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- May 1, 2021
- Messages
- 3,035
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This.
I also find some of the innovation a little off putting. ABS and TC/SC/WC are one thing.because they can be tuned to save us from mistakes while not simply doing everything for us, but the auto rear brake strikes me as something else. To some extent at least, I want to hone my skill, not have the bike do everything for me.
What ideal are we pursuing - an entirely automated, risk free riding experience? Do we want to be able to just jump on a bike and run near- pro lap times without any skill? Do we want auto transmissions with launch control and a suite of electronic rider aids so sophisticated that all we have to do is whack the throttle wide open, grab the brakes at 100%, throw the bike into a corner at max lean, and let the nannies sort every aspect for us?
Is this the evolutionary course we’re on? Get on the bike with no skill, twist the throttle and get max acceleration with controlled slip, grab the brake and get and max braking with controlled lock, throw the bike into a corner and get auto max lean angle while the bike backs itself into the corner for us?
Not intending to speak definitively - juat thinking out loud.
I’m having the same thought process about the electronic improvements, especially the rear braking thing. I’ve been working on using that rear brake well for a year now and finally feel like I’m decent at it, or at least good enough at using it that I understand how useful and fun it is to use.
So the rear braking system on the new bike fascinates me but also weirds me out a bit. I mean I spent a year developing a skill and now the bike does it for you???
I’m also concerned about what happens to all these electronics if you want to upgrade the spec of the Ohlins to a true track or race spec carts and rear shock that’s manual not digital adjust…we’ll see I guess. Also how finicky is the electronics system in general to seeming innocuous changes, like running a 125 versus 120 tire on the front, or removing the headlights/taillights etc.
An then there’s what I call the Kramer affect for me personally. I bought the KTM RC 8C which is a MUCH more analogue bike than even my 2020 model year 25 Anniversario 916 specifically to become a better rider, and it’s working. I was a full 7 seconds faster at Chuckwallah this last weekend than I ever was on my V4. With 100 less HP to play with. Precisely because the lower power more analogue bike is giving me ‘space’ to improve my skill.
I 100% believe riders will be a little faster in the new bike, and almost as important the new bike will beat you up less on long track days which actually makes things more fun over the long run. But you aren’t gunna grab gobs of time improvement unless YOU really refine your riding, and I’m not sure yet if the new bike and its rider aids allow the ‘space’ within it it to do so.
I’m gunna get one for sure, especially if it’s true or likely true that it’ll be 2 years for the R to come out and that may be a smaller displacement R.
But I suspect that I’ll keep riding the RC 8C 90% of the time at track, or at least until I’m in the low 1:50’s at Chuck (and that’ll be awhile
) and wip out the Ducati when I want to set a lap time using the skill I gain on the RC 8C.
