That There Bobber In Seattle Got Me Thinking!!

I don't want all the gizmo's either but today's young wealthy technophobes do :-(, saying that Royal Enfield have a new model out and only £5500 for a 650 twin aint bad, i am sure they will have plenty of sales. Manufactures are missing a gap in the market by not offering a basic model suely but would i bother making a cheaper bike if i could sell all my overpriced bikes, probably not. Sales of most items are today aimed at the wealthy young as i guess it's the most gullible market lol and of course it's a well known fact that the UK buyer will pay over the odds for just about anything :-(

 

I know what you are getting at here, I had a 2005 GSX-R 1000, it had around 170bhp at the rear wheel and no switchable modes/TC/ABS, I managed just fine, it was one of the most exhilarating bikes I have ever ridden, if you took liberties with the throttle is had the potential to bite. Fast forward 12 years and I was riding a Street 765RS with all the rider aids you can shake a stick at and only 120ish bhp, why could I conceivably need all of these rider aids?
The truth is I didn't, but because I had them I pushed my luck more, I would crack the throttle open while still banked over, I would brake later and harder, because I could! A couple of times when in Spain I really did overdo it into corners on roads I had never seen before, I am pretty sure that the gizmo's saved me from an off, but if I didn't have them would I have been pushing that hard? probably not, so do they give you a false sense of security?
All of that said I enjoyed both bikes immensely for slightly differing reasons, so you pays your money ....

 

To be honest I'm with you all of the way here, I run older vehicles because they are older tech and I CAN fix them .............. I also beleive that lower tech is better ( less to go wrong ) a basic ignition system + abs is a good combination, once it starts getting too clever its problems waiting to happen.

Look back to the reliability of the 90's triumphs and other makes of that era, and then look at additional stuff on bikes now that very rarely gets used and / or causes regular problems.

As an ex field service engineer its usually the add-ons ( bells & whistles ) to the system that cause the most agro & down time .............. basic is very often Very reliable. I've always been slow to change to the latest tech as they get to work out the bugs with other people first,.

Being a Luddite is good ........

 

It’s a combination of effete planet saving moccasin wearing types who could not kickstart a magneto monster and environmental regs designed to save the planet.
Meanwhile the Third World carries on polluting and deforesting with barely a pause.
Apparently we are all making progress but not necessarily in the same direction.

 

My thoughts exactly Steve!!
I saw the light during my two year ownership of a 2013 Multistrada 1200S, all the bells and whistles and yes quite a few of them went wrong on a regular basis. Being a 3 hour round trip to my nearest dealer didn't help, nor did the dealer insisting on seeing the fault before putting in a claim and ordering the parts for me to return yet again. So what was a very nice bike to ride became a complete pain in the arse to own after the umpteenth visit sitting in the dealers cafe all day.
Electronically adjustable suspension was nice when setting off with pillion and luggage, but was a few spanners so much trouble when I had the SprintST before? I think not.
Semi-active suspension gave a nice ride over all types of road, but was that partly just the long travel suspension doing its thing?
Rider modes - after the honeymoon period it ended up in "Touring" and stayed there until I got rid, when you've got a throttle connection and suspension setting that is "right" why would you ever want a different "mode" that isn't? (and how many people actually take their gazillion £ adventure bike off-road, I never did get to try "Enduro" mode)
My thoughts on "rider aids" - abs is a wonderful safety net that saves us from ourselves when the unexpected (out of our control) happens in front of us, and cornering abs (the only thing my 2015 Speed Triple lacks) even better. But traction control and different power modes, are they really necessary on a road bike, if you can't control your right hand (or are riding that close to the edge) then may be you shouldn't be riding on public roads.
So, it's no accident that I rushed out and bought one of the last "dumb" Speed Triples, now the warranty is finished I need never darken the doors of my (not very) local dealer again, my Speedy is a keeper.
I'm sure the latest Speed Triple is that bit faster, etc, etc, but the added complexity and the increase in problems is plain to see on this forum (cue indignant response from satisfied owners )
Yes I accept there will be those lucky enough to have a good one and will fully enjoy their bike, but I'm with Steve in the Cynical Luddite club.

I do wonder whether there will eventually be a rebound in consumer "wants" back to the simple/basic two wheeler.
...............But I suspect legislation will prevent that.

 

Warning! - going off topic already!

So my comments above (and BB's) suggest what is necessary for sensible public road use is not the same as what is good for cutting edge track use, and there lies the problem, manufacturers want a good track bike (it drives sales) but doesn't necessarily make a good road bike for the consumer - beyond pub bragging rights.
I've followed WSB and MotoGP for years, I always thought WSB was supposed to be at least loosely based on production bikes.
So Johnny Rea is so good he's made WSB boring, lets change the rules to penalise him (didn't work anyway). So what do Kawasaki do to their "production" ZX10, tweak the valve system to negate the disadvantage. I guess you could argue WSB serves it's purpose in bringing forward development - but does a road sports bike need that?
And don't even get me started on the new Panigale V4, sex on wheels a beautiful bike, but the special homologated 1000cc version for WSB complete with wings - shouldn't that be competing in MotoGP?
At least Johnny's going to have his work cut out next year.

 

They wouldn't dare

 

This is my favourite ride, all old school .........!

 

Although I have no problem with technology [retired engineer] there are some places where it is just not needed. Motorcycles are one of those places. If you cannot ride without all those rider assistance features, I suggest ridnig a tricycle. As for me, I am keeping it simple with three old carburetted Hinckley Triumphs. ...J.D.

 

Mostly agree with all the above. But, several years ago i was on a 3 day ride up to Canada, on my BMW K1300S. Weather was pouring, i mean a real toad strangler. Some where outside Seattle Washington on the freeway a taxi cut me off and had to either grab the stoppers or evade. So i leaned, gave it a little gas and moved over a lane. As i scooted around the azz, the rear tire went over painted lane divider. I felt the rear start to slid when the TC momentarily kicked in and I have no doubt saved my bacon. So, technology not so bad.