Cruise control

[SidG]

Hi all,
Been riding only since February on an MT07 and loving it so far. Am really interested in going touring further into Europe next year and have started looking at bikes which will be more comfortable for longer trips. I am considering the Tracer 900GT or Versys 1000GT. However the Tracer has cruise control, the Versys doesn't. I may also consider older bikes which are classed as "sports tourers". I've noticed some of these also don't have cruise control. Would you guys consider it that important for touring? If you are cruising at a steady speed for long sessions and your throttle hand is in a fairly comfortable position, is cruise necessary?
Apologies for the newbie question but I've found many dealers don't let me test ride bikes until I've had at least a years riding so my experience of trying out other bikes is very limited.
Appreciate any and all advice.

[MotorsportTom]

IMO (having done a few bigger trips) staying at a set speed makes up such a small part of the journey it makes little to no difference.

Sticking to a motorway is not where the fun of touring is to be had, but I appreciate sometimes it is a necessary or desirable evil. Maximum of 5 hours on a motorway in a day and even then I wasn't that bothered with using my hand to control the speed.

TL:DR Cruise control isn't necessary.

[tvrolet]

I wouldn't ever want to tour without cruise control. Sure the most fun is on the twisties, but you've got to get there. May depend on your location, but if I was going to continental Europe I've got to get to a port - there and back. And while I could work out all sorts of cross-country routes down the UK and back, in reality I'll just hack down the M6/M40/M25/M20 or M1/M25/M20 and 'get it over with' in the first/last day. Likewise in France, having ridden down to the South avoiding the autoroutes, until you get to around Lyon the roads really aren't that much fun. So now I'd rather 'get if over with' and hack down the autoroutes to get to the best roads in the quickest possible time. I'd rather spend some time on motorways to let me spend more time on great roads, than spend all my time avoiding motorways but end up on mediocre roads and cutting down the time on the really good stuff.

But its one of those things that I never had before and never missed not having it - but now having experienced just being able to eat miles (also with music on and decent wind protection) I wouldn't tour on a bike without it.

[airsafari87]

Before I had a bike with cruise control I was of a similar opinion to most people, ie cruise control on a bile is about as useful a tits on a fish.

However. Now that I do have cruise I wouldn't want a bike without it. For all it doesn't get used a huge amount as I don't do a lot of long motorway miles, I almost always knock it on when passing through villages with 30 & 40mph limits. It's also useful if you need to adjust a vent in you jacket on the move for instance. It can be quickly knocked on, do what you need to do then you are away again without any interruption.

If a bike I really really wanted did not have cruise control it wouldn't stop me from buying it. But if there were 2 bikes I fancied equally and one had cruise and the other didn't, the one with cruise control would sway me towards it.

[Birky_41]

For me having ridden to Germany in 2017 without it I swore Id get something next time

I avoid motorways like the plague and have always preferred twisty stuff however sometimes you need to crack an hour on one

I bought one of the ally adjustable ones and its good, simple enough to use and you can shut the throttle easy plus normal riding it doesn't really get in the way (I took it off when I was hooning about as you can feel it there a bit)



Do not buy the cheap arse plastic st ones for £9.99

Ideally have a bike that has it already...mine doesn't so this was my alternative and when I toured this year over Europe those 3000 miles were much easier when I could give my hand a rest

[creampuff]

Haven’t had a bike with one but I was “first person on my street” with active/radar cruise control in my car. Obv bike cruise control is not active, it just holds a set speed IMHO cruise control on a bike is only useful in continental Europe where traffic volumes are much lower and you can actually hold a set speed on a motorway for a long distance. You always have to mess with your speed in the U.K. due to traffic.

[CAPP0]

I use the cruise control on my bike multiple times a day, every day. Motorway, average speed limits, etc.

It's weird the first time you use it but that only lasts about 3 nanoseconds, then you're good.

[tvrolet]

airsafari87 said:

t's also useful if you need to adjust a vent in you jacket on the move for instance. It can be quickly knocked on, do what you need to do then you are away again without any interruption....

Ah yes, forgot about a terribly naughty, dangerous and no-doubt illegal maneuver...but it's such a guddle at european tolls getting gloves off, card out, collect ticket, put card and ticket away and then struggle to get gloves back on while there is invariably an impatient driver behind. I ended up taking [single] glove off coasting up to the toll. sticking it under my crotch at the toll, pulling away one-gloveless, getting it into top straight away and hitting cruise and then get the glove back on as the bike accelerates back up to speed. Yes yes it's unsafe, but if car drivers can take both hands off the wheel temporarily to sort things out then my bike tracks straight and true both hands-off...and the acceleration back up to speed under cruise is relatively gentle so easy enough to be fiddling with gloves/pockets/zips etc while it's getting back up to speed. Plus you can alternate hands on long journeys. For whatever reason I've found it more comfortable/natural to dangle my right hand in the breeze for a break rather then my left.

[SidG]

Cheers for all the responses. Being a newish rider I'm always worried about getting nabbed for speeding in my first two years and then having to go through all the mod 1 and 2 stuff all over again. So I think having cruise control would be very useful going through average speed cameras and not having to look down and checking my speed so often.

[Purity14]

Rode from here to Romania and back twice now - as suggested "Getting stuff out of the way" is a huge part - otherwise you'd never get anywhere!
I use the cruise control handlebar things - but I can easily hit 14+ hours riding in one day when I am done with everything and I just want to get back home. That is when they are most useful to me, anything to reduce fatigue is a bonus.

[CousinDupree]

It's really useful and should be standard on all bikes with electronic throttles. It's just a few buttons and software.

Your hand will still be on the throttle grip most of the time though, unlike a car.

[Ed.]

I got an omni cruise throttle lock after I think Birky mentioned them. Helps with the increase of average speed cameras nearby as well as giving my hand a rest from a vibey twin.
I think my next bike will have proper cruise control and may be the 900GT.

[podman]

Its a nice to have but not necessary, ive never missed it but now I have it on my latest bike, I know it will be handy when I head to France next year but I wouldn't change a bike or eliminate a bike from a choice due to the lack of cruise control, you can tour on anything with the right mentality and attitude as the thread with the chaps CG125 trip round Europe last year demonstrated perfectly.

[RizzoTheRat]

You don't need cruise control, you need better route planning

I can kind of see the point of it if you absolutely have to spend a day on the motorway, but I'd much rather take 2 days to get somewhere on more interesting roads than spend all day sat a constant speed.

[MotorsportTom]

podman said:

Its a nice to have but not necessary, ive never missed it but now I have it on my latest bike, I know it will be handy when I head to France next year but I wouldn't change a bike or eliminate a bike from a choice due to the lack of cruise control, you can tour on anything with the right mentality and attitude as the thread with the chaps CG125 trip round Europe last year demonstrated perfectly.

That reminds me. I really need to finish the last piece of the write up for it!

[Mr_Tickle]

I have cruise control on my car and I use it all the time when I do long motorway trips. On the bike, when I've done long tours, there is no doubt that it would be a nice thing to have; however, I wouldn't let it shape my bike purchase decision, especially if it's only something I may use a few times a year.

[CousinDupree]

RizzoTheRat said:

You don't need cruise control, you need better route planning

I can kind of see the point of it if you absolutely have to spend a day on the motorway, but I'd much rather take 2 days to get somewhere on more interesting roads than spend all day sat a constant speed.

Sure, although the revised 80kph limit in France on most roads , away from the Autoroutes, does add to the time.

Although I've done it many times on the route nationals, I can't say I've ever really enjoyed hacking through Northern France, Luxembourg, Belgium etc.

Some lovely towns and cities though.

[black-k1]

I've never had a bike with cruise control and have done many happy touring miles both on and off motorways, so it definitely isn't needed.

That said, if all else was equal, I'd definitely opt for a bike with cruise control.

[black-k1]

RizzoTheRat said:

You don't need cruise control, you need better route planning

I can kind of see the point of it if you absolutely have to spend a day on the motorway, but I'd much rather take 2 days to get somewhere on more interesting roads than spend all day sat a constant speed.

If only it were that easy! If you're heading towards the Alps (as many do) then you have two options.

1. A day on motorways followed by a day on superb roads;
2. Two days of some good roads, some crap roads but mostly mediocre roads;

There are very few really good roads between Channel and the Alps on the north western half of the trip and with an 80kph limit (and enthusiastic enforcement) on the French roads, even good route planning will be stretched.

[RizzoTheRat]

Yeah, I've not actually been to France since the new limits came in so had forgotten about that. Last time I went down to the alps we went down the French/Belgian border, through Verdun, and then in Germany. Cracking route with only the first hour or two on dull roads, but we'd have been travelling a bit quicker than 80kph.