Bike India

Best Bikes in India | No.1 Two Wheeler Magazine

  • Home
  • News
    • Upcoming Launches
    • Latest News
    • New Bike Launches
  • Reviews
    • First Ride
    • Road Test
    • Comparison
  • Features
  • Our Bikes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • NG Auto
    • AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA
    • CAR INDIA
    • COMMERCIAL VEHICLE
  • Brands

Electrifying: Electronics and Motorcycles

August 24, 2015 by Ravi Chandnani Leave a Comment

WEB_Ducati Panigale SModern day motorcycles rely heavily on electronics for delivering earth-shattering performance. However, it wasn’t always like this

In the early days of motorcycling, there were hardly any kind of electronics. The bikes were as mechanical as they could be. A simple internal combustion engine powered the rear wheel. A simple gearbox with very few cogs supplied the power and torque to the rear wheel via a belt or chain. Seems like a simple thing and it indeed was. With time technology progressed. Motorcycles were now fitted with electronics to power the headlamp, tail lamp, indictors and the horn.

This was a long time ago. Today motorcycles have become so sophisticated that there are engineers who are hired by companies specifically to develop electronics that make the motorcycle safer and faster. Take a look at MotoGP, there was a time when powerful two-stroke motorcycle dominated the MotoGP races. These bikes were basic machines with outstanding amount of power. In those days riders were considered gods because they were brave and overly courageous men who were able to tame those crazy machines with nothing but their skill.

Today, things have changed drastically. Modern day electronic aids made their debut on racing motorcycles and slowly the manufacturers filtered down those advanced electronics to their road going bikes. Today bikes have become so sophisticated in terms of electronics that you require a laptop in your tool kit if you wish to change something on it.

This sophistication has also made motorcycles safer and faster. For example, the traction control and wheelie control, which are race-bred technologies that heavily depend on electronics, are available in bikes like the Aprilia RSV4 and the Ducati Panigale. These motorcycles produce more than 200 PS, making them very difficult to control if there are no electronics. However, the little electronic kit helps riders tame the bike. Even novice riders can ride these mighty powerful machines without any special training.

Tech companies like Bosch have developed motorcycle stability control, which again uses electronics to make an average rider go faster while staying safe. But riding, or rather taming a motorcycle without electronic aids, has its own charm. Of course riding powerful motorcycles with an array of electronic aids also requires some skill but it takes more than skill to handle a motorcycle that doesn’t have any electronic aids.

I have had the opportunity to ride such a motorcycle, although it was a small capacity one, I enjoyed every bit of it. The thrill and the adrenalin rush are simply unbelievable and I would ride those motorcycles at the drop of a hat. But with motorcycles becoming more powerful and difficult to handle I appreciate that manufacturers equip their products with electronic aids that help save lives while retaining the thrill of speed. Nevertheless, I prefer riding motorcycles where my talent and skill are put to test every time saddle up. I believe that everyone should, at least once in their life, give it a go and experience the thrill of staring danger in the face. Anyway, stay safe, ride hard, ride safe.

I am fascinated by every aspect of a motorcycle, regardless of their genre. I am insanely crazy about motorcycles!

Correspondent
Bike India Magazine
Automotive Division
Next Gen Publishing Limited

Ravi Chandnani – who has written 116 posts on Bike India.


Email • Twitter

Related posts:

Massive New Harley-Davidson Screamin' Eagle 135 Crate Engines
Idle Chatter: Team Up Folks!
Idle Chatter: The Bikes Are Here, Now the Roads Should Follow

Filed Under: Blogs, High Revvin’ Tagged With: bike india, Bosch, ducati, Electrifying, Electronics, High Revvin', motogp, racing, safety

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

AlphaOmega Captcha Classica  –  Enter Security Code
 ⟲    ➴
 


MARCH 2023

Bike India - India's no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

17TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

Bike India - India's no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

Anniversary Ride to the Isle of Man with Freddie Spencer and Sid Lal

TVS Ntorq Ncounters I – Navigating the Night

BMW G 310 GS Explores Nagaland

SPECIAL Featured Story

Yamaha MT-10 SP – Ready for Road, Track, and Touring

Yamaha MT-10 SP – Ready for Road, Track, and Touring

In recent years, however, the MT-10 has begun to show its age, especially in terms of technology and rider aids. It was always on the thirsty side, too, and, by modern standards, the brakes were lacking. It was time for an update, which is why for 2022 Yamaha introduced a new MT-10 earlier this year.

More about this.

Car India and Bike India Awards 2019

Recent Posts

  • BMW R 18 Transcontinental Launched
  • Bike India Awards 2023
  • Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 and NS 200 Update Review — Enhanced Agility
  • California Superbike School – Taming the Track

Car India

Car India Magazine - Get your Digital Subscription

Latest News

BMW R 18 Transcontinental Launched

Bike India Awards 2023

Royal Enfield 650 Twins Get Cast Alloy Wheels and Other Updates

Bajaj Pulsar NS200 And NS160 Gets USD Forks

Subscribe to Car India

Subscribe to our Car India Magazine

Bike India: India’s no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

BIKE India covers the two-wheeler industry in its entirety, both from the local and the international perspective. Also delivers the most definitive verdict on machinery and performance by explaining the hows, whys, and whats on every new bike in a lucid and user-friendly manner. BIKE India is the India’s most authoritative two-wheeler publication, a magazine for people with a passion for bikes and everything to do with their history and heritage.
SiteMap

Copyright © 2023 · BIKE INDIA INDIA’S NO. 1 TWO WHEELER MAGAZINE, BY FAR! ·