30 years ago, would anyone have guessed that by the year 2022, motorcycles would be rolling out of showrooms with electronic rider aids like radar enabled cruise control, lean sensitive ABS, Bluetooth connectivity and umpteen-mode electronic suspension systems" I wouldn?t have. Then again, I?d only just had my 1st birthday, so it probably wasn?t the kind of thing occupying my mind.

But whether you predicted it or not, it?s where we are today. We?re living in a world where motorcycles are getting more and more intelligent by the year. Some would (and do) say that all this elec-trickery takes something of the joy away from motorcycle riding, and I, for one, can see where they are coming from. But there?s no denying the fact that, partly thanks to all the clever electronics, contemporary motorbikes are better performing, easier to use and safer to ride than ?modern? bikes were 30 years ago.
So I got to thinking. If that?s how much motorcycle electronics have changed in the last 30 years, what on earth will they be like in another 30 years" Where are they going to go next" We probably don?t need any more electronic interference when it comes to riding our motorbikes, but I?ve got a feeling we?re going to get some. Will it be for the better, or for the worse" I?ve got a few ideas.

Performance

A lot of the electronic rider aids that we see, particularly on sportsbikes, are dressed up as ?performance enhancing? systems. But it?s only been in...