Off Topic » Motorcycle technology - How much is too much?

KTM's 2024 Super Duke 1390 "R EVO" production bike incorporates a "hole shot" device, popularized in MotoGP. This follows the trend toward race-derived enhancements, like winglets, on production street bikes.

The question is...how much is "too much"? Winglets on a street bike seem silly, as they work best at high speed. Owning a street bike with winglets seems as affected as wearing a Valentino Rossi set of leathers. Impressive? Or silly?

And a "holeshot device"? Where is the utility on a street bike with such a device?

Technology - too much? It's a question I'm asking myself.

Use of a hole shot feature on the street might result in you getting T-boned by late crossing traffic at a stop light.

Zitat von BEARR im Beitrag #1

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KTM's 2024 Super Duke 1390 "R EVO" production bike incorporates a "hole shot" device, popularized in MotoGP. This follows the trend toward race-derived enhancements, like winglets, on production street bikes.

The question is...how much is "too much"? Winglets on a street bike seem silly, as they work best at high speed. Owning a street bike with winglets seems as affected as wearing a Valentino Rossi set of leathers. Impressive? Or silly?

And a "holeshot device"? Where is the utility on a street bike with such a device?

Technology - too much? It's a question I'm asking myself.

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Very expensive cars and motorcycles, especially KTM models, still seem to be selling well in the Silicon Valley area of the SF Bay Area. There are a couple of guys that I see parked across from Alice's that seem to buy a new KTM 1200 (or whatever is their latest hot model) with all of the bells and whistles every year. They must get hit with resale value loss when they trade in last year's bikes. What I haven't seen during the past year are much in the way of new BMW models, perhaps their owners are out riding and not parked having breakfast.

I believe these new bikes ARE for the street. This trend toward more technology is clearly a marketing tool. There are only so many ways you can make a vehicle with two wheels and a frame. To differentiate themselves, manufacturers are luring buyers with "shiny new things". The BMW S1000RR a few years ago began being produced with "launch control" - this is a street bike for the majority of buyers. Who "really" needs launch control on the street? A "squid" maybe?

Now we have "holeshot" devices, aerodynamic devices, and a bevy of so-called "nanny" electronics that less diligent riders depend upon to save their hides if they exceed prudence on the road. The only control device that really matters is the organ within one's skull, but greater reliance on AI is potentially degrading that organ's capabilities.

On a more practical level, the increase in "useful" technology is elevating motorcycle pricing into the stratosphere. Twenty thousand dollar bikes are becoming the norm. Yet with that increase in price comes increasing complexity, which leads to more expensive repairs when things go wrong inside the bike's "brain".

In the end, I think we lose some of motorycling's charm as our bikes become more technological. I admit to loving the TFT and automatic suspension on my RS...that's good technology. But I won't be needing launch control, aero devices or holeshot devices, thanks very much.

EDIT: It occurs to me that the presence of all the above technology on street bikes could be for "homologation" purposes, in which case it makes more sense, and exposes me as an aging Luddite. Just a thought.

I sold my very basic 19 hp, 2011 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 to a friend who also owns a BMW and he loves riding the RE. He likes the feel of the thumper and its lack of any aids that get in the way of his riding enjoyment, even if it won't cruise any faster than 70 mph, with 55 being its happy speed.

At least compared to cars, the newer technology that's been applied to bikes is much more about solving real world problems as compared to cars. EFI, lean sensitive ABS and traction control, electronic suspension and a few others really do make bikes safer and more usable. Admittedly, this hole shot thing on the KTM might have gone over the edge.

With cars, a ton of new tech is about eaking out the last bit of fuel mileage, emissions and safety because the regulations tell the manufacturers they have to. I suppose these are real world problems also, but they're much more macro compared to the micro level problems on bikes.

As the last sentence in my post said, I may be a Luddite. However, if I understand correctly, in order to utilize new technology in certain racing classes like superbike, supersport, superstock, etc., the technology must be "homologated". In the case of BMW's race bikes, new technology appeared on the HP4 around 2014, and in order to use that tech on race bikes, BMW had to show they'd sold 5,000 street bikes incorporating that technology. By doing so the technology became a "stock" item and could then be used in racing on "production" bikes.

I could be wrong about this, but that's my memory (as a former 2014 HP4 owner). So perhaps holeshot devices, aero and winglets are on street bikes because they HAVE to be, in order to be used on the track in "production"-class bikes (as opposed to "bespoke" bikes found in MotoGP).

Still, street bikes with winglets just seems weird. Like those cars teens loved in the '80's that had underpowered engines, yet had huge airfoils mounted on the trunk, as if these cars could do 200 mph in a school zone...

Zitat von wessie im Beitrag #10

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but I still maintain, most of those bikes will be track toys,

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Zitat von wessie im Beitrag #3

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Road use of these bikes costing £20k+ is being curbed by insurance underwriters refusing to offer a policy in some parts of the UK. Same is applying to cars and SUVs. Repair costs and the rate of theft especially in or near London is making owning a R1300GS or Range Rover almost impossible.

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Zitat von Lee im Beitrag #11

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Zitat von wessie im Beitrag #10

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but I still maintain, most of those bikes will be track toys,

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The guys we know who do a lot of track days don't use their expensive bikes on the track.

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Once you have the hardware on board (imu, wheel speed sensors, adjustable suspension, etc) adding things like "holeshot" is just a few more lines of code. Yes, it is marketing, but it is pure margin for the manufacturer, so why not?