Nasihat Biker Tua untuk Isu "Pelesit Jalanan"

Pelesit oh Pelesit

Sekarang hangat isu bikers "Pelesit Jalanan" ini saja mainan media supaya dapat menengelami isu isu yand lebih penting dimasakini. Budak budak bikers pulak melenting tak tentu pasal. Bagi saya lebih elok perbaiki diri sendiri saja daripada melenting tak menentu.

Buktikan yang kita benar, tak merempit atau membesit dijalan raya - Ada Berani ?

Dibawah satu contoh yang saya sendiri lalui semasa memandu.

Ada saya kena dgn Versys 650 di lebuh raya pantai timur ketika itu saya di laluan kanan. Dia kasi high beam.... yg bangang nya ialah masa itu saya sedang memotong lori dan bas... bayangkan mana nak pegi. Saya pon bikers, selalu saya bila bikers datang dari belakang saya akan tunggu tengok reaksi dia. Takut takut dia cilok semasa saya nak kekiri.

Lepas beberapa saat saya akan beri laluan, tapi kalau sudah nampak dari jauh saya akan beri laluan terlebih dahulu. Tak payah beam beam pon, sebab saya bikers dan saya pentingkan keselamatan mereka.

Berbalik kepada penunggang Versys yg bangang tu.. cammon lah.. kiri aku ada bas dan lori.. tak boleh nanti sekejap ker yang hang pi bagi high beam tu buat apa.. Lepas dia high beam saya maintain belah kanan tak mahu kekiri.

1. Kerana dia kurang ajar, tak sempat sempat tunggu lah saya lepas bas dan lori dahulu.
2. Takut dia cilok kiri, nanti ada pulak yang jadi Arwah.

Jadi nasihat saya pada bikers, kita ni laju. Adakala pemandu tak sempat nak react kerana kita sampai laju sangat di belakang mereka. Majority pemandu terkena begini.

Ada juga pemandu yang banggang, yang ni bukan setakat bikers saja dapat masaalah tetapi pemandu lain juga marah.

Macam ini lah, bila menunggang atau memandu perbaikilah tata cara kita. Tak payah menunding jari, lebih lebih lagi kita bikers betol ke salah ke... kalau accident kita yang terok..

Cerita Versys balik.. saya biarkan dia potong belah kiri, kerana sewaktu memandu laju reaksi yang terbaik ialah.. kita maintain, biarkan orang ambil action. Sekira dua dua buat perubahan serentak, ada kemungkinan kemalangan boleh berlaku.

Jadi kita bikers masa ride simpan ego dirumah... demi keselamatan dan untuk yang tersayang.

BMW C600 Sport Owner Review - Long Distance

Today 27th December 2012 my scooter clocked 2525 km total after slightly more than a month usage. I pick it up on 23rd November : Here

Use if for commuting occasionally alternating with my SYM VS 150 and done few ride with friend taking twisties at Genting Sempah and Kuala Klawang corners and over longer distance to Penang, Malaysia. 

Scooter handling is different from that of a bike, firstly it being a CVT Automatic it doesn't have that engine braking or the "Drop Gear" function as normal bike do. Instead we has to rely on brakes for corner entry and that takes some time to adjust if you don't ride scooter  that often

In Kuala Klawang and Genting Sempah, these are stretches where most twisties are. Klawang being the back road which is more dangerous, has many more obstacles short corners as compared to Genting Sempah where it more hilly and longer cornering sweep. Both places this scooter did handle well, with Pirelli Diablo Scooter tyres hugging the road and never once loose grip. I was a bit hesitant initially, being new to this scooter. But after few corners regain my confidence and able to take the turn with feeling of safety and in control.

Its important to feel safe and in control while riding, not overly confident.. but just there otherwise we may ride with a bit of hesitation that could pose danger to oneself. The bike actually can do more that what we can trow at it without problem.

After my Kuala Klawang  and Genting Sempah ride its due for the first service. What a whoopa the bill came.

I am expecting somewhere around RM 400 ~ RM 450, nope it turn out to be almost RM 660.00 looking at the bill its actually the engine oil is expensive at RM 422.52 for 4 liter and the Running in Checks at RM 156.00 its a few hours job. Oh well a premium scooter cost a premium to service.

This scooter has 2 years unlimited mileage warranty, so while its still under warranty I had to send it to  the authorise service center. Luckily this bike service interval is every 10,000 km so roughly once a year. After which I will do it myself and will cost around RM 200.00 the most.

Next I did a longer ride to Penang with few of my colleague from the Airlines for an overnight stay there. This takes me via the North - South Expressway which I am able to test out some high speed handling. The bike handle superb at high speed, no wobble or shake even at speed until the needle stop on the speedo it still handle well.

On return trip from Penang , I decided to do it solo. This I did via the North - South Expressway till Ipoh then I used the coastal road from Ipoh - Teluk Intan - Sabak Bernam - Tanjung Karang - Kuala Selangor route.

Massive traffic jam at each junction or traffic light this scooter handle it beautifully. Being low C of G due to the low engine location the heaviness of this scooter is not felt and I am able to comfortably ride it at slow speed in between traffic both in Urban environment and outskirt.

Emergency braking done few times, due to some stupid drivers changing lanes without brains. It handles superbly, the rear ABS will trigger early since it will be lighter on the rear during braking, the rear wheel will tend to skid first. ABS action can be felt at the rear brake lever. The front ABS only trigger few times during my ride, mostly in the wet or on sandy stretch. I give the ABS a thumb up, major improvement from my previous Beemer.

This Pirelli Diablo Scooter tyre is superb both in the wet and dry. Once up to temperature I can feel its tackiness to the touch. Never lost control on it and stable at high speed or during cornering. The front screen is good, I adjusted it to middle position and I just left it at that. Able to take the full speed of this scooter without problem

I had made a warranty claim against BMW on this scooter, its the screw holding the screen. Two of those four screw that clamping it, the two top screw it cannot be unscrew or tighten. No problem with the bottom two. The insert is rotating on its mount, suspected over tightening during installation. Apparently this is not the first case, and BMW agreed to replace the entire assembly.

Not a big problem but, I can't remove the screen for some work I need to do like mounting my GPS to this bike.  Well it has to wait, since the item need to be ordered.

There are scratches due to stone chips and road debris on the bottom panel, this I need to probably wrap with composite sticker to protect.

Verdict.

I did twisties, riding in the rain, long fast stretch, back roads and hilly stretch on this scooter. How do I feel ? One word - GREAT.

On the twisties its agile enough to compete with sports bike. Not a problem with hills and steep gradient it has enough power to pull through. Riding in the rain the tyre did a good job and the ABS works.

Straight stretch, its a scooter .. cruise comfortable around 140 ~ 160 km/h and able to do 180 km/h without the feeling of fear that it may explode. The engine can take it.

The engine is a twin and it does sound rough, probably a manly growl not like some sweet Japanese Girls kinda sound.. its manly and hunky loud.

I had issue with some screws and BMW agreed to replace the entire parts involved.

The service is a bit on the expensive side, but its only once a year service. Later on I will do it myself so it will be much cheaper. Then again other service center like Welly Sg Buluh, Wunderlich, Chear Motorrad  and AH Hoi can do this bike if you are not technically inclined.

On spares, well with Internets spare is no longer an issue, we could get anything from overseas supplier.

This bike is about RM 66+ k on the road with Honda Intergra NC700 at about the same, The Yamaha TMax 2012 at 67+k and the Aprilia SRV at 72k OTR prices.

All in all, most of these big Maxis are priced same and you choose which one is best for you. Look at the specification overall and don't forget to check on warranty and after sales.

Cheers.

Scratch .... arghhhhhhhhhh..

My Scooter got some scratches.. arghhhh....

Sanded those scratch and gave a temporary light coat of aluminium paint. May send both the left and right panel for either a paint job or composite wrapping.

MAS E&M Penang Ride (Nasi Kandar Ride)

On 22nd Dec did a short overnight ride to Penang an Island located North of Peninsular Malaysia. Its a fun ride and gave me the chance to test out the Beemer Scooter at its maximum potential in term of Speed, Road Holding etc.

Started from Rawang Rest area at 09:00 hrs headed North to Tapah RnR as first stop fueling stop.

 Various bikes and riders both seasoned and new join for this fun ride. Its good to see regardless of age and how long few has ride or some newbies all are having fun and looking forward to the ride.

Sports bike, Dual Purpose, Touring and even Scooter took part.

 Few bikers along the Nort South highway riding in the morning traffic.

 Tapah Rest Area below.

Looking forward for more ride with this bunch.

Rear Tyre Puncture - Internal Patch

Just a few days out tire got punctured by a very fine wire, its very minute but during bubble leak check there are bubbles forming at the puncture point.

Temporarily I use the Puncture repair kit, but then for high speed and prolong usage its best to get it internally fixed. So I drop by Welly in Subang Perdana, Shah Alam for a quick fix.

 Tire was removed, 5 torx screw No. 45 holding it. This bike uses Torx fasterners, so I need to get a set of Torx wrenches handy for my own use.

To get the wheel out, the Exhaust need to be move aside a bit for clearance. The exhaust mounting need to be undo and the pipe clamp loosen as photos below.

 Below is the exhaust pipe clamp which need to be loosen.

Once out can be removed for internal patch.

 This is a 15 inch wheel Pirelli Diablo Scooter fitted as standard for this scooter from BMW.

Care has to be taken during tyre removal due to Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensor (TPMS) is mounted inside the wheel.

That is the sensor, its made by Schrader Electronics with BMW Part No. 8521791.

This sensor operate as wheel speed reaches 30km/hr, since you don't want it to be powered all the time. Its uses internal battery and has Bluetooth connection to the computer box.

The computer box can pair with 4 wheels, so if you have a set of spare wheels.. it can be paired to the computer once installed.

I need to find out whether the internal battery is replaceable. It look simple enough to replace when needed.

This scooter comes with 2 years unlimited mileage warranty, so the battery should last at least that long. Check with manufacturer website sensor battery should last 100,000 km or around 10 years.. so ok its long enough.

While we are at it, be are few photos of various parts associated with the rear brake. Below the single sided swing arm with tyre removed, showing the rear brake disc.

Normal brake caliper on top and the park brake at the bottom which is activated by the side stand.

Below the side stand activated link toward the park brake caliper. Its a simple cable operated brake, however very ingenious since you only need to deploy the side stand to engage. This way you will never forget to put on or release - Good one BMW.

 That the side stand deployed showing pulling the park brake linkage.

On the side stand, that is the engine kill switch, if its deployed switch will prevent engine from starting or if its running it will be kill.

 Ok that's it for now.. this is an unschedule wheel check due to a punctured rear tyre.

BMW C600 Sport - A Video Review

A short video review of the BMW C600 Sport Scooter.

SYM VS 150 atau SYM Excel II

Ok.. ni motor SYM Excel II atau ada tempat bagi nama SYM VS 150.., tapi kat Malaya ni masa itu jadi buatan Mofaz dan diberi nama yg cukup menarik sebagai Genzo G 150S.

Motor Fan (Air) Cooled kecil 149 cc lebih kurang itu ler.. dibawa masuk pada tahun 2008, masa tu SYM bukan satu jenama yg dikenali ramai di sini. Walau pon begitu buatannya cukup kemas.. Anda masih ingat SYM GTS 200, ya motor itu pon di bawa pada masa yg sama.. dan terbukti lebih power dari VTS 200 sekarang.

Lampu hadapan dua bijik.. kiri kanan, dua dua akan menyala serentak pada low beam dan juga high beam.. tak lah tempang seperti SYM 250i. Atas pada head light tu ada dua LED light.. ini DRL (Daytime Running Light) seperti pada BMW C600 Sport, tapi tahun 2008 dah ada kat mesin Taiwan ini.

Signal pada handle, mengunakan mentol biasa tetapi motor ini dilengkapi dengan signal light pada side mirrornya seperti motor motor mahal.

Brek hadapan sama seperti Modenas Elegan, dan sungguh berkesan.

Brek belakang mengunakan drum, cukup untuk motor sekecil ini dan seperti Honda PCX 150i yg jauh lebih mahal dari jentera ini.

Under seat storage yg sangat luas, seluas BMW 650 GT, boleh memuatkan dua topi keledar full face.

Dashboard dan control motor ni sangat simple tetapi cukup.. sama seperti motor motor kecil lain, cuma di sebelah kiri pada suis lampu bila ditekan ke bawah ia boleh membuka seat secara remote. Senang tak payah cabut kunci untuk buka underseat storage.

Pengisi minyak pada kedudukan yg sama seperti Elegan, tetapi untuk membukanya kita hanya perlu memusingkan kunci ke kiri seperti SYM VTS 200. Fuel capacity 6 liter dan dianggarkan kegunaan petrol sebanyak 38km/lt.

Terdapat "cangkuk pasar malam" dihadapan dan satu lagi dicelah kelangkang untuk menggantung barangan keperluan.

Lampu belakan dan lampu brek adalah LED dan lampu signal menggunakan mentol biasa. Di antara ciri ciri keselamatan yg ada pada motor ini ia lah, sekira tongkat tepi tidak dinaikkan dan kita hidupkan motor.. hazard light akan menyala dan bunyi akan dikeluarkan.

Extract dari http://www.scootersales.com.au Here

On the Road 
This is where same same now becomes different. Make Sense?

The VS 150 has one major change over the scooter it replaces, increased power and torque. The numbers say it for themselves but "seat of the pants" always helps explain the difference in a more easy to understand language.

Acceleration is plentiful on the VS 150 and its here that sets it apart from the 125. No slowing down for hills and no hiding from cars at the traffic lights, this scooter will in-still the confidence back in the right hand. The 4 valve motor is a gem which seems to have that nice balance, being able to rev but still pull like a train. Extra capacity should do this every time, but its nice to see that its translated here on our road ride. Top speed would be an easy 110 km/h, but its under this that counts and the VS scores well. 

The 12 inch alloy wheels made for a compliant ride across any of the city streets I travelled. The VS is sharp enough to feel alive yet the suspension and wheel combination are supple enough to remain comfortable. In the true GT sense its really just the best of both worlds. On a scooter like this you don't want to be crashing over bumps, what your looking for is compliance and the VS has it in spades. 

The seating position is extremely comfortable on the VS 150 and the reach to the bars is relaxed. If the trip calls for a pillion then the VS is large enough to accommodate this with ease. The extra power of the 150 cc motor, twin shocks and flip out foot pegs help cater for the request.

In Summary 

The SYM VS 150 is very much the same same as the VS 125 it replaces. The difference being that it ups the anti in the power stakes. 

But why would you be looking for change here? The VS 150 is what you would call a box ticker. Euro styling, great power, heaps of storage with a ride quality that makes commuting comfortable and compliant.  

The VS is fuss free scootering that wont ask the world but will certainly try and provide it in return. Add to this a 4 year Select Scoota warranty and the bullet proof reputation that SYM brings to the table. You actually wonder why we all haven't got a VS in the garage.

Using a cricket analogy the VS is your ultimate all-rounder and at only $3500 + ORC it might just hit you for a six. I think though it might just do it with a gloriously balanced cover drive rather then some erratic hook shot.

BMW C600 Sport - Pick Up

Pick Up my BMW C600 Sport today from Auto Bavaria Glenmarie, Shah Alam, its Sapphire Black Metallic in color.

Full spec. with heated grip, heated seat, DRL (Daytime Running Light) and ABS. The heaters I don't need but the rest is good.

Tire Pressure Monitor sensor, its using Bluetooth to the receiver computer. One for each wheels located inside the rim.

Will  need to familiarize with this scooter and then it would be fun.

SYM VTS 200 Scooter

OK I love bikes,, and has many over the years.. nowadays Scooter are the best for running around town or going to work as in my previous post on commuting scooter : Here with Amir on it.

Got myself a bigger bike the Kawasaki Versys 650 for longer distance and keep the scooter as commuting bike, its a great bike this Kawasaki. A friend of mine took this Versys from Kuala Lumpur to London over land via China Mainland without any problem.

Finally been idling for a while these bike, I decide to change to a smaller scooter and a whooper.. :) So get rid of the SYM 200 VTS Scooter and the Versys and got my self this tiny .. SYM VS 150 or the Excel II as its called in Australia.. Its new old stock got it for a bargain about USD1300.00 its a steal.

For the Whopper got this..... Grand Daddy of all maxi scooter.....

The BMW C600 Sport.. its a 650 cc Twin super fast.. and probably the first unit over here .. :) This scooter is a self reward for commuting to work these last 30 years on bike..