Pattaya vs My Journey

short one....

starting last Monday some friends have left or some about to leave to Pattaya, Thailand for Burapa Bike Week 2013. i wish for those who ride to pattaya, have a SAFE and pleasant journey. may you guys enjoy your ride and make more friends along the trip. in sha allah, i'll be back to the biggest bike week next year.

why not this year...?

because this week i'm making my trip to down south meeting some new brothers and family members for the new chapter of a journey in my life. may Allah bless my decision and my success in going through of the new experience withing my passion of riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles and believed the brotherhood spirit of riding the bike. Amen.

stay tune, more update coming soon... as for now, i need to pack my things..!! ;-)

Roi
13th February 2013

Malaysia Harley Owners Riding Experience (H.O.R.E.) Course #01/2013

HORE #01/2013
*photo courtesy of Sir Joe Labu

in the beginning it was known as Basic Riding Course (BRC) when it was first launched in 2009. back then when i developed the module of this course i was the Safety Officer for HOG Malaysia Chapter. the main objectives of this course was to provide a platform for the Harley owners in Malaysia to share good practices in riding Harley-Davidson bikes besides creating safe riding awareness among all. In addition, this program was introduced by HDKL as one of their value added services to the customers.

not like in US and Europe that they have Riders Edge program, there was no such structured program being conducted or organized before BRC. for the Harley owners in Malaysia most of us especially those coming since from the HD Dealer 222 PJ and HD Dealer Sunway were self thought and based from our year to year riding experience. some learn from the hard way which is falling off from the bike.... 

so in 2009, 4 courses were organized and conducted with some help from TJ (HOG Activities Officer '09), Kamil (HOG Secretary '09) and Nawi (ex Safety Officer '08). it's not easy to get the "buy in" from the Harley owners to participate to this program during those years. we been challenged by many bikers on our capability in conducting the course... some even question on how we could certified the riders where's we were not being certified by any certified organization i.e. JPJ, PDRM, etc. let alone on the course name it self (BASIC Riders Course) as some Harley owners were reluctant to join as they didn't see why they should come for a basic session where's they have been riding for many years.... in total, 35 Harley owners mainly new owners attended the course for the whole year of 2009. not bad isn't it..... ;-)

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ” ― Alvin Toffler.

in 2010, we organized 4 sessions of the same course in that year with some changes to the name of the program. Thanks to Dato S.M. Zulkifli (CEO of Naza 2 Wheels) who always being supportive to us by giving great  advise and feedback on what we have done has suggested us to reconsider the course name to pull more participation from the Harley owners. BRC course was later known as Riders Orientation Program in 2010.

course name changed but nothing much changed so far in-term of the numbers of participant registered to the program. among the Harley owners, we heard some feedback that the word ORIENTATION has hold them back from joining the program. perhaps bad experience during orientation session in college still haunted their mindset... but we stay focus and always motivated to continue organizing and conducting the course when the dates came. that year in 2010, 45 Harley owners have attended our program ..... extra 45 people from the first year ;-)

since then the course name has not being changed. we organized 4 more sessions in 2011 and 2 sessions in 2012 (low session due to bz schedule). slowly but surely, the demand for the same course came from the new Harley owners. this time we thank the HDKL and their salesperson who keep on promoting the program to their clients.

this year 2013, the course has been face-lift with some additional input of it contents, slides, excercise, material and name. it's now known as Harley Owners Riding Experience or HORE (pronounce as "HO Rey"). HORE module includes :

1. Introduction to Harley-Davidson, it's stories and legacy

2. Safety & defensive riding - road positioning & riding strategy (new)

3. Risk Awareness, Risk Accepteance and Risk Management

4. Preparing to ride and pre ride inspection

5. Basic maintenance, routine services and planning your parts & accessories (new)

6. Riding skill

7. Incident & crisis management (new)

8. 8 riding drill (new)

9. HOG Membership via hog.com (new)

10. Riding in Group 

last 2nd & 3rd Feb, 24 new Harley owners have attended the HORE course. that was the biggest ever crowd we could get in a session so far. more sessions will be organized this year and this time not only it will be organized in HDKL PJ but will be in Penang too. 

next courses dates will be announce soon and we do hope many more Harley owners will join. for those in other states i.e. Johor, Terengganu, Sabah, etc. if you interested to organized this course at your place, do let us know and we will be much happy to come and jointly organize with you.

in-addition to HORE, some good news that we would also wanted to share which are, this year we will be launching 2 more new courses to the fello bikers. 

1. Road Captain & Road Marshal course

2. Initiating and organizing riding in group

till then, ride SAFE & continuously improve our riding skill ....

Roi

group debriefing after riding skill drill

riding skill drill - circle

riding skill drill - handling bike

facilitator feedback

demonstration - 2nd gear without holding clutch

riding skill drill - slalom

riding skill - stopping

close guide by course facilitator

ride it right

LOH - Noni

riding skill drill - maneuvering 

#1st Week | #1st Ride | 2013

I was driving to Puchong last Saturday eve after the whole day doin nothing at home when suddenly  i received a phone call from Rid (Mohamad Riduan) inviting me for a ride on Sunday with a bunch of Sea Shepherd supporters. Without taking much time to think, i accepted the invitation and has promised Rid to meet him with the rest of the members at Puchong Gateway on Sunday morning.

I've proposed to Rid that the route for Sunday ride will be towards to Morib using combination of trunk road and highways.

As promised, i woke up early on Sunday morning and rode my bike to the meet up point at Puchong Gateway. 10 minutes late from the promised time and upon my arrival i saw Raez, Yassir, Jim, Rid and Aida already waited for me at the Petronas petrol station. Reza and Adzri can't make it with the group this time due to their late appointment last nite. As usuall, we had a stick of cigarette before makin a move when suddenly Abang Nazli stoppin by with his GS to say hi to us.

So 6 of us, that it... good enough to start the ride that morning and we make a move towards the SKVE to Morib. The initial plan was to ride through Dengkil - Banting trunk road but due to Yassir proposal, we have chosen the SKVE highway toward Panglima Garang in Klang.

It was a great day to ride, great weather with the blue sky and fresh air passing through us on the rides. SKVE Highway is still quiet with vehicles, perhaps not many people knew about it... so we took this advantage to ride and view the beautiful scenery along the highway. Only few spots on the highway were not even but manageable to ride safely.

Upon reaching at the end of the highway, we entered the trunk road from Teluk Panglima Garang towards Banting town. Traffic was quite heavy around the small town with people busy doing their weekend shopping at the market area.

6 Harleys on the road is great enough to shake the town with our roaring engine sound, but it just for awhile before we proceed the ride to Morib.

Arrived at Morib, we stop for a breakfast beside the beach. Not many people were around the place... perhaps it was too early for people to go picnic beginning of the year. As usual, we had chit chat over the breakfast and took some photos before heading back to KL using the same route.

The route we chose in general was a good route to ride. Many things you could see along the road and highways, mainly the scenery of traditional village houses and plantation. Good distance to cover for a short weekend ride so that you'll be back at home before lunch time. Just need to be extra careful of the local motorist that came out to the main road from the small junction and those that turn into the intersection from the main road.

Till the next ride... ride SAFE!!

Roi

Harley-Davidson Malaysia

New Year... New Post.... New Resolutions!!

Dear Friends.....

this blog has not been updated for almost a year...!! demn how lazy am i... i'm sorry for those that used to follow the updates... or perhaps no more follower due to web "yang dah bersawang".... anyway, i'm back... like normal early years, with a new energy and "semangat"... my this year resolutions for this blog is that i'll try to be more active and keep on writing sharing updates on my riding activities and the Harley-Davidson motorcycle scene in Malaysia.....

First things first, my ride has a new color..... okay, not so new.... few months old... although the old paint was still in a good condition but the new CVO paint was so tempting till i decided to change it... and off course, with a CVO decal at both side of the tank. Yellow and Black is my favorite color for 2013 so there is it...!!

the bike now not only has new paint but new radio too.... as much i wanted to keep the original radio on my bike but due to it's setting which does not permit me to discover more frequency in Malaysia.... i've decided to replace it with Pioneer Radio... but this time i add 2 additional speakers and 2 tweeters to support the current speaker which i have... no, not Harman Kardon but Mohawk speakers are good enuf to make me entertained while riding..... thanks to Lee Bikers and my audio tech for a superb work in this "pimp my ride" project.... hehehehe

okay.... 2013 finally came. more ride to do this year which i've missed last year... furthermore it's suppose to be an active year to ride as Harley-Davidson is celebrating the 110th Anniversary this year...!! yuhoooooo...!! so apart from the weekly ride that never been plan, Pataya Bike Week, Phuket Bike Week and Hua Hin Bike Week are in plan... few rides along with other local MCs in Malaysia is great too.... but what i'm dreaming off is attending the 110th Harley-Davidson Anniversary in August this year at Milwaukee US...!! 8 months to go, i definitly desperate in saving money to go for this trip....!!

Well, seems August is quite a long way to go.... why not we start with small first as this month... i'm organizing a special ride which i called Camping Ride.... more to come and stay tune for more updates in this blog....!!

Ride Safe & Ride On...!!

Roi

Bike Event in Asia?

Hi Friends..... i wish if anyone could give me some input or info for any biking event happening either in Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Australia or New Zealand? Currently i've info on Thailand and Brunei.

If you come across knowing any event coming up, do let me know coz i'm happy to participate and later share the experience in this blog. Thank you!!

RESPECT THE RIDE - by HOG.COM

It has been a while i didn't visit the HOG.com website due to my bzness with daily schedule and photo editing. However, today i managed to browse into it as at the sametime i would like to check on my International H.O.G. membership validity.

Done with that i continue browsing just to check if there's new updates from HOG and i found this article. I would like to share this article to my fellow riders and also friends to tell you that tho we ride Harley-Davidson bikes that known with it loud pipe, but we do care our seroundings too.....

Enjoy reading ;-)

p/s : HOG members, please log on to www.hog.com for further readings


One Man's Music Is Another Man's Noise
Call it temptation, but there's something about a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle that calls its rider to open the throttle. The resulting roar stirs emotions of power, euphoria, and freedom. Simply put, to love a Harley-Davidson is to love the sound of a V-Twin engine.

For some, however, the throaty V-Twin sound is nothing more than "noise." It's this sentiment that has led a growing number of communities throughout the country to implement noise ordinances that target motorcycles. In some U.S. areas, if your pipes exceed posted decibel limits or are missing an EPA compliance label, you could face hefty fines.

The issue sheds light on the need for all motorcyclists to ride respectfully to preserve the freedoms our sport enjoys. As H.O.G. members, we are, in some special ways, the public face of Harley-Davidson. So perhaps have an extra responsibility to set a good example in this area. Please read and take to heart the respectful riding practices presented here. And help us prevent the spread of unnecessary motorcycle regulations and restrictions.

Before you set out on your next ride, consider the following:

• Outfit your bike with EPA-approved parts. Many after market exhaust systems exceed acceptable EPA noise levels and are therefore subject to fines, depending on the community. Harley-Davidson's Screamin' Eagle® Street Performance Slip-On Mufflers always come with an EPA label – and they sound great to boot! • Noises carry. Motorcycle noise is especially amplified under bridges and overpasses and echoes off buildings in downtown areas. Similarly, a wide-open throttle in a residential area causes disruptions for the people who live there. Be aware of how the sweet music of a V-Twin can quickly turn into a major noise issue for others. • Attitude goes a long way. While most Harley-Davidson riders are respectful of the communities in which they ride, there are those who either don't consider the impact a loud exhaust may have on others or purposefully seek to attract attention. Regardless of the reason, excessive motorcycle noise creates a problem for all of us. Avoiding the wrong kind of attention is easy. Be mindful about when and where you make yourself heard.

• Idle considerately. Idling as little as possible in early morning hours goes a long way to keeping the peace with neighbors. As one rider has suggested, roll your bike to the end of the driveway before starting up. The additional distance between your bike and the neighbor's house can make a big difference. • Get educated. Keep current on the noise issue in your own community and around the country. A simple Web search can produce a lot of information about noise sensitivities in your area or those in which you'll be riding.

the living Legacy - Love, Respect & Brotherhood........

capturing the moment...... Brotherhood lives on!

there is one thing in biking that every riders should know and understand... 

the Brotherhood spirit.....

it's not all about the bike alone, but the feeling of respect, the warm friendship & trust, the closeness of everyone heart, the trust that being built and the sincerity that every one have deep inside their heart.....

anyone can buy a bike or bikes.... or many-many bikes, but not all could live with it - the spirit, the believe, the lifestyle....coz money couldn't buy everything.....

this is the great legacy that lives till now as describe in one great famouse quote -

"Don't ride behind me, i may not your leader.
Don't ride in front of me, i may not your guard.
Just ride beside me, and be my brother !"

Update : UltraKings Ride 2011

Finally, the 2nd UltraKings Ride was held successfully yesterday at Malacca city. Dispite of all the challenges we faced i.e no back up service & HD Police bike was stall on the dealership that morning it self (i doubt! hehehehehe.......) with high brotherhood spirit and fun of riding Harley-Davidson motorcycle, 49  Harley owners from various touring model from Road King, Ultra Glide, Electra Glide and Street Glide turn up at the National Stadium Bukit Jalil! It was a great ride and the only chances to see top end models in HD motorcycles in a BIG convoy! so see you guys next year... this time, we will do it BIGGER!!

2nd Ultra Kings Ride 2011 | Copyright 2011

2nd Ultra Kings Ride 2011 | Copyright 2011

2nd Ultra Kings Ride 2011 | Copyright 2011

Thank you to all Brothers that have participated in yesterday event, thank you to all the initiators for good job - well done, thank you for those has donated the lucky draw prizes & not to forget to our partner - National Stadium Bukit Jalil's management for allowing us to gather at their VVIP entrance & Lee Bikers for ther continous support & dedicated technicians.

2nd Ultra Kings Ride 2011 | Copyright 2011

2nd Ultra Kings Ride 2011 | Copyright 2011

ULTRAKINGs RIDE 2011 - Meet Up Place on 22nd Jan

National Stadium Bukit Jalil (VVIP Entrance) will be the meet up point this coming 22nd January for the ULTRAKINGs Ride 2011. To get clear direction, please see the photo below and click on the photo for bigger view.

National Stadium Bukit Jalil - VVIP Entrance (Meeting Point)

VVIP Entrance @ Bukit Jalil

Map to National Stadium Bukit Jalil - VVIP Entrance