BMTH live in Jakarta 2024

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This time around Ravel gets it right and BMTH (Bring Me The Horizon) are headlining the Nexfest festival in Jakarta which also features Babymetal. In this format there is no seating - which makes for a much more intimate experience - although you do have to arrive really early if you want to pick a spot right up close to the stage.  We arrived about six hours before BMTH were scheduled to start their performance and bought plenty of drinks to stay hydrated in the tropical afternoon heat (mind you, some of those were Iceland vodka mix!) This was a gig I had long been looking forward to - especially after the debacle last year. Not everyone likes BMTH of course. For deathcore fans the band sold out. For metal heads the band is not purist enough. And for the wider mainstream audience, the band is too heavy. You can't please everyone of course but there are few bands in the rock world which can match the sheer emotional velocity of BMTH. To bring metal and even aspects of metalcore t...
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Honda VTR250 Indonesia

God, I hate Honda. I really do.

It’s only a few days away, and they’re gonna launch the Honda VTR250…


Honda VTR250
… in Thailand! Arggg!!!!

But why not here in Indonesia? Hell, it’s not as if there wouldn’t be any demand; there surely would.

And I’d be the first to put my name down on the waiting list!

But so far, the big Japanese motorcycle manufacturers – with one notable exception, Kawasaki – have failed to come up with the goods. For them, the Indonesian motorcycle market is just a huge “mass market” of seething mediocrity, meaning they only produce and sell girly little bebek (duck?!!!) motorcycles (which strangely enough are mostly ridden by guys) and relatively low-performance men’s motorcycles like the Honda Tiger and Yamaha Scorpio.

Yet will things change? Well, possibly. Because now that the AFTA (Asia Free Trade Agreement) has been signed, Indonesia can no longer impose ridiculously high import duties on motorcycles made in other Asian countries – as was the case in the past.

This is what has made it possible for Kawasaki to launch the high performance Ninja 250 on the Indonesian market (made in Thailand, the Ninja 250 is a very quick bike with great looks).

But will Honda buck up the courage and follow in Kawasaki’s footsteps? Well, speculation is rife that they will, and some pundits have even said that Honda might manufacture the VTR250 in Indonesia rather than import it from Thailand!

Not that I am holding my breath…

Honda VTR250: essential specs

Engine and transmission
Engine type: 2 cylinders, 4-stroke, 90° V-twin
Displacement: 250 cc (15.28 cubic inches)
Cooling system: Water cooled
Power: 29.91 HP (22 kW) @ 10500 rpm
Torque: 22 Nm (2.24 kg-m) @ 8500 rpm
Throttle: Cable operated
Gear box: Manual 5-speed

Dimensions
Wheel base: 1405 mm
Seat height: 775 mm
Weight 161 kg

Other
Fuel capacity: 12.4 l

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