This video has gone viral. In it you can clearly see that while the biker was just trying to get by a car in the right lane, the driver of the car ‘brake-checks’ him… more than once.
Was this really necessary? So maybe the biker shouldn’t have honked and revved his engine, but maybe the car should have just moved over. It takes two-hands to clap, but is it worth possibly killing someone over?
Here are my thoughts on the matter, and the general scene right now when it comes to cars and bikes….
I’m going to say this right off the bat so that I don’t forget to later: Do NOT buy this bike if you’re a beginner and just starting off in the world of 2-wheelers. I say that not as a challenge of any kind, but more from the fact that this bike is definitely for a seasoned biker, I kid you not.
I love this bike. I really do, because it reminds me of of my old 90’s Ducati 900SS, which was the most unforgiving bitch of a bike I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning. Right off the bat, just like my old Ducati, this ‘Guzzi’ tried to spit me off…twice.
Let’s also get this out of the way right now too; that ‘unique’ V-engine will not be everyone’s cuppa tea. First off, unlike other vees, this one protrudes transversely, like a BMW boxer engine; only this boxer is taking shots at your knees, and not your ankles like a BMW.
The vibration during start-up is very noticeable, because the counter-balancers will only smooth things out after about 2,000rpm. In fact, blip the throttle when the bike is idling on its side-stand and you might think it’s gonna topple over. That’s how severe the left-right pitch is, because unlike that aforementioned boxer engine where the pistons are low, the ones in this vee sit pretty high.
However, during highway cruising, the V7 III Stone is as smooth as you could expect any V-twin to be. Of course it’ll never be as smooth as an in-line 4, but manages to handle highway riding quite well, cruising steadily at 140kmh is not a problem at all for this bike, it just powers along, its engine thrumming away smoothly.
It has a 21-litre fuel tank, so long-distance rides will not be a problem at all, in fact I managed to see 260km on the trip-meter between fill-ups, and the low-fuel warning-light hadn’t even illuminated yet. The riding-position is as upright as you’re ever going to be when it comes to bikes, and power wise there’s a healthy 52bhp at 6,200 rpm, and 60Nm of torque at 4,900 rpm.
But here comes the part where I tell you why this bike isn’t for beginners. For starters, this bike’s acceleration is BRUTAL. I’m not exaggerating, it really is. Vee engines are known to be quick off the mark, but this thing has taken that to a whole new level.
It’s also this brutal acceleration coupled with the low-end wobble that makes for a rather daunting proposition when it comes to low-speed maneuverability with the V7, and here’s where most, if not all, riders are going to find it quite a handful. Utilizing ride-by-wire technology, the V7’s throttle is like a hair-trigger. It is overly responsive and requires a very precise, almost feather-touch, especially when negotiating around obstacles; for example: lane filtering during a traffic jam.
Another place that may get novice riders in trouble with the V7 would be when it came to powering-out while exiting a corner. As I mentioned earlier, the throttle has a hair-trigger, and just a bit too much twist could send the back-end out. Not knowing how to ‘catch’ this could be a painful lesson indeed.
I’ll put it this way; if you’ve just gotten your full-B license after passing your test and taking all your lessons on a JPJ issued Kawa ER6N/F, you are in for the shock of your life if you buy this as your first bike. It may actually put you off biking altogether.
Don’t get me wrong, the Moto Guzzi V7 is not a bad bike, it doesn’t really wanna spit you off, but it will, if you haven’t got the experience to handle it, or more importantly, counteract it. Think of it as a wild-stallion that needs to be tamed….slowly, eventually. Build-up your real-world riding skill (because the mandatory lessons to get your full-B license are an archaic joke) through the various categories before swinging a leg over something like this.
Moto Guzzi has never been a run-of-the-mill bike maker, I doubt it ever will be, but I can’t tell you how happy I am that they are being represented in Malaysia by The Gasket Alley in PJ.
For the northern region, over in Penang, Sheng Fatt Motor Specialist takes care of the Moto Guzzi brand, in fact, this test bike came from them, and I actually rode it back from Penang during the Petron Blaze RON100 Media Ride recently.
In conclusion, priced at around RM66,900 (OTR without insurance) I have to say I really like this bike, but I just can’t stress enough how unsuitable it is for a beginner. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. – Chris Wee.
Ducati fans, and all bike enthusiasts for that matter, do take note! There’s now a one-stop Ducati Centre & Motor Specialist on the island of Penang for you to visit! During thePetron Blaze RON100 Media Ride recently, we dropped by Sheng Fatt Motor Specialist Centre, located at 24, Jalan Dato Keramat, 10150 George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
With ample parking up-front, the ground floor is reserved for a bike showroom housing the latest Ducati motorbikes, but it’s the level above that blew us away.
The entire floor has been renovated to a bike apparel showcase, replete with quality used bikes for sale too; like this Honda Africa Twin and Suzuki GSX-1000 for example…
It’s a very laid-backarea with refreshments and even a coffee bar, as well as places to sit and relax, do work, while watching your bikes being worked on in the workshop above, via flat-screen TVs. Yes, unlike other bike shops, this one has its workshop and 6 crew above!
Renovated at a cost of more than RM1 million, it’s owned and operated by Kheoh Hock Seng @ Ah Seng, (above) and his crew of 4 trained mechanics and 2 service-advisors, as well as 3 showroom front-liners.
The new centre has a tonne of riding apparel from helmets to gloves, as well as jackets and boots, from known bike-apparel makers such as Alpinestars, as well as official merchandise from Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia & Vespa.
Ah Seng’s reasoning behind this extensive renovation to include a huge selection of riding apparel, is because he believes (from being a biker himself) that the importance of safety when it comes to riding gear is still a bit lacking in Penang. Here’s a video of how the shop looks upstairs…
With the hopes of educating the biking community on the importance of being safely kitted-out when riding, the new premises is already open for business, so if you’re in the area, do drop by, or call 04-227 8932 for more details.
Alternatively, you can check out their official Facebook page for more photos, loaction and directions.
“Are you nuts?” (lu gila ka?) Spoken colloquially with a hint of Chinese accent and coming from your mechanic, whose knowledge of your bike far surpasses that of your own, one would probably think long and hard about embarking on a 400+km roadtrip, with a bike older than 80% of you reading this…
But that was the plan. You see, having procured this 1983 Suzuki Katana 750almost a year ago, I’d not had a proper ‘shakedown’ ride on it, ever since the ‘must-do’ restoration was completed, and the invite for the Petron “Fuel Happy” Media Ride 2018 seemed like the best time to do it. Or was it…
The plan was for bike media to use their own machines to experience the attributes of Petron’s BlazeRON100 fuel, for a journey from KL to Penang and back again. And the said machines had to be 500cc and above. I guess this time my trusty Sym200 “Scootourer” would be staying home…
Before we get to the ride itself, we need to clear the air about RON. What’s RON? RON is actually an acronym that stands for Research Octane Number, and represents the fuel’s ‘knock-resistance’, or premature ignition / detonation. This happens when fuel in the combustion chamber explodes after compression, but before the spark-plug can properly ignite it. And this can result in engine damage. The higher the RON number, the more adept it is at eliminating this pre-detonation, and in the long run, preserve your engine longer.
Petron Blaze RON100, which meets EURO 4M standards, utilizes a “TriAction Advantage” formula comprising an Organic combustion-enhancer for a cleaner and better burn with no pre-detonation, a Fully-synthetic detergent additive that cleans and stops deposits from forming for increased engine protection, and a Friction-modifier which reduces the friction between engine parts. So long story short, is RON100 worth using? Yes. Can it be used in any car or bike? Yes. Or rather I was about to find out about the latter anyway…
The Suzuki Katana 750 from the early 80’s predates every gizmo and gadget you currently own. It even predates the Internet and Emails for God’s sake. Mobile phones, not even Smartphones, didn’t even exist yet when this bike first appeared. Its Hans Muth design seems to have endured over the years, and even three decades on, it still looks contemporary set against a backdrop of newer and more technologically advanced motorcycles.
I did have my reservations though to be honest. This was after all a rather long ride, on a ‘grandfather’ of a bike. Let me clarify that; in the biking world where anything over a decade is considered old, this bike was ancient among the rest.
So there we were, about 16 of us, all on large capacity bikes, ready to hit the highway after a full-tank of RON100, graciously supplied by our hosts Petron Marketing. Having only been using RON95 for the Kat, I was curious to see what benefits I could feel from switching to RON100; and no the petrol-tank didn’t need to be drained before filling-up with RON100.
It was only after the second fill-up that I managed to feel some discernible difference in the way the old bike was performing, I guess by this point about 200km from the flag-off, every remaining drop of the previous RON95 had burned through the system, leaving only Blaze RON100 in the tank.
It was during this time that I distinctly felt the throttle response to be much quicker than before, as well as roll-on acceleration. I decided against testing if the top-speed had increased significantly, for lets face it, you’d don’t enter a geriatric into a 100m sprint with Usain Bolt.
One thing I was certain of though, was that the engine was (and still is) running a lot smoother, and the bike seemed more eager to rev. I’m really going to have to try RON100 in my Sym200 scooter, because at a mere 171.2cc, any advantage in any fuel going through that tiny engine will be felt instantly.
In conclusion, over the span of two days and a few hundred kilometres, I think it’s safe to say that we were all collectively impressed with Petron’s Blaze RON100 fuel. All the bikes made it, there wasn’t a single issue with any of them, and I’m extremely happy to say, that included the old Suzuki Katana too.
Photo by Hezeri Samsuri
For a closer look at some of the bikes that attended this ride, have a look at this video from our friend Hezeri Samsuri atCareta.my:
Many thanks to the Petron Marketing team (above) for organising this ride, and for giving us the opportunity to sample first-hand the benefits of RON100! – Chris Wee.
NB: In case you didn’t know, Petron also produces engine oils for bikes in different grades, and to learn about them in more detail, click the links below: (photos of the oils are in the gallery below)
For more information about Petron products, log on to www.petron.com.my.
Petron “Fuel Happy” Blaze RON100 Media Ride Photo Gallery…
The FULL Details from Petron…
PETRON BLAZE 100 POWERS FUEL HAPPY ROAD TRIP FOR 2-WHEELERS
Petron held a Media Test Ride road trip exclusively for motor bikers to allow them to experience the high-performance benefits of Petron Blaze 100 Euro 4M.
Selected media on board 15 motorcycles of their own, in different brands and models participated in the Media Test Ride as part of a two-day road trip fueled by Petron Blaze 100 Euro 4M. The team traveled across more than 300 kilometers of PLUS North-South Expressway from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, maneuvering through long and hilly stretches of the expressway. The road trip was flagged off by Mr. Danny Chen, Marketing Manager at Petron MRR2 Selayang, while En. Mohd Shaibi Ahmad Hijazi, Retail Sales Manager served as the event’s spokesperson.
“The road trip gave us the opportunity to show the high-performance benefits of our Petron Blaze Euro 4M on two-wheelers. The results affirmed its superior capability and efficiency, giving motorcycle and motorbike riders a smoother and better drive, as well as greater value for money. We are pleased to note that our participants thoroughly enjoyed their ride and had a Fuel Happy experience,” said Pn Faridah Ali, Head of Retail Business.
The journey kicked off at Petron MRR2 Selayang station before turning towards PLUS Expressway going to Penang. The group had a stopover at Tapah PLUS R&R before refueling with Blaze 100 at Petron Station Bercham in Perak. The ride continued on PLUS Expressway moving towards Taiping where they exited for lunch. Petron Jalan Hussein Onn (Sg Dua) served as the next refueling station before reaching Penang Island via Penang Bridge.
Now on its fourth year, Fuel Happy Road Trip is especially organized for members of the media to give them the chance to experience the benefits of Petron’s world-class fuels, as well as its trademark personalized customer service. In testing the fuel performance, participants take on highways and cross-country drives to some of the country’s best places. They can also enjoy the benefits of Petron Miles card for redemption of fuel and Treats items.
“Since launching Blaze 100 in January 2016, we have been receiving positive feedback from customers. Its unique Tri-Action Advantage guarantees more power, better engine protection, and better mileage, while low sulfur content making it environment-friendly. Blaze 100 proves our commitment in delivering innovative products and services for our valued customers,” continued Pn Faridah.
From 7 pilot stations, Petron Blaze 100 is now available at 71 stations nationwide and soon in more stations to meet growing market demand.
About Petron Malaysia: Petron Malaysia is a leading company in Malaysia’s downstream oil market. Its 88,000 barrel-per-day Port Dickson Refinery produces a wide variety of world-class fuels which is distributed through 8 terminals strategically located across the country. Through more than 580 stations nationwide, it retails premium fuels namely Blaze 100 Euro 4M, Blaze 97 Euro 4M, Blaze 95, Turbo Diesel Euro 5 and Diesel Max. Petron is committed to its vision to be the leading provider of total customer solutions in the oil sector and allied businesses.
