My highlight of the year? Powering out of the Losail grand prix circuit's final turn on Kawasaki's 200bhp ZX-10R in second gear, 90mph, rear tyre six inches sideways, spinning and smearing a black line of rubber on the track, made not only possible but relatively safe by Kawasaki's breathtaking traction control system. Doing it at night under floodlights sealed the deal...
There are all sorts of worthy reasons for welcoming the new era of electronic control systems on motorcycles, from improving efficiency and green credentials to enhancing safety. But none taps into the real reason most of us ride bikes like the latest generation of traction control. Just as effective and controllable is the system on Aprilia's RSV4 Factory APRC SE, while BMW's and Ducati's are fine examples, too.
Another innovation is Whole Vehicle Adjustability. BMW pioneered electronically adjustable suspension on bikes with its ESA system and we've seen different power engine map options before, but Ducati is the first to combine everything into a single package, which is not merely technically advanced, but also useable and useful in everyday riding. The Multistrada's four main modes, operated from a single button, change maximum power, power delivery, the traction control intervention parameters, suspension settings and soon the ABS, too. You can refine these with additional settings for various loads and even personalise them to suit your riding style and weight.
The biggest advance in bike safety since ABS is the self-levelling headlight. The 2011 BMW K1600 will have the option of a headlight beam that remains horizontal even when the bike is leaning in corners and, even better, it points into the corner as you turn. Naturally the light also compensates for how the bike is loaded. The light's dipped beam is a projector bulb which points at a mirror controlled by servo motors. These are operated by a computer which is fed information about the bike's speed and lean angle, and it directs the beam accordingly. Visibility at night is utterly transformed.
My choice as the worse aspect of 2010 is the supercar-style "launch control" system of the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC SE. The Aprilia is a contender for bike of the year, a match for both the ZX-10R and the BMW S1000RR with a large dose of extra character thrown in. That's probably why expectations of the bike's unique launch control system were so high: hold the throttle to the stop, dump the clutch and let the electronics do the rest... they do, but these are wet blanket, nannying electrons that think "launch" means pulling away sensibly at the speed of a Nissan Micra.
