Bringing bikes into the 21st century.

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FanofGT5
Hello folks, don't you think it's about time bike companies brought their bikes into the 21st century.With direct injection, fuel injection ( on big percentage of bikes i know but not all ) automatic choke, electronic suspension ( already on Duke Multistrada ) etc.No doubt Honda would try DI, as they were the first to make a V-Tech bike engine.

S&S.
 
Well they already put VTEC in the VFR800, ABS is more popular, and almost all dirtbikes have FI.
 
Current version of the FJR that I ride is fuel injected, has electronic suspension adjustment, fly-by-wire throttle, cruise control, two performance modes, ABS, and traction control. All of that, and it's about the same price as it's been for years.

Is that 21st century enough for you?

The problem with all that stuff you're asking for is that it costs. Yeah, cars have it, but for the most part they wouldn't if it wasn't needed in order to meet emissions limits. Bikes can meet those limits more easily, primarily by being smaller engines. Thus you see the "cool" stuff on bikes upwards of 15,000 dollars, because the big-engine bikes need FI and such for emissions. Once you've got FI, the rest is actually pretty easy, just a matter of sensors and programming.

Thing is, nobody wants a 15- or 20-thousand dollar dirt bike, do they? Or a 500cc twin that costs that much. So those bikes get carbs and basic electrics. Or they die on the showroom floor. Why would anyone give a significant fraction of a house in order to buy a motorcycle?
 
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It's all about the money. The expensive bikes have what you're talking about. But the bikes more people ride, in the 5-9 thousand range I'd say, are about value! These are the guys that normally are commuting on 2 wheels, and want low maintenence bikes that are cheap to run, cheap to buy, while still being reliable.
 
Personally I don't care about all that. As long as it fires up, is rideable and has a light, I'm happy.
 
Simple things like a gas gauge on every bike currently on the market would be a good start.
 

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