10 THINGS about MOTORCYCLING THAT WERE NOT AVAILABLE TEN YEARS AGO
Technology, advanced materials, and powerful computers may be found in plenty on today’s motorcycles. However, it wasn’t always like this.
Most contemporary bikes are technical marvels, with cutting-edge tools, safety features, performance-improving software, and ultra-light and sturdy materials. Motorcycles are always developing and changing, as evidenced by the fact that you can pick up a sportsbike from a dealer with components that were once reserved for the WorldSBK and BSB grid.
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We can easily lose sight of how we arrived at our current state of development when that rate of advancement is very rapid or potent. Here are eleven innovations in motorcycle technology during the past decade that were not available on road motorcycles and should help fill in the blanks.
Cornering ABS
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When cornering ABS first appeared in the middle of the 2000s, it immediately became a feature that every motorcycle manufacturer wanted to include. As of the year 2020, it has become standard equipment on even the most basic motorcycles.
Since the technology and hardware needed to make a cornering ABS system are growing smaller, lighter, and cheaper, we wouldn’t bet against some of the 125cc sector getting in on the action soon either.
TT-Zero/MotoE (massive-scale electric motorbike racing!)
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Because it was unveiled at the 2010 Isle of Man TT races, TT-Zero just about makes the cut. And now, unhappily, has little hope for the future because the producers have canceled the series. The organizers of the race are hoping to get a manufacturer’s sponsorship in order to increase the number of competing vehicles.
Even ignoring TT-Zero, the idea of battery-powered motorcycle racing as a backup championship to the MotoGP circus would have had you laughed out of the bar a decade ago. Despite its unsteady and fiery beginning, it has become a staple of the performance and is certain to remain so for years to come.
The Circuit of the Americas (COTA)
It’s crazy to imagine that Hermann Tilke didn’t even have an idea for one of the MotoGP’s top tracks 10 years ago! In just eight years, it has been transformed from a neglected tract in Travis County into one of the most luxurious event spaces in the region.
The 3.4-mile circuit, like many American concepts, was a mashup of ideas from throughout the world. One of the greatest parts is the fast, flowing stretch that goes from turn three to the tight turn nine, which was mostly modeled on Maggotts and Becketts at Silverstone.
Even though the United States began the decade with three riders to root for—Nicky Hayden (RIP), Ben Spies, and Colin Edwards—they haven’t exactly backed up the spectacle with their own racer to honor.
The leather used in airbags
Airbag suits have been in development for around 15 years, but it has taken far longer for them to reach retail shelves.
The technology behind airbags has advanced greatly since the original models were developed for use in races. They’ve been shrunk, feathered, and compacted. Companies are also releasing modular components that can be worn beneath standard motorcycle jackets and textile riding gear, so they are no longer the exclusive domain of sportsbike riders and trackday heroes.
Possibility of connecting through Bluetooth
If you wanted to pair your phone with anything ten years ago, the most likely candidate would have been the Bluetooth speaker in the kitchen. Apparently, the Yamaha R1M can have its suspension settings updated without using a C-spanner and a dog bone.
Adjustable sliding knob
A large collision and a trip to the hospital with blue lights flashing above you are likely outcomes of letting the back tyre of your sportsbike get out of shape in the previous decade. These days, a sportsbike isn’t a sportsbike unless it has slide control so the rider can show off their bravery and expertise to their other riders.
Putting down your elbow
While it’s true that riders like Marquez and his cronies have been known to ride with their elbows down for quite some time, this style of riding didn’t become common among the trackday crowd until relatively recently. These days, you can find a pair of elbow sliders next to a duct-taped CB500 at any trackday!
An Englishman who triumphed in the MotoGP
It took some time, and undoubtedly, some people had given up hope, but on a rainy afternoon at the 2016 Czech MotoGP in Brno, Cal repaid his supporters with a brilliant performance to win Britain’s first MotoGP race in 25 years.
But he wasn’t done there; he also became the first British driver to win the Australian Grand Prix at Philip Island. After the dust settled, Cal ended up in seventh position with 141 points.
Commonplace electric motorcycle producers
“Mainstream” is the crucial term there. Yes, you could get an electric motorbike during the previous decade, but they often resembled a cross between a university design project and a collection of bolt-on Amazon parts. Better and more reasonably priced bicycles didn’t become available until companies like Zero and Energica entered the market.
However, it now appears that the big bike manufacturers have caught on to the electric revolution, since some are marketing electric motorcycles and virtually all are working on something behind the scenes.
Rising powerhouse Kawasaki returns to the top of the World Superbike Championship
Kawasaki’s domination in WorldSBK during the past decade, especially in the second half of that period, is so complete that it’s difficult to recall a time when it wasn’t the dominant force. Kawasaki only had three victories between the years 2000 and 2009 (two of which were for one-off Japanese wild-card Akira Yanagawa at Sugo), and the company was always last in the constructors’ standings.
Kawasaki’s low point occurred in 2009, when it scored 76 points to Ducati’s 572. Since then, the company has abandoned MotoGP in favor of the Spanish Provec squad and increased investment in the ZX-10 Superbike.
Kawasaki steadily ascended the WorldSBK rankings, culminating in Tom Sykes’s 2013 victory, until the arrival of Jonathan Rea in 2015 sparked a run of six consecutive titles. Kawasaki won a total of 109 races in the WorldSBK series between 2010 and 2019…
