Sunday 31 March 2013

Algae is Slippery

Just last week, a couple of us went to Johor Circuit to have a little fun. I was the designated photographer, no thanks to my recent fracture. The weather was actually pretty good, but there is a notorious patch at the exit of turn one which was always wet when we went there.

Little did we know, or little did Edwin know in this case, that the wet patch actually has algae growing within. Algae is slippery. Rubber tyres and algae don't mix. Unfortunately, it took Edwin a minor lowside to find out. He escaped unhurt except for a sprain on his left ring finger and left ankle. His Suzuki GSX-R750 wasn't so lucky as you can see from the photos below.



The broken off tail panel.



The poor Leo Vince slip-on.


The scratched side fairing.


The frame slider that took most of the damage.


The broken off clip-on balancer, torn throttle grip, and scratched brake lever.


The broken side mirror.


The torn tank bra, which didn't protect the tank panel underneath from scratches.


And finally, the offending algae which caused the front end tuck.



Track riding is fun, only if your pockets can handle it. There is no where else safer than the track to learn about your own riding limits, and the limits of your bike. But be prepared to have some spare cash, when accidents like this happen. Crashing is part and parcel of the learning process. Just suck it up, heal your injuries, fix your bike, and get back on the saddle.

I took a truckload of photos during during the track session. Here are some of them.





Go to our Facebook Page for the full album.

Enjoy your Sunday. Ride safe.

Sunday 24 March 2013

Review: ASV F3 Levers

Last week, I wanted to get some new levers for my R6, and I have been eyeing the ASV line of levers. There are many other brands out there but it seems to me that the ASV F3 series seems to give the best bang for the buck. They do have a higher end series called the C/5, but it seems to me that they are just made slightly stronger than F3s, and have a longer warranty of 5 years.

So why the ASV F3s? Because of 3 simple reasons.

1. They have infinite adjustability.
2. They are made of forged aluminium, which means that they are very strong.
3. They are marketed as unbreakable levers, which also come with a 3-year warranty.

Let me sneak in a 4th reason; they look great haha. And to show you my point; here are some photos.

The brake lever.



The clutch lever.



The levers came in these sleek looking packaging.


Along with these set of bike manufacturer-specific custom adapters.


Installation is extremely easy, as shown by this video.


Let me re-emphasize my point on infinite adjustability. Notice the red knob in the photos. By turning it towards you, you bring the lever closer to you and vice versa. Technically, you can turn the knob either way infinitely, therefore you can adjust the lever to the perfect distance for your individual riding style.

The way the levers prevent themselves from breaking during a crash is their ability to bend forward. It is pretty hard to illustrate them with just words, so take a look at this video instead.


The ASV F3 levers cost me SGD$240, and I love them. So, before you go buy new levers for your bike, do check ASV levers out.

Ride safe.