Kuala Lumpur, MotoGP, and the need for speed

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – You can hear it off into the distance throughout the city; the sound of four-cylinder motorcycle engines breaking through the midnight tranquility of the Kuala Lumpur air.

The expressways in the Malaysian capital have a speed limit of 110 kilometers per hour (68 miles per hour), but in the early hours of the morning they ride with impunity. Some speed to get where they’re trying to go quicker; others just for kicks. 

For Malaysia, motorcycles are a way of life. They’re the cheapest mode of transportation and fill up the roadways of the Southeast Asia country. But for a fearless few, motorcycles are the chariots they ride in search of racing glory. 

It is Grand Prix motorcycle races that have twice brought me and many other spectators to Malaysia. The season, which begins in March and stretches across 14 countries over 18 destinations, stops at Sepang International Circuit each year. 

MotoGP, which has held an annual world championship since 1949, is divided into 3 categories: MotoGP, the most prestigious class with 1000cc engines; Moto2, which carry 600cc engines; and Moto3 (250cc). The MotoGP bikes can reach top speeds of up to 210 miles per hour, with subsequent riders moving precariously to within feet of each other.

The assignment to cover motorsports was a challenging one initially as I can barely drive a car and the only bike I’ve ridden on was a Huffy. But to hear Dato Azizan Noordin, Deputy Director General of Tourism Malaysia, speak about the thrill, it’s as if a man hasn’t lived until he’s ridden on two wheels. 

“It’s a form of freedom,” said Noordin. “When you’re young, the first time you can ride a bicycle, there’s a freedom there. You upgrade yourself to something like a motorcycle, then you go up to a super bike. It gives you a feeling of greatness if you can ride one.”

Like most of the world, Malaysia’s favored sport is football, though, like the rest of Asia, they tend to favor English Premier League over local club teams. There’s even a Liverpool FC store at Lot 10 Shopping Centre, though most locals tell me Manchester United is still the most popular team in the country. 

Of late, Lee Chong Wei, the 2008 and 2012 Olympic badminton silver medalist, has been the top Malaysian athlete. Formula One racing has consistently drawn crowds whenever it stops in Malaysia. Could the next great Malaysian athlete be found on the back of a bike? 

— 

Kuala Lumpur isn’t unlike many other Asian megalopolises. The Malaysian capital is connected by an MRT train system (where a center row occupies the aisle). The streets are relatively clean for a big city, and the air is breathable. 

You won’t see much of the late-night revelry of Manila or Hong Kong in this country of 28 million – an estimated 60% of whom are Muslim – but you’ll see streetside cafes and restaurants filled with people drinking tea or a Malaysian specialty known as white coffee, which is a delicious perk. 

One can walk through most streets at night and feel safe. Malaysia is a multi-cultural nation with those of Malay, Indian, and Chinese descent mixing together to create the nation’s unique flavor.

There are more than a few places to visit if you’re trying to cut loose. There’s SkyBar on the rooftop of Trader’s Hotel, which has a pool in the middle and Tiger beer on tap. It was featured on Amazing Race in 2014. I was also fond of Tujo in the shadows of Petronas Towers, with its Funeral for Jack, a Jack Daniels concoction that features a burning cinnamon stick out of the side. 

Then there was Chakravartty in Dang Wangi, which I stumbled upon near midnight as I searched on foot for a new place to enjoy a beverage at. The beer advertisements outside told me that I had found my destination, but the live Indian music that permeated upstairs from the Wilayah Complex told me this was going to be a different kind of experience from what I was accustomed to. 

When you end up at an Indian night club in Malaysia but still trying to turn up pic.twitter.com/Eq2ndj9Fjb

— Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia) October 24, 2015

“Are you sure you like Indian music?” asked the stocky bouncer as he checked my ID. “I’m sure I want a beer,” I replied. 

Getting down to Indian music is just another form of turning up, as the kids say these days. And after enough bottles of Tiger beer, you realize the beat fits hip hop dance moves like the Nae Nae. I was probably the first person this decade to do Yung Joc’s motorcycle dance that night.

For those seeking a convenient place to try Malaysian cuisine, Old Town White Coffee branches are ubiquitous, and serve a delicious Nesi Lemak, which is rice cooked in coconut milk with turmeric-seasoned chicken, a hard-boiled egg and sardines on the side. 

Delicacies from Kuala Lumpur: Nesi Lemak (L) and the Funeral for Jack (R) from Tujo pic.twitter.com/yoaU7581eI

— Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia) February 7, 2016

If you truly want zen, stop by Kafe Old Market Square for a cup of tea and finish a few chapters of the book you’ve been dying to read (or write).

—-

Sepang International Circuit, located an hour outside of KL, has hosted a MotoGP race for the past 25 years. The high-octane atmosphere is evident all around you, with energy drinks and loud motorbikes and beautiful Asian models standing next to them at every head turn.

#MotoGP starter kit #MalaysianGP pic.twitter.com/bYfdTHi6HE

— Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia) October 25, 2015

 

Sepang is hallowed ground. It’s the place where, in 2011, Marco Simoncelli met his end after a 3-bike crash. There’s nobility in knowing that no race is routine, just as no boxing match is run-of-the-mill, and every racer understands the risks involved before the race begins.

It is the mix of glory and danger that keeps the grandstands full each year with supporters of MotoGP standouts like Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo, and Valentino Rossi. 

MotoGP riders, many of whom come from European countries, are worldwide celebrities, just not in every market. The helmeted racers could walk through Times Square unbothered, much in the way Derek Jeter or Cam Newton could in places outside the US. But judging by the ovation that proceeded Marquez’s brief appearance on the track to wave at fans, it’s clear that he’s a megastar in Malaysia.

Malaysia has its share of local riders as well. 

Hafizh Syahrin, 21, of Selangor, Malaysia, competes in the Moto2 World Championship for Petronas Raceline Malaysia. He hopes to earn the stardom that European riders enjoy.

Syahrin was first taught how to ride at age 5 by his father, himself a former racer. He began racing in Europe in 2011 but admits there’s much sacrifice involved in his line of work.

“For me, Motosports is really famous in Malaysia but not so many young riders get a chance like me so I’m lucky. Malaysia riders, it’s not easy to get where I am. It’s difficult to go to a world championship,” said Syahrin, who finished 16^th in the 2015 championship.

“For a young rider like me, it’s difficult because when I get a selection and I have to stay in Europe, I have to stop school and I leave my family and friends. But after that everything comes normal.”

There’s also danger involved, as he has learned firsthand. 

“Only 4 times,” he said, when asked how many times he had crashed. “One time my finger was almost cut off. Two times I hurt my left ankle. If things happen, things happen. But now I’m lucky.”

A Malaysian rider has never won a MotoGP race, though Zulfahmi Khairuddin won a pole at Sepang in a Moto3 race back in 2012. What would it mean to Malaysia if a local racer finished first?

“This would help in terms of the spirit of the young racers because it’s not only about sports, it’s about leadership and your spirit to win,” said one official from Tourism Malaysia.

“I think it will bring us a long way. When you have your own homegrown champion, then the MotoGP will be more meaningful.” 

Both times I’ve attended MotoGP races at Sepang, something notable has happened. In 2014, I was there when Marquez won his 13th pole of the year, breaking the record for most pole positions in a season.

The following year, in October 2015, Marquez was kicked off his bike (unintentionally or intentionally) by Rossi in the midst of a tight battle for the championship between Rossi and Marquez’s compatriot Jorge Lorenzo. Lorenzo ended up snatching the championship from Rossi two races later in Valencia.

Fearlessness is an important asset, but so is concentration and skill. It’s a sport in the way that all sporting events cater to the innate human desire to be first, to assert one’s self as the alpha while pushing your body to its physical limitations to accomplish this goal. 

Malaysia isn’t all about speed. Our excursions outside of KL taught me that you can take it easy in Malaysia. One can drive a half hour south of Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya and ride the Cruise Tasik and take in the 8 picturesque bridges that connect the land masses. 

Or you could fly out to Langkawi in an hour and enjoy a ride on a party boat, or watch a performer tempt fate at the Alligator Farm.

But for those who chase the checkered flag, the roaring engines of the Kuala Lumpur night are a heart that beats with yours. – Rappler.com