Kedah, September 4, 2023 – KTM Malaysia is proud to announce that its rider Shamsul Azhar Abu Hazim, better known as Acoi Pangkolo, has emerged as the champion of Rimba Raid 2023, the largest off-road rally in Malaysia.
Acoi Pangkolo, who has been a KTM Malaysia off-road rider and trainer since 2021, competed in the MasterClass A category, which is for adventure/dual-purpose motorcycles with multi-cylinder engines and displacements above 1000cc. He rode the KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE R, a powerful and versatile bike that combines performance, comfort, and technology.
The KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE R features a 1301 cc V-twin engine that delivers 160 hp and 138 Nm of torque, a fully adjustable WP XPLOR suspension system that which was co-developed with test rider Quinn Cody at the helm, a TFT display with smartphone connectivity, cruise control, cornering ABS, traction control, off-road mode and more.
The Rimba Raid 2023 took place from August 31 to September 3 in Taman Negara, Pahang. The event attracted about 270 participants and 32 teams from up to 25 nationalities, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, England, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, United States and Vietnam.
The event started with a prologue race on September 1, followed by a 223 km jungle rally the next day. Acoi Pangkolo completed the rally with the best time of 4:31:49.479, beating the second-place finisher by just 1:02.385.
Acoi Pangkolo said: “I am very happy and grateful to win this prestigious event. It was a tough and challenging race, but I enjoyed every moment of it. I want to thank KTM Malaysia for their support and trust in me. I also want to thank my team-mates, my family and my fans for their encouragement and motivation. This victory is for all of them.”
KTM Malaysia’s Support for Acoi Pangkolo
KTM Malaysia has been providing support for Acoi Pangkolo since he joined the brand as an off-road rider and trainer in 2021. As part of his preparation for Rimba Raid 2023, KTM Malaysia sent him for KTM HQ riders academy skills training, where he learned specialized skills from KTM-certified instructors in hard enduro and adventure racing. He also participated in continuous off-road trail riding activities to hone his riding abilities and endurance. Moreover, KTM Malaysia prepared the KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE R in full gear for his practice up to two months before the race event.
KTM Malaysia congratulates Acoi Pangkolo on his remarkable achievement and thanks him for representing the brand with excellence and passion. KTM Malaysia also thanks all the organizers, sponsors, and partners of Rimba Raid 2023 for making this event possible and successful.
KTM Malaysia invites all media agencies and KOLs to share this news on their respective platforms and spread the word about Acoi Pangkolo’s triumph and the KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE R’s performance.
For more information about the KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE R, please visit: https://www.ktmmalaysia.com/product/ktm-1290-super-adventure-r-my22/
For more information about Rimba Raid 2023 and its results, please visit: https://rimbaraid.asia/, https://rimbaraid.asia/press-release-2023/, https://www.facebook.com/RimbaRaidAdv.
