Ikatan Silaturrahim Brotherhood head Azlan Sani Zawawi said the project to widen the lanes to three metres should create sufficient space for two motorcycle cruisers to easily ride side by side.

“There are many touring motorcycles around and it is almost impossible for them to ride on the existing motorcycle lanes.

“The widened lanes should be sufficient for the large motorcycles.”

Azlan advised motorcycle lane users, especially superbikers, to adhere to the speed limit.

“The superbikers speed like hell and they shouldn’t ‘rempit’.

“They are not only endangering themselves but others on the motorcycle lanes.”

Work to expand the motorcycle lanes on the Federal Highway is expected to begin in the first quarter of next year, after a RM29 million allocation for the project was announced in Budget 2017.

Works Minister Fadillah Yusof said his ministry planned to widen the motorcycle lanes to about three metres and where possible, 3.5 metres.

Azlan said he hoped the alternative lanes provided would be wide enough for all motorcycles to use, adding that more than 100,000 used the lanes daily.

Meanwhile, RXZ Owners Club president Badrul Hamzi said wider motorcycle lanes would reduce accidents.

“The current lanes are too narrow. The motorcyclists have to take extra care not to knock into the bike that he is overtaking.

“It is worse for touring bikes, for which overtaking is impossible along many stretches.”

Badrul said the alternative motorcycle lanes, meanwhile, should be sufficiently equipped with safety features.

“Safety is paramount and we hope that the authorities will do more than provide safety cones.”

Work to expand Federal Highway m-cycle lanes from early 2017