Ducati 1199 Panigale, Checkmate.

Ducati has never ceased to amaze with their line of motorcycle which combine artistic form and performance.

The new Ducati 1199 Panigale! Ducati claims a 195hp at the crank!! The specs of the bike are below! Lets home one comes to Singapore Soon!

Honestly Honestly Stunning.

1199 Panigale Technical specification

Chassis
Frame	Monocoque aluminum
Front suspension	Marzocchi 50mm pressurized and fully adjustable usd fork with hard anodized aluminum lightweight slider
Front wheel	10-spoke light alloy 3.50" x 17"
Rear suspension	Fully adjustable Sachs unit. Adjustable linkage: Progressive/flat. Aluminum single-sided swingarm.
Rear wheel	10 spoke light alloy 6.00" x 17"
Front brake	2 x 330mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted Brembo Monobloc M50 4-piston callipers ABS optional +2.5kg (+5.5lb)
Rear brake	245mm disc, 2-piston calliper
Fuel tank capacity	17l (4.5 gallon US)
Dry weight	164kg (361.5lb)
*Wet weight	188kg (414.5lb)

Engine
Type	Superquadro: L-twin cylinder, 4 valve per cylinder, Desmodromic, liquid cooled
Bore x Stroke	112 x 60.8mm
Power	195hp (143kw) @ 10,750rpm
Torque	98.1lb-ft (132Nm) @ 9.000rpm
Exhaust	2-1-2 system with catalytic converter and 2 lambda probes. Twin stainless steel mufflers with alumimum outer sleeves
Transmission
Clutch	Slipper and self-servo wet multiplate clutch with hydraulic control

Trip to Port Dickson: Riding Around Port Dickson Pt 3.

The view from the hotel cafe which is situated next to its boathouse on the last day of my stay there.

Don't ever want to leave this bed.

The Sunrise from the room.

All in all the cost of the hotel amounted up to about 300rm for the 3 days but it was well worth the trip, the security at the hotel and the views of the area was stunning.

Now started the long 300km ride back to Singapore from Seremban Via the North-South Highway.

This is going to be a long way home.

We rode by the same route back to Singapore except we did not stop for lunch at Malacca as we had already   had our fill to eat at the hotel. Down the road I was hoping that there would not be any problems with the Duct Taped Fairing from the trip up.

The trip home was pretty uneventful except the stunning views of the hills, 'Kampongs' (thatched houses) and farms that greeted us on the way back to home.

similar views from the same road. :)

3/4's of the way back along the Johor Stretch of the North South Highway things managed to get a little interesting.

Somewhere Just about there.

I was cruising along at about 140km/h when I saw a rider pushing his Honda Hornet 250 On the side of the road. I pulled over to see if I could offer him any help. I was mentally prepared for an engine breakdown, coolant leak, oil leak or something serious of that sort. Turns out he had ran out of gas. The nearest gas station would be about a mile and a half away. So I took out a water bottle to give him some gas.

Once again by the side of the Malaysian North-South Highway

I gave him about 500ml of petrol which would be enough to get him to the next petrol station. He was extremely grateful for it and he tried to pay me for the petrol. I was content with simply just being friends. I was surprised to learn that his Honda Hornet had actually been bought in Singapore for about SGD1500!! God that bike looks fantastic!

And so we set off after exchanging contacts and his father contacting me and thanking me for helping his son out later was a warm and nice gesture.

That pretty much sums up the fill of the short 'roadtrip' getaway from Singapore to Port Dickson!

10 Things I have learnt while riding in Singapore Pt 1.

These are a couple of things I have learnt about the roads around Singapore in the minute number of miles since I got my licence.

1. If no one saw it, it did not happen

This definitely happened, Dude.

This is the "heck care" or lackadaisical attitude that most Singaporeans tend to take when driving and if they hit someone or something, most of the time, they would say things like "WHERE GOT? WHERE GOT? I DID NOT HIT YOU!" [ what they are trying to say is: "I did not even feel my large heap of metal turn you into paste" ] and if they are caught red handed, they will simply act as if there is no damage to your vehicle  or persons whatsoever. 

2. Car drivers do not care whether you are in the lane and will simply pull out as and when they wish 

your next trip to the hospital.

3. The hot and humid weather and a tad bit of ignorance leads MANY riders to dress as if they were in their homes, eg. Singlets, Shorts and Slippers.

you might think that's cool.

If she takes a fall in that position she is probably going to have a dislocated pelvis and it will not be pretty. Most riders in Singapore do not take safety seriously enough, and it is common sight to see even younger supposedly more educated riders often riding without any safety precautions in place.

4. Old taxicab drivers would scream at you in Hokkien if you squeeze them off after a tiff even if it was initially their fault

5. Both Cars and Motorcycle lots are often misused by really crabby people; this usually happens at the times when one simply wishes to park his/her vehicle in a crowded carpark to proceed on with their activities.

Even a blind man can park better than you

Parking in Singapore, pronounced by most locals as "Pah King" can be a living hell, sometimes you wait almost half an hour for a lot and some guy just "steals" it away from you. Especially in a small country like Singapore the parking can get a little more than a little cramped on a daily basis. To avoid people from cheating and not paying their parking fees in the carparks by not tearing the relevant coupons and such.

This sells better in Singapore than 4D/Lotto Tickets

The Government or "Gah Ment" / "Ah Kong" [Meaning Grandfather] has installed electronic gantries with cameras and all the other bells and whistles. 

Cringing at every cold and mechanical beep

Honestly, this does not really help the problem as it makes it more likely that people will take up 2 Parking spaces with one car, or park in a non specified place all the more, as the good old fashioned policing is no longer in place, where an attendant would come and manually check on cars/motorcycles parked in the area at that time.

Part 2 To be Up Soon! =d

NS and Riding FAQs

For all of you riders whom are soon going to wear green or are wearing green and going to get a bike licence, Here are a few FAQs about NS and Riding. In the past few weeks I have had fresh NS Full time Servicemen (Fresh out of BMT) asking me, a "lau peng" ( A personnel whom is about to complete his 2 years of service or a reservist personnel) about riding into camp.

Procedures for riding into SAF camps and certain other installations inclusive of certain civillian engineering sectors:

1) You are REQUIRED to attend a minimum 1/2 day Defensive Riding Course.

The defensive riding course will be reimbursed by the SAF provided you apply for it through your man-power branch OR your admin branch, where you would have to fill out some forms. The waiting time in general is about a month or two before you can take the course if you do it that way. The course would then be held at SSDC ( Singapore Safety Driving Center ) . There are faster ways of getting around this by applying for your defensive riding course at CDC (Comfort Delgro Driving Center) or BBDC (Bukit Batok Driving Center). Applying at these centers directly would mean your waiting time would be cut to about a week.

 However the defensive riding course if taken at CDC or BBDC WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED.

There is no way to cham siong (meaning to try to negotiate to get yourself out of a spot of trouble) and you will not be allowed to ride into SAF camps without a defensive riding certificate.

2) You have your Defensive Riding Cert, Now What?

If you already posses your defensive riding cert, you would have to go to camp and exchange it for a certain agreement "contract" with the Man-power Branch or Military Transport Line. It comes in the form of a book. You will have to Sign the undertaking and so will your superior (usually a regular serviceman) to allow you to ride into camp. 

3) I've Signed the Undertaking so what proof do I get that I have attended the course?

After signing the undertaking, flip to the back of the book and remove a circular disc sticker about the size of a 20cent coin and stick it on your 11B (your replacement Identification Card for the 2 years) preferably. Such as below on the bottom left hand corner of the Identification Card the Singapore Armed Forces Crest and some random writings below.

Things to take note of:

1) You are not allowed to take a pillion to and from camp or place of duty if you are under 24 years of age.

2) You are to ride responsibly when in uniform and when in camp

3) The Military Police on the road may stop you and check you if you are in uniform so try to book out in civillian clothing if possible.

4) Defensive Riding is not a test, there is no "pass" or "fail" to worry about so simply go there and enjoy the day!

The failure to abide by these 2 main rules may get you a disqualification of your defensive driving "licence" following which you will no longer be allowed to ride into SAF camps.

RIP Simoncelli

The passing of one of the motor-sports elites, Marco Simoncelli during the MotoGP 2011 at Sepang is a sad moment. It also goes to show that even with the gear and rider at its very best as possible within the limitations of our current time, taking a fall does not always have a happy ending, so on your next ride, treasure your life and advise your loved ones to treasure theirs.

Sometimes, having the right gear or even having something as simple as the right mindset whilst riding could save your life.

R.I.P Marco Simoncelli

Trip to Port Dickson: Riding Around Port Dickson Pt 2.

The General Overview of Port Dickson

Getting Lost There isn't so bad.

Port Dickson is home to quite a number of army installations and not one, but two army museums. The entry to this museums are of course free. However if you do try to go to Port Dickson by Bus, Please be prepared that there are NO MOTORCYCLE/SCOOTER rentals available. For some reason, they are just not willing to loan out motorcycles or scooters. 

The public beach where you find a car has driven up the grass

I bet you could swim onto that island and have some
private fun. 
Do however remember that this is a strict Muslim
State in Malaysia.

I went around most parts of Port Dickson, though due to the lack of time during the trip I was not able to fully photograph and capture the scenery of the place. What a bummer, well maybe next time. The public beach was clean and the water was clear. The only problem was the accessibility, it was 2-3miles away from the hotel, which itself had a private beach.

Private beaches always look nicer than the public ones

However for those of you who enjoy riding there are ribbons of asphalt that are located in Port Dickson. The map below is an example of some of those ribbons of asphalt. Do be CAUTIOUS as some of the roads there may be quite treacherous due to negligent maintenance. However the road closer to the sea side has crests and drops through the corners which makes them interesting if you take those roads at around 10-11am when there is less traffic, even if you rent a car the roads are still a sight and experience to behold. 

Taking corners one step at a time




The Town in Port Dickson


If you do  however go to the Bandar Baru Sungala which is sort of the town area in Port Dickson you will find money changers, DVD stores and many other simple amenities. One of the places that I personally find superb is an Ice-Cream Parlour located near the entrance of the town.

It never looked so good for 20RM.


The conveniently located Ice-Cream Parlor in the town is a welcoming Oasis if like me you decide to head out on a sweltering hot Afternoon. The place is something which you can't miss an entire area of the building in green, with the words ICE ROOM on the side.

The Hotel Again


After the meal and romping around town it seemed inevitable that I would return to the hotel to retire as the stresses of the heat were getting to me.

Traumatizing people since 1990.


A quick walk by the beach and back to the hotel room for the evening.

The First Trip: To Port Dickson Malaysia Pt 1.

As all good things start small I have decided to start small and go on a road trip from Singapore to Port Dickson Malaysia, doing this journey using a 400cc motorcycle.

Obviously it is a sports bike as this isn't the Dakar Rally.

By the Beach at Port Dickson.

Before leaving I had the entire bike checked as it is quite an old sports bike, produced by Honda in 1992.

Here is a map of the route, however I had made quite many a detour and headed to Malacca for a short period of time.

Everything looks very nice on a map. Doesn't it?

Across The Causeway

On this trip i could not get any on board videos as the riding tripod had broken down :O.

So, I left Singapore at 10:00am and headed to the border to start the trip. Crossing the borders at the causeway was a pretty simple task.

Next was going to the money changers to get some MYR.

They are conveniently located just after the causeway and in large numbers too!

@ the money changers in Johor Bahru


After which I proceeded onto the North-South Highway. This was going to be a long ride, about 200 miles in distance. However there are great views that make for good accompaniment along the way, Gunung Pulai, Gunung Ledang, (Gunung = Mt. in Malay). Views such as these are not uncommon.

The view from the side of the Highway, Please do note
that it is illegal to stop at the side of the highway.


The BreakDown


Along the way I faced certain problems, my "excellent" luck, a screw had fallen from the fairings and it caused the entire left fairing to break and rip itself apart at 100mph on the Malaysian highway.

This is quite the time to go oh S*it.


Along the super heated M'sian North-South Highway, one of the worst things that could happen is this.
So there and then on the road shoulder, I started to do the repairs.

Gaffer Tape and a singlet solves many problems on a motorway


Now it is fixed, however I was behind schedule as the fairings had broken and left me stranded at the 200km mark on the North-South Highway. Leaving the spot, I tried to make up for lost time by overtaking the many lorries and trucks along the highway.

This feels a long way from home;
when you're left stranded on the highway.


We hit Malacca and we went out into the state for lunch, at the Botanical Gardens Café Malacca. We were pleasantly delighted by the food and the peaceful surroundings that enveloped the cafe.

The Perfect Lunch for a sunny day.

Café Botanikal Malacca


After the lunch I made haste, with only 90km/50 miles left to the Resort in Port Dickson.
The Last 50 miles though were very scenic as I cruised through the highlands and hills of Seremban.
The roads were more or less even and the traffic flow was light due to it being a country road so I gave it the beans and went for it.

The Resort


Reaching the Resort was like getting to the promised land, I was dying for a bath as I had been sweating the whole afternoon in the tropical heat, 32º / 26º with a humidity of over 80%.

A very elaborate Lobby.


Arriving at the lobby of the Avillion Admiral Cove Resort was comforting and cozy. Arriving at the rooms was an even bigger surprise, I had booked the Superior Suite, and the hotel was prompt and quick to hand me my room.

A cosy little abode for the weary traveller


The travel was tiring and it was time for some well deserved rest.

The Starting Line

Hi Guys and Gals, this blog is meant to be a travel log, of locations and places that are mostly in South East Asia, however most of the travels will not be done by plane or boat, but instead by road, to fully absorb and enjoy the scenery and also for those who enjoy touring on motorcycles/cars. 

There will also be features on touring related matters and also nice spots/roads/eateries in my homeland, the little sunny island of Singapore.