MODENAS, which is based in Gurun, Kedah, will assemble 75 units of the road-going FP1, Malaysia’s first superbike. The national motorcycle manufacturer will also manage all other related elements essential for the successful production of the super bikes. Assembly work for the 75 units of the FP1 has already started and is expected to be completed in July.
The 75 units of the FP1 are part of the total of 150 units of the road version of the superbikes that PETRONAS has to manufacture to allow Team Foggy PETRONAS Racing (FPR) to compete in the World Superbike Championship. The first 75 units of the motorcycles were built in Europe and were successfully homologated in January this year by the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM).
The FP1 is a result of PETRONAS’ efforts in fast-tracking the development and commercialisation of the road version of the superbike via its involvement in FPR, which is already competing in the 2003 World Superbike Championship since March of this year.
The race version of the superbike, which is an 899cc reverse-mounted, three-cylinder inline, four-stroke machine, was first unveiled in June 2002, and was further enhanced and fine-tuned for its March 2003 race debut in Valencia, Spain. The machine has its origin in PETRONAS’ earlier motorcycle engine endeavor – the GP1 – designed and developed by Sauber PETRONAS Engineering (SPE).
For PETRONAS, its involvement in motor sports paves the way for the acquisition of advanced technology for Malaysia as well as the development of Malaysia’s human capital. This is evident via the value-adding initiatives and ventures that usually follow PETRONAS’ involvement in and sponsorship of motor sport teams as well as the development of a new breed of Malaysian engineers assigned to the initiatives and ventures.
The appointment of MODENAS as the local assembler of the FP1 is also an example of another effort by PETRONAS to promote local competency and technical capability in the field of advanced engineering.
Issued by
Media Relations & Information Department
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