Harley-Davidson® started producing the amazing XR1200™ on the 29th April, 2008. This has got to be one of the most eagerly anticipated new Harley-Davidson motorcycles in recent times and will be released only in the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions this year.

The XR1200™ was first launched as a prototype at the Intermot international motorcycle exhibition in Cologne, Germany in October 2006 to gauge customer and media reaction to a new kind of performance-oriented Harley-Davidson® motorcycle with great style and character. Following overwhelmingly positive feedback, development work continued to convert the appealing prototype concept into a great handling, high performance streetbike designed to satisfy the needs of European customers on European roads.

Harley-Davidson’s European Product Planning Team was involved from the beginning of the XR1200™ project, working in partnership with the Styling and Engineering team in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The result is a great looking motorcycle that is built for the twists and turns of European roads, and one that represents the company’s commitment to the needs and desires of customers in the European market.

“XR1200™ is a new breed of Harley-Davidson® motorcycle that was born out a fruitful collaboration between Harley-Davidson’s European product planning team and our Product Development colleagues in Milwaukee,” said John Lewis, Marketing & Product Planning Director of Harley-Davidson Europe. “We’re all very proud of the result – a great looking, fine-handling Harley-Davidson® performance streetbike designed specifically to meet the needs of many European riders. Above all, it’s tremendous fun to ride!”

Michael van der Sande, Vice President and Managing Director of Harley-Davidson Europe Ltd, said: “The XR1200™ clearly demonstrates the Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s commitment to the European market and our intent to attract new customers. We believe that XR1200™ will appeal to performance-oriented customers who like the idea of owning a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle and are seeking a Roadster with great performance and tremendous character. XR1200™ is unmistakably a true Harley-Davidson® but one that draws on Harley-Davidson’s exciting Dirt Track racing heritage.”

We can only wonder for now if the XR1200 will ever make it to here. Naza Group now holds the Harley-Davidson franchise for Malaysia. Click here for a high resolution image of the XR1200.

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“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, the latest and 4th Indiana Jones movie to hit the big screens is now running in cinemas. The movie stars Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Shia LaBeouf AND … Harley-Davidson!! Apparently H-D modified five 2007 Harley-Davidson Softail Springer Classics to look 50ish and supplied them for the movie. Bike fans will spot the front disc brake during the chase scenes, where the bike is used by Mutt Williams (LeBouf), a Harley-riding greaser and Indy (Ford) to escape KGB baddies. The chase scene culminates in the bike sliding across floors in a library, which was filmed at Yale. The fun doesn’t stop there as the bike is then transported by air to Peru where Indy and Mutt continue their adventures. Harley-Davidson will display two of the Indiana Jones Softails at the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Museum, in Milwaukee from July 12th.

SOURCE

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Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in an interview with editor of The Star Datuk Wong Chun Wai on Sunday (3rd of February 2008) stated that the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) would be buying 4,000 motorcycles and 3,000 cars.

“On the government’s part, we have allocated RM8 billion under the 9th Malaysia Plan which includes the purchase of high technology integrated communication system. For the new police stations, we want to install CCTVs inside lockups and CCTVs would also be installed at streets and public places by local councils. In addition, over 3,000 patrol cars and 4,000 motorcycles have been purchased. The government has also approved the recruitment of 60,000 police personnel over the next five years.”, said Mr. Badawi.

The full interview can be viewed at The Star Online.

Does this mean we will see more Honda ST1300Ps and Honda VFR800s on Malaysian roads soon? It isn’t clear yet if PDRM has already bought all of the 4,000 bikes earmarked to be purchased.

The Honda ST1300P Police Motorcycle is already in use by PDRM. However, MCN has reported that UK police have withdrawn the ST1300A, which could be a similar model, from service. (SOURCE). This was due to allegations that the bike was susceptible to a phenomenon known as ‘high speed weave’. (SOURCE: BBC) PDRM currently uses the Honda ST1300P and VFR800P police motorcycles. We do not know if the UK bikes mentioned in those reports are the same or similar to those used here in Malaysia but will endeavour to find out. To date there are no press releases to counter these allegations from Honda Motor Co. that I know of. The UK inquest was told the problems affected only police motorcycles which have been specially fitted with heavy emergency and communications equipment, which altered the centre of gravity.

BMW Motorrad’s R 1200 RT-P Police Motorcycle

Or, if other contenders enter the bidding process, will we see other motorcycle companies fighting for a slice of the action? BMW Malaysia’s Motorrad department could be working hard putting together proposals for the government for their R1200RT-P and R900RT-P police motorcycles. BMW police motorcycles are widely used by police forces worldwide, including the California Highway Patrol, which most of us growing up remember seeing in the TV series ‘CHiPs‘. There’s a lot of information on these bikes on Jeff Dean’s website.

Harley-Davidson FLHTP Electra Glide

A surprise contender could be Harley-Davidson with their ABS-equipped FLHTP Electra Glide police motorcycle. The list of police options for this bike is very comprehensive, with everything from Brembo brakes, safety equipment to ‘motorcycle integrated’ and portable radar, fans for engine cooling when stationary, oil coolers, pole lamps, LED emergency lighting and even special Dunlop ‘Police Bead’ tyres!

Dutch Police Yamaha FJR1300

Finally there’s the Yamaha FJR1300. Malaysian distributor Hong Leong Yamaha might be in a frenzy cooking up specs and prices to bid for Malaysia’s next top police bike. In Europe, the popular BMW Motorrad has been losing contracts to Yamaha in Belgium, UK, Denmark, Holland and Portugal (SOURCE).

Then again, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) might get funds which are only sufficient to buy 4,000 kapchai’s (mopeds)! Which would you rather have patrolling your neighbourhood? A badass biker cop on a mean, fire-breathing bike built like beef cattle, or on a moped?

“You’re Under Arrest” Anime Replica Honda Motocompo

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INTERNAL REFERENCES:
1) BMW Motorrad Police Motorcycles
2) Honda ST1300P Police Motorcycle

Did you ever watch the movie “Black Rain” and just drool over the black Harley-Davidson XLCR Cafe Racer that Michael Douglas rode in the intro?

Sadly Harley-Davidson XLCR Cafe Racers have long been out of production but if you’ve got money to burn and a 1998 Harley-Davidson Sportster as a donor, you can whip one up yourself. Sundance Enterprises Inc. of Japan run by famed Harley-Davidson racer and tuner Shibazaki-san produces a handmade aluminium fuel tank and carbon fibre seat which you can use with a headlamp cowling, wheels, exhaust and other parts to create your own Sportster-based Cafe Racer replica.

First of all the tank (shaped aluminum) is around 250 thousand Japanese yen. Which is roughly RM7500 (US$2,320.98). The seat seen here (the 3rd picture is the back of the seat) is made from carbon and is lightweight but very tough. It is 50- 60 thousand Japanese yen, which is roughly RM1500 – 1800 (US$464 – 557) . The prices may seem high but they are made in Japan tending to make them expensive. As for converting your 90’s XL Sportster to a XLCR like Michael Douglas used in “Black Rain“, I suggest you take a look at Sundance’s XRCR built from a 1998 base machine made from their original parts to resemble an XLCR Cafe Racer look. The resulting bike is very impressive, I must say!

SOURCE: YOUTUBE, SUNDANCE ENTERPRISES INC.

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Harley-Davidson® started producing the amazing XR1200™ on the 29th April, 2008. This has got to be one of the most eagerly anticipated new Harley-Davidson motorcycles in recent times and will be released only in the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions this year.

The XR1200™ was first launched as a prototype at the Intermot international motorcycle exhibition in Cologne, Germany in October 2006 to gauge customer and media reaction to a new kind of performance-oriented Harley-Davidson® motorcycle with great style and character. Following overwhelmingly positive feedback, development work continued to convert the appealing prototype concept into a great handling, high performance streetbike designed to satisfy the needs of European customers on European roads.

Harley-Davidson’s European Product Planning Team was involved from the beginning of the XR1200™ project, working in partnership with the Styling and Engineering team in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The result is a great looking motorcycle that is built for the twists and turns of European roads, and one that represents the company’s commitment to the needs and desires of customers in the European market.

“XR1200™ is a new breed of Harley-Davidson® motorcycle that was born out a fruitful collaboration between Harley-Davidson’s European product planning team and our Product Development colleagues in Milwaukee,” said John Lewis, Marketing & Product Planning Director of Harley-Davidson Europe. “We’re all very proud of the result – a great looking, fine-handling Harley-Davidson® performance streetbike designed specifically to meet the needs of many European riders. Above all, it’s tremendous fun to ride!”

Michael van der Sande, Vice President and Managing Director of Harley-Davidson Europe Ltd, said: “The XR1200™ clearly demonstrates the Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s commitment to the European market and our intent to attract new customers. We believe that XR1200™ will appeal to performance-oriented customers who like the idea of owning a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle and are seeking a Roadster with great performance and tremendous character. XR1200™ is unmistakably a true Harley-Davidson® but one that draws on Harley-Davidson’s exciting Dirt Track racing heritage.”

We can only wonder for now if the XR1200 will ever make it to here. Naza Group now holds the Harley-Davidson franchise for Malaysia. Click here for a high resolution image of the XR1200.

バイカーブードゥー

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, the latest and 4th Indiana Jones movie to hit the big screens is now running in cinemas. The movie stars Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Shia LaBeouf AND … Harley-Davidson!! Apparently H-D modified five 2007 Harley-Davidson Softail Springer Classics to look 50ish and supplied them for the movie. Bike fans will spot the front disc brake during the chase scenes, where the bike is used by Mutt Williams (LeBouf), a Harley-riding greaser and Indy (Ford) to escape KGB baddies. The chase scene culminates in the bike sliding across floors in a library, which was filmed at Yale. The fun doesn’t stop there as the bike is then transported by air to Peru where Indy and Mutt continue their adventures. Harley-Davidson will display two of the Indiana Jones Softails at the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Museum, in Milwaukee from July 12th.

SOURCE

バイカーブードゥー

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in an interview with editor of The Star Datuk Wong Chun Wai on Sunday (3rd of February 2008) stated that the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) would be buying 4,000 motorcycles and 3,000 cars.

“On the government’s part, we have allocated RM8 billion under the 9th Malaysia Plan which includes the purchase of high technology integrated communication system. For the new police stations, we want to install CCTVs inside lockups and CCTVs would also be installed at streets and public places by local councils. In addition, over 3,000 patrol cars and 4,000 motorcycles have been purchased. The government has also approved the recruitment of 60,000 police personnel over the next five years.”, said Mr. Badawi.

The full interview can be viewed at The Star Online.

Does this mean we will see more Honda ST1300Ps and Honda VFR800s on Malaysian roads soon? It isn’t clear yet if PDRM has already bought all of the 4,000 bikes earmarked to be purchased.

The Honda ST1300P Police Motorcycle is already in use by PDRM. However, MCN has reported that UK police have withdrawn the ST1300A, which could be a similar model, from service. (SOURCE). This was due to allegations that the bike was susceptible to a phenomenon known as ‘high speed weave’. (SOURCE: BBC) PDRM currently uses the Honda ST1300P and VFR800P police motorcycles. We do not know if the UK bikes mentioned in those reports are the same or similar to those used here in Malaysia but will endeavour to find out. To date there are no press releases to counter these allegations from Honda Motor Co. that I know of. The UK inquest was told the problems affected only police motorcycles which have been specially fitted with heavy emergency and communications equipment, which altered the centre of gravity.

BMW Motorrad’s R 1200 RT-P Police Motorcycle

Or, if other contenders enter the bidding process, will we see other motorcycle companies fighting for a slice of the action? BMW Malaysia’s Motorrad department could be working hard putting together proposals for the government for their R1200RT-P and R900RT-P police motorcycles. BMW police motorcycles are widely used by police forces worldwide, including the California Highway Patrol, which most of us growing up remember seeing in the TV series ‘CHiPs‘. There’s a lot of information on these bikes on Jeff Dean’s website.

Harley-Davidson FLHTP Electra Glide

A surprise contender could be Harley-Davidson with their ABS-equipped FLHTP Electra Glide police motorcycle. The list of police options for this bike is very comprehensive, with everything from Brembo brakes, safety equipment to ‘motorcycle integrated’ and portable radar, fans for engine cooling when stationary, oil coolers, pole lamps, LED emergency lighting and even special Dunlop ‘Police Bead’ tyres!

Dutch Police Yamaha FJR1300

Finally there’s the Yamaha FJR1300. Malaysian distributor Hong Leong Yamaha might be in a frenzy cooking up specs and prices to bid for Malaysia’s next top police bike. In Europe, the popular BMW Motorrad has been losing contracts to Yamaha in Belgium, UK, Denmark, Holland and Portugal (SOURCE).

Then again, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) might get funds which are only sufficient to buy 4,000 kapchai’s (mopeds)! Which would you rather have patrolling your neighbourhood? A badass biker cop on a mean, fire-breathing bike built like beef cattle, or on a moped?

“You’re Under Arrest” Anime Replica Honda Motocompo

バイカーブードゥー

INTERNAL REFERENCES:
1) BMW Motorrad Police Motorcycles
2) Honda ST1300P Police Motorcycle

Did you ever watch the movie “Black Rain” and just drool over the black Harley-Davidson XLCR Cafe Racer that Michael Douglas rode in the intro?

Sadly Harley-Davidson XLCR Cafe Racers have long been out of production but if you’ve got money to burn and a 1998 Harley-Davidson Sportster as a donor, you can whip one up yourself. Sundance Enterprises Inc. of Japan run by famed Harley-Davidson racer and tuner Shibazaki-san produces a handmade aluminium fuel tank and carbon fibre seat which you can use with a headlamp cowling, wheels, exhaust and other parts to create your own Sportster-based Cafe Racer replica.

First of all the tank (shaped aluminum) is around 250 thousand Japanese yen. Which is roughly RM7500 (US$2,320.98). The seat seen here (the 3rd picture is the back of the seat) is made from carbon and is lightweight but very tough. It is 50- 60 thousand Japanese yen, which is roughly RM1500 – 1800 (US$464 – 557) . The prices may seem high but they are made in Japan tending to make them expensive. As for converting your 90’s XL Sportster to a XLCR like Michael Douglas used in “Black Rain“, I suggest you take a look at Sundance’s XRCR built from a 1998 base machine made from their original parts to resemble an XLCR Cafe Racer look. The resulting bike is very impressive, I must say!

SOURCE: YOUTUBE, SUNDANCE ENTERPRISES INC.

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