BMW has developed a self-riding motorcycle to help with future safety features. It got to the point in the development that the engineers claimed "it could drive or ride by itself" and someone bet that wasn't possible well they showed the skeptic that it could. The safety features that many motorcycles currently have from these kinds of developments are amazing. I have a 1200cc V-Twin "Adventure" motorcycle that has ABS braking, traction control, wheelie control, lean angle ABS braking, integrated front and rear braking, and four different modes for traction, power and braking for wet, dry or not input at all for riding on or off-road. The latest version of my bike even has sensing or adaptive cruise control. Also electronic adjustable suspension with different modes for sport, street, comfort, etc., and LED cornering lights that turn on as you lean into a corner. The new Harley Pan America adventure motorcycle even has adjustable height suspension for different size riders and on or off-road.

IMO this is cool tech,

I spent a week riding around the Keys and southern FL on one of those 1200 BMW bikes. I found all the nanny stuff amusing. It's not bad enough we're dumbing down cars so even more unqualified people can drive, let's do it on bikes too.

there is a reason I drive a 51 Plymouth and that reason applies to bikes as well.

I prefer to be the smartest thing in the car or on the bike.

Too many times I have had "smart" features counter my inputs to the detriment of the situation.

Absolutely NO reason for any of that crap, might as well kill the motorcycle industry right now! So you mean I can get shiiit faced drunk and call my motorcycle to come pick me up? Uberlyftcycle in your future?

People see these features and proceed to hurt themselves or worse by being a passenger and not the operator.. Then blame the manufacturer.
I watched a video where the poster said his inexperienced careless friend got hurt on a 1986 Yamaha V Max. The injured riders excuse was that the 86 Yamaha did not have anti lock brakes. Not that antilock brakes are that great on a bike- but people assume these nanny features take the place of an alert competent rider/operator.

I agree the tech is cool. I would really feel freaked out riding a bike and not being in control. It is counter intuitive for me but I think the tech is cool.

With all tech there comes new dangers from those not intelligent enough to use it properly. When houses had Gas lighting in homes there came the danger of gas fires and suffocation from CO2. Electricity helped get rid of problems but brought about electrocution risks.
Plastics created convenience but also trash that won't biodegrade.
Cell phones apps like facebook can cause depression and loss of social skills because of limited face to face social interaction. Social interaction is integral to being a mentally healthy person.
The list is enormous.

All tech helps with and causes problems. When people stop being responsible drivers/riders because the tech allows them too it can be a problem.

In the end the question will be are more lives saved than lost? I think it will save lives but I would be freaked using one at first.

GREAT RESPONSE Thank you!

Mike

the only thing i can think of, is why bother buying a bike if all you do is sit on it ?
kind of defeats the purpose of owning one, in my opinion.
yes, i'm old and kind of set in my ways.

Exactly. I ride a motorcycle for the individuality being in the wind, nothing freer feeling than that! I accept the risks and challenges, don't need nanny watching out for me...

You can still buy LOTS of bikes WITHOUT any of those "nanny" features, and on the nanny feature bikes you can turn off or defeat 95% of those functions. You guys ride for recreation and the "feeling", there are some riders even the most experienced that ride bikes for transportation or for long ride adventure and rely on features like ABS, traction control, condition adjustment and even down to the most simply of nanny control a self-canceling turn signal. Ever forget to cancel your turn signal and find out how unsafe that is when nanny turns across in front of you because she thought you signaled you where turning too? I have just a little motorcycle riding experience and not riding for very long but I appreciate all of the built in functions that helps ME to control and do things better than my experience allows me too. The rider still is in control and still has to perform but I like having ABS braking when nanny pulls out in front of me like I'm not even there or to have traction control when that old Plymouth puts down a patch of crankcase oil at the traffic light or when nanny's dog runs out in front of me or someone doesn't look both ways and steps of the curb......and on and on and on. If your kid wanted to buy a motorcycle and they had a choice of a raw hyper bike without ANY nanny controls or one with, which one would you hope they buy? Tough to pass on in an instance all of your decades of riding experience to them and explain about "don't forget to cancel your turn signal or watch out for slick spots on the road or "I had a deer jump out in front of me while I was relaxed and feeling the wind so always be careful and don't drop your guard because me and nanny won't be there for you", You can still turn that nanny stuff off but why? That stuff has nothing to do with having fun riding a motorcycle and doing it with a little more safety. That self-riding bike is NOT a riderless bike of the future it was developed to study rider input and motorcycle reaction to those imputs, and to put those functions into computerized form instead of a rider trying to explain what happens when he turns the bars slightly to the right and the motorcycle goes left for some strange reason........................you guys with lots of motorcycle riding experience ever try to explain that to someone that doesn't ride?

Mike

All valid points, and my 91 Harley has the self-cancelling turn signals and I appreciate them. Never understood why semi's and other large trucks don't have them, too many rookies and "professional" drivers out there that leave them on for miles. The issue is that this tech leads to more cost for people who simply don't want these features, each bike goes up in price whether they have these features or not! One reason I haven't bought a new bike in decades, the cost is just stupid nowadays. When I was at Daytona Bike Week last week my buds went to ride the new Indians, I had no desire to ride them as I would never buy one, unlike the old days when I would go out of my way to take a test ride...

The self-riding MC made no sense to me immediately. I've never owned a bike but my first thought was bike riders don't own them strictly for transportation, but also for the joy of riding. So what demographic is this going to appeal to? If it were for transportation only there are plenty of little crap cars like smart cars that are basically a MC with a couple panels offering weather protection and don't require learning to ride, a special driver's license, and at some strength and agility

Lots and lots of people use a motorcycle for daily transportation and would think living in Florida you would know some that do. And in all parts of the world there are millions that rely on two wheels for transportation. The latest, well not the latest but for the last two or three or more decades dual purpose or "adventure" motorcycles have become the more popular type of bike, sort of the "SUV" of motorcycles. It's a bike you can literally ride around the world and have help several riders actually accomplish that goal. I have a bike now that you could do that on and it has most all of those features that I talked about from ABS, lean angle ABS, Traction Control, Wheelie Control, Performance, Comfort, and Condition control for rain, wet etc., Also heated grips and heated driver and passenger seats, self canceling turn signals, and you can delete, defeat or remove all of those features. Even Harley Davidson makes an Adventure motorcycle now the Pan America with ALL of those features and a few more "nanny" features and now finally there's a Harley that you can cruise with, feel the wind, enjoy a great day of riding and then if you want to take a trip AROUND THE WORLD and ride on just about any kind of a road, trail or nothing but earth to get you to some place else. My 1200cc V-Twin with and without "nanny" features depending on how I feel that day. And the Harley Davidson Pan America with "nanny" features too

We used to call those types of bikes "garbage wagons" but I am of the minimalist school. I don't want those things on my bike. Heck, I got pissed when I bought my first bike that had the headlight switch function permanently set to on, I fixed that right quick. I remember when got my first EFI bike, no kick start, no center stand. I was like "No kick start?" The sales guy was like "What's a kick start". WTH! Yeah, I'm old, get off my lawn.

Sniper those bikes are still available and some still with kick starters. I have over 23 motorcycles with 20 of them with kick starters and one with a kick starter and electric start.....I use the electric starter because I'm old and have kick started enough motorcycles to keep me happy. I was sad when they stopped putting hand cranks on cars for engine starting but got over it, but it took a while.

I do know some that use it as transportation BUT they also enjoy the riding experience. That's the big difference.

I guess I should say I was buying a new bike, not a used one.

Not sure they sell new bikes with a kickstart, yeah I could push start it if the starter fails, but I am not wanting a kickstart because I am worried about the starter failing.