[top: Mr Mohd sending text messages to Mr Tan, who had challenged him to a high-speed race. They were supposed to meet but Mr Tan didn't turn up.]
By Zaihan Mohamed Yusof
WHAT began as a private joke on a motorbike forum has turned into a challenge to a deadly duel.
Two Singapore bikers who had an online war of words have ended up planning to rev up their machines for a high-speed race on a Malaysian highway.
The prize: Pride and $5,000 for the first across a line, irrespective of police action, accident or breakdown.
Though meetings to decide on a time and location for the race have failed to take place, neither side seemed ready to back down or call off the challenge.
The feud started on 28 Mar when one of the two bikers posted a message on the Singapore Bikes Forum, under 'Gather All ZX636 Rider (sic)'.
EVOIIIGSR's message was meant for another biker, nicknamed Official. The message referred to Official as 'now officially a Ninja crash test dummy'.
That angered some netizens who found the remark insensitive because Official had lost a leg in a crash on the North-South highway in Malaysia about six weeks ago.
Verbal abuse
Netizens immediately rallied behind the injured rider. They flamed EVO, starting a 'free-for-all' filled with verbal abuse.
We managed to speak to EVO, who was initially unwilling to grant an interview.
EVO, who gave his name only as Mr Mohd, said: 'People who had no business in this matter, those who do not know my friendship with Official, made the situation worse. My honour was being undermined by faceless and gutless people.'
Mr Mohd, who works for a logistics company, said the numerous taunts prompted him to confront a challenger nicknamed Global.
Official then tried to calm netizens by revealing on the forum that he knew Mr Mohd and that 'I know it's just a joke'.
But Global and a few others were further upset by another message posted by Mr Mohd on 3 Apr.
He said his Kawasaki ZX636R, a 636cc motorbike, was capable of hitting 289kmh and outrunning a 1,200cc Kawasaki, the ZX12R, on the North-South highway.
Mr Mohd had also signed off as 'EVO the bestest ZX636R rider in NSHW (North-South Highway)' and 'undisputed JB (Johor Baru) champion'.
Global said Mr Mohd's 'arrogance was too much to ignore'. Said Global, 37, who gave his name only as Mr Tan: 'I have done on countless occasions speeds of 320kmh on the North-South highway, but I don't brag about it on forums.
'True bikers will know that the ZX12R is capable of 340kmh. There's no way a 600cc bike can win.'
Again, Mr Mohd claimed to The New Paper that he was just joking.
On 25 Apr, Mr Mohd apologised online to Mr Tan for 'getting off on the wrong foot'. But some still challenged Mr Mohd to prove his claims.
On 27 Apr, Mr Mohd posted on the forum: 'NSHW or PG (Pasir Gudang circuit) - let's do it like gentlemen - don't talk big on the world wide web!'
Said Mr Tan, who is self-employed: 'All I wanted to know was the time and place (and what the bet would be)... After discussing (the matter) with another friend, I thought $5,000 would be enough to teach EVO a lesson.'
Mr Mohd fired back by posting a picture of himself holding several thousand US dollars.
Rules were laid down. Both sides were to appoint trusted 'bankers' at the end point.
Observers would be placed at checkpoints to 'ensure no short-cuts along the highway' and to 'avoid dirty tricks'. The money would go to the first rider to cross the finish line.
All that was left was for the two riders to meet to decide where and when to race.
Last Monday, Mr Tan did not show up for a meeting with Mr Mohd at a restaurant in Sembawang.
Said Mr Tan: 'He (Mr Mohd) could spring a surprise on me if I had showed up alone as requested. There's no point in talking, we just need to get on with it.'
Likewise, Mr Mohd turned down Mr Tan's offer of meeting for supper in Kulai, Johor before racing.
Said Mr Mohd: 'I'm not going to play in his backyard, but the heat is still on.'
Netizens will no longer be able to monitor developments on the forum as posts on the matter have been removed.
And hopefully, good sense may yet prevail and they may call off the whole thing. If they don't, they will be breaking the law and endangering lives.
