Modern face of two-wheeler technology

Today is the day of electronics and technology and it has found its way into two-wheelers to make them safer for the user

Back then, it was just largely a commute that people used two-wheelers for. Motorbike and scooter technology was not so well-developed as it is today. There is just no comparison really.

Just like in cars, using heavy gauge steel was the safety technology that was best available. Just try lifting a Lambretta or Vijay Super when it is lying on the ground. You will realise how heavy it is.

Today is the day of electronics and technology. And it has found its way into the two and four-wheelers to make them safer for the user.

Let us start with and anti-lock braking system (ABS). It prevents skidding of the tyres when the brakes are applied suddenly and the wheel locks up. Skidding will not happen when the wheel is still turning and ABS will intermittently brake and release the brakes even when the driver/ rider has pressed the brake pedal or lever.

Back then, common knowledge was also rather absent with many thinking that applying just the rear brakes was sufficient and the front brake need not be applied. These days, there is a technology called the ‘Combi Brake’ (by Honda) that will brake both wheels when one lever is activated. This has the potential to prevent skidding and accidents.

Even disc brakes are becoming pretty common. Bikes with discs are a bit more expensive than those with conventional drum brakes, but the former have better stopping power.

Similarly, if we move to the more powerful and bigger bikes, many of them will come with traction control. This means that they have a lot of torque (or rotational force) and will prevent the wheel from rotating and the bike standing in the same place. In other words, the moment the throttle is applied, the bike begins to move and there is no wheelspin.

The tyres are one of the most important parts of the car or the two-wheeler because, no matter what the mechanicals and electronics the vehicle has, they are the ones in contact with the surface. Tyre technology has also evolved a lot with radials, advanced rubber compounds etc. coming into the picture and proving very high levels of grip. Back then, it depended on skill and one of the manufacturers (Ceat) had introduced a ‘lip’ on the tyre shoulder to prevent the two-wheeler from toppling while taking sharper-than-normal turns.

With the big bikes that have come in, riding gear has also become essential because the machines are capable of good speeds and the rider needs protection in case of an incident. It is best to stick to speed limits but even then, one never knows how an accident can turn out.

However, one can see some riders throwing caution to the wind and riding superbikes without even a helmet and sometimes with slippers. That is riding into the jaws of trouble and should be avoided at all costs. Besides, riding a superbike with full gear on gives one that appeal and style, besides sending out the message that you are a responsible rider.

Coming back to the original point, as the days go by a lot more electronics are finding their way into two-wheelers. Whether it is the basic ABS or more complex systems, two-wheelers are getting way more sophisticated than they originally were. And this is particularly true when it comes to the bigger bikes.