Motorcycles keep getting smarter, and it’s not just what manufacturers build in anymore. Riders can bolt on their own tech too, and Tim’s been putting plenty of it through its paces on test bikes and his own machine.
Phone mounts land firmly in the essential camp. Quad Lock and similar systems fit most bikes these days, and once you’ve got used to having navigation or camera controls on the bars, riding without one feels like a step backward. Works just as well on a modern loaded up bike as it does on something simpler like a Bonneville.
Riding modes get a more mixed verdict. Most riders pick one setting and stick with it all day, so the constant switching between rain, sport and track modes doesn’t get used much in practice. But there’s real value when conditions change fast, like getting caught in a downpour on a 200 horsepower Street Fighter V4, where dialling back power and adding ABS with one button press actually matters. Verdict: nice to have rather than must have.
Dash cams round things out. Handy for capturing footage front and rear, and easy to miss once you’re used to having one fitted. Not essential, but useful enough to want back.
My two cents…
Once Quad Lock ruins you, riding bare bars feels like flip phone energy. Riding modes: fancy, rarely touched, clutch in a sudden downpour. Dash cams: quietly indispensable, like floss.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBv3TfbjCj8
