One thing’s for sure, in contrast to the car industry, the bike world has only just started when it comes to electronic control systems. In the past couple of years we’ve gone from almost nothing to having race-level traction control, quick-shift gearchanging, wheelie and stoppie control, brake-by-wire and track-usable ABS, launch control and electronic suspension adjustment.
The easy prediction then is that we’re going to get plenty more, happy in the knowledge that what’s now high end trickery will start trickling down to more affordable machines. Jolly good that is, too, because where cars’ electronics often detract from the driving experience, on bikes so far it’s done little but open up whole new and thrilling worlds.
However, despite the electronic safety nets we still need a system that lets you brake deep into corners as you’re leaning without the front tyre sliding away. That’s a hope rather than prediction, at best it’s still several years away – that’s if they can manage it at all.
The fear is that designers caught up in this exciting new world of electronic thrills will take their collective eye off the obvious. They’ve been guilty of this before and it could well intensify – it’s why we have bikes on which you can paint lurid black lines on the track while firing out of corners at World Superbike speeds, but which demand you remove the seat and find a screwdriver before fiddling infuriated in the depths of the fairing for 15 minutes or more simply to readjust the headlight angle, because you’re about to carry a passenger.
But please, don’t give us perfection yet – character and quirks are far too much fun.
