Will there be a next gamechanger?
Discussion
During my lifetime I would say there have been three.
The GPZ900R in 1984
The FireBlade in 1992, a bigger gamechanger, and current bikes are all an evolution of this
Electronics in 2010, when the S1000RR got that ball properly rolling
With the K5 GSXR the bikes arguably hit a high point and since then have been subject to fine tuning only.
And with the superbike crop of 2017 I suspect we are now looking at the same situation with electronics
So what next?
I am wondering if the next gamechanger is the electric bike that actually works.
Sadly this doesn't excite me very much
Given the way the powers that be tend to be going it will taxed / priced / impossible to get a licence (other strategies are available e.g. do nothing about theft). They are already quite a way down that particular road as it were and perhaps as a result the number of bikers is falling.
Perhaps the next game changer will be a change in direction from them and encourage more biking as a way of easing congestion / parking etc.
I think superchargers are a good shout though, or hydrogen fuel cell.
Perhaps the next game changer will be a change in direction from them and encourage more biking as a way of easing congestion / parking etc.
I think superchargers are a good shout though, or hydrogen fuel cell.
As much as it may grate should the GS be on the game changer list? Similar bikes always available but looking around at bike meets it has changed the face of riding.
Nikken is a good call, especially if it can be ridden on a car licence. Have a friend who never quite gets around to doing his test but wants to come out for rides so this could work.
With bikes there isn't massive income from sales like cars or platform sharing to spread cost. Supercharging or electric drive perhaps but for a lot of people who drive the driver isn't fuel consumption and the cost of developing these will be prohibitive.
So, having eliminated the impossible I am going for some sort of electronical BMW C1, a modern day Honda C90, used by people for whom driving in cities had become prohibitively expensive (e.g. ULEZ) and are looking for a dry alternative to public transport.
If not that then nuclear powered...
Nikken is a good call, especially if it can be ridden on a car licence. Have a friend who never quite gets around to doing his test but wants to come out for rides so this could work.
With bikes there isn't massive income from sales like cars or platform sharing to spread cost. Supercharging or electric drive perhaps but for a lot of people who drive the driver isn't fuel consumption and the cost of developing these will be prohibitive.
So, having eliminated the impossible I am going for some sort of electronical BMW C1, a modern day Honda C90, used by people for whom driving in cities had become prohibitively expensive (e.g. ULEZ) and are looking for a dry alternative to public transport.
If not that then nuclear powered...
Technology advances versus power, fuel economy from forced induction
Self balancing bikes to increase perceived safety.... I can see the public buying into it "ooh look it does not fall over"
.....combined with radar/anti collision "smart" stuff like cars giving us self aware vehicles that can react to potential risks faster than you can....get rid of the SMIDSY kind of incidents because both vehicles computers know where each other are and their trajectory, and can brake/steer if necessary
Once the bike can self balance then enclosed bikes like the Pereaves Monotracer may catch on more....combining 2 and 4 wheel advantages
I would like a Monotracer for commuting in...with a 250bhp supercharged 1200 engine perhaps
Self balancing bikes to increase perceived safety.... I can see the public buying into it "ooh look it does not fall over"
.....combined with radar/anti collision "smart" stuff like cars giving us self aware vehicles that can react to potential risks faster than you can....get rid of the SMIDSY kind of incidents because both vehicles computers know where each other are and their trajectory, and can brake/steer if necessary
Once the bike can self balance then enclosed bikes like the Pereaves Monotracer may catch on more....combining 2 and 4 wheel advantages
I would like a Monotracer for commuting in...with a 250bhp supercharged 1200 engine perhaps
Moulder said:
As much as it may grate should the GS be on the game changer list? Similar bikes always available but looking around at bike meets it has changed the face of riding.
Get to and take a flying f
k right there..... The gs is a utter piece of st and everything that is wrong with motorbiking these days. It's like the fking rav 4 of the biking world. To me the Nikken is a gimmick/oddball and not really a bike anyway.
As to the supercharger angle, that would be more evolution than gamechanger, much like widespread use of carbon fibre to reduce weight if it became cost effective. We've already been there with turbos in the 80's, and that could also probably be revisited and be more workable now with modern technology.
I think forced induction will become more common but is more likely to be fitted for enviromental reasons to give smaller engines enough grunt to attract more buyers whilst giving mpg figures that make the authorities happier and pass Euro15. There is talk that forced induction might give a 600 the performance of a 1000cc sportsbike but nobody is buying 600s. Is there likely to be a will for massive amounts of R&D etc to be diverted back to mid-sized bikes when the large bikes are selling well thank you very much? The H2 proves it is a pointless exercise on litre bikes. I can see forced induction on Burgmanns and ER6s as most likely applications
Hybrids is headed in the direction of full electric. Hybrids could happen
As to the supercharger angle, that would be more evolution than gamechanger, much like widespread use of carbon fibre to reduce weight if it became cost effective. We've already been there with turbos in the 80's, and that could also probably be revisited and be more workable now with modern technology.
I think forced induction will become more common but is more likely to be fitted for enviromental reasons to give smaller engines enough grunt to attract more buyers whilst giving mpg figures that make the authorities happier and pass Euro15. There is talk that forced induction might give a 600 the performance of a 1000cc sportsbike but nobody is buying 600s. Is there likely to be a will for massive amounts of R&D etc to be diverted back to mid-sized bikes when the large bikes are selling well thank you very much? The H2 proves it is a pointless exercise on litre bikes. I can see forced induction on Burgmanns and ER6s as most likely applications
Hybrids is headed in the direction of full electric. Hybrids could happen
moanthebairns said:
Moulder said:
As much as it may grate should the GS be on the game changer list? Similar bikes always available but looking around at bike meets it has changed the face of riding.
Get to and take a flying fk right there..... The gs is a utter piece of st and everything that is wrong with motorbiking these days. It's like the fking rav 4 of the biking world. I dont think the GS was the game changer in that trend, it was those guys on the telly going on a long ride and inspiring lots of blokes to pretend to do the same thing....
bogie said:
moanthebairns said:
Moulder said:
As much as it may grate should the GS be on the game changer list? Similar bikes always available but looking around at bike meets it has changed the face of riding.
Get to and take a flying fk right there..... The gs is a utter piece of st and everything that is wrong with motorbiking these days. It's like the fking rav 4 of the biking world. I dont think the GS was the game changer in that trend, it was those guys on the telly going on a long ride and inspiring lots of blokes to pretend to do the same thing....
As for game-changer - well, the R80 G/S was probably the bike that started the adventure thing? Or am I forgetting something prior to that?
I think Forced Induction could well become the norm in the next decade. We're already seeing Kawasaki pushing supercharging with their H2 series of bikes.
Energy recovery systems are also another good shout, these would have to become a lot more compact and lighter though for it to really take off.
I wonder if we'll begin to see these technologies in MotoGP in the near future?
Energy recovery systems are also another good shout, these would have to become a lot more compact and lighter though for it to really take off.
I wonder if we'll begin to see these technologies in MotoGP in the near future?
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