Wow. I’m not sure if I’m angry or just very, very disappointed in The Star Online, for this utter drivel. Honestly, I expected a LOT more from one of the more respected media houses in the country. While I’m quite sure the writer of this article published today (screenshot below) is not a biker…
…what’s even more ridiculous is that the writer didn’t even bother to do a little bit of research before writing this nonsensical rant of an article, (some rempit probably pissed him off today) because if he had done so, he’d realise that as of today, September 15th 2018, the Federal Highway bike lanes are still officially CLOSED. Check out this video which I just went out to shoot if you need visual proof… Location: Motorola heading to KL.
And as you can clearly see from this photo below as well, the entrances to the bike lanes along the Federal Highway are closed in many places, necessitating the need for bikes to use the main highway. As I said in the video, I don’t want to use the main part of the highway, none of us do, it’s horrendously jammed most of the time, and a lot more dangerous for bikers to use than a dedicated bike lane.
The bike lanes on both sides of the Federal Highway were supposed to be opened for use in March this year by the way, but they’re still closed..
Would you like to see the most laughable aspect of this bullshit article? Check out the main photo that was used in it below… You can clearly see the entrance to the bike lane is closed even in their own picture, and the arrow is directing bikes to use the main highway! Shoot yourself in the foot much Star Online? What rubbish. – Chris Wee.
Photo from The Star Online
(What preceded were the express personal views of the Editor and may not be that of Piston.my as a whole)
UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd (UMWT) has announced its involvement into the world of ESports, a first of its kind actually by a Malaysian car company. The company’s first move into the sport is the upcoming Toyota Velocity ESports Championship, the biggest national racing event in Malaysia, which will be held at the Sunway Pyramid Blue Atrium from the 21st to 23rd of September.
Those who are interested to become Malaysia’s quickest and fastest racing simulator drivers are welcome to participate without any fees. Entries are open for up to 400 participants who hold Malaysian citizenship or residency status.
The game? The exhilarating Gran Turismo Sport.
The racetrack? The legendary, Suzuka Japan GT.
The car? The speedy, Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept!
The Prize? Total of RM60,000 (Top prizes 1st=RM20,000, 2nd =RM10,000 and 3rd =RM5,000).
There will also be an exciting exhibition race participated by celebrities from Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Festival and all of this are not to be missed! “At Toyota, we always have our youth in mind. The Esports is on a steep upward curve and has the potential to become one of the top five sports in the world. This rapidly-rising industry is a new and exciting experience especially for the younger generation and with that being said, we at Toyota would like to be at the forefront of this Championship Series,” said Mr. Ravindran K., President of UMWT.
More details on registration procedures, programmes and a lot more about the exciting event will be announced soon. Log on to www.toyota.com.my to find out more. So watcha waitin’ for? Buckle-up and get your game on with Toyota!
In line with the Government’s Sales and Service Tax (SST) implementation effective 1st September 2018, Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd (ETCM), the sole distributor of Nissan vehicles in Malaysia, has announced the new pricing for its Nissan models inclusive of 10% Sales Tax.
Nissan Almera, Grand Livina, Serena S-Hybrid and X-Trail will be priced ranging from RM 69,800 to RM153,800*, and are lower compared to the Goods and Service Tax (GST) price structure, whereas for the Nissan Navara, the pickup’s price will remain at current 0% GST price while stocks last. This ranges from RM 77,330.97 for the 2.5L Single Cab to RM 119,869.08 for the fully loaded VL Plus (Double Cab). After-sales services by Tan Chong Ekspres Auto Servis Sdn Bhd (TCEAS) will be subjected to a 6% service tax for labor charge.
ETCM also introduced its ‘Malaysia Day Bonus’campaign with attractive rebates up to RM 8,000* for selected Nissan models. Members of the public are invited to test drive the recently launched Navara VL Plus with Intelligent Around View Monitor (I-AVM) and other innovative Nissan models at any Nissan showrooms across the nation.
Below are the new Nissan prices with SST, compared to when 6% GST was in effect…
Model
Variant
OTR Price with
6% GST (RM)
New OTR Price with 10% Sales Tax (RM)
Price Difference
(RM)
Price Difference (%)
Almera
1.5L E AT
72,200
69,800
(2,400)
– 3.3%
1.5L VL AT
82,000
79,800
(2,200)
– 2.7%
Grand Livina
1.6L AT
91,100
89,800
(1,300)
– 1.4%
1.8L AT
102,800
99,800
(3,000)
– 2.9%
Serena
S-Hybrid
2.0L Highway Star
135,500
131,800
(3,700)
– 2.7%
2.0L Premium Highway Star
147,500
143,800
(3,700)
– 2.5%
X-Trail
2.0L 2WD
137,000
133,800
(3,200)
– 2.3%
2.5L 4WD
159,200
153,800
(5,400)
– 3.4%
*Terms & conditions apply, for more information, visit www.nissan.com.my or call ETCM’s Nissan Customer Care Centre at 1800-88-3838.
Terrorists! Bombs! Communists! Dangerous! You will be kidnapped and raped! There’s no petrol stations! There’s no food! You will DIE! These are just some of the unbelievable horror statements and stories I’ve heard about the infamous Route 410 (below) that goes from Danuk to Betong, close to Pattani and Yala in Southern Thailand. And that’s exactly why I needed to find out for myself…
You see, this is exactly what terrorists and terror-groups want you to believe, to instill ‘terror’ (hence the terminology) in the hearts of everyone, to the point that if you believed everything you hear from a friend – of a friend, of a friend, of a friend, ad infinium – or read about from various sources on the internet, you’ll be too afraid to even leave your house, much less undertake a 5-hour road trip like I did, in previously unexplored and unknown terrain, laden with supposed terrorists just waiting to kill you…
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a death-wish, but I fervently believe that when your time is up, it’s up. It doesn’t matter what you could be doing at the time, a car could come crashing through the Starbucks you’re sitting at peacefully sipping your mocha-latte, and take you out spectacularly. You’ll probably make the evening news. Heck, you could die right now from a stroke or heart-attack, just ask my dear departed friend Ramesh Kanagasundram…
Hence the line from that movie “The 13th Warrior” always rings true for me: “The skane of your life was written the day you were born, go hide under a rock if it makes you feel better, you won’t live an instant longer, fear benefits man nothing…”
And that fear is what prompted me to write this article. As was the fact that after successfully and safely completing this journey with my trusted ride-buddy Buck Saleh (above, that’s his best side, snigger, snigger, arf arf) on his brand new Yamaha N-Max, there were still some who felt compelled to mention the dangers of riding here, in his later social media posts about the trip, despite the fact that I’m quite certain that some of those commenting have never even set foot in this area, much less travelled its entire distance.
Sure they can always say that ‘news reports’ said so, and if it’s online then it must be true right? Well, yes and no. Don’t forget that “sensation sells” and no news sells better than bad news. Ever been drawn inexplicably to look at a crash on the highway? You know it’s bad, you know you might see a dead body possibly in pieces, which will haunt your thoughts for days and maybe even weeks to come, and yet we are compelled to look.
It’s the same with news, a lot of it is sensationalism in order to capture an audience. I just did the exact same thing on purpose with the headline for this story. Hammer it home hard and long enough, and soon fantasy becomes reality, fabrications, embellishments and even outright lies become truths. Thus the more I heard about the (hearsay) dangers of Route 410, the more curious I became. How bad could it really be? The ‘want’ to find out manifested itself over the years and soon it became a ‘need’. I needed to know…
Yes, there are petrol stations along the way on Route 410. Still not one terrorist in sight at this halfway point…
Let me cut to the chase. It was one of the most brilliant+/- 288km of back-roads I’d ever travelled on a bike in my life. And when it was over I wanted to turn back and ride it again. I even recall Buck and I being quite pissed-off that we’d taken to heart all the horror stories about Route 410 over the years, and seriously regretted not doing this ride sooner.
At no point did I ever feel in danger or threatened in any way, (point of fact, I’ve felt in more in danger riding in downtown KL than the whole of Route 410) since there were numerous check-points to go through, and save for the last one before the destination town of Betong (the red pointer in the map above), we were not stopped or hassled even once. Along the way there were various places to stop and take a break, like the Khao Nam Khang Historical Tunnel Complex in the National Park, where we also had some of the best coffee ever at this small hut leading to the entrance…
Route 410 proved to be one of the nicest, most well made roads I’d ever had the pleasure of riding on, and seems to be a favourite not just with the locals, but I distinctly recall seeing quite a few Malaysian registered vehicles go by as well. Average speed throughout the entire stretch was about 80kmh, and that was fine, seeing as how my steadfast rule when it comes to biking is that if you go too fast you lose the essence of what biking is all about, and you’ll completely miss everything the location has to offer, since all your concentration is taken up just staying on the road.
Ban what??
The other point I wanted to prove was more to myself than anyone else. I wanted to really know if #Scootouring, or touring on a scooter, was a plausibility or just a hashtag I made up because it sounded funky. It’s a real thing by the way, I even have a Facebook page on it, so it must be real, right? Well, the fact that I’m hacking away on this laptop back home after 1,233kms over 4 days through supposed terrorist-infested roads proves that it is. Just make sure your vehicle, be it bike, scoot, car or truck is properly maintained, and in tip-top condition before any long-distance trip, to anywhere, not just here.
Before I end, let me set the record straight. I’m not telling you to go out now and drive to Beirut okay? No. All I’m trying to impart is to NOT let what you hear stop you from doing something that you’ve always wanted to do, or doing something that you love. That’s what terrorists want, to change how you think and feel; to change your way of life, to make you afraid. Remember, it’s all about how much fear they can instill in you, nothing else. And like I said earlier, if your time is up, hey, it’s up; only the man upstairs knows how and when. Your skane is written…
In the meantime, #yolo… we only get one shot at this, one chance, one life… so I don’t know about you, but I intend to make full use of it. I’m already planning the next ride, wanna come? Peace. – Chris Wee.
I participated in the very first #EvoEnduro in 2017, an epic “Mille Miglia” type drive which would see participants travel from KL to Phuket, Thailand in the span of one day, stopping only for fuel and food. I participated with my 35-year old Mercedes-Benz (W126) 280SE (above), which made it to and fro flawlessly, and folks, it really was one of the best drives of my life…
Here’s the official video from #EvoEnduro 2018, which asked (and answered) the question “Why do we love cars?”Why do we indeed! I’m already looking forward to #EvoEnduro 2019, so stay tuned for the announcement on that! Check out the #EvoEnduro 2017 photo gallery after the video…
The Gran Premio Nuvolari, a regularity rally only open to historic cars built between 1919 and 1972, will be held from 13 to 16 September on a route which starts and ends in Mantua, the birthplace of Tazio Nuvolari. The Maserati Levante (above), the brand’s first SUV, presented in the MY19 version at the 25th edition of the Festival of Speed held at Goodwood from 12 to 15 July, features a restyling that has combined important technical updates, such as the new, improved short-stroke paddle shifters, the adaptive Full LED Matrix headlights, with the addition of the GranLusso and GranSport trims and the introduction of new contents such as “Pieno Fiore” leather, the new external colours, the new wheels and a wider selection of interior trims.
Participant in Maserati 6C with 6-cyl, 3500 cc engine
The Maserati cars taking part in the event include: the A6 1500 Berlinetta designed by Pininfarina and built in 1949 – the first Maserati road model, a sports car intended for gentlemen drivers, with a “1500” engine that provided the basis for Maserati racing and road cars of the following years, starting with the A6 GCS; and a Quattroporte built in 1968 – a car that marked a milestone in the history of Maserati, since the first Quattroporte generation, in 1963, created a completely new market segment, that of the luxury sports sedan. Maserati will also be opening the parade of over 300 teams taking part in the GP Nuvolari by organising the Maserati Tribute, a “race within the race”, with the cars in the current range – the Quattroporte flagship, the Ghibli sports sedan and the Levante SUV – lining up on the front row.
“We are delighted to be Main Partner of the Gran Premio Nuvolari, which commemorates legendary Mantua-born driver Tazio Nuvolari, who won major victories with Maserati,” commented Umberto Cini, General Manager Maserati EMEA Region. “It gives us great pleasure to drive Trident brand cars over more than 1000 kms of roads unrivalled anywhere in the world, through beautiful Italian landscapes, in a unique blend of history, passion and tradition, all values expressed to the full by Maserati, which is also proud to reaffirm its role as international ambassador for Italian excellence.”
The 2018 edition of the GP Nuvolari, held this year for the 28thtime, offers a new-look route with the first stage from Mantua across the Po Valley and the Apennines to the Adriatic Riviera, the second stage from Rimini through the beautiful landscapes of Tuscany, Umbria and Marche regions and back to Rimini, and the third stage from the Adriatic Sea through the towns and cities of Emilia Romagna to the finishing line in Mantua.
