Quote:
Originally Posted by Misti
What about technological advances since you first started riding? What kinds of tech do you find important to utilize now?
|
I'm a bit torn on technology items. I'm a total geek and love technology that improves our lives. As long as the programming is done well, a computer should be able to outperform a person almost every single time. Good EFI can deliver much more precise fueling than a carburetor. Good ABS can monitor the wheel speed and adjust braking force (and even engine power) in a fraction of a second. They ban electronic aids in a lot of racing because it eliminates the variable of driver skill (which is largely the point of racing contests). Ideally, I'd love to see all the latest technology available on any bike I'm shopping for.
However, I grew up out in the country and learned on old, simple vehicles. Even the newest EX500, like the EX250, is largely unchanged from the very first model in the mid-80's (and it wasn't exactly a pinnacle of technology then). I think you learn your machine better when you don't have technology helping you. You get a feel for the subtleties and learn how to finesse it into doing what you want. We had a low spot in a field that would fill with water then freeze in the winter, giving me a nice little arena to practice limited traction on the quad. My first winter with my license, I frequently drove my dad's extcab, longbox, RWD F150. During that winter, I got my first car, a RWD Cutlass with a 350 and bald tires. I spent a lot of time with the backend kicked out (mostly on purpose), but I was completely comfortable due to all the time I spent playing with the quad on the ice.
My fear with excessive tech is that you're isolated from all those minute details, so you never learn how to best handle them. With ABS and traction control, I never would've learned about breaking the backend loose by locking the brakes or punching the gas. It would no longer simply be habit to steer out of the backend sliding around. I feel I would've been less prepared the first time I did happen to lose traction. If you're completely reliant on the tech, you're screwed if you ride a bike without that feature or get into some situation that exceeds the system's capabilities.
But new riders are the ones who benefit the most from those safety features. If a n00b can just focus on applying maximum braking force without having to worry about locking up a wheel, they'll probably stop more quickly and maintain maneuverability, usually leading to a better outcome.
I think my ideal process would be for a rider to learn in a safe, off-street environment on a basic bike, to learn those subtleties. Practice locking up your brakes and losing traction in a field rather than on Main Street on your way home from work. After that, begin street riding on a bike with all the safety features to give them as much advantage as possible in avoiding damage/injury. I realize many people probably don't have the means to get a separate bike/area for learning those things beforehand, so perhaps start on a bike with lots of safety tech to learn the basics of riding, then switch to a bike without all that extra stuff to pick up the finer details. This method will require some unlearning and relearning of habits, but already knowing the fundamentals of riding may make it easier to pick up on those little things too.
Not really tech, but still hardware... A lot of the budget/starter bikes seem to have weak and/or mismatched spring rates. Look into what your bike has. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars on upgrading to a triple-clicker and cartridge forks, but if the spring rates are completely out of line for your weight, the bike will behave weirdly. If you can spend a little bit to get springs that are at least close to your weight, the bike will be much more predictable and stable. It's hard to get used to the bike when it's completely collapsing the suspension or skipping over bumps (or maybe each end is doing one). I see it like tire pressure - sure, advanced riders can tweak it up or down tiny amounts for squeaking out a slightly faster lap; but if it's way off, it will cause lots of problems and everyone at every level should make sure it's in the correct range.