Too much electronics on motorcycles article

[Stuart]

I've had this conversation before about too much electronics on motorcycles these days so when I saw this I thought I'd share it.

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/too-m ... 71055.html

[gilburton]

Agreed but I suspect a lot of it is legislation when it comes to fuel systems etc. Water cooling assists keeping down the noise.
I can see the benefit with ABS etc. on the heavy tourers or out and out sports bikes.
That still leaves a lot of medium/large all round bikes.
How much of these "improvements are down to the manufacturer bringing out new models to stimulate demand or the gullability of the buyers is open to question
Personally,in years gone by, I often wondered if the Japanese had produced a 4 cyl. large commuter/tourer but, instead of 4 carbs, had fitted a single carb what would have been the result mpg and power wise?
I venture to suggest that mpg would be good and most people using the bike every day would not notice the speed/power difference in normal use.
It's the constant drive for something better.
Remember when you could virtually fit any carbs,cables,control leves,lights,brakes,wheels etc. etc. to any 500/650 British bike? and a zener diode was exotic

[Stuart]

Of course, the added electronics have improved the performance of the Diesel engine no end, something that could make all the difference for this movement
Having been in the electronics trade for longer than I care to remember, I know that you mostly have problems with the ends of wires & the less ends you ultimately have, obviously, the more reliable the product will be. Going on from that I think the way Saab had everything on a lesser number of wires (bus) would improve reliability still further but it won't help the home mechanic none (unless he has a dedicated reader to help).
All this contacts on loom plugs, no matter how well protected, will have a tendency to corrode & fail if passing current.
Commercial manufacturers seem to use brass rather than Mil spec gold plating which is what really gives reliability.
So, as it's going the way of more electronics, we need less wire, more busy electronic 'buses' & decent, gold contacts.

[Stuart]

.......Personally,in years gone by, I often wondered if the Japanese had produced a 4 cyl. large commuter/tourer but, instead of 4 carbs, had fitted a single carb what would have been the result mpg and power wise?

It's not 4 cylinder but Honda have done this with the NC700. Single intake giving a respectable 80mpg But slightly off topic for here.

[Stuart]

Not to mention the possibility that all those electrically induced magnetic fields directly under your seat could lead to this.
http://motorcyclecancer.com