In a special media preview in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysian motorcycle manufacturer AFAZ unveiled a prototype 150cc super moped. Since the collected media is denied the use of smartphones, cameras and other recording equipment, no photos or videos of the new AFAZ super moped are shown in this article.
It does not yet have an official market name, but does have the working title “A03”. This means that this will be the third product that AFAZ will produce as a local manufacturer using AFAZ-designed components mated to a Suzuki GSX-R 150 engine.
If you are wondering where “A02” is, it is currently in development and contains more local content than the AFAZ Kencana Sport 115, which is logically “A01” in the AFAZ product development program. Development and engineering duties will be transferred to AMITec Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of AMI.
This means that the A03’s rolling chassis and frame design is entirely the brainchild of AMITec, with a view to competing in local and perhaps regional competition. What sets the A03 apart from its super moped competition in Malaysia is the frame, a welded trellis frame that harkens back to the Ducati 851/888 racers, and which houses the GSX-R 150 engine as a stressed member.
Keeping the silhouette of a moped or kapchai, the A03 packs things in tightly, and there’s no wasted space. When we were advised that the fuel tank capacity was approximately 5 litres, and asked if there was an option for a larger tank, the response we received was “it will be very difficult”, with the engineer pointing out the lack of clearance between the frame rails and the location of the monoshock, which was longer than normal to allow for more suspension movement and ground clearance.
The swingarm is a solid unit, a mix of cast, machined and extruded parts Kapchai standards (although this may change as the A03 approaches production), which contradicts the A03’s racing intentions. The wheelbase is short, making the A03 more of a sports bike than a Grab rider.
Either way, the AO3 is a classic case of taking an engine and putting it in a frame it wasn’t intended for, a tried and tested hot rodder method. AFAZ has promised us that more information about developments will be released as the A03 approaches its production date in six months.
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