Bike technology - yay or nay??

[kdeleon]

i don't despise technology but seems like i do if look in my choices of what i put in my garage (e30 bmw, 80-series LC, Jeep Wrangler), the T700 fits perfect in the mix.  Pretty sure ABS is most likely just regulation driven, but all my bikes didn't need all that (traction control and ABS), had to learn threshold braking, and to spin the rear enough before it highsides you to the moon (sportbikes).   I won't not buy a bike just because it has lots of tech, as long as i can turn them off and all that -- but i'm pretty sure i'll play with them.   

[Hibobb]

[YukonPete]

Without all this new tech on virtually all new adv bikes what would all the bloggers talk about?? We have them to consider when making our purchases! I assume we are only months away from hearing about "AI" traction control and rider modes! Sony just announced a new camera with AI autofocus. We in the West are doomed.

[winddown]

4 hours ago, Wintersdark said:

This makes me objectively angry.  Particularly how many people come out "Oh, but it lets you save money if you don't want those features" which is frankly stupid.

 

There comes a time when you just have to say NO to modern technology and stay at a fixed point.  I did this with mobile phones at the point where they made all the batteries hardwired.  There was no need to upgrade, the new phones were not much better.  And I had the ability to easily swap batteries.  I don't carry a charge pack on trips, just spare batteries.   I did the same with my cars, my 4x4 is 2008 and after about 2012 they were too electronic to be trustworthy, as well as the obvious drop in the quality of finish.  2008 V6 Suzuki vitara, now the vitara's don't even have true 4 wheel drive, just that AWD crap.

 

In today's world the average "consumer" regards newer as better but the truth is that all tech reaches a point on the curve where very little is gained in real terms by more R&D.  This is especially true with computers and the operating systems of them.  Who doesn't regard win7 as better than the later versions.  The later ones are more about spying on the operator than giving more features.   And Elon Mucks rockets?  They can land on a pad, big friggin deal, they are still monstrously expensive and still limited by all the power to weight factors that the first German V2 rockets had.  I find it hard to get excited about any new technology now, we seem to have reached innovation exhaustion across the whole spectrum.

[Hibobb]

1 hour ago, winddown said:

innovation exhaustion

Nice tirade!!! 

[Hibobb]

13 minutes ago, Hogan said:

It's called 'getting old'

On good days, the wife calls me a "Silver Fox".

[mpatch]

The only thing I REALLY wish the T7 had is cruise control.

I'm indifferent about ride modes, traction control, lean angle sensors and all that jazz. 

[Ray Ride4life]

8 hours ago, mpatch said:

The only thing I REALLY wish the T7 had is cruise control.

I'm indifferent about ride modes, traction control, lean angle sensors and all that jazz. 

Yes but no.
Mostly i take the Crosstourer for long boring roads but sometimes it's just needed to get somewhere i need to be or like now when i have the CT apart for maintenance and then i wished i had cruise control but whatever it needs to make that happen is missing on the T7 and that is one of the things i really like about the T7.

[AZJW]

13 hours ago, mpatch said:

The only thing I REALLY wish the T7 had is cruise control.

I'm indifferent about ride modes, traction control, lean angle sensors and all that jazz. 

I agree. The only creature comfort I miss on the T7 is an oem cruise control.  Since it's my only street bike, when riding hundreds of miles to go motocamping, it's is a grind anyway, but without a cruise control, it's makes it just that much less enjoyable.  Not that I won't go on a trip due to the lack of it, just would be nice to have as opposed to the multiple throttle locks I've tried.

[Hollybrook]

Never having had cruise control on any bikes, my throttle lock seems pretty nice to me! 

[Simmons1]

1 hour ago, AZJW said:

I agree. The only creature comfort I miss on the T7 is an oem cruise control.  Since it's my only street bike, when riding hundreds of miles to go motocamping, it's is a grind anyway, but without a cruise control, it's makes it just that much less enjoyable.  Not that I won't go on a trip due to the lack of it, just would be nice to have as opposed to the multiple throttle locks I've tried.

 

This will fix you right up.

 

https://www.mccruise.com/products/cruise-control-for-yamaha-xtz690-tenere-700

[random1781]

As far as electronics go, there's almost as much tech on the T7 as there is on a KTM. I think the only thing missing is a sensor on the shifter, but otherwise they have all the same components, from O2 sensors to lean angle.

 

I think what people wind up hating is the implementation of all these features, which is generally piss-poor. I'd argue that most of the stuff that gets a bad rep is all software-based: poor UI, opaque meaning (i.e. manufacturers not explicitly saying this ride mode does XYZ), and probably most importantly, what everything defaults to, whether that's in the course of daily operation (ABS!), or in the event of a failure like @SpankyPineapplementioned.

 

If you don't like this stuff, don't use it. Set it and forget it. That's the way it should be, but the problem is when the system gets in the way and forces you to keep doing something over and over (again, ABS) or simply stops working because of error handling (sidestand switch failure for example).

[winddown]

16 hours ago, Hollybrook said:

Never having had cruise control on any bikes, my throttle lock seems pretty nice to me! 

 

Back in the day I rode from one side of Australia to the other without anything and it didn't seem an issue.  Mind you as a smoker I'd stop every hour for 5 minutes or so.  Perhaps people just need to take up smoking in greater numbers

[Stevoh]

More tech, like it or not.

Yamaha Ténéré 700 gets improved kit for 2023 | MCNews

---

Australia's most popular adventure-touring motorcycle gains more kit as standard for 2023 along with numerous small updates to help it remain current.

 

[Dougie]

Gotta love “connectivity”. I just love giving everyone on the planet the ability to know where I am at all times, and where I’ll likely be going.

can’t wait for facial recognition and pop up personalised ads on the screen as you enter a town.  
fake plates at the ready for the old bike, and an “ex presidents “mask.

Edited November 2, 2022 by Dougie

[Hibobb]

4 hours ago, Dougie said:

fake plates at the ready for the old bike

 

[Hammerhead]

As tech relentlessly marches on, I will

quite happily continue to rock my “old school” 2020 model with it’s simplistic operating system. Traction control modules right where they belong, in my hands.

   The retro basic original model was a huge selling feature for me & I suspect many others too. 

[Tenerider]

14 minutes ago, Hammerhead said:

As tech relentlessly marches on, I will

quite happily continue to rock my “old school” 2020 model with it’s simplistic operating system. Traction control modules right where they belong, in my hands.

   The retro basic original model was a huge selling feature for me & I suspect many others too. 

True. I more and more appreciate the simple monochrome dash which is readable under all conditions, takes a beating without shattering and NEVER distracts you with BS colours looking like Tokyo or Vegas at night.

 

ABS is ok for me (onroad), and perhaps the front only ABS feature is the only real benefit on the new model.

 

But let's face it, a lot of idiots get attracted by such features. Since every GS/AT/7-1290 has got all these nice little gizmos with limited lifetime which make both manufacturers and dealers happy when (not if) they fail, Yamaha has to offer such stuff as well. It's only logical to use the WR's parts for the lean, mean T7.

[Ray Ride4life]

12 hours ago, Stevoh said:

More tech, like it or not.

Yamaha Ténéré 700 gets improved kit for 2023 | MCNews

---

Australia's most popular adventure-touring motorcycle gains more kit as standard for 2023 along with numerous small updates to help it remain current.

 

Another one bites the dust.
I guess i will be stuck with the one i have now for the rest of my life.
Hopefully the engine can be swapped by the time this one comes to an end, counter this year past the 20.000km and counting.

[Stevoh]

Nay we say

Australia chooses not to get updates featured on 2023 Tenere overseas | MCNews

---

Australia's most popular adventure-touring motorcycle gains more kit as standard for 2023 along with numerous small updates to help it remain current.

 

[Rider 101]

2 hours ago, Stevoh said:

Nay we say

Australia chooses not to get updates featured on 2023 Tenere overseas | MCNews

---

Australia's most popular adventure-touring motorcycle gains more kit as standard for 2023 along with numerous small updates to help it remain current.

 

As it should be!

[Stevoh]

We can export good MY23 T7,s to the rest of the world

[Wintersdark]

On 10/28/2022 at 5:45 PM, mpatch said:

The only thing I REALLY wish the T7 had is cruise control.

I'm indifferent about ride modes, traction control, lean angle sensors and all that jazz. 

Yes.  Absolutely.

On 10/29/2022 at 8:29 AM, Hollybrook said:

Never having had cruise control on any bikes, my throttle lock seems pretty nice to me! 

This was the case for me too, before buying my Tracer 900GT.  It's really nice to be able to hold a specific speed over hills for any length of time, without your hands on the bars at all.  Don't get me wrong, throttle locks are great if you don't have CC - the at least let you get your hands off the bars for a brief bit to adjust gear/drink/just let your poor hand rest.

 

But cruise control is amazing on long rides.  Really, really great.  It's not for when you're carving up twisties and obviously not offroad, but on long highway stretches where you know there's police, it's REALLY nice to say, "just do exactly this speed."  It's wonderful.  It's one of those bits of tech that you never really appreciate until you have it, then not having it is such a drag.  I've thought about adding it to the Tenere, but:

 

On 10/29/2022 at 8:31 AM, Simmons1 said:

 

This will fix you right up.

 

https://www.mccruise.com/products/cruise-control-for-yamaha-xtz690-tenere-700

 

For $1300.  10% of the OTD price of the bike (for this Canadian, anyways).  MCCruise's modules are NORMALLY really inexpensive, but not this one.  Because this one needs to mount a servo as the T7 isn't drive by wire.  

 

I'd be fine riding the T7 for very long trips if it had CC, but without... Need to keep the Tracer.

[HomerFX]

As far as I'm aware the T7 is a ride by cable, mechanical throttle, old school bike. It does have a throttle position sensor connected to calculate/map fueling and ignition, so it isn't totally old school.

 

On a ride by wire bike it is an electro-mechanical process, sensors to read the throttle position, pass it through a computer to activate the electro-mechanical throttle body. Hence the possibility to add rider modes, traction and cruise control as the computer can adjust the throttle body accordingly.

 

Yamaha certainly has the technology but wisely chose this route to keep things simple and reliable. Also for cost reasons but other than the cruise control creature comfort I don't feel my bike needs to decide how much power it's going to give me and peace of mind that there are less components that can fail.

 

Ride by wire certainly has it's advantages and necessity depending on the application, from taming a ludicrously over power super bike to making a commuter scoot easy and safe to ride, it has developed into  a well integrated piece of technology.