If I'm not wrong, those renders are from a Japanese bike magazine called Young Machine, who are apparently kinda infamous for publishing all sorts of 'leaked' material with no proof of the existence of the actual bikes But those renders still look pretty good, let us keep on hoping Nice to see that the 250-300 class is getting more attention nowadays. Now if only M'sia would change its license tiers so that we can get some 400cc bikes in too

Already have a full B license. I'm talking about the lack of choice for bikes in Malaysia compared to the other countries in our region e.g. S'pore, Thailand, Australia, NZ which is due to a number of factors like income, taxes, licensing tiers etc. What I meant about license tiers is that it has a big effect on what engine sizes manufacturers target. Japan's (not sure if current) system of one license for sub-400cc and one for unlimited cc resulted in the CB400SF and those legendary 400cc machines like the RVF400 which boasted superbike technology in a smaller package. Without this license structure the manufacturers would have had no incentive to build 400ccs since they cost almost the same to make as a 600cc and sell for less.

Same reason why Kawasaki sells a detuned version of the Z800 in the UK and Europe, and the shift in focus to 300cc machines. All to meet their licensing requirements. Hence, Malaysia changing its license tiers might prompt a change in the variety of engine displacements we get here. Otherwise no one will sell 400cc here since full B license holders would just go straight to 600+ (heck I'm not even sure why they're trying to sell 300cc bikes here...)

I'm pretty much in the same situation as wordtalks, riding a Ninja 250R almost every day in Penang for almost a year now. Would love to upgrade but compared to the UK there's a massive jump in terms of price from 250 to 500 and above. Plus the Ninja suits my current needs well in terms of commuting and touring for now. Not many places where you can exploit a superbike's full potential on Penang's roads anyway

Of course I get poisoned like f**k too, the urge to apply for a loan and throw all my cards down on something like a 7-year loan for a Z800 strikes once a week on average. It's so fricking tempting right? But I hate being in debt and hate the feeling that my possessions are the ones owning me. Plus at this stage in life the amount superbike owners pay for insurance and maintenance just sounds nuts. You can also find touring groups for 250cc bikes and touring groups who aren't total speed freaks out there.

On the other hand, I've noticed an influx of pre-2012 ER6Ns on Mudah, all around 14k-17k in price. How about waiting 1-2 more years and upgrading to a low-mileage example for RM14k or so?

So smexy. Only thing is that I'm afraid of ciloking traffic with those cylinder heads sticking out

Regarding the TNT 600, I recently stumbled upon this Indonesian rider's journey from Indonesia to Italy on one of those bikes, crossing 14 countries along the way:

http://bikeportal.in/articles/14-countries...-600i-1549.html

Been a bit wary of Benelli in the past too, I think that other Lowyat thread about the TNT 600's problems is pretty famous. However judging from this trip the TNT 600 might turn out to hold up pretty well. His trip's supposed to finish sometime this month so I'll be keeping an eye out for any ride reports Hopefully we can get an honest review of the bike's reliability rather than some corporate marketing fluff.

It's definitely a nice bike. The super-wide tank fender/radiator guard thingies take a while to get used to though. A nearby motorcycle shop had a 2nd-hand one for 20k with only about 16000 km mileage. I wonder what's the catch

I don't suppose you could do a short review of your bike? Would be great to hear about any positives in more detail

This post has been edited by deadwolf: Oct 14 2015, 04:34 PM

Slip on mostly to change the sound and some weight savings, you can do the whole full exhaust system/air filter/remapping and probably get a slight power boost, better throttle response and fuel economy, but on a small bike the power gain won't be much and like lucifah said is too expensive to be worth it. There's just no replacement for displacement. However I'd definitely go for a slip-on whenever possible, too many bikes nowadays just sound like sewing machines when stock

Check this guide out, just ignore the stuff involving US laws: http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/motorcycle-exhaust-101

"Goin’ on a diet! Replacing, for example, a big, steel, dual exhaust system with an aftermarket titanium unit with a single short muffler can yield 15 pounds or more of shed weight. Depending on your bike, that could be five percent of the total machine! When it comes to handling and performance, dropping weight in the right places can be as good (if not better than) increasing horsepower."

I would only go for the full exhaust system and accompanying mods if you plan to enter your bike in a proper race and want it to be competitive in terms of specs. For street riding..meh. Save the money and use it for a bigger bike

At least the RC is still a single cylinder. Once you get more than one cylinder it's time to worry about 4-into-1 vs 4-into-2 and all the other fun stuff

Couldn't have said it better myself

Online shop, or physical shop?

I bought a set from this FB shop:

https://www.facebook.com/warungmotard

Pretty good service and price, but because it's FB-based you have to hunt through his photo album for the part you want, or just whatsapp the guy directly and check if its available.

This shop in Johor has some too, also available online:

http://www.simtradingkarenteo.com/show-ite...em_id=5033&ref=

You can try searching Taobao as well, dirt cheap but have to pay postage and agent fees:

http://world.taobao.com/item/37961414209.h...0.wbiKci#detail

Any sifus here with experience with IZ2 leather jackets? I tried one on recently, fit me very well (especially the arm length). Sleeves were nice and tight and held the armor in place well. Lots of perforated leather on the front and arms too which I really liked. Retails at Rm750. Would like to know how well the quality holds up in the long run and how they compare with mesh and textile jackets in the heat.

The jacket in question:



This post has been edited by deadwolf: Oct 22 2015, 05:11 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfz1ETkBLac&feature=youtu.be

This is apparently the first English-language review of Yamaha's XSR700, basically a retro-fied MT-07.

I hated the bike's looks at first, especially the radiator. But seeing it on video has changed my mind quite a bit. Especially when it's fitted with the flyscreen and high-level scrambler exhaust Still that radiator though Any retro bike fans here?


250cc bikes are great in cities and urban areas. Their running costs are cheaper than full-on superbikes and you can have just as much fun on them on the right roads. I should add that any two-stroke kapzai or a four-stroke one with the right sprocket setup will have no problem keeping up with and outrunning modern 250s (which are overweight and underpowered compared to the good stuff they used to make), especially when ridden aggressively. Although that's not really a bad thing since it helps keep the ego in check

However if you plan to do a lot of long-distance travel, suitability of 250cc will depend a lot on your preferences. Some people are fine doing thousands of km on 250s. Some even enjoy it! But it's not for everyone and most people, especially those who also drive cars might prefer not having to rev to 9k rpm just to maintain highway speed.

IMO 250cc bikes are also highly overpriced. Wouldn't recommend buying one new. Especially now since there are lots of second-hand ER6ns around going for around 15k-17k.. If you can handle the higher running costs, a secondhand ER6n would be great since it's similar in size to a 250 but has much more delicious torque and power. HTH

This post has been edited by deadwolf: Nov 9 2015, 05:17 PM

Well, looks like BMW's released its 300cc, single-cylinder, made-in-India entry level bike:



I wouldn't mind one in black with an aftermarket exhaust

On the other hand:

You on /r/motorcycles too? That's where I got the news from

I kinda prefer it to the MT-25 though. That bike looks too overproduced. This one's a bit simpler and has (undoubtedly cheap and for looks only) USD forks.

You're very likely correct. Reminds me of this insane *150cc Vespa scooter that costs RM60k+*

Would you be interested in selling it instead?

The concept has rearview mirrors and license plate holders and since it's based on the CRF250L I'm pretty sure it'll be road legal. Looks damn nice too and I like the bigger fuel tank. Wonder how good it'll go as a supermoto...

Ninja 250 is still a good choice if you've never ridden a motorcycle before (especially one with a manual clutch). For new riders a ZX6R is a very bad idea due to the powerful engine and brakes. I can pretty much guarantee that you'll learn more (and be safer) on a 250 first. Just try not to jatuh bodoh too much, those fairings can be expensive

Is that $400 in US dollar or ringgit?

Those RM100 jackets with 'Alpinestars' or 'Dainese' are definitely replicas.

Haha yeah, it's a bit different from car. But you still see a lot of superbikes here with L stickers on. Their owners just apply for full B license but never passed the test

For Ninja 250, 167cm is fine. I'm 168cm and can almost put both feet flat on the ground. If you're a bit short for a bike the trick is to slide your butt a bit off the seat to the left so that you can fully place your left foot on the ground. Then right foot on rear brake pedal to keep the tyres from moving around. Lean the bike slightly to the left with your leg supporting like this, if necessary:



Most motorcycle boots have soles that usually add 1-3cm to your height which helps a bit as well (and also makes you look taller off the bike )

This post has been edited by deadwolf: Nov 13 2015, 11:22 AM

The new Yamaha MT-10, holy crap, it's like those Lego Technic sets from years ago come to life. So OTT .

Looks like Benelli is entering the 'scrambler' market. 47hp 500cc parallel twin. Pretty classy except for that exhaust collector box

There's a few options if you wanna spice things up a bit

That's a very nice looking helmet, for only RM600? Never seen Shark helmets that cheap lol.

Why would anyone spend more than RM1k for an open face helmet? It's like the 60k Vespa lol!

Can try LS2 helmets. IMO their fit and finish is better quality than Grayfosh and I think they have more shell sizes too. Relatively affordable (my current LS2 full face was RM400) and most of their models come with the usual equipment such as internal sun visors and fully-removable washable lining.