It seems to have become the norm these days to get riding modes, TC, ride-by-wire, ABS, anti-wheelie, quickshifter and slipper clutch and inevitably an LCD screen. Having borrowed an MV with all those goodies, and then gone back to my 999 which has none of them, bar a bit of LCD screen, I just wondered what people really thought about them. I don’t think I’ve ever fallen off a bike due to not having ABS (though I wouldn’t be adverse to having it for some future emergency when basic rider skill failed). I’ve barely ever wheelied a bike. Never having had riding modes, I don’t miss them. It’s not as if I can’t ride quite quickly and smoothly in the wet or in town. I really don’t like LCD screens. An analogue tacho is what you want and little dials and gauges look nicer, although a big digital LCD speedo is OK. So what do you think of all this stuff? Must have, nice to have, or stuff you really couldn’t care if it is there or not? Isn’t it mainly marketing fashion now? If the MV I borrowed had just had all the cash for electronics ploughed into the fuelling ECU, I for one would have been a lot happier.
I was thinking about this the other day. I think it just gives more confidence. The other thing I was thinking about, other than my mileage seemed to stay at 666 mile for a long time, was do you really need 160 odd bhp I've been riding my Diavel in urban (100bhp) and enjoying it as much as when it's in the other modes! Maybe I'm a wimp
That's another thread idea I've been toying with. Just how confident do many people feel? I feel pretty damned confident (I have in the past definitely been overconfident). So does electronic trickery encourage unconfident people to wobble around on over-powered bikes, and if so, will it all go tits up eventually in any case? Maybe a generation will be born which doesn't know how to gauge the throttle, downshift with mechanical sympathy, or brake on a slippery surface. Or is that just the ramblings of an old fart? Possible.
This is probably how car drivers felt before abs traction control etc. came in. But it's now the norm so every one gets used to it. Give a car driver an old beetle or mini now they would probably run in to the back of something. So I guess it's a good thing, as all bikes will eventually have electronic safety aids eventually. Every little helps
The really old farts would bemoan losing the skill of using hand gear change, manual advance/retard, manual mixture settings etc. But I am with you on this one, a huge part of my reason for riding a motorcycle is getting the techniques just right. I could go for ABS maybe for that 'oh shit' moment, but traction control? anti wheelie? on the road? I don't think so. Even on the track I cant see the point, I like to know that the bike is doing what it is doing because I have told it to, and if I get it wrong, so be it. With all this electronic shit, its just motorcycling for the PlayStation generation. And whats the point
Naw, garlic bread is the future. This is just electronic titivation, designed to massage your ego into thinking you are a riding God, and that nothing can go wrong because a big electronic hand will come to your rescue if it does. One day it will not work.
I wish I was a riding god! Even after 34 years riding I'm still learning that it's all in the right hand
I switched mine off shortly after buying the bike, after all , if the fuse was to blow where would that leave you. If you were to believe all you read in MCN you wouldn't go out without anti wheelie abs and traction control. where is the fun in that ? I knew what I was getting into when I bought my bike if I had wanted a watered down version I would have bought one ,it would have been a lot cheaper
I wouldn't mind ABS as over the years I've had two incidents due to over exuberant use of the front brakes. Turned TC down to 2 when I got the sf as it interfered if the back ever got a bit light and nearly throws you over the bars. Off altogether now, I only purposely ride for fun in the dry, and if it gets wet, turn the throttle less.
Having ridden for 43 years, I always used to advocate the rider being in control. That was until some twat just stopped in front of me to admire the string of Traveller's horses in a wedding procession going the other way. I grabbed the front brake, the ABS kicked in and the bike stopped remarkably quickly and I didn't fall off or run up the arse of the twat so plus ponits for ABS. Still not sure about the Honda balanced brake system but then I ride a Ducati so I wouldn't know what a back brake is for anyway. Andy
Would you not ride more circumspectly without an electronic safety net? It has been said that to reduce the number of car crashes, all the safety aids. air bags etc. should be removed, and a large spike fitted to the steering wheel pointing at the driver.....
I can confirm this is the case I think you don't need trickery.... Until you need it. None of my bikes have Abs but I can well image it's great if you have an 'oh shit' braking moment.... Poor planning? Maybe..... Traction control? I've learnt lots about how hard I can drive out of corners now I've got it.... It gives lots of confidence knowing you can grab more throttle without it spinning and spitting you off. It's made me enjoy my Speed Triple (sans TC) more as well. There's a lot of feelgood with toys as well eh? And manufacturers know this..... It sells bikes to us impressional boys
have managed to enjoy all sorts of "basic" bikes for 40yrs now,is what kept me into bikes. simple n basic meant i could fix more or less anything that fell off or committed harikari,often by side of the road. now the only advancement i see from starship electric systems is the ability to spend/waste riding hours on forums and standing around in workshops looking at a brand name bike in peices whilst my bank balance shrinks quickly.. ill stick to basic bikes that just work 99% of their lives,happily exceed 70k and dont need aa membership and dubious warranties as a major part of the toolkit/Brand Experience.
I've never yet owned a bike with any of them fitted. ABS is most desireable for that panic moment. MrAIIT above makes a good argument for TC so yes, I wouldn't mind that. Anti-wheelie and riding modes you can keep. As already said by others, I've never wheelied a bike, just had the front go light under accelleration. Riding modes = be gentle with the throttle if it's pissing it down. As I ride for pleasure the (vast) majority of my riding is on dry roads, in fact, I've got the weather wrong if I get wet :Arghh: Summary, ABS and TC I wouldn't mind, but a bike without wouldn't put me off it.
Speaking as a rider who has TC - Do I need it? No. Does it give me abit of a safety blanket for when (not if!) I screw up? Yes. Do I use it? No, hopefully, not. As I said many moons ago, when this raised its head, I regard it as a crash hat in effect - I'd hate to need its safety aspects, but it's handy to have if the worse comes to the worse. I also have a quick shifter. Do I like it? Yep. Does it make my riding quicker? Probably slightly, but not to speak off. Is it needed? Definitely not, even though I love the occasional pop I get when I use it! I'd happily have a bike with abs, if only as another safety blanket that I hope to never need, although I'm not sure how much of a premium for such a bike I'd be prepared to pay.
