Malaysia’s RX-Z faithful fight stigma of illegal street racing after deadly biker festival

A string of deadly motorcycle accidents around Malaysia’s biggest Yamaha RX-Z gathering has intensified calls for the annual event to be scrapped, but enthusiasts say the backlash unfairly conflates a vast owners’ community with illegal street racers.More than 200,000 devotees of the discontinued motorcycle converged on Terengganu, on Malaysia’s east coast, earlier this month for RXZ Members 8.0, reflecting how the modest two-stroke bike has become a vivid badge of identity for a culture with particularly deep roots among Malay men.Federal traffic police recorded 46 motorcycle crashes between the July 30 and August 2 period surrounding the gathering, including 11 fatal cases, five serious crashes and 30 minor ones.