Motorcycles in 20 years?

[Big Dave]

Gaze into your crystal ball and report on the state of motorcycledom in the 30's here:

[HenryDorsetCase]

legislated out of existence. We will all be wearing spacy overalls and have jetpacks and flying cars. Antigravity will be perfected, and the equivalent of the motorcycle will be the sky cycle. Anti aging treatments will be available to the rich, so instead of my chronological age of nearly 70, I will have the immune system and body of a 25 year old Adonis, coupled with the wiles and orneryness of an old man.

[Gremlin]

I remember the Beyond 2000 show, predicted all sorts of stuff like flying cars :mellow:

Self drive cars will probably be a reality within a decade (all the tech is pretty much in place already) but I think bikes will still be in their current form, albeit a blanket standard of ABS, traction control etc. Active suspension is already here.

[pzkpfw]

legislated out of existence. ...

That bit wouldn't surprise me.

[jim.cox]

The only new bikes available will be just scooters, all electric, power limited to about the same output of a current 125cc learners

[willytheekid]

legislated out of existence..

:cry:...+1 (So sadly true)


So...in 20yrs...It looks like I will be going down fighting! (As will ALOT of you mad buggers)

http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/40/4019/UEMWF00Z/posters/butch-cassidy-and-the-sundance-kid-1969.jpg


...mind you, I am open to "parley"....but they had better have a flying motorcycle to bargin with! :2guns:

[Big Dave]

I remember the Beyond 2000 show, predicted all sorts of stuff like flying cars :mellow:
.


I'd start by looking at what we had 20 years ago and try and extrapolate through what we have now. But exponentially decrease the progress time scale.

>insert Dr Who theme<

I've got other stuff to research currently. (components used on wild choppers.)

[unstuck]

Fuck that, It is illegal for me to ride now, but I do. I will still be riding in 20 yrs, ALLAH willing.:Punk:

[Big Dave]

:cry:...+1 (So sadly true)



I don't subscribe to the pessimists view at all. Individual personal transportation is a logical solution to many big city problems and will actually evolve more rapidly.
Most likely electrically.

Tis the day of the car that is numbered.

There will still be motorcycles - their means of locomotion may change as will their rulez.

[bogan]

I'll have approximately 20 more than I do now. CBRs will have another 9 Rs added to the end to designate the race spec model.

And people will have stopped whinging about how shit electrics will be :innocent:

[ducatilover]

They'll all be heavier and slower than they are now, they'll sound like a gnat coughing through a straw.

Harley Davidsons will still be fucked useless shit, selling on a brand name that means absolutely nothing to people wanting to purchase their motorised sheepskin.

I'll still be pulling apart and ruining old heaps of crap.

Not much will change, bet ya $200 (that'll be enough to buy the thought of having a smoke)

[Scuba_Steve]

Biking in 20yrs? expensive. Hi-Vised. AGATT. Caged. expensive or non-existent life/health (ACC) insurance or at-least heading that way
It could be left to a few "rebels" willing to defy stupid & oppressive laws. But then again there's always a chance we could get some intelligence as dictating party too... albeit a VERY slim one

[steve_t]

I remember the Beyond 2000 show, predicted all sorts of stuff like flying cars :mellow:

Self drive cars will probably be a reality within a decade (all the tech is pretty much in place already) but I think bikes will still be in their current form, albeit a blanket standard of ABS, traction control etc. Active suspension is already here.

I loved Beyond 2000! Though, I can't remember much of what I saw.

I can't wait for self drive cars. It is apparent that the average driver is a complete retard and so for their own safety and the safety of others, cars driving themselves is a logical eventuality. I guess we'll have to reserve driving for fun for race tracks and other private arenas. This might be closer to 2050 than 2030 but I reckon it'll happen

[bogan]

They'll all be heavier and slower than they are now, they'll sound like a gnat coughing through a straw.

Harley Davidsons will still be fucked useless shit, selling on a brand name that means absolutely nothing to people wanting to purchase their motorised sheepskin.

I'll still be pulling apart and ruining old heaps of crap.

Not much will change, bet ya $200 (that'll be enough to buy the thought of having a smoke)

So, pretty much the same changes we saw in the last 20 years then? :laugh:

[ducatilover]

So, pretty much the same changes we saw in the last 20 years then? :laugh:

Exactly!
They will be more economical though. And Hondas will become even uglier? (I swear they forgot how to make a nice looking bike)

[awa355]

Fuck that, It is illegal for me to ride now, but I do. I will still be riding in 20 yrs, ALLAH willing.:Punk:

ALLAH allows motorcycles. Look at any poxy village scene after the daily car bombing, Always 2 guys wearing white nighties and jandals, riding past the crater on a 125 bike.
Also, bikes allow the 'suicide' loonies to deliver ALLAH's message to the infidels. Actually, Islam would be good for motorcycling, Definitly no ATGATT, not a Hi Viz in sight.

If by chance our western culture is still around in 30 - 40 years, I have a feeliing that 200hp bikes will not be avalible. They will all be electric or 'sensible green' inclined bikes. Auto senseing technology for speed, angles, breath analysis,

NO KB forums only constructive sensible debate allowed, within approved censored guidelines. :shutup:

[willytheekid]

...Individual personal transportation is a logical solution to many big city problems.

And there is the problem!..."logical solutions" from our Government! (Dosn't happen much over here!)

But I certainly hope your right BD...Im look forward to, at the very least!, another 30yrs riding...electric or not.



...But im secretly wishing for a flying bike! :yes:

http://www.bamkapow.com/bk_images/2009/05/20/cyboman.jpg

:drool:

or at the very least, a solar charging electric bike with a decent range...and top end!



ps: Love your photo's and write ups!...keep up the great work :niceone:

[Big Dave]

Harley Davidsons will still be fucked useless shit,




You are smarter than this lame internet trawl act. You need new material.

[Tigadee]

:corn: I see... I see...
Nano tech - Bikes that can change configuration a la Transformers, according to aerodynamic requirements/speed or road conditions (road to off-road).

V4s replace V-twins... :whistle:

Modular engines which you can unplug and plug into another frame, from a sports bike to a cruiser to a dirt bike. Buy one engine and many frames... :laugh:

Carbon fibre impregnated ceramic parts instead of metal for weight savings and perhaps radical new looks.

Hydrogen fusion engines? Turbines? Hyrbid motorbikes? :scratch:


...But im secretly wishing for a flying bike!

Don't people already have them? I know some riders get speeding tickets for "Flying too low"... :laugh:

[Banditbandit]

...But im secretly wishing for a flying bike! :yes:



Fuck me .. NO WAY ... many people here can't stay on them when they are on the ground .. just imagine the chaos if they can fly them ...


They will all be electric or 'sensible green' inclined bikes.


Green like Kwaka green ...

[ducatilover]

You are smarter than this lame internet trawl act. You need new material.

It was an attempt to appeal to the wider audiance
(Harley riders are wide)



Might give up on that now?

[James Deuce]

Depends on a bunch of factors.

Solar panels are currently 20x more land efficient than bio-fuels, including mining the material to make the panels, so I don't see the IC as a primary motive power source for vehicles. This will probably have the effect of reducing the effective range of vehicles and people as despite some impressive improvements in battery technology, I don't see the reliance on rare earth metals and the practice of working 6 year old children to death in filthy, unsafe mines continuing forever, so battery technology may have to undergo some technological changes before it becomes palatable. Having said that, no one thinks about the human cost of an iPhone battery, so maybe we will have batteries with a 700km range at max speed with a 2 minute recharge time.

Are we serious about improving the lifestyle of more than 50% of the world's population? If not, we'll still have personal vehicles. If so, then our highly mobile society will become hugely less mobile. The capacity to change our lifestyle to a "villages within cities" model is already here. If we retain a hydrocarbon based society then bikes will look and behave more like the NC700 (only with better mileage) series than CBR1000RRs, but the people who became addicted to 180hp sportsbikes will be old men chewing their gums outside the pub, while kids on NC500RRs corner at speeds far in excess of any current 1000cc sportsbike thanks to tyre and suspension advancements. Suspension components will be constantly and infinitely self-adjustable and have their own ECU, and performance enhancements will focus on chassis and tyres rather than engine performance. If bikes do sport IC engines, they won't have clutches. Ride by wire brakes and throttle will be the norm, even for "cheap" commuters, allowing for very sophisticated Traction Control, Yaw control, attitude control and allowing the maximum potential braking force at any attitude, from full lean to utterly upright. This will be thanks to bikes like the current BMW HP4 and is a logical extension of any technology acceptance cycle. Very expensive and rarely applied to commonplace and barely thought about.

There is potential for speed limiting, curfews, maximum distance restrictions, along with requiring a reason to use your vehicle, all of which can be controlled and applied remotely. However, given the propensity for tomorrow to be much the same as today, and for even Kiwis to have a threshold for Government interference - nah - the days of weekend rides will be long gone.

[MisterD]

Hydrogen fusion engines?

Fuel cells you mean? If so, I concur. What else can you do with two bits of rubber and human ergonomics, the significant area of development has to be power plants.

V-twin biodiesel crusiers?

[Big Dave]

It was an attempt to appeal to the wider audiance
(Harley riders are wide)

Might give up on that now?

Thank you. The 'genuinely misguided internet snark' is the working title for the 2013 Night Rod under review currently.

Beautiful, modern, performance cruiser - performance that I would actually rate as best in class - including the metrics I've tested.
It comes at a premium price true - and I haven't ridden the Diavel.

[Big Dave]

:corn: I see... I see...
Nano tech - Bikes that can change configuration a la Transformers, according to aerodynamic requirements/speed or road conditions (road to off-road).



In 1980 I had an XS1100 with adjustable handlebars - in two directions. Haven't seen it since. That would do me for a good start again!

[Banditbandit]

In 1980 I had an XS1100 with adjustable handlebars - in two directions. Haven't seen it since. That would do me for a good start again!

Bwhahaha ... I once had a Triumph that did that (rubber mounted bars) ...

[Big Dave]

nah - the days of weekend rides will be long gone.



I think you under-estimate the depth of the Britten and the Burt Munro in the NZ psyche.

[BuzzardNZ]

2 strokes will be back in fashion.

[Big Dave]

2 strokes will be back in fashion.

Sex sex sex it's all e ever thinks about.

[James Deuce]

I think you under-estimate the depth of the Britten and the Burt Munro in the NZ psyche.
Not at all. The problem as I see it is that plenty of people have absorbed those peculiarly Kiwi achievements into their psyche, but they wouldn't want to be seen dead (literally) on one of those death machines, as some are wont to call motorcycles.

The bit I struggle with is how high the entry bar is slowly but surely being raised to make motorcycles as transport unattractive to lads. If the fuel efficiency of bikes increases massively, this could be balanced against the cost of getting a license. 25 years ago we still had a graduated license but you could speed the process up if you had that type of attitude. Buying a cheap bike to learn how to ride looks like a couple of grand but becomes five grand once you factor in gear, BHS, and licensing.

[p.dath]

Gaze into your crystal ball and report on the state of motorcycledom in the 30's here:

Almost completely unchanged. Sure there will be more efficient engines, engines putting out more power, better suspension, better tyres, etc - but nothing significantly different.

For significant change to occur there needs to be a significant problem to solve. Now I know there is a lot of complaining, but if you step back and look at the big picture - we don't really have any significant issues.

[James Deuce]

Almost completely unchanged. Sure there will be more efficient engines, engines putting out more power, better suspension, better tyres, etc - but nothing significantly different.

Those of us who were riding 20 years ago will tell you that today's tyres are unbelieveable. The current grip/mileage ratio was completely unavailable 20 years ago and combined with suspension that edges ever closer to actually suspending and the suspension revolution just around the corner I alluded to, bikes 20 years hence will have no trouble riding upside down over the bottom the Auckland Harbour bridge.

The main reason I have an aversion to Bridgestone is the horrific Excedra (excrement) radials. Made of concrete, no grip and unpredictable departure characteristics made them just horrible to ride on. Michelin's initial street radials were great until they let go. No warning, just *bang* and you were sliding on your arse. Metzeler made some great cross ply tyres, but they were "uncool". You HAD to have radials to go fast (not).

[Big Dave]

Not at all. The problem as.... snip


The price of fuel is what will fuel change in that regard.
Until it becomes a cost factor like we glimpsed in that last 'crisis' I agree.
That may not happen till much later.

[steve_t]

The price of fuel is what will fuel change in that regard.


How far into the future will Australia's $20 trillion of oil take us?

[Big Dave]

How far into the future will Australia's $20 trillion of oil take us?

.....so I packed up the truck and moved to Wakerley.
Brisbane that is.

Traffic jams.

No moving cars.

[ducatilover]

Thank you. The 'genuinely misguided internet snark' is the working title for the 2013 Night Rod under review currently.

Beautiful, modern, performance cruiser - performance that I would actually rate as best in class - including the metrics I've tested.
It comes at a premium price true - and I haven't ridden the Diavel.

I'll take a VMAX thanks. Or Diavel. Or anything that makes proper noises.
Or I'll just stick to my GN, because I do not need/want a cruiser?

[Winston001]

I think there will be two types of motorcycles:

1. Classic petrol high powered machines produced by niche factories or as elite models from the main bike makers. Less than 1% of motorcyclists will own these machines.

2. Everything and everybody else will be using small petrol or electric scooter type bikes including electric bicycles.

In support of that, already most motorcycles in the world are 150cc or less and number in the millions throughout Asia, South America, and Africa. People in those countries can only dream of owning what we consider to be proper bikes.

[Gremlin]

...But im secretly wishing for a flying bike! :yes:
If I can't have a flying bike (ok, adventure riding would become a bit easy) then I'll settle for Dredd's Lawmaster thanks.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wbna7o_6zzU/UGxexJTCi5I/AAAAAAAAE3A/s6mqIPWbqRY/s1600/dredd-2012-lawmaster-bike.jpg

[James Deuce]

I think there will be two types of motorcycles:

1. Classic petrol high powered machines produced by niche factories or as elite models from the main bike makers. Less than 1% of motorcyclists will own these machines.

2. Everything and everybody else will be using small petrol or electric scooter type bikes including electric bicycles.

In support of that, already most motorcycles in the world are 150cc or less and number in the millions throughout Asia, South America, and Africa. People in those countries can only dream of owning what we consider to be proper bikes.

You mean the same as now? I think lots of people in Western society are guilty of thinking that Europe and the US are the "big" markets for companies like Honda. We're just not. Honda's range of premium product models is diminishing in concert with the increase of the Asian market in particular.

I think that the capacity and capability of motorcycles are going to level out somewhere in the middle in all markets over the next 20 years, hence my prediction of NC500RRs. Honda have also tried to move production into these areas to build up local capability, a la Hero Honda in India.

[Big Dave]

I'll take a VMAX thanks.

Well, true - but I was only counting V-twins.

'13 Night Rod is improved exhaust note too.

[Big Dave]

a la Hero Honda in India.


Hero & Honda now. They have divorced IIRC.

Last I read online Erik is 'consulting' to Hero on development and they are sponsoring the US race team - or something like that.

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/erik-buell-racing-hero-599x428.jpg

[Banditbandit]

.....so I packed up the truck and moved to Wakerley.
Brisbane that is.

Traffic jams.

No moving cars.

You just need a boat instead of a motorcycle - oh - and asbestos underwear ...

[Big Dave]

You just need a boat instead of a motorcycle - oh - and asbestos underwear ...

I put the bike away and used the Jeep yesterday.

It was just too dayam hot and humid for freeway duty gear.

[Flip]

A 2033 harley will look, sound and go a lot like my 2005 one. Of this I am sure.

[James Deuce]

Hero & Honda now. They have divorced IIRC.

Last I read online Erik is 'consulting' to Hero on development and they are sponsoring the US race team - or something like that.


Yes, I am aware of that.

[Ocean1]

The bit I struggle with is how high the entry bar is slowly but surely being raised to make motorcycles as transport unattractive to lads.

I reckon they'll regulate cheap Japanese used imported cars out of existence slightly before bikes.

[James Deuce]

I reckon they'll regulate cheap Japanese used imported cars out of existence slightly before bikes.
Fairly shortly I expect.

[Ocean1]

Fairly shortly I expect.

Not within a couple of weeks, if you please. I'm trying to find a wee commuter to replace swmbo's WRX. Suggestions?

[awa355]

One thing is certain, the Chinese will still be knocking out GN 125's.

[george formby]

One thing that won't change is our craving for more powa. As long as we are prepared to slave for a dollar we want something to spend it on & bikes are really cool. As already posted bikes will become more computerised in a nod to safety, new materials from aerospace & car technology will make them lighter & more adjustable. New power plants whether dinosaur based or hydrogen or from the socket will be prolific. I reckon we will see a betamax v VHS war when it comes to future power sources.
Bikes designed purely for fun will be more main stream, I'm thinking FMX & stunt bikes with built in safety features so numptys can do supermans in the garden.
Roads will probably get worse before they get better, this could instigate gummint backing of flying vehicles. Save them a fortune in road maintenace once the technology is proven. And give us bikes which can go flat tack on a track or a dirt track.
Yeah, na, yeah. I think the future looks bright on two wheels. Manufacturing costs will drop so more niche builders will appear. Any restrictions on vehicles that are computer based will be hackable and in twenty years tires will be orsme!

If your worried just stick a Ducati in the shed until the robots take over & then save the world on it.

[AllanB]

Will young people actually go outside in 20 years?


What happened to the use of ceramics in the internal combustion engine? More than 20 yrs back i read a MC magazine that had a article showing the use of ceramics in engines 20 yrs in the future. I guess they developed better, cheaper fancy pants metal coatings.

[mashman]

They will be uncrashable with a number of systems designed to slow you before corners as well as having stabilisers for cornering just in case of gravel etc... they also won't let you lean past 20degrees.

[Madness]

they also won't let you lean past 20degrees.

So the Harley Davidson is the bike of the future?

[george formby]

Will young people actually go outside in 20 years?


What happened to the use of ceramics in the internal combustion engine? More than 20 yrs back i read a MC magazine that had a article showing the use of ceramics in engines 20 yrs in the future. I guess they developed better, cheaper fancy pants metal coatings.

Ha, yup. A quick spray of teflon is a lot cheaper than baking a ceramic liner. I've been looking at ceramic pans, i do like a good pan. Fook me, the price! Lifetime guarantee? Yeah, would have to be my great grand kids.

[george formby]

Fewer moving parts & a best before date.

[mashman]

So the Harley Davidson is the bike of the future?

heh... what's a Harley Davidson?

[tri boy]

Mad max inspired Z9's and Onda4,s will be all the rage, and cool dudes with cattle dogs will be hammering blown coups across the wasteland of Auckland.
All hale the toe cutter.

[James Deuce]

Not within a couple of weeks, if you please. I'm trying to find a wee commuter to replace swmbo's WRX. Suggestions?
Toyota Vitz or Nissan March SR

[Big Dave]

Will young people actually go outside in 20 years?
.

At least they'll keep off your lawn!

[James Deuce]

At least they'll keep off your lawn!

Excellent!

[Motu]

What will bikes be in 2033 ? I dunno, I don't even know what the bikes are in 2013...new is of no interest to me. But I'm sure I'll be able to pick up an old 2013 bike real cheap from someone who has fucked it up with too much fiddling. Although I had no interest in new bikes in 2013, in 2033 I will be an anorak about them, all the makes and models, options, colour schemes, tyres of the period etc. Speed Triples will be really out of favour, and mention Speed Triple to a biker and they will give you a blank look. I'd get one cheap in 2033, because in 2043 they will be the new big nostalgia trip.

[Coolz]

The 2033 Suzuki's will all be made in China and powered by small nuclear reactors. The 2033 Harley's will still be made in U.S.A and feature the "new" overhead cam. Triumphs will be made in India and fall apart quicker than they did in the 'good old days'. BMW's wont look like motorbikes at all, and Hyosungs will be the bigest selling motorbikes in the world.

[Laava]

The Apple ibike 15 will be the biggest seller on boxing day 2033 and people will be vocally clamouring for the 16 by the end of Jan.
Me? I'll be drinking soup thru a straw.

[ducatilover]

Well, true - but I was only counting V-twins.

'13 Night Rod is improved exhaust note too.

I'll admit the 60 degree motor sounds a million times better than the potatoes do. Err, 45 degree motors sorry.
Haven't ridden one with that real motor though. Got a mate who keeps waffling about his something with that series motor, might take it for a stroll.

Gimmie a TLthou, that's my favourite cruiser :facepalm:

[James Deuce]

Try a Street Rod.

[Tigadee]

Sex sex sex it's all e ever thinks about.

And about as long as he lasts.... :whistle:


In 1980 I had an XS1100 with adjustable handlebars - in two directions.

THAT I would like to see! :yes:


Triumphs will be made in India and fall apart quicker than they did in the 'good old days'.

Only if you run them on vindaloo... :laugh:

[Paul in NZ]

How can anyone resist this….

Japanese led motorcycle innovation is largely dead. Nothing ground breaking in the CB750 / Z1 / Gold Wing / DT1 mould has come from Japan for quite some time. Even the latest models of their flagship beasts are warmed over last years ones. They have been trickling along on minor upgrades for a long time.

The bad boy bikes are selling into an aging market that thrives on nostalgia. Triumph shocked everyone with the Rocket 3 (god bless em) but it hasn’t changed the general development path of motorcycles one little bit. All these bikes will be essentially backwards looking and only see small improvements to mechanicals disguised to make them look 1960’s for some time to come. After all the hipsters tried to convince us the 70’s and 80’s were ‘cool’ but they failed. The bad boy market needs to attract younger riders (good onya HD) for it to thrive and it HAS to look ‘alternative’. In this case ‘alternative’ just might become ‘mainstream’ and like the emperors new clothes – once someone twigs to it – the whole lot will be dropped like a hot potato (potato).

The Ducati / MV et al crew will defend European biro to the last gasp. Their addiction to vastly overpriced average performing bikes has never made sense and it won’t in the future either. As long as they look nice and are horribly expensive – someone will buy them. They will ignore where they are made as long as the badge is on the tank. I don’t expect any more 916 moments from them but I do predict a great revival from Moto Guzzi in the next 10 years until the retro bubble bursts anyway. Still they have been making some great bikes lately.

Look to China. They have the hungry mad young industry that says why not…

http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/bikes/7963112/Cheap-and-cheerful-and-probably-fake

Once we get over the fact that the Chinese can actually build some decent kit they will become ‘mainstream’. Electric bikes will come from China.

So – in 30 years time motorcyclists will be riding in electric self driving cars made in china by apple or google. They will be able to be uploaded with a motorcycle riding emulation package or app download. Ie it will be a boring shell the same as everyone elses but once you step inside it will be what ever you want. You will sit inside and seem like you are racing to work over the Rimutakas against your mates or virtual riders or cruising to Sturgis (albeit a virtual one) on your bad ass hog complete with your 24” biceps. Others will drive to work in F1 cars of any era… My simulation will involve a latex clad dwarf, a bottle of lubricant, a nubile lingerie model and a willing goat. I expect others will feel the same and thus motorcycle use will diminish.

[James Deuce]

I've never liked Italian pens.

[Paul in NZ]

I've never liked Italian pens.

Me either - they promise great things and that I shall be able to write like Dante and draw like DaVinci but the same old shit dribbles out

[300weatherby]

Depends on a bunch of factors.

Solar panels are currently 20x more land efficient than bio-fuels, including mining the material to make the panels, so I don't see the IC as a primary motive power source for vehicles. This will probably have the effect of reducing the effective range of vehicles and people as despite some impressive improvements in battery technology, I don't see the reliance on rare earth metals and the practice of working 6 year old children to death in filthy, unsafe mines continuing forever, so battery technology may have to undergo some technological changes before it becomes palatable. Having said that, no one thinks about the human cost of an iPhone battery, so maybe we will have batteries with a 700km range at max speed with a 2 minute recharge time.

Are we serious about improving the lifestyle of more than 50% of the world's population? If not, we'll still have personal vehicles. If so, then our highly mobile society will become hugely less mobile. The capacity to change our lifestyle to a "villages within cities" model is already here. If we retain a hydrocarbon based society then bikes will look and behave more like the NC700 (only with better mileage) series than CBR1000RRs, but the people who became addicted to 180hp sportsbikes will be old men chewing their gums outside the pub, while kids on NC500RRs corner at speeds far in excess of any current 1000cc sportsbike thanks to tyre and suspension advancements. Suspension components will be constantly and infinitely self-adjustable and have their own ECU, and performance enhancements will focus on chassis and tyres rather than engine performance. If bikes do sport IC engines, they won't have clutches. Ride by wire brakes and throttle will be the norm, even for "cheap" commuters, allowing for very sophisticated Traction Control, Yaw control, attitude control and allowing the maximum potential braking force at any attitude, from full lean to utterly upright. This will be thanks to bikes like the current BMW HP4 and is a logical extension of any technology acceptance cycle. Very expensive and rarely applied to commonplace and barely thought about.

There is potential for speed limiting, curfews, maximum distance restrictions, along with requiring a reason to use your vehicle, all of which can be controlled and applied remotely. However, given the propensity for tomorrow to be much the same as today, and for even Kiwis to have a threshold for Government interference - nah - the days of weekend rides will be long gone.

If cheap mass produced bikes do get to the point you suggest they might, there will be no fun riding anymore, cause without the human control element, it will just be a two wheel car:cry:

[James Deuce]

If cheap mass produced bikes do get to the point you suggest they might, there will be no fun riding anymore, cause without the human control element, it will just be a two wheel car:cry:

Are hand gear changes, manual oil pumps for total loss lubrication systems, solid tyres, and wooden blocks for brakes fun? To some people they are good nostalgic fun, but as a commuter in a modern environment, none of those features cut it.

You make your own fun. The tools you use have nothing to do with the enjoyment you experience.

[haydes55]

Hopefully, as far away from the DN-01 as possible!

Electric motors with respectable batteries will most likely be the norm. Thinking gas stations would have a swap and go system similar to LPG gas bottles but with fully charged batteries for long hauls.

Maybe a move back to turbo/super charged engines (smaller capacity, more power).

A classic 2014 GSXR1000 will be cheap and still fast :Punk:

Just a pity the roads would be straightened out more. I notice the road workers in the middle of no-where are having a habbit of getting corners taken out and new stretches of road going in straight lines =(