Modenas Malaysia’s motorcycle performance organisation, R8DER, is making its debut with ‘Bakat Besi: Reka Bina’, Malaysia’s first design and modding talent programme.
Launched at the Shell Malaysia MotoGP round at the Sepang International Circuit last October 2017, the ‘Bakat Besi: Reka Bina’ contest aired its first episode on the 8th of June 2018. The nine episodes will feature 12 top builders competing in constructing and customising the V15, Pulsar RS200 and NS200.
The contest is divided into two categories:
- Bina Sifu -Twelve top builders in Malaysia are selected to customise and modify three Modenas street bikes, the V15, Pulsar RS200 and NS200. The 12 builders will be divided into six teams, and each team will have one constructor and one customiser. Each team will be allocated a budget and their entry will be judged on the aesthetic, performance and commercial value of the motorcycle. Winners will receive cash and prizes worth over RM60,000 and an opportunity for a two year production contract.
- Reka Sifu – A conceptual bike designing and livery (skins, stickers) contest. All contestants will be judged by a panel of judges and by the online voting via R8DER’s Website. Winners will receive cash and prizes worth RM20,000.
To make the programme more exciting, the builders are teamed up with influential mentors such as Kiki Akhbar, Shuib Sepahtu, Pekin Ibrahim, Mark Adam, Jehan Miskin and Rahim Sepahtu. The mentors encourage and provide recognition to these passionate builders through their social media platform to support their talents.
The programme also includes three judges, namely Azmi Mansor, Head of R&D of Modenas Malaysia, Oh Kah Beng, motorsport veteran and Scott Soul who is a pioneer in the industry, to assess the newly customised motorcycles through a series of tests under two categories; Styling (Innovation, Safety Standard, Marketability, Cost) and Performance (Dyno Test, Test Laps, Sprint Test and Judges Evaluation).
The bikes will be showcased at the upcoming Art of Speed 2018.
