Ramblings of a Singapore Biker Boy
Adventures and micro-adventures on a motorcycle
With the recent acquisition of the tour-friendly Honda CB400X and the addition of luggage space, what better way to treat the 400X than to bring it along for a road trip!
So I took a couple of days off work, gathered a few friends, and off we went on a motorcycle trip to….
I don’t trust the previous owner of the bike.
Just before the handover, he had agreed to replace the bike battery (it died while viewing) and perform a once-off engine oil change. I specifically asked if he used a fully-synthetic oil – and he said YES; though he couldn’t recall the oil name (red flag!). So he arranged for tow and got the agreed stuff replaced.
Firstly, Mobil Super 4T is a mineral oil – not synthetic. Next, the manual calls for 10W30 viscosity on the CB400X / Continue reading “My poor, poor CB400X…”
My very first DIY mod on the CB400X – wiring up for USB power!
Now, I’m super-dependent on my mobile phone (who isn’t these days??). My iPhone 8 is not only my communications device, but also my GPS navigator. With the screen kept on and GPS active, it takes a huge toll on the phone’s battery. Ideally, it should be hooked up to a USB power source to keep the battery charged.
I’m still awaiting for some other electronic accessories to arrive via mail order. Meanwhile, I’ll need to keep my iPhone happy. So I did some research on how best to tap a 12V source only when the ignition is turned on. Turns out that Honda has an Options Plug tucked neatly underneath the seat which provides a source of 12V (always on) and 12V (only available when ignition is on). Perfect!
With the recent acquisition of the Honda CB400X, it’s now time to get it tour-ready. The previous owner threw in a a puny 35L top box and that was hardly enough for my needs. I’m a storage hog and I love ample storage space on my motorcycles. I just love the idea of the ability of my mechanical steed to carry me and my luggage to far flung places – adventure on a whim!
So what better way to equip the Honda mid-sized adventure bike with some adventure luggage? A set of adventure aluminum boxes, of course!
I had initially wanted a set of Givi plastic luggage that will give the bike an urban tourer look. But I know of someone who got a set of Givi V35 side boxes and accompanying rack that would have cost as much as a *COMPLETE* Kappa aluminum luggage set – INCLUDING a 48L top box! GASP!
So after much research, I thought that a set of Kappa K-Venture’s from the ever popular Lim Ah Boy gave the most bang-for-the-buck. And I went for the KVE48A top box and a set of KVE37A side cases. Kappa, being Givi’s sister brand, carries a set of aluminum luggage that’s strikingly similar to Givi’s more well known set of Outback Trekkers – only cheaper! Continue reading “Kappa K-Venture Luggage Upgrade on my CB400X”
I’ve been holding out my purchase for a larger bike since I’ve gotten my Class 2A (201cc to 400cc) license in January this year. Well, the initial plan was to wait it out for my Class 2 (>400cc) license before I made the jump up.
However, an impending trip to Thailand with a group of riding friends reignited my itch for a larger capacity touring motorcycle. While I’m pretty happy with the Pulsar, it sometimes just struggles to keep up on the excellent Malaysian North-South highway (NSHW) for longer journeys. So that led me to scouting the local online ads for something larger.
Work has taken its toll on me. I’ve lately been so consumed with it that I’ve not had the time to update this blog in a while. I went dirt bike riding at Tristan Park with a bunch of crazy fun poeple and I’ve yet had the time to compile the video and pics. Anyway, this morning, at the suggestion of Bernard, we headed to a hidden gem in Desaru area – Batu Layar.
The morning ride was a typical mix of Malaysian highway and B-roads. As with most morning with nice weather, we were greeted with flanks of scenic greenery and countryside back roads. But because we set off from B-Point a little bit later than usual today, the sun was hanging high and the surroundings looked unusually greener. Nice.
As I had the GPS coordinates keyed into my trusty iPhone 5s, I took point and led the group. Continue reading “Sunday Morning Ride to Batu Layar”
Someone challenged me to remember all the make and models of the bikes on today’s Sunday Morning Ride. Hmmm… Let me try…. We’ve got a Yamaha XJ6, 1 Honda Super 4, a MaxSym 400i, 1 Triumph Street Triple, a NC750X, 1 Honda CBR150R, 5 CB400X’s, and a Pulsar 200NS. Yup! A dozen bikes on this morning’s ride!
And today, we’re headed to a dirt track off the J173 enroute to Tg Sedili. Yup, 12 riders on street bikes attempting the off-road = helluva crazy fun! As it has been raining in Singapore over the past couple of days, we all prayed that the weather will hold up nicely on Sunday. Thankfully, we had one of the best weathers for riding – cool, cloudy and breezy, and not a hint of rain. Our prayers were answered!
I’m not gonna attempt to describe how much fun we had. Instead, I’m just gonna let the video do the talking…
Continue reading “Sunday Morning Ride – Yet Another Off-road Adventure!”
6 bikes – 2 Honda CB400X’s, a Yamaha XJ6, one Honda CBR150R, a Triumph Street Triple and a Pulsar – gathered for a Sunday Morning Ride. Today, we planned to head to Gunung Pulai waterfall. Again, we gathered at B-Point and had a light breakfast before moving off. This morning, however, the weather wasn’t treating us too well, and it was raining lightly just as we were about to push off. And so we performed a quick routine rain dance to don our rain gear, and before long, we were wrapped up and prepped to go!
Thankfully, the skies cleared up a little and the rain stopped shortly after we moved off. And soon, we were greeted with awesomely great roads like this…
Continue reading “Sunday Morning Ride to Gunung Pulai and Kukup”
There we go again! This week, we headed to Desaru’s fruit farm! Well, the trip was planned at the very last minute – on Saturday night. It all started with a WhatsApp message sent at 9pm, Sat:
“Any rides tmr?”
“I don’t mind… but dunno where to. Hahaha.”
“Desaru”
“Don’t mind”
…and that was it! Planned just 10 hours before the trip itself!
Turns out that someone within our group has booked a room at Resort Tunamaya for 1 night as a short getaway. Well, at least it gave us a destination to head towards to. Continue reading “Sunday Morning Ride to Desaru Fruit Farm”
Quality service is hard to come by these days. While you may still occasionally come across some great pre-sales service – especially if you’ve displayed some buying signals and if the sales staff is eager to close the sale, great post-sales or after-sales service is rare. Very rare.
And I’m particularly pleased with Racing World Singapore and their service levels – especially their after-sales service.
Here’s what happened: Continue reading “Amazing After-sales Service from Racing World Singapore”
