Road Trip 2009

Sedar tak sedar we’ll be turning thirty next year (Ali tahun ni ek… bday joki kuda padi tu dah lepas ke?) Anyways, terbaca kat dalam shoutbox tadi, it seems everyone remembers those plans to go on that road trip we used to talk about. The road trip that sounded so bad ass but in the end, was the road trip that never was...



Dulu, road trip tu kita anggap as a rite of passage.



Maklum la, culture kita skang mana ada rite of passage yang formal untuk budak lelaki. Paling-paling pun sunat, itu pun la ni newborn pun leh sunat, cam anak Otai.



Mungkin idea road trip ni datang dari influence tengok movie ke, from a book, I don’t really remember.



Yang aku ingat, I was serious about it. And I think Penan was too. Cuma susah nak lock commitment semua orang. And aku paham. Lepas SPM, semua orang ikut hala masing2. Busy study. Busy bertenet. Duit tarak. Pas tu lak busy carik keje.



Busy struggle nak survive from paycheque to paycheque. Busy tenet lagi. Busy bikin kereta. Busy layan sungai. Busy photog. Busy tenet lagi sekali. Busy nak tunang. Busy nak kahwin. Busy nak sambut anak…



So is a rite of passage still relevant?



I read somewhere that there is actually an anthropological formula that underlies all rites of passage ceremonies. Formula tu cakap ada tiga elemen utama yang serupa in most cultures.



1) An end – this is where kita cut off ikatan childhood



2) A middle – the ritual itself



3) A beginning – transformation to manhood

Pelik dak? Dalam kata lain, depa ni are really saying that a rite of passage begins with an ending and ends with a beginning.



Most of us dah kahwin, ada yang dah anak dua dah pun. So rasanya the severance from childhood part tu dah taken care of. But even then tak leh nak cakap gak hehehe…



Anyways, now comes the much belated second step; the formal ritual itself. I don’t feel like having my balls gnawed on by a mountain goat and walking on red hot coals doesn’t sound too pleasant. A road trip, a REAL road trip, sounds good to me.



My suggestion, we block off the last week of November 2009. Somewhere in there boys, are 3 days and 2 nights that we’ll really remember.



Something we can tell our grandkids.



Or maybe not.

So maybe, just maybe, if we commit, plan ahead, start setting aside a couple of bucks each month, slow talk dengan pasangan masing2, maklumkan boss masing2 in due time, maybe just maybe, that road trip that we shelved in the past, long forgotten among worn out school shoes and tattered porn mags, dusty electric guitars and old mixtapes, will have its long overdue day in the sun.

2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R

Malaysia just got a hot new ride in the 250cc class. This market segment has been left empty for several years, dominated by Naza and its V-twin Blade 250R. Honda recently introduced the CBR to our local shores, but only in the puny form of a 150cc crotch rocket. Welcome news for hardcore CBR lovers but with the displacement left much wanting, I reckon it was overpriced.

Enter Kawasaki and its reincarnation of the 250R. The new Ninja is a completely redesigned bike, with and only 30% of components salvaged from its predecessor.

More on the evolution of the Ninja 250R at wikipedia.



Get the full specification from Kawasaki’s website or simply broken down:

Engine Type Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, parallel twin
Displacement 249 cc
Bore & Stroke 62.0 x 41.2mm
Maximum Torque 22 Nm (2.24 kgf/m) 16.2 lb-ft/9,500 rpm
Compression Ratio 11.6:1
Carburetor Keihin CVK30 x 2
Ignition Digital
Transmission 6-Speed
Final Drive O-Ring Chain
Cooling Liquid
Frame Semi-double cradle, high-tensile steel
Rake/Trail 26 degrees / 3.2 in.
Front Tire Size 110/70-17
Rear Tire Size 130/70-17
Wheelbase 55.1 in.
Front Suspension / wheel travel 37mm hydraulic telescopic fork / 4.7 in.
Rear Suspension / wheel travel Bottom-Link Uni-Trak® with 5-way adjustable preload / 5.1 in.
Front Brake Type Single 290mm hydraulic disc with two-piston caliper
Rear Brake Single 220mm petal disc with two-piston caliper
Fuel Tank Capacity 4.8 gal.
Seat Height 30.5 in.
Dry Weight 333 lbs. / 337 lbs. (CA-model)
Overall length 82.1 in.
Overall width 28.1 in.
Overall height 43.7 in.
Color Lime Green, Ebony, Passion Red, Candy Plasma Blue
Warranty 12 months

Note that the colors available in Malaysia are limited to the famous Kawasaki Lime Green, Ebony or Plasma Blue.

Now on to the experience.

Engine
The startup is smooth. You have to use the choke when starting cold and let it run for 2-3 minutes. Don’t expect 4 cylinder audio though. With its two in-line cylinder configuration and using the stock exhaust, it is less rumble and more of a soft, smooth bass sound emitting from the muffler, similar to the sound of a Yamaha LC135. The 6 speed gearbox is closely stacked, so quick up shifts are the order of the day. I personally like the 6th gear. While the engine aims for the low to mid torque power band, I can still feel some extra push in 6th, with great acceleration during cornering. The manual states that during the break-in period, keep the revs below 4000 rpm for the first 500 km, and under 6000 rpm for the next 1000 km. I’ve broken the rule already.


Handling
More sports tourer than superbike when it comes to riding positioning, the bright side is you put less stress on your back and cut down on trips to your friendly neighborhood ‘amoi’ masat (Cute Chinese Lady Body Massage Parlour). This bike can handle tight maneuvers which belie its size and displacement, and with the nippy acceleration I can zip pass in between cars without hesitation at 120kmh. But to keep it a long-term investment, I’m sticking to the 60-80 kmh range less some crazy mother****er changes lanes without indicating. On a straight road, the front tire grips and locks the handle bar, giving a very stable ride so you can give full concentration on the road ahead. Once the bike enters a corner, it yaws easily but recovers to the upright position fast. I definitely want to get rid of the chicken wings, but hell… The side mirrors are really a bit unpractical because I see more of my arm than what’s behind. Braking is decent with its 2 piston caliper petal style disc rotors front and rear. Located under the tail the “Bottom-Link Uni-Trak® with 5-way adjustable preload” can suit the rider’s weight for comfortable riding. Default setting from the factory is No. 1 for about 68 kg.


Cosmetics
Well this was real reason why I chose it over the Naza Blade 250R. The all new styling by Kawasaki on this aging model is simply superb. It follows its big brothers the ZX6R, Z750, Z1000 and the similar headlight ER6F or Ninja 650R in the USA. The fairings, headlights, rear tail and chassis in matte black finish, give a true superbike look. The build quality is good although but there are some minor details that are noticeable upon scrutiny. The tires sizes are small and decent IRC made. 110 for the front and 130 for the rear, quite small. But this can be upgraded to 120 front and 150 rear max.


Fuel Consumption
Another key reason I factored in before deciding to purchase this Ninja. This high-revving machine can carry about 18 liters of petrol, at least RON91. RM40 at the pump (15 liters) and considering a daily commute to work of about 80 km return trip, including the odd “teh tarik” (Malaysia’s Favourite Milked Tea) pitstop, at almost 3 notch from the E level, the trip meter records 360 km for 8 days of usage. After a RM20 (7.40 liters) refill, the needle point up to 4/5 on the fuel gauge.

Maintenance
The Ninja 250R requires minimal maintenance but it needs frequent self-inspection such as checking the chain slack, handle bar play, chain oiling, topping up engine oil, tightening cover set, and many more small things. The spare parts are cheap and easy to find.


Conclusion
Kawasaki has done a great job to bring in this model into the Malaysian market by assembling the Ninja 250R locally, in Glenmarie, Shah Alam. Priced at RM20k on the road, this bike is lightweight, easy to handle, gives good acceleration, and boasts easy maintenance and fuel efficiency. The looks alone justify the monthly trip to the bank. I’m saving up for several standard accessories for the Ninja, like the single seat cowl to complete the superbike look. With the current fuel price crisis, I don’t regret choosing the Kawasaki Ninja 250R as my daily ride.

Blog Renovation - New Looks New Features

Salam Bros,
Dalam sedar tak sedar blog ni dah lebih setahun berada di World Wide Web. Aku memang jarang menulis sejak blog ni ditubuhkan. Sebab aku memang tak berapa pandai menulis, aku lebih suka design blog ni, sekurang-kurangnya aku tau itu kelebihan aku dari korang semua yang lain. Huhuhu dengan wajah separa ria'.

Sempena setahun ni, aku mengambil kuasa veto untuk merombak dan membuat perubahan besar-besaran terhadap blog kita ni.
Tujuannye saja-saja supaya nampak baru setelah setahun berada dalam WWW.
Korang akan jumpa beberapa ciri-ciri baru kat blog ni. Korang akan discover sendiri eventually.

Aku perlukan bantuan ulutopians semua dalam proses renovation ni.

Bantuan yang diperlukan

1. Update label bagi posting masing-masing, setiap posting mesti mempunyai
   ->ID author contoh macam Jr buat : Jr strikes again.
   ->Category posting contoh gudminton, outing, event..
   Ini bertujuan setiap posting yang ditulis akan dipaparkan di ruang Categories, jadi senang dirujuk semula.
2. Masukkan link masing masing di ruang Links. Link-link bros semua macam fotopages, flickr, picasa. Apa-apa link yang dirasakan sesuai.

Aku mengharapkan komen, cadangan, kutukan membina dari korang semua, sila lah letak diruang komen.

Semoga dengan rupa baru dan beberapa ciri baru akan membuat korang semua lebih komited untuk sama-sama menyumbangkan apa-apa yang boleh disumbang dalam proses revival blog ini...

Terima Kaseh..

Wasalam
Ok chiow

The Beginning - by Otai

Salam Bros.

Aha...Start blogging for Ulutopian...

Aku sajer start Ulutopian blogspot nie… sebab aku still dalam mood cuti..
kejer?... banyak... malas nak mampus nak buat... jap lagi balik lambat...ler jawabnyer
Tapi aku rase ade pekdah jugak…aku buat blog nie..
Kat sini kite boleh update activity terkini kite..

At least FroBro the organizer boleh publishkan activity chart die kat sini..

Aku masih tercari-cari konsep yg sesuai untuk blog nie… Tukang komen dan tukang kutuk bolehlah contribute… aku akan bagi account nie pada sapa yang rajin nak meng’update’. Aku rase nak bagi kat sume ulutopian..Mungkin kita boleh bincang untuk rotates among us untuk update...

Aku cuma start the engine… the rest…we kita buat togather2… o.k?

Check kat sebelah kanan ada shout box...aku dah masukkan scriptnye....boleh gunakan untuk communicate.....


Quote of the day
"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.”