Yamaha PG1 Footrest Bar Upgrade

Those Yamaha PG1 riders will definitely notice this, the stock footrest set including the brake & gear lever is a bit lower even though it was properly & perfectly placed & sorted out by Yamaha designers & engineers. It was okay especially for everyday riding on a normal road but when it comes to offroad riding this is where you'll think twice about that stock setting. I experienced it myself where the placement of the stock was too low it even hit the rocks or small logs or uneven trails & that will bend your gear lever and also most of the time your rear brake lever. 

This is definitely not the stock setting, in this case I'm using footrest bar from Yamaha SRL115i or you can use the same bar from Yamaha Lagenda Z115R. These 2 has the same mount with Yamaha PG1 & the best part they are taller & less complicated. 

For the gear lever, you definitely can't use the stock one but you need to change it to the gear lever from Yamaha SRL115 as well. Your both feet will be planted a bit taller & more forward. It will feel a bit awkward for a start but you'll get used to it after a long time. 

And for the brake lever you'll need one from the same as the gear lever. This one from Yamaha SRL115i will feel a bit longer than the stock but it definitely fit. 

The position of the footrest now is more taller but it definitely helps during offroad riding. Well I've tested it myself for a few times & I can't complain. I feel more comfortable & safer not to think the brake or the gear lever will hit the uneven grounds & to be honest I like it very much. All I need is a taller handle bar (which I have bought online & still waiting for the delivery) to match the rise on the footrest. The handle bar I'm currently using actually perfectly fit the stock footrest setup plus my height & after the change it feels a bit weird especially during riding while standing up. My new handle bar is going to be around 15 mm taller than the one I'm currently using & I hope it's going to make the bike feels like before. 

Yamaha PG1 New Clutch Plate, Stiffer Clutch Springs, New Engine Oil, New Rivets on the Clutch Housing & Replacement on Speedometer Cable

In another 2 months time my yamaha PG1 will turn 2 years old & I guess it's about time for me to change the clutch plates to a fresher set. Coincidentally it's also about time for a fresh engine oil change & I'm thinking it's perfect to throw 2 birds with one stone. Another thing that I had in my mind is to replace the stock clutch springs to a stiffer one because they are believed to help the bike to squeeze more pick up especially during offroad riding. 

The bike is ready for the operation & the first step is to drain the old engine oil out & to remove the step bar because the right cover of the engine need to be opened to get to the clutch system. 

After opening the engine case John & his worker realized something that Yamaha PG1 is not using parts as what they've expected, so John took the parts needed & try to search an identical one by one. For example John expected the clutch springs would be the same as what Yamaha RXZ is using but apparently not. The same case with the clutch plates, at first they expected it was the same with Yamaha Lagenda but also they were wrong. 

Once opened the case will need a new gasket, so the old one need to be scrapped with the blade. 

How it's look like inside. 

The stock plates are the same with Yamaha LC135. 

After almost 2 years of riding, the clutch housing started to loosen & it definitely need to be riveted with a new set of rivets. So the mechanic advised me to replace them & immediately I agreed as I saw it myself when he moved the outer side of the housing with his hand and there's a gap that makes the part moved around & it doesn't look good. 

The clutch springs are the same with Honda Wave 100 as written on the low corner of the packaging. The brand I'm using is Leo, well I've heard the brand Red Leo but not only Leo but I'm going to trust John motor this time because he's been in the business for a really long time. 

According to the theory, if I only replace 2 stiffer springs the clutch becomes imbalance & might affect the clutch plate in term of the consistency of the pressures. So what I did is I changed all 4 to new springs hoping it's going to be perfect & worry free. 

Stock spring on the top & new stiffer spring below, seems like the new spring is a bit shorter but thicker & definitely harder to squeeze.

After installation is completed I tested the bike for a few rounds & it's a normal thing to feel the bike a bit weird because of the stiffer springs. I guess after a while I'll get used to the new setting. One thing I noticed is the increase of the top speed a bit, around 5 km/h because before I can speed up to 100 km/h only & after the modifications or installation I can reach 105 km/h & that's pretty impressive to me for a minor modifications. Also throttle response & pick up at the 4th or final gear is better & that's impressive too for me. While in gear 4 or top gear it's hard to catch up with the stock springs & with the new springs it's a bit more faster to catch up & maintain the speed. 

Upgrading Yamaha PG1 Rear Shocks

After almost 2 years riding the PG1, now I have decided to change the stock rear shocks to a performance set. The stock started to feel very soft & sways on & off the roads. When hitting bumps, I actually feel the motorcycle chain is tightening which make the bike stuttered & I think that's also the reason why the chain easier in getting longer. I got the performance shocks from taobao platform for around RM300 including postage which so far a great deal for me considering popular brands like YSS from Thailand & SHOWA or OHLINS from Japan will cost 8 or even 10 times more. 

The stock looks very thin & simple. Well to be honest it's a good set of shock but just not good enough with my riding style. Anyone that rides PG1 would have agreed with me on the softness of the shocks & on the swaying part. 

Stock versus performance shocks where the performance looks a bit more solid & noticeably bigger. The performance one also has damping setting where you can simply twist with your hand to fit your riding styles. A twist on the left makes the bike bouncier and the twist on the right make it less & more less. I actually tried the setting & and it works. 

I started with the left shock as I need to wait for the exhaust on the right side to cool off first. The process is quite easy & simple, lower bolt is using ratchet number 12 & the above one using number 14. After loosen the bolts, the stock shock only needed a little wiggle to separate it from the bike. 

At first I was quite worried if the new shocks won't fit because of the sizes & after a few attempts I finally learned the tricks to fit them in. 

It looks like the shock might collide with the side racks component but luckily it didn't. 

Definitely more solid if to compare to the stock version & it feels less wobblying too during my 50 minutes test ride. The damping is very good, less bumping on uneven road surfaces. Another thing during cornering the bike feels a lot better, more planted than before with the stock shocks. 

Sabah Ride 2.0 2026 (29th August - 6th September)

As planned, the ride should start on the 29th of August, during the school holiday. This is my 8th time riding to Sabah, twice in 2026. 

Today (the day I edited this part) is the 3rd of August already, another 3 Saturdays to go as the first ride will be on the 29th also on Saturday. 

The schedule is as below:

‎Kuching- Sabah Ride 29/8- 6/9 2026 (8-9 hari) *masa cuti sekolah & cuti mid semester poli

‎

‎29/8 Sabtu (1+++ km) 13-14 jam

‎Kuching- Miri- Lawas

‎*start 4 pagi insya Allah smp Lawas 4-5 ptg)

‎*Kuching- Petronas Lachau - Sarikei (breakfast) - Petros Tatau- Petronas Bekenu- Miri- Brunei - Lawas

‎

‎30/8 Ahad (619 km) 8 jam

‎Lawas- Sipitang- Beufort- Papar- Kota Kinabalu- Kudat

‎

‎31/8 Isnin (495 km)

‎Kudat- Kota Marudu- Ranau- Kundasang- Pekan Beluran- Simpang Check Point Sandakan (Petronas) - Sandakan

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‎1/9 Selasa (305 km)

‎Sandakan- Lahad Datu- Semporna

‎*lalu Telupid, Kinabatangan, Kunak

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‎2/9 Rabu (106 km)

‎Semporna (check out hotel pagi terus island hopping) - blt dr island hopping terus ke Tawau (smp malam dlm jam 7-8 mlm)

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‎3/9 Khamis (344 km)

‎Tawau- Kalabakan- Restoren Rimba Rasa (rest makan) Tibow- Sook- Keningau

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‎4/9 Jumaat (179 km)

‎Keningau- Tenom- Sipitang- Lawas- Limbang- Miri 

‎

‎5/9 Sabtu (459 km)

‎Miri- Sarikei

‎*boleh consider dari Miri terus blt Kuching ataupun nk santai2 rehat di Sarikei dolok

‎

‎6/9 Ahad (350 km) 

‎Sarikei- Kuching 

‎

The WhatsApp group that I created to gather all riders. Inside the group besides me, there's Paul, Bob & Wak. Bob & Wak are my work mates but we are not in the same department while Paul is a friend from my badminton group with some other friends that have been knowing each other for a long time.

The original plan was me riding with Wak & another friend from Sabah where he's been working in Kuching for a really long years. The fourth person in the initial plan would be Bob. The man from Sabah chicken out & after that I remembered Paul have mentioned to me before that he would want to join riding to Sabah if there's one & I immediately contacted him & with no hesitation he agreed.

This is Paul's SYM ADXTG 400, the highest cc among all of us in this group. In this picture he was testing his helmet before the long ride to get used to it & to see whether it is suitable or not for the 4K kilometers adventure. Yeah that's what a rider should do, be well prepared & test all the gears before anything else. Well for me I already got my setups ready from head to toe from my previous ride with my wife also to Sabah & back & that's the same setup I'm going to apply. 

Paul ordered this higher windshield for the purpose of the ride & hoping he received it before the day.

Arrived & successfully installed on the 8 of August! Looking nicer & taller! 

Paul also bought himself this seat pad for extra comfort especially during the long ride the first day. This definitely will help a lot as we are going to spend many long hours on our bikes.

This is how it looks like on the saddle of his scooter. He feels like sliding especially during braking as he mentioned but it term of comfort that pad meets the function. 

And this is my third/fourth service on the dtx 250 at the same shop. This one is for this coming ride & I'm not planning to use my scooter daily because I don't want to change to new tyres yet also I want to save more money for the trip expenses later all in. 

Service is done & I'm ready to go! Later I'll do the cvt service on my own.

Paul's & mine. 

Bob with his ride, yamaha xmax 250 while Wak is still waiting for his ride hopefully by the end of this week, another one week left before the main event on the 29th of August. 

This is the first time all of us sat around the same table on the 16th of August, just 2 weeks before the ride started. I'm really glad that we got to talk & discuss things that matters. This also shows the commitment of the team members towards the plan & giving ideas, suggestions, reminders is something that everyone would really appreciate in the process. 

One week to go & tonight I injured my right calf during a badminton game, not a serious one just like a mini hamstring. Normally after some ice sessions it will be okay. This clearly to remind me to stop my sports activities for a while just before the main event so I can get a really good rest. Actually before tonight I played futsal but I felt nothing before & after the futsal game but tonight suddenly my calf got snapped & I believe it's due to insufficient warm ups before the badminton game. I guess I got another 6 days to get healed. 

Paul's final service before the ride & he'll be outstation for almost a week & be back just the day before the Saturday. 

This is Paul's helmet setup, during the night time or when riding in the dark he'll be using the goggles & when the sky is clear or hot he'll slide the dark visor down & keep the goggles away. Well I'll stick to my LS2 Copter, the same helmet I'm using during my ride with my wife last May & June. 

Paul wants to use this to record the journey later & I say why not, that's a good thinking. I'm still thinking if I wanna use my gopro 4 to record things that matter but I think I'll just pack it together later. 

3 days to go, let's give this guy a fresh shiny feeling before the ride. 

While washing the bike I also took the change to check the coolant level, this one seems okay, just a bit above the full level. I'm good & ready to go! I also reminded the team to check theirs as the first day is going to be a very long day. 

My EES qr code for entering & exiting Brunei later. Without this no one can enter Brunei. 

This is Paul's EES qr code. 

As for today (after the washing), this is the condition of my rear tyres after almost 12K kilometers. My earliest plan was to change them both before the ride which will cost me around RM400 but I decided to use this set for this ride & soon after we're back in Kuching I'll change them to a new set Insya Allah. 

And this is my front tyres which I'm not really worried about. Only before the ride or maybe a day or two before the ride I need to check the tyres pressures both front and back to get the optimum riding out of it. 

It's cvt cleaning time! 

Good thing this part has it's own filter, just imagine if it's not. The whole thing will surely mess up with the belting inside. 

After a good blow with the air compressor, the filter now is as good as new inside & outside. 

The belt is still looking good! Now it's time to blow the whole part to get the dust out.

There's definitely a lot of dust in this hidden area, a good blow will do the job. 

This part has a lot of dust in it, took a lot of blowing to get them out. 

This outer cover need a good blow too because it has some sponges & these sponges also hold many dust inside it.

2 days to go & I'm doing tyres inspection especially on sharp small objects that might be trapped inside the tyres especially the rear one. Well I found a small pin like punching the rear tyre & immediately I took it out since it's not penetrating the tyre through. Other than that I also checked the tyres pressures for optimum riding all the way.

The health declaration can only be declared 3 days before travelling through Brunei & I'm filling this on the 27th. This is the final parts outsiders need to complete if they are planning to travel through Brunei. After filling it I reminded the team to do so to avoid any issues at the international border later. 

Tools time! These are the most functional tools that I can think of bringing & I believe they're good enough. The tools beg is actually for my offroad riding & I'm guessing it's going to come with me for the Sabah ride. Well I also took it with me during my previous ride with my wife last June & I'm so glad that I don't have to open it all the way for almost 4K kilometers. 

I also got the mini handheld pump, also from my offroad riding sessions, the tubeless repair kit & rust spray in case we need it later to smoothen things out.

Storage fitting time! I got everything that I need under the seat compartment & there's still a bit space left for tiny items. 

During riding the helmet is not going to be there, it will be on my head of course. I purposely put the helmet there together with other items because occasionally during the ride we'll stop for break or a 30 minutes lunch & I don't want to bring the helmet together with me all the time. My cap will be inside the compartment & during break stop I'll just take the cap out to wear it & in exchange I'll place my helmet in it (like I said I don't want to hold the helmet all the time). After the break I'll put back the cap inside & take my helmet out to resume riding. 

Just perfect! 

Fit like gloves! I'm using around 15 liters bag, good enough for me to put all the clothes I needed for around 7 days. Less is more! 

The seat can be closed like normal even with helmet in it & there's no need for me to force close it like what I did during the previous ride. This is one reason why I chose to buy this amazing scooter, because of the large under seat compartment, another way to say there's no need for a top box to store things big or small. 

Part of the plan for this ride & it's supposed to be on the 2nd of September. Below is the entry fee for every packages. 

Malaysian 

Package A - RM200 

Semua entrance & hiking fee sudah termasuk . 

Package B & C - RM150 

Tidak termasuk entrance

This is my media setup, I'm using gopro 4 to record things that matter. It's been a while since I used this action camera, last time was for offroad riding & the latest is riding with my yamaha PG1.

I bought this neck camera or phone holder for the previous Sabah ride but never got the chance to use it because I got my wife at the back as the main cameraman. So this time I'll let Paul using it because he's going to bring his dji osmo 360.

Day one at around 4 a.m, I'm waiting for Paul to arrive at Telaga Tiga Petronas before Satok area or Satok Bridge. Yes I'm waiting for Paul only because Wak & Bob cannot make it.

Paul arrived at around 4:15 a.m and 5 minutes after that we started our journey, today the destination is Lawas.

A quick pee-stop, even though the haze is still a bit thick but we can still feel the morning chill. The weather is good Alhamdulillah.

Waiting for Petronas Lachau to start business at 6 a.m. There are other vehicles besides the 2 of us.

Time to fuel up, after this we headed to Sarikei for breakfast stop. After fueling I completed my Subuh prayer in the prayer room, the whole station was out of water but luckily there was some in the prayer room from the tap Alhamdulillah. 

Paul doing some setup to the camera pole mount. 

Arrived at Sarikei & immediately we fuel up at Petronas. Next let's get some breakfast! 

Breakfast here at Bazar MARA Sarikei. 

My first outside meal of the day! Soon afyerwe after headed to Sibu up to Miri, Brunei & lastly Lawas (for today) 

A quick stop to swap my riding jacket to my TLD motocross jersey. The day is getting hotter that's why I needed a thinner jacket. 

Another fueling at Tatau Petros. Mine was around RM17 here via cash. 

Use the remaining RM3 to buy 2 of these & gave Paul one bottle. 

At Bekenu Petronas for final fueling before entering Miri & Brunei to reach Lawas. I put RM15 of fuel here & didn't top up at Miri & we rode straight to Lawas through Brunei.

Day 2, packing & ready to leave Lawas heading for Kudat.