• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

  • Beginning April 1st, and running through April 30th, there is a new 2024 BMW MOA Election discussion area within The Club section of the forum. Within this forum area is also a sticky post that provides the ground rules for participating in the Election forum area. Also, the candidates statements are provided. Please read before joining the conversation, because the rules are very specific to maintain civility.

    The Election forum is here: Election Forum

Hand gestures and motorcycles do they go together?

I guess I am not really a fan of this.

What's so hard about pushing a button?

And when something stops working properly, then what?

SPP
 
I'd rather just have illuminated switches.

I don't need power adjusted mirrors on my motorcycle. I only move mine once or twice a year and I do that while stopped.
 
All the "high-tech" and "must-have" goodies (at additional cost) create another problem...

So they come up with more high-tech and must-have goodies, at additional cost, to alleviate it? :deal
 
I hate to be That Guy.... but BMW seems to have gone down the same route with bikes as they did with their cars a few years ago. I can only hope that the reliability for which the bikes were famed does not follow what happened to the cars.
 
Seems to me

I heard somewhere the number one complaint by consumers regarding their cars was the tech stuff. The more high tech wiz bang stuff added the more to go wrong. That is with cars, why would anyone riding motorcycles want to go down that path as well?

I will stick with my airheads at least with them I don't have to visit the dealership to fix a problem with my GPS or bluetooth. St.
 
I am inventing gloves that are like mittens so the only thing you can do is wave, shake your fist, or do the Spock "live long and prosper" gesture :)
 
So taking your hands off the throttle or clutch to do some wonky gymnastics with your hand/finger (while wearing gloves) to trigger some switch? Yeah, that is going to be convenient. I sometimes wonder if they incorporate more technology just to torture me/us. Just my $0.02 worth, YMMV.
 
chrisinsc said:
I am inventing gloves that are like mittens so the only thing you can do is wave, shake your fist, or do the Spock "live long and prosper" gesture :)
Click to expand...

Aerostich and others have beaten you to the punch, at least with wet-weather gear:
442_2ha_b_orange.-v2jpg.jpg

Conveniently designed so you can still salute errant cagers with the middle finger(s). :D

Gesture-activated controls are common in computing and handheld devices, but that's an entirely different domain than a motorcycle speeding down the highway. I really wish the bright young engineers at BMW would tumble to the fact that while gadgetry is neat and impressive, continued execution of the basics with precision and reliability is what sells in the long run. Perhaps their attention could be turned to assuring we don't see any more failing fuel gauges, broken driveshafts and final drives, brakes that don't get recalled before they are even sold, and valve trains that don't self-destruct from failed metallurgy. I'd take all of that, or even part of it, over any new whiz-bang technology they can turn out.
 
GTRider said:
Aerostich and others have beaten you to the punch, at least with wet-weather gear:
View attachment 83252

Conveniently designed so you can still salute errant cagers with the middle finger(s). :D

Gesture-activated controls are common in computing and handheld devices, but that's an entirely different domain than a motorcycle speeding down the highway. I really wish the bright young engineers at BMW would tumble to the fact that while gadgetry is neat and impressive, continued execution of the basics with precision and reliability is what sells in the long run. Perhaps their attention could be turned to assuring we don't see any more failing fuel gauges, broken driveshafts and final drives, brakes that don't get recalled before they are even sold, and valve trains that don't self-destruct from failed metallurgy. I'd take all of that, or even part of it, over any new whiz-bang technology they can turn out.
Click to expand...

Nice. All my ideas are too late :(
 
STEVENRANKIN said:
I heard somewhere the number one complaint by consumers regarding their cars was the tech stuff. The more high tech wiz bang stuff added the more to go wrong. That is with cars, why would anyone riding motorcycles want to go down that path as well?

I will stick with my airheads at least with them I don't have to visit the dealership to fix a problem with my GPS or bluetooth. St.
Click to expand...

One need not just stick with Airheads to avoid the problems of too much "tech" stuff. The Klassik K bikes have fuel injection but are dead stone reliable. The Oilheads have some tech features but no goofy stuff. Many of the F and G models are not overtechified.
 
Last edited:
From the article:

Modern motorcycles come with an array of features and settings that take attention away from the road when engaging them – the patent from BMW will combat this and allow riders to cycle through settings, rider-aids, and adjustments by simply using a finger gesture.
Click to expand...

The stated goal is to reduce distraction. This won't help. Any multi-step adjustment to any system on the bike is going to cause the rider to lose focus on his riding momentarily while he performs the steps. This is true regardless of whether the controls are physical knobs, buttons, and switches, or whether they're virtual via hand gestures.

Simple one-step actions like activating or canceling a turn signal don't require much thought and don't affect the rider's mental concentration. Most all the other actions ought to wait until the bike is parked.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

bigjohnsd
Motorcycle sales weakened in March: Just a blip or start of a trend?
2
Replies
31
Views
4K
ponch1
ponch1
D
47th Annual Hiawatha Rally in Minnesota- May 31-June 2, 2024
Replies
5
Views
1K
ajayhawkfan
ajayhawkfan
globalrider
Does a Motorcycle-Friendly Motels & Hotels Guide exist for the US and Canada?
2 3
Replies
55
Views
10K
globalrider
globalrider
marinehunter1
BMW Mottorad of Central Florida - NEW Group
Replies
3
Views
1K
barryg
B
J
Old BMW's found in a hanger
Replies
7
Views
1K
kinterridge
kinterridge
Back
Top