alongside standard filters, BMC has produced a race version for the most important bike models. These filters have the same shape as the standard version but with a different filtering body designed to take in more air than other air intake systems, but without compromising its filtering properties.

BMC RACE filters are for people who are not satisfied with the standard performance of the bike and want to improve the engine by upgrading other bike parts. With this filter they can find the best balance for a bike aiming for the top.

BMC RACE filters are identified by an orange line inside the filtering body.

Swarmed by Scooters

Of later, there has been quite a no. of scooter launching in Malaysia, such as the BMW C600 Sports and C650 GT and Honda PCX 150 recently. The more choices there are, the better it is for the consumers.

Scooters used to be relatively low-spec, but they are definitely being spec-upwards these days. As the preferred choices for executives wanting an alternative mode of transportation to beat the traffic jam of Klang Valley, scooters are fast-becoming a common landscape in the world of 2-wheelers here.

With CVT transmission and easy handling for city-riding, I must say that scooters make good sense. Some of the more affordable scooter considerations in today's market include the following :

CPI GTR 180 @ RM6,300

SYM VTS 200 @ RM9,000

 
HONDA PCX 150 @ RM10,300

SYM EVO 250 @ RM17,500

 

AES : Smile, you're on Candid Camera!

I got caught by the AES yesterday. I'd be expecting the RM300 in my summons within the next few days, if the contractor for the AES was anything as efficient as was claimed.

Contrary to popular beliefs, motorbikes are not exempted from the spying eyes of the AES, as evidenced from the summons for a Yamaha TZM at Ipoh recently.

I do wish that the authorities or the contractor whom are deriving benefits (ka ching! ka ching! even as they sleep so soundly and happily) from the AES would re-tune the flash so that it's not so blinding. Heck, one of these days, someone's going to be temporarily blinded by the flash and cause a temporal lapse of driving judgement, resulting in an accident. I know that I was caught by shock when the flash went off suddenly and oh, so bright!

Apparently, due to some mysteries, a couple of AES up North had been falling all over the place like flies.

Thank goodness the cameras were not damaged though. Right...

Wallpaper : Caberg Italia - Top Gun Edition

Ta da, here's the Caberg Italia - Top Gun edition in all its glory!

The package came with the box, manual, helmet bag and of course, the very helmet itself. Although I have also had the Nolan N104 N-Com that cost significantly more than the Caberg Konda, I find that the Konda was pretty well-built and gave the N104 a good run for the latter's monies.

The weight of both helmets were similar, but the padding of the N104 felt thicker and plusher. Although both were sized-L, for some reason, the Konda felt smaller and more snug. I haven't had a chance to take it out for a ride as yet, so let's see how it goes.

Mod : Brake Calipers Mounting Bolts

There had been quite a few cases of superbikes having their front brake calipers stolen. Scouring through some online trade sites revealed similar branded brake calipers being sold at RM300 - RM500. Put 2 and 2 together and there may just be some stolen calipers making its round to unsuspecting buyers, and the vicious cycle continues.

The Ninja 650R's Tokico brake calipers, for example, retails at RM1,200 per set- and there are 2 sets in front and 1 set at the rear. It's definitely worth investing some hard-earned monies to protect these necessary safety devices.

How best to to so then?

1) Arming a disc-lock with alarm function, such as the Xena XX6, is a good option. The slightest touch on your bike would send 120 dB of piercing alarm raising the racket.

2) Machining specific caliper mounting bolts that could only be opened vide special tools, is another good option. There are a few types selling in the market at app RM170. One point to note is that the Versys and ER6N use a shorter mounting bolt, while the Ninja 650R uses a longer mounting bolt; so don't get mixed up. Always compare your aftermarket mounting bolts with your original ones. Too long and the bolt may hit the brake disc, while too short may cause your caliper to fall off after some time! So always, always get the right length for your replacement mounting bolts.

I bought mine from a fellow rider ie Zain, and he swung by to assist me to install the new mounting bolts on my Green Hornet. There were 3 colours to choose from- red, yellow or black. I opted for the red to alert would-be thieves that mine had been modified, so please keep their hands off mine.

The mounting bolts had twin locking mechanisms, and I trust that these would give would-be thieves a harder time to steal the brake calipers.

If any of you are interested, you can drop me an e-mail and I would hook you up with Zain. Rider-help-rider programme.