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Tag: riders

  • Singapore Brothers Compete Against Each Other In M’sian Motorbike Race

    Singapore Brothers Compete Against Each Other In M’sian Motorbike Race

    Undoubtedly, every young motorcycle racer aspires to race on the international stage and have their names on the lips of talent scouts.

    Last weekend, 11 young riders from six Asian countries began pursuing their dreams by taking part in a one-make race called the KTM RC Cup Asia at the Sepang International Circuit.

    Aged between 14 and 22, the riders, who rode KTM RC390 sportsbikes, competed in Round 1 of five rounds in what was categorised as the Orange Class.

    Of the 11 riders, two of them were Singaporean brothers who have been racing regionally these past few years.

    Their mother, Madam Mazlindah Abdul Ma’moon, told The New Paper she was nervous but proud to see both youths representing the country.

    The 47-year-old, who works in a bank, said: “I must admit there was some fear, because they had never raced in the same event before… There was double pressure for me.”

    Fortunately, there were no crashes or drama between Muhammad Aiman Nabil Shaharum, 16, and Arsyad Rusydi Shaharum, 19.

    Aiman, who is supported by local KTM distributor DirtWheel Motor, said: “If anything happened between my brother and me on the circuit, it would have been an awkward car ride back to Singapore. But I think having him in the same race was beneficial as we could strategise how to win.”

    Aiman finished the weekend with two top-five spots. He was fifth on Saturday’s race and fourth on Sunday at the circuit’s 2.6km South Track.

    Aiman, who will be starting his polytechnic education next month, said: “All the others were experienced riders. It was my first time on the KTM RC390, and I started riding it only a week before the races.”

    The race weekend was dominated by Malaysian riders such as Round 1 overall winner M. Ibrahim Mohd Norrodin.

    Competition was stiff with the top riders crossing the finish line within the blink of an eye from one another.

    The winners stand a chance to race in the world final in Europe with the possibility of participating in the prestigious RedBull Rookies Cup.

    KTM’s executive director for South-east Asia, Mr Selvaraj Narayana, said: “The races were closely fought, which was what we hoped for… We could also see the racing level of the riders significantly improving from the first day to the second.”

    Aside from Asia, there are eight other KTM RC Cups being run worldwide in countries such as Germany, the US and France.

    Aiman, who is too young to have a motorcycle licence, said he “does not care” to get one as his parents forbid him from riding on public roads.

    Madam Mazlindah said: “My sons race in a controlled environment. There are no heavy vehicles apart from the other motorcycles. I feel confident as they are in full riding gear.”

     

    Source: TNP

  • Commentary: Riding Is A Cheaper Method Of Transport But That Only Shows How Cheap Your Life Is

    Commentary: Riding Is A Cheaper Method Of Transport But That Only Shows How Cheap Your Life Is

    Hi

    Someone posted a bold comment about riding motorcycle in Singapore and relate to the BKE accident recently. In the post he criticise riders saying that ride motorcycle as a form of cheap transport. He say maybe there is a trend in singapore because like almost all riders are malay and told the malays to take care. He was a rider to a driver (car to lorries who cares) and realise that singapore roads are not for bikers.

    In the post:

    “i am a rider and driver from cars to lorries even class 4, i must say bikers are a pain in the ass (: thankfully i drive now. Lets face the fact that Singapore roads are never suitable for motorcycles.  Yes it may be a cheaper method of transport as compared to a car. However, that only shows how cheap your life is. so if you cant afford to drive, dont ride and just take public transport @ Yusuf norseni i dont know whats the trend going on in SG but it seems like many mlay are riders, please take care buddy. Lets pray for all the casualties and van driver, peace out”

     

    So, who is this guy think he is. All bikers are pain in the ass? All riders are malay? How bout your stupidity is the trending now. People can ride because of hobby and they want to spend the money on bikes. Why you have to mention one race when saying about all the bikers in sg? And from rider to driver means you right to criticise and look down at people who are riding bikes is it? No point you remove your fb.

    I have been riding in singapore close to 10 years now. From small bikes to bigger so i know how it feel as a biker here. I work despatch and delivery too. As a singaporean and malay and a rider, i really feel offended and angry.

     

    Salim

    Reader’s Contribution

  • LTA Should Make It Compulsory For Drivers And Riders To Have Both Class 3 And Class 2B Licences

    LTA Should Make It Compulsory For Drivers And Riders To Have Both Class 3 And Class 2B Licences

    Painful to watch motorcycle accidents happening over and over again because we all know how it feels to be drawing first blood from the tarmac.

    The past two weeks have been tough for the riding community. Some of these accidents involving motorcycles were preventable. While many accidents have been caused by erratic driving, we have also seen those that were due to rider’s own negligence, in other cases both driver and rider at fault.

    The fatal Ducati accident has affected my circle of riding friends tremendously as they are good friends with the late Lin Ken, affectionately known as Linken. I have seen him a couple of times with my friends at common hangouts like Handlebar etc.

    I will refrain from commenting on the accident to show my due respect for the fallen rider.

    From my four years of driving around due to work and two years of riding on the road (my interest and also my main mode of transport), I note:

    1. Stay away from cars, commercial vehicles. Don’t linger too long at their blindspots because I guarantee you out of ten drivers, probably only two to three check their blindspots. When we say check your blindspots, we are not referring to the mirrors. We are talking about turning your neck to look over your shoulder.

    2. Riding slow doesn’t mean riding safe.

    3. If the road is wet (raining), stay away from the painted white markings as this can be slippery. If the rain is heavy, take shelter if possible.

    4. Ride defensively. It is always good to have dual license – drive a car and ride a bike. You know the quirks of a driver and the behavior of a rider.

    In fact, in a perfect world (to me), it should be compulsory for drivers and riders to possess both Class 2B (minimum) and Class 3 license and at least one year experience on the road of each license. Class 3A should be abolished, and auto cars should be given the marching orders and sent to scrapyards. Auto cars makes it so easy for people with no license to hop onto a car and drive away illegally.

    But of course, in a not so perfect world like ours, this is nonsense and unpopular.

    5. Ride like everyone is out to kill you, especially the drivers.

    6. Stay away from the fast lane in heavy traffic. That’s where all the nincompoop congregate – the road hoggers, tailgaters, chiongsters, slow-to-react-drivers, oblivious-to-surrounding-drivers…. You do not wanna be sandwiched.

    7. Loud pipe saves lives.

    8. Upgrade to an airhorn.

    9. Stay away from Malaysian drivers and riders.

    10. Give way to faster vehicles (cars and bikes alike). Do not road hog. It is amusing to see everyone queuing up on lane one when the other lanes are not as congested. And if we are filtering as a bike and there is a faster bike approaching behind us (could be a kup, could be a liter bike doesn’t matter), signal to let the rider know your intention to give way and proceed back to filter after letting him pass you.

    As a driver, I feel that it is our responsibility to ensure the safety of motorcyclists because they are the vulnerable ones on the road. Check your mirrors all the time, use your indicators and check your blindspots.

    As a rider, I feel that we should ride responsibly. I always believed that when we choose to lanesplit/filter, it is a risk we choose to take. Be alert. I have avoided at least two to three rear end collisions thanks to lanesplitting. Whether you like it (or not), most riders filter because it saves lives, saves your (drivers) time sitting in traffic, and reduces congestion as a whole. Of course, we have also seen how irresponsible, reckless and careless filtering can end up a disaster.

    There are always two sides to a coin – similarly there are good and MANY bad drivers, good riders and also MANY bad riders. As a driver, I know I am protected by my metal cage, I know that one wrong move from me may cause irreversible damage to others. Knowing these facts, what would you do? A wrong move from a rider may damage your bumper, scratch your mirror, cause you some minor inconveniences but just one wrong move from a driver may end up taking the life of an innocent rider. I choose to think this way because life is priceless and precious. No amount of regrets can bring a son, daughter, father, mother, (of someone) back to life.

    We share the road. All that talks about banning motorcycles, they are just words from an idiot trying to sow further discord between drivers and riders. I’m not a perfect driver or rider but I try my best to minimize my mistakes on the road and be as considerate as possible to the best of my abilities.

    Look out for each other on the road. Don’t be lazy to signal. Don’t be lazy to check.

    Ok bye.

     

    Source: Kristeena Fino Yap