The Pricey Tech Surge in Modern Motorcycles

[@NooBiker]

Join the Livestream on this subject : kzbin.info81XKsXUxVeM?feature=share

[@neilmackinnon3371]

I am with you 100% Noob. When I bought my VStrom 650 I had done a LOT of research and visited a number of dealers looking for the right touring bike for me. I was fortunate to find a 2015 model at a local dealer and it has turned out to be perfect, in part because it is one of the last 'low tech' versions. It has ABS, electronic ignition and fuel injection.... that's it for technology and because of that I can do all my own maintenance, plus I am not carrying around a whole load of electronic features I have no use for.

[@NooBiker]

I think there's a lot to be said for simpler, more affordable and more reliable bikes. Anything that is added is another point of failure and has to be balanced against whatever (if any) benefits it brings to daily use. Being able to do the maintenance yourself is a big plus for long term ownership.

[@vzmax]

@@NooBiker A few weeks ago, I got a BMW bike. I chose to buy it brand new with NO option.

[@Steeps1969]

When returning to biking in 2021 after a 20 year break (kids etc), I purposely went for a low tech bike. After many years as a car mechanic, I wanted a minimal tech bike, that is easy to maintain at home with my limited tools & facilities. I chose a '98 Honda VTR1000F Firestorm. No ABS, no riding modes, no fuel injection. Only electronic ignition - which is a maintenance time saver! Rider modes are by limiting my right hand on the throttle, and my right fingers/right foot on the brakes! Having thrashed around Lincolnshire ~30 years ago on RD350's, YPVS's and GSXR's back then, I learned to ride without the electronics interfering. I choose to continue!

[@NooBiker]

Nice bike, the Firestorm 👍

[@Steeps1969]

@@NooBiker I bloody love it, esp since I put better K-Tech fork springs in it to sort the front end. It's awesome!

[@NooBiker]

@@Steeps1969 thank you for subscribing 😊😁

[@jimsadler8704]

Couldn't agree more with you, Noob, but then I'm an old school biker who firmly believes that riders should have the skill and knowledge to manage their machine and not rely on a plethora of electronic gadgetry to possibly help them out of a tricky situation. In the name of safety ABS is a good thing. I own a 1958 Velocette Venom and was also lucky recently to acquire a 1969 Norton Commando Fastback. Both of these weight over 120lbs less than my Honda VFR which I will now be selling.

[@NooBiker]

Hi Jim, I'm very tempted to get an older, more basic and lighter bike. But I'm a softie so I'd want ABS and EFI... 😂

[@NooBiker]

Also, those sound like quite a lovely collection of bikes

[@jimsadler8704]

The Velo really is basic and, being magneto ignition, doesn't even have a key. But it is so comfortable and will almost do 100mph if pushed. @@NooBiker

[@MrCareer707]

More toys on bikes are like more toys in cars, more stuff to go wrong and stop you from getting on the road, I'm a returning motorcyclist after having a break from riding (long story for the break) my 2 previous motorcycles were late 1990's GPZ 500's, no bells or whistles, my new bike is a 2000 plate Honda vfr800 Gen 5 electronic ignition, but other than that no bells or whistles, simple basic and easy to repair if broke.

[@NooBiker]

Modern bikes are also simple to repair: just replace the whole sealed unit component 😂 not cheap though...

[@CalmBiker]

Completely agree that there's way too much tech. If it was all optional then I see no problem. When it's mandatory and it makes the price so high, it prices people out of riding. One of my bikes has nothing in terms of electronic wizardry, one has ABS because it's the law now. I doubt that adding huge levels of electronics will make my fun increase in proportion to the price increase. If the idea of keyless is to stop damage from a keyring then I would suggest the cheaper solution I use on my Z1000. I don't have a keyring. The Kawasaki answer in 2016 when I bought the bike wasn't electronic. It was some sticky clear plastic to put where the keyring would touch the tank.

[@NooBiker]

Some people love keyless, like Andy GSA Tractor. I agree that so long as it's optional that's fine. But the rarest models on the road these days are the bog standard base ones - someone made the point during the livestream that buyers always want the fully specced and that base models don't sell 🤷‍♂️

[@vzmax]

Same here. I took off the key ring and put a piece of paracord instead.

[@roadstrom]

Couldn't agree more I don't even like abs lol . I grew up on old school bikes that's why I love my MT07 zero electronics no abs , my V-strom has abs I put up with it

[@NooBiker]

How do you cope with electric starters? 🤣🤣🤣

[@flatcapcaferacer]

Profit margin is certainly a factor and so is keeping up with the competition. How many bikes have been slagged off in high profile reviews because they don't have a quick shifter, cruise control, etc that the other competitors have? Same thing with horsepower, cornering Imus. My way of thinking has changed a bit, I used to be 100% aligned with your way of thinking. I also remember when we (my generation) thought disk brakes, electronic ignition, fuel injection. ABS, adjustable suspension, tubeless tires, heated hand grips and halogen lights were answers to questions nobody asked kinda like your reference to keyless ignition. Nowadays I'm a little less critical because many of those things I thought were money grabs by the manufacturers I think are great. Heated seats and hand grips, quick shifters, cruise control, slipper clutches, adjustable windscreens, etc while are not necessities they make riding more enjoyable. I will concede there needs to be cheaper models without many of these things in lineups other than Royal Enfield.

[@NooBiker]

Yes, great point Jerry. I definitely don't want to come across as a curmudgeon or luddite or always complaining about "kids these days" 😂 But I worry about the longevity of present day bikes. Will we be able to ride today's bikes in 20-30 years?

[@flatcapcaferacer]

@@NooBiker You don't come across like that at all. I think a poll of current riders I bet 95% would agree with you completely. I don't how bikes are accessorized on the showroom there but here they almost all have everything on them and if you don't want all the stuff you have to order it and wait three to six months which is disappointing. The salesman then says people only want to the bikes that are loaded but actually it is their only choice unless that want to wait. Great topic 👍👍

[@moonshinepz]

It's a double edged sword. when all the tech works it's great. When it goes wrong you are faced with something like the Borg ship. I'm so old that I spent most of my riding life without even ABS, let alone traction control. If the trip computer or a heated grip, or a tyre pessure monitor on my last BMW went wrong I'd be pretty sure it wouldn't take the rest of the bike out, but seeing all the gadgets and gizmos on later models I wouldn't be so confident. As a BMW rider I became very accustomed to the fact that you maintained them yourself and an anyone who could read a haynes could safely service it. or fix ALMOST anything that went wrong. Maybe it's a ploy to get you ino the dealers every week.

[@NooBiker]

Yes, that is a real worry. If any sensor goes outside parameter, are you left in "limp home" mode? If a bulb goes, you can't just change that, you have to swap out an LED sealed unit costing three figures. People are just going to shy away from owning bikes outside of warranty. Do you think today's bikes will still be ridden in 20 years, the same way we ride nineties and noughties bikes today?

[@moonshinepz]

@@NooBiker you are spot on.

[@jjnewman65]

Love this chat AV. The R18 is ridiculous unpractical but beautiful looking beast.

[@NooBiker]

Yes, great living room ornament 😉 but you'd need a massive living room

[@MRTPR]

Great points Mate. The SV 650 was voted very high by RevZilla as one of the best commuting bikes. They are an extremely basic bike and did so well against some very complicated bikes. The raw riding pleasure is what they loved. They are a cheap economical bike and loads of fun. 😎

[@NooBiker]

Yes indeed, buddy. These types of bikes are out there, but there are fewer and fewer and obviously they don't get all the attention and fanfarre of the motorcycle industry news outlets. Exeter Rider made a good point and corrected me during the livestream I hosted associated to this subject, when he pointed out that the Honda 500cc range is also addressing this market.

[@Frankie_7oaks]

Hey Noob, I love the talking points that you have raised. Personally, I’m ambivalent with regards to keyless ride, my bike has it, I didn’t ask for it, it can be a real pain when the fob battery decides to go to sleep. Every extra gizmo adds extra repair costs: the control wheel for example. Without it, you can’t access any of the menus (that includes the trip counter) Your comment about the ride mode: I think that I played with it a bit and set it on “Road” for the rest of it’s life. Funnily, I use the suspension adjustment virtually everytime that I’m out now, I prefer a harder suspension as I feel that it gives more control, sadly the UK motorways are so bad now that I find myself switching over to “Comfort” until I hit the twistys. I never realised how much I’d love the electrically adjustable screen, it’s always raised slightly for the motorway to keep the weather off and lowered when hitting the towns to increase the awareness. My question when I see the new hardware is. “Will it keep me safer or is it a distraction from riding?” It’s not always an easy answer. Keep the people talking… Top Vlog!!

[@NooBiker]

Thanks for for the great comment, buddy. Yes, the increasing cost of servicing, maintenance and fixing things is a major worry, especially with the emergence of planned obsolescence on so many components. In the livestream earlier today a few of us questioned whether current era bikes will be usable in 20 or so years in the same way we can still ride bikes from the 90s and noughties today.

[@BMCMOTOUK]

Completely agree about too much tech on modern vehicles. It dumbs down the skill of the rider in the driver, in my opinion

[@NooBiker]

Don't get me wrong, I like ABS and traction control, but I'd like the option to opt out of the more expensive stuff

[@BMCMOTOUK]

@@NooBiker agreed. ABS and TC are good safety features

[@NooBiker]

@@BMCMOTOUK yet when they came out I bet a load of grumpy old men like me saying they were just a ploy to take more money 😂😂😂

[@BMCMOTOUK]

@NooBiker lol probably 🤣

[@pokie6087]

The day I need to press a button when it starts raining because I can't trust my ability to simply back off the throttle, is the day I give up riding because I'm a liability on the road. The issue manufacturer's have is that bikes long ago, since the mid to late 90s, reached the pinnacle of development, and so to keep our interest, they're simply gadgetising them. It's important to keep us wanting the latest thing. It used to be engine, handling and braking performance, but now it's gadgets.

[@NooBiker]

I don't know if that's true, I can't recall any bikes from that era with 200+ horsepower... If I was riding one of those I'd probably want some electronic aids. Then again, why get all them ponies and the keep the reins pulled tight 🤔

[@HippoDrones]

I like most of the tech, but don't need most of it. I certainly wouldn't be put off a bike that had a key (I hate keyless), but also would def find it a huge selling point if a bike had cruise control. It would be nice if manufacturers made more basic bikes, but where do they draw the line? Is adjustable suspension needed on a road bike? Is a fuel gauge? or a rev counter? Time moves on, and tech advances. You can still get plenty of basic and mostly affordable motorcycles.... the A2 category is mostly very affordable and currently has minimul tech... although that is gradually changing, but the cost of a lot of the tech is so cheap now, it is better for manufacturers to fit it to all their bikes but disable it unless you pay for it than to have bikes with different levels of tech (KTM). Bikers are getting older, and as we get older, we can generally afford more luxury things, so the manufacturers will make the things we buy... although I often think it is a case of chicken and egg going on, do we buy it because it is there, or do they make it because we won't buy bikes without the toys? I loved my last Gixer, it had nothing but a couple of power modes that I never used other than full power, no ABS, no TC, no CC... and I didn't crash it the moment it rained, and my right wrist survived longer rides, so we don't need the toys at all, and I often turn those that I can off on the bikes replacement... my GSX-8S.... I do turn them back on when the roads get slimy though, and am gratfull for the TC and ABS when I do. A good discussion topic NooB.

[@NooBiker]

All very valid point, Pete. I wish you'd come on the livestream, would've been great on the discussion

[@HippoDrones]

Was working sadly mate@@NooBiker

[@NooBiker]

@@HippoDrones let's arrange or schedule one for when you're available

[@HippoDrones]

aye, that'd be fun 🙂@@NooBiker

[@duncanjowett5575]

Too right there is. BUT the tide is turning - we've definitely rumbled the manufacturers & what they've been doing to us in terms of increasingly useless performance, daft gizmos and even dafter prices.👍

[@NooBiker]

Let's hope so! 👍

[@hachewie]

The thing that rrustrated me most about my GTR was losing the KeyFob. Very expensive to replace and completely unnecessary.

[@NooBiker]

I had no idea that bike was key-less!!! 😮 How did you lose it? Would having an actual key have prevented the loss?

[@hachewie]

@@NooBiker I don’t know how I lost it. Left a motocross track. Halfway home got a warning that the rob was gone. Either fell out of my jacket pocket or I left it in the top box and it fell out.

[@NooBiker]

@@hachewie so a key in the barrel wouldn't have been an issue...

[@hachewie]

@@NooBiker Absolutely not.

[@TheRhythmicBiker]

I hate the R18, me and Red got to ride one in Peterborough a couple of years ago and we both found it really clumsy, definitely would compete against any of the Harleys in my opinion. The technology in bikes is getting out of hand, even the 125s are starting to get a fair bit of tech, I don't understand it, it just makes it all the more expensive to repair if something goes wrong or if you have an accident etc. Totally with you on the 2nd hand bike option, I don't think I'll ever own a brand new bike, I just don't like the way its heading personally. Great video mate, very well spoken. Hope you're doing well.

[@NooBiker]

Missed you guys for the livestream. Let's organise one around a theme that interests you

[@Grumpy-Goblin]

It's amazing I have a 2004 BMW r1200gs and I would be happy to go anywhere on it. It has heated grips and that's about it. My Bonneville has rain and road mode and it is in road and I never change it. My Son had an Africa Twin and there must have been 16 buttons or more on the left hand switch gear and there is no way I could even remember what they all do let alone operate them safely without looking. It is all too much and mostly completely pointless unless you want bragging rights.

[@NooBiker]

That AT will be good for the coffee shop Top Trumps, though 😂

[@ronnymorts]

Royal Enfield are a game changer. I'm not on 2 wheels yet. My plan was to get a cbt and a 125 to commute. Seeing the Enfields have made me book the theory test before my cbt. I'll go direct access. I can get a new RE for less than a used Yamaha xsr 125. It makes sense to get the Royal Enfield

[@NooBiker]

First of all, welcome to motorcycling and all the best wishes with your journey. Speaking from my personal experience of going through DAS around 2015-2017 in my mid-forties: I would hold off on the theory test and have that just before your MOD1 - your MOD1 certificate will have the same expiry date as your theory test, so makes sense to have that last as long as possible in the unlikely case you need to repeat MOD2. I also tried skipping riding around on a CBT license. For me, it backfired. I'd say that, unless you're already very familiar with motorcycle controls (e.g. if you come from dirt bikes and have done a lot of off road or track riding on private roads), it is very beneficial to learn the ropes of clutch control etc on a 125 for a few months (I re-did my CBT commuted to work on a CBT license for one year before trying DAS again) Finally, yes, the Royal Enfields are excellent entry level motorcycles that will allow you to have a lot of fun and have great adventures (although that is true of any motorcycle! Even a 125!) Which RE model are you looking at?

[@ronnymorts]

@NooBiker I like the scram but could be tempted by one of the 650s because I occasionally need to use the motorway and may be in need of a bit more pull for time to time. I'm not interested in going fast but would like to be comfortable if that makes sense

[@NooBiker]

The Scram is really fun, I had one as a courtesy bike while my Himalayan was being serviced (I have a video on that, if you're interested). It's great for city and commuting and country road fun, but I agree it wouldn't be in its happy place on a motorway. Then again, I don't think the Continental GT or Interceptor would be very happy on the motorway either (I have a video on the Continental GT also, wouldn't you know? Check it out!) ... not for very long anyway. I think the RE most likely to be comfortable on the motorway will be the new 452 Himalayan with its water cooled. I may be interested in upgrading to that at some stage, but probably not immediately as I'm very happy owning the Z1000SX and 411 Himalayan at present. Once again, best wishes for your motorcycling career. I have done a fair few videos on Bike Safe, Fire Bike and other training. Welcome to the channel 😉

[@ronnymorts]

@@NooBiker I'll check your other videos. Subbed. Good luck with the channel

[@ronnymorts]

@NooBiker I've completed my CBT. I remember our conversation.You are absolutely correct. I planned on going straight for DAS. Now, I plan on going for a 125 for up to a year to practice on the controls and positioning. Even if I was able to get through the mod 1 and 2 I don't think I'd be ready for a big bike

[@TR5T]

My first indication something was terribly wrong was some years ago a young testers complained there wasn't a "gear indicator" on the bike he was testing. Now it's cruise, quick shifter etc etc.Nancies keep wanting this stuff few of use will fully utilize. My new Street Triple 765 is a brilliant bike, I still use the clutch, still use road mode, wind it up and enjoy.

[@NooBiker]

Indeed! "We" keep asking for all these modern conveniences, apparently... Now, don't get me wrong... I like having ABS, EFI and even a gear indicator. But I'm a newbie n00b...

[@DAVJULART]

Well I still fondly recall the LED gear indicator on my dad's Suzuki GT380 as well as the pain of adjusting three contact breakers. Today I'm happy and able to afford the stuff that works remarkably well without the hassle of such regular maintenance. That said this particular Nancy boy can still remember how to strip the head of a. Honda CJ250T with my eyes closed🤣

[@nikkmorrison]

Another great video… thanks Noob!

[@NooBiker]

Thanks buddy

[@Saddlebags73]

I had my own rant about bike tech a year or so ago. Being an old school biker I learnt to ride before ABS and TC became the norm, and I’m still quite happy to ride bikes without them. EFI is nice but I don’t mind carbs. I think bikes are becoming over complicated and the technology will be the demise of many a motorbike, when they are scrapping an otherwise perfectly serviceable bike because it’s uneconomical to replace the ECU’s and sensors. BUT, I like heated gear and sat nav 🤣

[@NooBiker]

That's one of the things we discussed on the livestream. So many electric motors, so many sensors and sealed units. Will we be riding today's bikes in 20-30 years the same way we can still ride bikes from the nineties and noughties?

[@Saddlebags73]

I very much doubt it. I’ll give the livestream a watch when I can spare an hour 👍🏼

[@NooBiker]

@@Saddlebags73 if you're having trouble sleeping 😂😂😂

[@Saddlebags73]

🤣

[@DAVJULART]

The point simply put is that one size doesn't fit all. If you don't appreciate not having to fumble in your pockets for your key, don't buy keyless. If you want to spend hours setting up your suspension don't pay for one that's electronically adaptive. If you don't want a sedate riding mode don't pay for many. If you want a sore wrist after a long ride up the motorway don't buy cruise control....and so on. If you want arguably the best all round road bike money can buy then pay for a BMW1250RS. It's all down to choice and not all of us have biker mates interested in our willy size.

[@NooBiker]

First of all, loved your comment 👍 I really appreciate your participation. Forgive me the long response below. I do agree the BMW R1250RS is a great bike and I nearly got one instead of what I got, a Kawasaki Z1000SX --- *the* best all round road bike money can buy 😉 I can guarantee absolutely nobody is interested in my willy size, and not many people walk around with magnifying glasses anyway 🤣 There seems to be two camps in this conversation, which is great - variety is the spice of life. But I think the point that you are making is to "just choose what you want" ... which is fine, except that those choices don't always exist or are easy to make. Reading through the comments both here and also the feedback during the livestream I hosted: a) Some marques / models don't have the choice to get a bike with a key - it's keyless or go somewhere else. b) There's no choice to get some models without the myriad of rider modes which already come built in - to be fair, it's questionable whether this adds a lot to the price of the bike c) Many are reporting that if you want a base model, you may have to wait for months, because only the specced up variants are available in the shops In summary, I'd 100% agree with your sentiment on choice, no questions. The only issue is that choice is illusionary if you want a brand new bike with a certain amount of power and performance from certain manufacturers. Of course, we still have the choice of buying a different brand, or going for an older model. And from what I'm reading, many are making that choice. One final question, assuming that your awesome R1250RS has electronic active suspension: is it under warranty? Would you carry on owning it after the warranty expires and/or would you be worried about the cost of fixing it? For the record, I made a video about doing the suspension set up on my Z1000SX. I took it to a set up specialist. We uprated the spring on the rear shock. One time deal and all I have to do now is dial up the preload when my daughter rides pillion. My bike is way outside warranty.

[@DAVJULART]

@@NooBiker well I'm sure we can agree that magnifying glasses when needed present a burn hazard in bright sunlight. If people have to wait for a base model that doesn't seem much of a hardship. I traded in my R1200RS end 2018 for April 2019 delivery of the R1250RS only to be told that BMW had so many orders for the R1250GS that mine wouldn't arrive until the September. They offered to return my 1200 and give me CHF500 as an apology. I said that wouldn't even cover the depreciation over one season and as BMW were making demonstration models I was happy to stick with the contract as agreed. Bottom line is that I got a brand new 1200 as a loaner for the 2019 season. As to cost of ownership I have yet to weigh up choosing between repair or taking the hit of depreciation and replacing with new. Once the R1300RS comes out the answer will be a simple one. Personally I take the world as I find it and if I want a simple bike I'd buy the best available or, as I intend to, a classic old one I can repair myself. Just out of interest can you ride your bike at town legal speeds with ease at very low revs?

[@NooBiker]

@@DAVJULART definitely don't want burns down there! 😬 I tend not to buy vehicles from brand new. I'll let someone else take that depreciation hit. Which leaves me perhaps a bit more concerned with long term ownership and repair costs than someone that's regularly chucking a three year old bike in for a newer model, I suppose. I used to commute into London with its extensive 20mph zone and never really had a problem sticking to legal speeds on the Z1000SX. It has enough torque down low on the rev range. Having said that, the Himalayan is much more suitable for that kind of work and became my tool of choice.

[@EpicAdamMotovlogs]

I like abs, heated grips, fuel injection and retractable/extendable screens. Why cant manufacturers make automatic chain adjusters & fit scott oilers as standard? Im sure that will save hassle and its not the end of the world if it brakes. You will just have to adjust it yourself. Im going to patent this idea. I is genius 😮

[@NooBiker]

I hope you will still comment on us plebs' videos when you are a billionaire

[@EpicAdamMotovlogs]

@NooBiker I'll never forget you. You'll always have a special place in my heart Dave.

[@Loiczzr]

all I want is ABS, the heated grip I can (and did) added it later for $80.

[@NooBiker]

Comfort and safety are always welcome

[@johndiehardmclean23]

It's the tech gen we live in I'm affraid mate & recently I've been roped into a used model with pretty much all the tech, but thankfully it's first keeper paid for those options! 🤣✌️ Now you might have heard of this low tech bit of kit, a bike modification I seen on a random Brazilian KZbin channel yesterday & was an anti-kite string mount on the guys handlebars, as folk had been decapitated, by KITE STRINGS!!! 😮 Have you ever heard of this? 🤔

[@NooBiker]

😳😳😳 Never heard of that, but they're quite adept at "kite fighting" over there, cutting each other's kites strings by coating their own in glue and crushed glass, but I wouldn't think one could decapitate a biker!!! I could agree to that technology though 😂😂😂

[@johndiehardmclean23]

@@NooBiker Kites are possibly huge these days & with heavy duty wire rope as string, although not a field I know anything about! 🤣✌️

[@NooBiker]

@@johndiehardmclean23 I watched the video 👍 it was more about the glass coated string cutting the throat kit (like a serious scratch or nick) than outright decapitation 😅

[@johndiehardmclean23]

@@NooBiker As long as your not waving England flags up here, you'll be OK! 😉👍

[@NooBiker]

@@johndiehardmclean23 I wouldn't be caught dead doing that!

[@SloboloboVFR]

They should be an option if you want them but not statement of how good the bike is. If that makes sense. Ive never bought a bike with any tech and I wouldn't buy a bike because of the gadgets they would just be an extra.

[@NooBiker]

I totally get what you mean. In the livestream that followed it, a number of people made the point that bikes that don't have the tech don't sell as well, so manufacturers are stopping offering that option. It seems bikers as consumers are to blame, for demanding these features.

[@coleyounger5882]

It's not just motorcycles, its automobiles as well. Too much technology but not totally makes for lazy inattentive drivers which ends with Hwy's & Bi-Ways looking like a mass roadkill thrill ride.

[@NooBiker]

Yeah, I had the addition of distractions as a major downside when we discussed this further in the livestream 👍

[@Coddiwomple133]

some times the keep it simple policy is the best,

[@NooBiker]

I agree 👍

[@paulclarke1233]

Hi noo biker, you abserluty right as yòu said there are to meany setting to go to and use and you have to spend to much time to search through

[@NooBiker]

👍

[@richardjohnson3463]

100% yes

[@NooBiker]

Thanks for watching and commenting 👍

[@nothingtoseehere999]

Too much tech on cars and bikes people rely on it too much when it fails to work they then don't know what to do to get out of trouble. Been riding 42 years would never buy a new bike my Harley still has a carb easy to maintain and fix

[@NooBiker]

Thanks for the comment. Which Harley do ride?

[@nothingtoseehere999]

@@NooBiker I have 2000 sportster custom I bought bran new was always going to change it but then I decided I'll keep it... Looking forward to getting back on it 👍👍👍

[@NooBiker]

@@nothingtoseehere999 lovely. Have many miles and smiles in 2024 👌✌️✌️

[@paulclarke1233]

Hi noo biker , you are abserlutly right there are to meany settings to go through and speak to much time to search through and the priceis are to high

[@NooBiker]

Thank you, Paul. I'm just afraid that there aren't options to spec the bikes with simpler features and technology

[@MikeHarveyPhoto]

So why have so many that is so we can all try and find the mode that we like, I have a RTLE and also only use one mode and would say everyone only uses one mode 90% of the time so rather look at it as X amount of bike styles built into one bike.

[@NooBiker]

I think they have to offer something to make everyone happy and have users be able to handle all the power and torque of modern machines - even though 90% will never get to even 50% of a machine's ability. But where are the smaller, simpler, cheaper alternatives? I think they're due for a surge.

[@MikeHarveyPhoto]

Like probably 90% of GS never see anything dusty

[@NooBiker]

@@MikeHarveyPhoto god forbid it should get muddy...

[@kevindarkstar]

BMW are a premium manufacturer, oh yeah and that fact is reminded to you every time you pay out, from purchasing to servicing ect😂

[@NooBiker]

It's not just a bolt, sir... I't a BMW bolt! 😂🤣

[@kevindarkstar]

@@NooBiker exactly sir

[@TheNorfolkThunderbolt]

I voted with my wallet. Both my bikes are Royal Enfield. So were my previous two…..

[@aaron___6014]

But are they gone high speed cruisers? I have to travel at 70-80mph+ for hours for my trips so I went with an older BMW rt.

[@TheNorfolkThunderbolt]

@@aaron___6014 I did that in my younger days. Back then I didn’t need all the gadgets on my BMW.

[@NooBiker]

I love my Royal Enfield Himalayan. It's not great at motorway speeds, though.

[@NooBiker]

If you get a BMW from before the accountants took over running the company, you'll have a great bike!

[@DAVJULART]

@@NooBikerI have a 2019 BMW R1250RS and was thinking of getting a RE Interceptor as a simpler second bike. Instead I'm getting a 1979 BMW R80/7 this spring. Now I just need a low tech shed to store them in.

[@lilynorthover8378]

Yes 🤣

[@NooBiker]

The End

[@tonieveritt7045]

Yes to much technology in the 70 proper bikes no tech

[@NooBiker]

Which one's your favourite bike?

[@tonieveritt7045]

Kawasaki Z1000 Honda cbx 1000 with a 6 into 1 Yoshi that sound is allsome not another sound like it I have a few bikes but the Honda 1000 all day long

[@NooBiker]

At some point I'd love to own a bike from my birth year, 1972...

[@timmytackle9181]

Royal Enfield are just too old fashioned and let's be honest they are retirement bikes New technology is so boring Abs,traction control, anti wheeling AI distracts from the ride its harder and more fun to ride a 90s super bike And in the real world a 1200 detona is keeping up with everything

[@NooBiker]

I'm not sure the Royal Enfield bikes are retirement bikes. The Scram, Himalayan and Continental GT bikes, for example are a lot of fun and elsewhere in the comments someone new to biking is considering getting one. The new 452 Himalayan could be quite big for Royal Enfield and I will keep an eye on it as a potential replacement for my 411 Himalayan. I'm not sure what a 1200 Daytona (?) is. Is it a concept bike? I don't believe Triumph ever built one. As for ABS, I think it's good that bikes have it. Unfortunately a lot of riders never learn to use the brakes properly. ABS does reduce the number and severity of accidents. I suspect a Speed Tripe 1200 would be quite a handful to ride without traction control and anti-wheelie. But I think we should be given the option of the cheaper, simpler one.

[@chrisgibbs1615]

Does not matter how much you make bikes like computers the young snowflakes aren't taking the hobby up

[@NooBiker]

I don't know about that. I know quite a few younger riders getting started, getting their qualifications and advanced training. Some of them even on older more basic bikes.

[@MH-xd2nd]

The same luddites have been moaning about bikes with sprung suspension, more than one cylinder, more than 2 cylinders, overhead cams, electronic ignition, ABS, traction control, LED lighting etc etc. Cheap simple bikes that happen to be very good are easier to find than they ever were. Every mechanical transport device has been increasingly loaded with tech for the last 50 years. Just sounds like you’re trying to be “controversial” for the sake of views, including the click bait headline.

[@NooBiker]

Thanks for your comment. I'm certainly no luddite, I like ABS and EFI, heated gear and stuff that helps my comfort and safety. Which bikes would you list under "cheap, simple, very good" other than perhaps Royal Enfields and smaller capacity bikes from Honda and maybe Triumph?