Likes and dislikes when it comes to motorcycles

[faffi]

Other than my Guzzi V9 (which is up for sale), all of my bikes have normal keys for ignition. No codes to worry about, no electronics that can go wrong.

All my bikes have central locking, which is much easier to deploy than a separate steering lock.

All of my bikes, sans mentioned Guzzi, are free from ABS. There are few things I hate more, particularly in cars, than ABS. They make a little more sense on bikes, but I still prefer to be the one in control of my brakes. In my experience, ABS will far more often prolong stopping distances than prevent mishaps.

Again omitting the Guzzi, all my bikes have carbs. Now, there are things to like with fuel injection, primarily that they do not tend to clog nor do they get bothered if a vehicle is sat unused for ages. But it comes with a cost in the form of sensors, wires, pumps and electronics. And, in every FI-vehicle I have operated, there will be one or more conditions where the on/off throttle response is erratic. I like the smooth analog carburetor fueling.

Apart from my old Tenere, all my bikes carry tubeless tires. I see that as a clear safety benefit without any negatives.

Three of my bikes have a centerstand, two are missing that, but the one on the Guzzi is an aftermarket item I had to buy. I would like all bikes to have a centerstand.

All but the Tenere have shaft final drive, which for me is the preferred option.

None of my bikes have rear suspension adjustable for damping save for the Tenere, which have rebound damping adjustments. Ideally, I would want the rear suspension to be adjustable for compression and rebound, plus have a remote preload adjuster.

While fully adjustable forks would be the best option, it is reasonably easy to experiment in order to find a good compromise for the fork, since it typically is less affected by load changes than the rear of the bike. Only adjustment available on my bikes regarding fork is mechanical preload adjusters on the Bulldog and rebound damping on the Virago.

All of my bikes have analog speedometers, which are far easier to read than digital readouts. And they are steady and easy to read when speed varies often and/or rapidly.

All my bikes have analog tachometers, if we discard the Guzzi that have none, digital or otherwise.

I would like for all my bikes to have analog trip- and odometers, but my Guzzi and Bulldog both have digital readouts.

I would also like for all my bikes to have a clock, but only the Honda and the Bulldog has one. Both have digital clocks - I prefer analog.

Only the Guzzi has an ambient temperature gauge - that I something I would like to see on all my bikes.

None of my bikes have a voltmeter, but every bike should have that IMO. I have owned several bikes that experienced charging issues when out riding, but only one had a voltmeter that allowed me to catch it before I got stranded.

I would also like to have information about average fuel consumption, provided it is accurate, because it allows me to calculate how far I can push before I need to refuel. Either that, or an accurate fuel gauge. The odometer will do most of the time, but if you ride very gently or very briskly, chances are you will be off by a noticeable margin.

[guzzisteve]

Dislike any Guzzi w/modes, gadgets, radio's, gps, cellphones, etc, anything that will distract you from focusing on riding. IT WILL KILL YOU, just a matter of time. This is a fact.

[Perazzimx14]

Tube tires and no ECC are deal breakers for me.

[SIR REAL ED]

Tube tires and no ECC are deal breakers for me.

https://www.acronymfinder.com/ECC.html

I agree Error Correction and Control is a feature that is most welcome!   

[guzzisteve]

I read it but still don't understand what it has to do w/motorcycles

Edit-- reread it and now understand.

Too bad I only have 1 bike w/FI and an ECU, my 98EV. Not buying anything anymore, got enough.

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

In most conditions ABS will decrease your stopping distance on a motorcycle, on pavement. IIHS, Bosch, and many others have plenty of data and videos out there debunking the ABS stopping distance myth if you care to look into it yourself.

I like being able to toggle ABS when riding off-road. On road, none of my bikes with ABS have ever had it been an issue. MGCT (traction control) is the more frequent hinderance on my V7.
I didn't really like the modern digital display on the Moto Guzzi when I first got mine, but it's grown on me. It is at the least both functional and readable. On some other bikes, the displays wash out in direct sunlight, and I live in Colorado so that is most of the daytime. I prefer a needle for speedometer and tachometer, but not a true analog drive one as my experience with those is they bounce too much at low values.

I like tubeless and cast wheels on pavement, tube type and spoked for off-road simply because the USA market has been lacking in knobby tubeless tires every time I've looked into that.

IMO, radios and phone call pairing have no place on a motorcycle. I'm a big fan of navigation though, have spent hours and hundreds of miles riding with folks who don't know where they're going or don't check to see if a place is open before riding there. I used to write out my turns and draw a map for trips, or highlight a route on a map and put it in a map pouch on the gas tank, then MapQuest printed directions, then Garmin, then I tried phone navigation, went back to the dedicated Garmin and it's my preference to date.

Big fan of TPMS as another idiot light to have, despite having never seen the light on any of my bikes because I tend to check tire pressure before the first ride of a day anyway.

Many of my bikes have center stands, some only had a center stand or a rear stand from the factory. I like center stands so long as it's easy to get the bike up on it, and it doesn't otherwise get in the way (left turns).

For bikes with a chain drive, I prefer an enclosure around the chain. I don't know why so few motorcycles still come with one, if it's cost or aesthetics, but chain enclosures greatly reduce the upkeep on a chain while extending its life.

I too, like knowing the time! I would prefer a clock with an independent (or backup) battery from the bike so disconnecting the battery does not lose the time. Most of my bikes don't have clocks, some have broken clocks, some have digital clocks that keep poor time. 0 of my motorcycles have an accurate clock that isn't a wristwatch or GPS attachment. Even the 2010-2020's bikes can't keep time.

Knowing the temp is nice, but none of my bikes with temp gauges report ambient temp, they report intake air temp which tends to run a few to several degrees hotter than the ambient temp outside.

Lithium batteries. When the AGM batteries die in my 12V bikes, I swap them to Lithium. My experience has been that they last longer, and because they have such a low self-discharge rate, if your riding season is at least 6 months out of the year you may never need to put one on a tender so long as there isn't parasitic draw (like from a clock!)

User resettable maintenance reminders, if present. Should be able to reset it through the menus using buttons/switches on the bike, or not have it at all.

EFI with wideband o2 sensors, from the factory. Some Euro5+ bikes have moved from narrowband o2 sensors to wideband o2 sensors to meet the stricter emissions requirements. That's great if emissions are a concern for you. If you care more about performance  then if the bike has an ECU that is well supported (e.g. by Dynojet) then the bike is well set up for dyno tuning and a flash from the factory, or running a piggyback ECU with autotune module.

I'll also mention that I like that the Euro5 and newer bikes have that 6-pin data link connector that you can hook up to an OBD2 reader. If you have room to attach a bluetooth OBD2 module under the seat while riding the bike, you can get just about every metric available to the ECU. Great for diagnosing and troubleshooting.

That's for new bikes, few new bikes are shipping with carburetors, but for the ones that do - I wish they had a drain petcock on the fuel bowl. Friends who have tens (or hundreds) of bikes with carbs tend to install them on their carbs, if you have more than one carb'd bike in the garage, it makes storage prep a lot easier.

[MikeP996]

Must have Likes:  ABS;  Dual Analog gauges on RETRO BIKES.  (Digital dash good on any other types)

Dislikes: Keyless ignition

That's pretty much it.  I don't NEED anything else/other options/packages though don't care if it's there/not there.  Traction control seems to always be present nowadays as is "ride modes" both are of no added value to me as they are both easily controlled as necessary by my hand on the throttle!  Cruise control might be useful if I spent lengthy time cruising on the highway but I don't so it isn't.

[Perazzimx14]

Must have Likes:  ABS;  Dual Analog gauges on RETRO BIKES.  (Digital dash good on any other types)

Dislikes: Keyless ignition

That's pretty much it.  I don't NEED anything else/other options/packages though don't care if it's there/not there.  Traction control seems to always be present nowadays as is "ride modes" both are of no added value to me as they are both easily controlled as necessary by my hand on the throttle!  Cruise control might be useful if I spent lengthy time cruising on the highway but I don't so it isn't.

Agreed on keyless ignition and that rounds out my top 3 dislikes

Tube type tires
No ECC (Electronic Cruise Control)
Keyless

I thought the same w/ ECC and turns out I use it all the time. In town, outside of town, highways you name it. I especially like it for in town where they use cameras to enforce speed and dole out tickets. Lock'er in at 25 MPH and glide by the cameras without triggering them.

[faffi]

Cruise control is something I use a lot in my car, and would like to have on my bike as well - despite the added complexity. Preferably without F.I.

[Vagrant]

While on the new 2026 V7 sport a few weeks ago in the pouring rain I had a last minute "turn left in front of you experience" at about 50 MPH. I can tell you this the bike would have been buried in the rear door of that car without ABS. Panic over road 60+ years of experience and training and I'm pretty sure the brake levers are both bent from the pressure I exerted on them. I stopped inches from the rear bumper of the car.
Thank God for ABS!

[Motormike]

All of my bikes, sans mentioned Guzzi, are free from ABS. There are few things I hate more, particularly in cars, than ABS. They make a little more sense on bikes, but I still prefer to be the one in control of my brakes. In my experience, ABS will far more often prolong stopping distances than prevent mishaps.

You've never had a panic stop in the rain, I can tell.  I was like you.."I can out-stop ABS on any motorcycle."  Well, that might be true on dry pavement under ideal conditions.  Then I took the BMW riders school in Spartanburg, SC.  They do ABS on and ABS off drills in the rain.  (Not much choice since it was pouring during our class!)  The stopping distance between the two was astounding, with ABS the clear winner. There are plenty of YouTube videos out there showing highly skilled motorcycle racers that can routenly threshold brake to the edge of a front tire skid being unable to out-brake ABS in the wet. 
Having said that, there are some poorly designed ABS systems.  My first Harley with ABS was abysmal.  The ABS would cycle on the rear brake far too early, often on simple stutter bump pavement as you approached a stop.  Their newer systems seem to be much better.   

[SIR REAL ED]

Until I change residences, light weight, versatility, and simplicity will remain the three primary things I look for if I can only own one motorcycle.

Of course, if one owns multiple motorcycles, owning several motorcycles that are very similar in feature or function would seem a bit monotonous.

I recall an article written by a guy that owned two street bikes, a Yamaha SR500 and a Yamaha XV920RH.  He claimed that each time he went for a ride, he chose the one that he did not take on his last ride.  He said "That way, every ride is like Christmas morning!"

Great attitude!

[TN Mark]

Must Haves, on any bike I intend on riding farther than I care to push it.
Electronic cruise control
ABS brakes
EFI
Tubeless wheels

An old classic bike is of course is not likely to have any of those attributes. So, it depends a bit on the bikes intended use.

[michaell32]

Likes: Simple and lightweight. I like fuel injection however I feel it peaked around 2010 or earlier. After that it just got complicated and expensive due to gimmicks like rider modes and electronic windshields.  It has also affected reliability imo. The FI on my California is primitive by today's standards but it's reliable and I can plug another used ECU without any errors if the day ever comes. My California is heavier than I like but it was cheap. I may sell it in the future and try a v7. I like my dr650 so much I could get rid of the California and I wouldn't miss it.

Dislikes: Spoke wheels and too much electronics. Overweight bikes as well. I've changed enough tires and tubes on my dr650 that tubes don't bother me but spoke wheels are annoying to clean. They are ugly too. I've heard of bikes where the dash and ecu are programmed together along with the key for the immobilizer. I don't see the need for a 3k dollar repair if someone tries to steal your bike and damages a key switch.  I don't see the need for a headlight change to cause a can bus error.  Silly things like that are a liability to me. If I can't fix it then I shouldn't own it.

[Perazzimx14]

Cruise control is something I use a lot in my car, and would like to have on my bike as well - despite the added complexity. Preferably without F.I.

Harley had cable driven ECC for years before fly by wire took over.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Like: simple/easy to fix, robust, reliable, durable, nearly infinitely repairable, steel bodywork, parts compatibility with earlier and later models.

Dislike: Complex mechanicals and electronics. TFT dashes and/or any that the bike won't run without. Plastic bodywork. Planned obsolescence. Fragile parts. Styling that looks like an angry insect. Chinese built Italian motorcycles.

[guzzisteve]

I have cruise control on my 67 V700, it's a tension screw on the twist grip. The rest is crap You can over ride it but you can't be a girlyman.

[faffi]

I have cruise control on my 67 V700, it's a tension screw on the twist grip. The rest is crap You can over ride it but you can't be a girlyman.

The problem here is constant elevation changes and uneven wind, both requiring constant throttle correction to keep the speed even. But it can be used here for brief rest periods for the throttle hand. I had it on several bikes over the years, even Japanese had them for a while.

[faffi]

You've never had a panic stop in the rain, I can tell. 

Amazing what you can tell. Define panic, please. I have been riding since 1980 where we have rain, hail or snow 265 days per year on average. I have ridden all year, in deep snow, on black ice, on dry roads and everything in between. There have been more than once that I had to brake hard unexpectedly.

I was like you.."I can out-stop ABS on any motorcycle."  Well, that might be true on dry pavement under ideal conditions.  Then I took the BMW riders school in Spartanburg, SC.  They do ABS on and ABS off drills in the rain.  (Not much choice since it was pouring during our class!)  The stopping distance between the two was astounding, with ABS the clear winner. There are plenty of YouTube videos out there showing highly skilled motorcycle racers that can routenly threshold brake to the edge of a front tire skid being unable to out-brake ABS in the wet. 
Having said that, there are some poorly designed ABS systems.  My first Harley with ABS was abysmal.  The ABS would cycle on the rear brake far too early, often on simple stutter bump pavement as you approached a stop.  Their newer systems seem to be much better.

I will give you that ABS have come a long way, but I have yet to test an ABS system that can stop as quick on ice or other very slick systems as a lot of drivers. What ABS does, is keep the wheels rolling, allowing you to steer. Or retain balance if on two wheels. But the slicker the surface, from my personal experience, the worse ABS is compared to manual control. Or even locked wheels can many times be better than ABS when it comes to braking distance.

Another big negative safety issue with ABS brakes that have led to deaths, is the inability to lock the wheels in a runaway car. This is mostly related to EVs, which have a ton of power. If you have 600hp and a lot more torque where the "brain" has decided the driver asked for full throttle, applying the brakes will only slow the acceleration for a moment until they overheat and the car goes flat out until the drive lose control.

Overall, though, I will agree that ABS save more lives than it takes by a substantial amount. I still dislike ABS with a vengeance, especially on cars, but it would not prevent me from buying a vehicle just because it had ABS. Over the years, ABS would have helped me stay on two wheels once, when a car coming against me passed another car around a blind corner. I locked the front brake, partially because the front brake on the Sprint 900 I was riding gave little difference in resistance between just taking up the slack in the system to fully locked, making locking very easy. Whether the outcome would have been better or worse is hard to tell, because there was not enough distance to stop no matter what braking system I had. So the difference would have been to hit the car head on while sitting on the bike, or like I did, laying on the ground.

[Stretch]

Interesting thread. Generally, I like things as simple and well-engineered as possible.

I DO like modern EFI for the most part. Most systems now are pretty glitch-free, especially
at slow speeds and small thrpttle openings.

ABS. Generally, no. Learn to ride. I acknowledge that there are some advantages, particularly in the wet.
Systems have gotten better and more reliable, but there are still issues. Some systems require a factory
computer to change brake fluid, for instance. Hard pass. Some earlier-generation BMW systems are
virtually impossible to get repaired. (Which makes the ABS useless!) Hard pass there, too.

Factory service manuals need to be available! Yes, BMW, I'm talking to you!

Let's get rid of the flashing lights and icons for service intervals, especially if suchlike need to be reset
at the dealer! Triumph, I refer to your new 400cc Thumper. Service intervals just ain't that hard. Look at
your manual. 10,000 km is 6200 miles. 5000 miles is close enough, eh? Metric folks will do something every
5,000 or 10,000km. The rest of us every 2500, 5000 or 10,000 miles. Frequency and consistency are way
more important than exact mileage.

8, 10, or 15 different ride modes? Seriously?! My 1400 Cali has Rain, Touring, and Sport. I use the last two,
and there's really not that much difference between 'em.

Lean-sensitive traction control?! You're trying too hard on the street then, Ace.

Electronic suspension adjustment is a nice luxury. Preload, damping, and like that. Not really necessary, though.

Radio, Bluetooth, phone setup in your helmet?! Intercom setup capable of talking with up to 31 different riders?!
Lunacy......(We need HOW much more distraction on a bike?)

Dislike any Guzzi w/modes, gadgets, radio's, gps, cellphones, etc, anything that will distract you from focusing on riding.
IT WILL KILL YOU, just a matter of time. This is a fact.

YEP. There was a study done with fighter pilots to see how efficient they were at multi-tasking. 1 task - 100%. 2 tasks - 80 - 85%.
3 or more tasks - a precipitous drop to less than 50% efficiency. Think about how busy things can get in heavy traffic. Do you really
need to be talking on the phone?

GPS can be useful; also distracting. YMMV. I use a combination of maps, notes, and memorization.
Ya know - like we used to do back in the '70s! 
When I get close to a destination in an area that I'm not familiar with, I'll stop and look at a local map
on the cell phone. OTOH, if you're on one of those Iron Butt rides, or REALLY need to be making time
without any stops, then I can definitely see the utility.

Tubeless tires are nice.

Heated grips are VERY NICE!!! 

Collision Avoidance Radar?! EASILY the stupidest, most inane, useless addition to a motorbike EVAH! You're supposed to keep
your head up, neck on a swivel, and be constantly aware of your changing surroundings. Like a fighter pilot's scan. So let's
add a distracting sound and light forcing one to LOOK DOWN, AWAY FROM ANY POTENTIAL HAZARDS to figure out what's
going on!!! (After of course, you get off your cell phone/Spotify/intercom with 31 other riders.....)

One of those lean-sensitive headlights look like just the ticket. I've gotta try one.

Self-cancelling turn signals are great, until ya get back on the old KLR and realize you've been signalling a left turn for the past
5 miles. ( Hey - that light on the dash is hard to see in bright sunlight!  )

Good fairing on bikes used for distance. An adjustable windscreen is also VERY helpful.

Why are so many stock seats so bad? There are a lot of good examples out there to copy......

I can do without the aforementioned anti-theft systems that require $3k to repair.

Some folks like cruise control. I find that traffic is too heavy and inconsistent where I ride to use
it very much. I've never used it on a bike - or in my 7 year-old truck for that matter. I know a
man with badly arthritic hands who swears by it, though.

My opinions - yours may be different. 

                                                                 -Stretch

[faffi]

Stretch, you brought up some more points I forgot about, like the service icon, ride modes, TC, radio, BT. Heated grips are nice, especially together with hand protectors to keep the wind off, but heated gloves are better. Until the batteries are empty...

[SIR REAL ED]

Interesting thread. Generally, I like things as simple and well-engineered as possible.

Factory service manuals need to be available! Yes, BMW, I'm talking to you!

My opinions - yours may be different. 

                                                                 -Stretch

If anyone ever wants to see a truly great factory service manual, check out a Honda Automobile factory service manual.  The manuals I have for my 2003 Element & 2003 CR-V put every motorcycle facotry service manual I have ever seen to shame.

They must have taken a couple thousand hours to compile!!

Even better than the 23,600 (no typo) page service manual I have for my 2002 GMC 2500!!

[TN Mark]

Imagine being a new motorcycle designer or an R&D Engineer. Even simple things like EFI and ABS seem to garner: love it, hate it, couldn’t care less results on this forum.

I can’t imagine just about any road bike today not having the simple things like EFI, ABS and Cruise Control. I believe even multiple rider modes will be ‘standard’ equipment in a few short years.

Self driving motorcycles like some Tesla cars have?
Yup, it’s coming to a motorcycle near you. Faster than you may want it to as well.
Face it, computers are more competent ’drivers’ than many humans anyway.

[MarcoSolo]

Bikes have personalities. I've had just about every make and a few stand out.  I had a Ducati 900 SS-SP and later a Honda RC51, very similar in configuration but I could ride the Ducati faster and with more confidence than I could the RC51.  The Ducati spoke to me in a visceral way - the RC51 was a more sterile, intellectual conversation.  I was never bored on the Ducati while I was on at times on the RC51 on long straight sections - 120mph, yawn. The Ducati was a pain to maintain though.

The bike which conveyed to me the makers' intent most clearly was a brand new Kawasaki ZX7, the only bike I've bought new back when you had to observe a break-in process - wicked excellent at what it was designed to do.

I've had GSXRs, an FZR600, VFR750, VTR1000F and they were all very good bikes, in fact I've never had a Honda that wasn't great at what it was designed for - well, I didn't care for the DCT Africa Twin, not that it was a bad bike, just didn't like the automatic. Rode an XR650L and a XR650R - great bikes for what they were designed for. Had a BMW R100RS single shock - superb all 'rounder, an R1150RT, a Harley Super Glide I accidentally got into some jeep track on it fully loaded for camping in the Rockies, which was exciting, a'99 FXDX I rode almost 25 hours straight from just outside of DC to home in WI. Now I've got a Sportster cafe racer, a Yamaha Super Tenere, a KTM 990 Super Duke, and two Moto Guzzis - an '08 "CalVin" and a '10 Griso SE.

When I think about things I don't like - I don't like breakdowns.  The Super Glide's stator went out just outside of Arco, ID and tragically, the lead mechanic of the HD Dealership in ID falls was killed in a collision with a bicyclist who tried to whip a u-turn in front of him.  I sat in a hotel room for 5 days in Arco waiting for an appointment, rented a trailer and paid a guy to transport us to Idaho Falls and another couple of days to get on the road again.  The FXDX cam bearing failed on the way to DC but bless the HD guys, they had me back on the road that evening.  Both HD breakdowns were over $1000 and I stopped in Sturgis on the Super Glide trip to get some oil and asked if they had any paper funnels of the sort we used to give away when I worked in a service station - yeah, but you had to buy a packet of three pretty cardboard funnels, decorated with HD crap at HD prices. When I had my Sportster motor hopped up, I took it to an independent shop - all ex HD dealership employees.  The '03 BMW R1150RT had the servo-assist braking and the servo failed - I did a servo-ectomy but could never get the wiring right and no BMW place would touch it unless I had them replace the servo unit at a cost of more than the bike was worth.

I don't like form over function - the 08 CalVin looks awesome - why I bought it.  I did a Greyhound and ride (never again) and rode it home about 1100 miles with one day over 500 miles and it is brutally uncomfortable.  Feet too high, butt too low, stock windscreen is a poster child for wind buffeting, seat is so soft that more than two hours in the saddle has me trying every other position other than intended to relive the pressure on my undersides.  As one cycle magazine writer opined, ergonomics designed by the Marquis de Sade. 

The jury's still out on the '10 Griso, an impulse purchase, low mileage but was stored for a very long time and needs some TLC. I had a '14 Griso which I sold and actually made some money but I missed riding it. I spent this morning tacking up most of a paddock stand to be able to work on the "new" Griso with it upright and stable.

Postprandial musings of an old fart.

[faffi]

Self driving motorcycles like some Tesla cars have?
Yup, it’s coming to a motorcycle near you. Faster than you may want it to as well.
Face it, computers are more competent ’drivers’ than many humans anyway.

I enjoy riding and driving, but if we are honest, the roads and vehicles are primarily there to provide transport. If we can develop computers to take us safely and quickly from A to B, with no human interaction, accidents would go way down and speed would go up, just as congestion would virtually disappear. Why? Because the cars could sit bumper to bumper since they will communicate, and if the first car in the train of cars brake, the rest following will do so immediately. So no wasted road space. Also, no one slowing to look at accident scenes or whatever - the computer driver will not care about anything that isn't directly related to the route and safety.

But I would miss being the one behind the controls if - or rather when - that happens and we are prohibited from riding or driving on our own.

[guzzisteve]

The problem here is constant elevation changes and uneven wind, both requiring constant throttle correction to keep the speed even. But it can be used here for brief rest periods for the throttle hand. I had it on several bikes over the years, even Japanese had them for a while.

Don't have an issue w/throttle hand or clutch hand. Real strong. You see i swung a 30oz hammer for over 30yrs building trusses, something I went back to when I got broke cause I was a Guzzi technician. Before we were called technicians, we were mechanics. I got carpel tunnel so had to put the hammer down for good & the issue went away, no surgery.

[Stretch]

Face it, computers are more competent ’drivers’ than many humans anyway.

True - because the average driver in this country is so abysmal.

Decent drivers are still MUCH better than computers, chiefly because of their adaptability and
ability to think outside of the box. Computers have to rely on the programmer(s) anticipating
EVERY situation and programming for it. Of course, as AI progresses, the self-driving car may
improve in that regard....

But that's all beside the point. You want to go on a ride where the machine makes all of the decisions
and the designers have pre-programmed your, "thrill level?" Go to Disney World. Buy the ticket, take the ride.
(And to use Huzo's slang - "chunder!") I want to take that sequence of curves posted at 30 MPH safely and
competently at 70 MPH. I want to feel for traction under braking, I want to select the right gear, I want to
choose my lines and turn in points, and I want to decide to lift the front end on the exit or not. I DON'T WANT
A COMPUTER TO DRIVE FOR ME! When ya get it right, it's very satisfying. A visceral experience. One of
the reasons we ride Moto Guzzis - there's the feel of a more primal connection that other machines may lack.
Too much in the way of rider aids takes away from that experience.

Might I recommend Matthew Crawford's, "Why We Drive?"
https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Drive-Toward-Philosophy/dp/0062999907

It's a very good read, and touches on some of the themes in this thread.

                                                         -Stretch

[faffi]

Don't have an issue w/throttle hand or clutch hand. Real strong. You see i swung a 30oz hammer for over 30yrs building trusses, something I went back to when I got broke cause I was a Guzzi technician. Before we were called technicians, we were mechanics. I got carpel tunnel so had to put the hammer down for good & the issue went away, no surgery.

I did one wrist for carpal 30+ years ago, the other a few years ago. The first op was a semi-success, but the recent one has eliminated my numb fingers when riding.

As to cruise control; I do not need it for my wrist. Instead, it make it easy to keep a constant speed without watching the speedo all the time.

[Moparnut72]

I have a messed up hand so ecc is a must for me but the new rbw makes the grip easy to turn which almost solves my problem. Long periods of time on super slabs make the cruise a requirement though. As for key fobs I loved the one on my Harley. It was a small circular disc like thing with no buttons. I had a caribiner on which I hooked to my belt loop every morning. I always had it with me so all I had to do was jump on the bike was turn the main knob, hit the starter button and go. I miss that and also the turn signal button on each end of the handlebars with self cancelling signals.
kk

[Perazzimx14]

I have cruise control on my 67 V700, it's a tension screw on the twist grip. The rest is crap You can over ride it but you can't be a girlyman.

I guess that wasn't a brick laying on the floor of my 1980 Chevy K20 that was the cruise control weight