It’s time to say goodbye…

It’s time to say goodbye….

You’ve been with me for a year, and we sure have traveled serious distances together. I’ve brought you to multiple Malaysia trips. We’ve even went on a tour to Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. We went through thick and thin together – through good weather, and some really bad ones; on good roads, and some horrible ones. I will always cherish the times we spent on these trips.

Bye bye…

But now, it’s time for me to bid you goodbye…. Continue reading “It’s time to say goodbye…”

Why do motorcycle front and rear tires have opposite tread patterns?

You will notice that many performance motorcycle tires not only are available in different sizes, but ALSO specifically for the front and the rear of the motorcycle. Sometimes, manufacturers may also have the exact same size of tires for the front and the rear of the motorcycle, leading some to ask – are they the same? If they are the exact same size, can I use a “rear” tire for the “front” or vice-versa?

Pirelli Angel CT tire size chart. Notice they have it in 80/90-17 for front and the exact same size for the rear too?

In short, the answer is Continue reading “Why do motorcycle front and rear tires have opposite tread patterns?”

You VEP Me? I VEP You!

Two young boys were playing nicely. Sinbad and Malvyn were, in fact, brothers. In the midst of their brotherly play and without realising it, Sinbad’s left shoulder accidentally brushed against Malvyn’s right cheek.. The cheek, comprising mainly of soft tissue, hurt badly for Malvyn. Out of youthful spite, Malvyn raised his right hand and smacked on Sinbad’s left arm. Sinbad was caught surprised. He didn’t understand why Malvyn would deliberately hurt him. So, after a couple of seconds, Sinbad regained his composure and hit Malvyn on his right arm as revenge.

By this time, Malvyn felt really wronged.

“Why was Sinbad hitting me again?”, Malvyn thought to himself. The sense of injustice was building up within Malvyn, and he retaliated with an even stronger blow to Sinbad’s right arm.

Before long, a fight escalated, and Mum had to step in to intervene.

Does the scenario above sound familiar? Yes, that’s exactly what is happening between Singapore and Malaysia regarding the toll and vehicle entry permit charges that both sides have been increasing in retaliatory responses.

img_0422 Continue reading “You VEP Me? I VEP You!”

Lithium-Ion batteries in Motorcycles?

After I killed my motorcycle battery with a deep discharge just barely 3-months after installing it, many have asked me if I considered replacing it with a technologically newer lithium-ion, or specifically lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) one. For awhile, I did explore to use the opportunity to “upgrade” to a lithium-based battery. But before that, let’s consider the merits and pitfalls of it… Continue reading “Lithium-Ion batteries in Motorcycles?”

Not too pleased with Givi Point Singapore

I happened to be round the corner and headed to Givi Point Singapore today. Honestly, it wasn’t only until last week that I knew that Singapore had a Givi Point. (Hey! I’m still very new to the motorcycle scene, yah!) And it wasn’t only until about three weeks back that I even knew that Givi stores are called Givi Point’s – until I visited the Givi Point in Penang.

I had a pretty good experience with the folks in Givi Point Penang. They were professional, seem to know their stuff, and very helpful. I eventually ended up getting a set of E36N side boxes from them – even though I was pretty certain that I could possibly get it for cheaper somewhere in Singapore if I looked hard enough. But I’m also the sort of person who’s willing to pay a little bit more for good service and expertise.

So, back to Givi Point Singapore. As I was saying Continue reading “Not too pleased with Givi Point Singapore”

RIP Mr S R Nathan – Singapore’s sixth and longest running president

Deeply saddened by the passing of Mr S R Nathan, our sixth and longest running president, last evening. He passed away peacefully at the Singapore General Hospital on 22 Aug 2016, surrounded by family and loved ones, three weeks after suffering a 2nd stroke in two years.

Thank you for dedicating your life to the betterment of Singapore.

(Picture source: fas.nus.edu.sg)

THANK YOU fellow biker FD8352!!

Oh silly me.

As I was preparing to leave home this morning, my bike refused to start. Turns out that I left my key in the ignition and inadvertently left it in the ON position. It didn’t occur to me that the bike was powered as I had the engine kill switch in the OFF position.
I whipped out my multimeter and measured the battery voltage – 4.67V??!? Wow! My 5V-USB-powered onboard bike cam must have zapped all its juice, and finally died when the battery went below 5V.

Oh great! 🙁 Just when I was about to start riding. I tried to connect my (old) spare motorcycle battery – which was reading 11.5V – parallel to it. Cranked… No joy.

Next, I pushed my bike to where my car was parked and connected a set of jumper cables (I always carry jumper cables in my car). Cranked… Still no joy.

Then, I tried a Continue reading “THANK YOU fellow biker FD8352!!”

Happy 51st Birthday Singapore!

Happy Birthday Singapore! It’s been 51 great years, and I wish every Singaporean a fantastic and happy National Day!

After travelling for the last 2 months or so, it feels so good to be home. Fantastically smooth road surfaces, orderly traffic, and amazingly clean surroundings. It means so much to me to be back in time for your birthday.

Singapore. Home. This is where I belong.

My Top Box was Molested

I’m feeling mad… I’m feeling violated. I had my top box molested this morning as I was making payment for petrol in Shell Johor Bahru (JB) this morning. Yes, it was my fault for keeping it unlocked (I thought that it was locked). The crook came up behind me on a kup and pretended to wait in queue for the petrol pump. He struck when I walked over to the counter to make payment – opening up my topbox to search for any content worth stealing.

Continue reading “My Top Box was Molested”

5 Life Lessons I Picked up from Riding a Motorcycle

Taking my motorcycle license was a response to a mid-life crisis call for some adventure. And a bike purchase came naturally and rather quickly after I’ve got my license. So I’ve just started riding since early this year, and each ride has not only increased my technical competence and confidence, but also taught me valuable lessons in life. Continue reading “5 Life Lessons I Picked up from Riding a Motorcycle”