IPOH – Feeling challenged when his employer’s machine exhibited at the annual Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show (HRCS), Yokohama, Japan, received less attention from visitors, a young man was determined to return to the exhibition with a more sophisticated machine of his own design.
Eight years have passed, the dream of Mohamad Irwann Mohd Azlan, 33, will become a reality this December after he was selected to represent Malaysia at the 32nd edition of the exhibition, following his victory at the Art of Speed (AOS) Malaysia 2024 exhibition at the end of last July.
This native of Batu Gajah was crowned the overall winner of the AOS Invitational Bike Build Off 2024 which took place at the Malaysia Agricultural Expo Park Serdang, Selangor, through his RXZ Twin Boss V2 machine.
Friendly Irwann Cheng, owner of custom-made motorcycle workshop FNG Works here, said his experience at HRCS in 2016 as a representative of his employer at the time, encouraged him to improve his knowledge and skills in order to be able to build machinery capable of making fans enthralled.
“We were a bit upset at the time because the visitors paid less attention to our machines, maybe in their eyes the machines from other countries were better.
“I want to prove that the creation of Malaysian children is comparable to other countries. I promise, if given the opportunity, (I want to make) visitors excited to the point of looking at our designs and not just passing by,” he said when met Named in his workshop recently.
CUSTOM MADE ENGINE
Talking about the machine he made, Mohamad Irwann said it took him about five months to complete the machine which is a rebuilt motorcycle, using two Yamaha RXZ motorcycle engines.
“Actually, this engine I improved from the first version. Previously, AOS asked me to build a machine with two unique engines to be used as a lucky draw prize. They provided the capital and I was able to prepare the machine using two Yamaha RXZ engines.
“However, for the machinery, I put the engine at the front and back of the motorcycle respectively. From there, the idea arose to combine the two engines into one, operating completely as one engine block as produced by the factory,” he shared.
He said, the process of building the engine challenged his skills which have been involved in engine making work since 2009.
“The process is very complex and involves many technical aspects. Only, what I can say is that usually a motorcycle engine we only use one piston, but for this engine there are two pistons that move simultaneously.
“Alhamdulillah, as a result of research and references from many parties, I managed to combine two engines on one crankshaft to produce this RXZ Twin Boss V2,” he said, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam Campus, Selangor.
SELL MOTORCYCLES
Talking further, this man said he spent around RM25,000 to build the machinery.
“AOS organizers contacted me asking if I wanted to participate in the AOS Malaysia 2024 competition. At that time I had no capital at all and had to sell my motorbike. I know, this is an opportunity for me to return to (HRCS) Japan because the organizers told the winner that the accommodation and logistics will be sponsored, including the round-trip transportation cost of the machine.
“If I don’t take this opportunity then the dream will be buried,” he continued, adding that with the help of family, friends and the motor company, he managed to build the machine.
He explained that the construction of the machine cost a lot of money because he did various studies and tests to ensure that the engine he will build not only works well but is also different from the others.
“I studied everything down to the screw of every machine that had ever won an award at HRCS. I also looked carefully because I wanted to build a truly unique engine,” he said.
START SMALL
Reflecting on his involvement in the field, Mohamad Irwann, who works full-time as an operations executive at a shopping center here, said he began dabbling in the manufacture of engines and custom-made machinery in 2009 on a small scale.
He then worked with a machinery manufacturing company, Beautiful Machines, in the capital, before opening his own workshop FNG Works in 2018.
According to him, he became involved in AOS Malaysia as an event crew in 2015 before being asked to build motorcycles and custom-made cars for the organization starting in 2017.
He who participated for the first time in 2022 and won five awards, however did not participate in AOS Malaysia 2023, before returning this year and emerging as the overall winner.
Sharing the values that contributed to his achievements, Mohamad Irwann said it was important to keep challenging himself and be prepared to adapt to different cultures and work environments.
However, he said, the support of those around him is no less important, especially from family members.
“The people who sacrificed the most were my wife, Haslinda Arof, 32, and my son Thufeil Umar, 5, because throughout the period I was preparing this machine I can say I only met them for 15 minutes every day. In fact, this situation is also not something easy for me.
“In addition, I also received support from many other parties, both in terms of finance, goods, equipment and others who contributed energy and strength to complete this machinery,” he said.
Concluding his speech, he hoped that his story would open the eyes of many parties, especially in the field of custom-made machinery, because the industry is still considered quiet even though Malaysia has many builders who can compete on the international stage. – Named
