5 Things That Made Motorcycling Better (and two that made it worse)

Modern motorcycles are safer, faster, and more reliable than ever. Traction control, cornering ABS, and advanced electronics are everywhere.

Improvements

But only a few advancements actually made riding feel more magical. These are the changes that increased joy, not just capability. And then there are a couple that somehow made the experience worse.

Electronic Ignition

Electronic ignition is one of the clearest wins in motorcycling history. Early bikes relied on mechanical points to create spark. They were simple, cheap, and hilariously unreliable. Rain, vibration, or mild disapproval could leave you stranded. Riders learned to reset them on the roadside using matchbooks and hope. When electronic ignition arrived, everything changed. Spark timing became accurate. Breakdowns dropped. Roadside rituals disappeared. It did not just make bikes better. It made riders happier and dramatically less stranded.

Radial Tires

Radial tires are another massive leap. Before them, motorcycles rode on bias ply tires that were stiff, vague, and terrible at handling heat. Push them hard and the bike felt confused. Radials changed tire construction entirely, allowing flexible sidewalls, controlled tread, and a consistent contact patch. Modern tires warm up quickly, grip hard, shed water, manage heat, and last far longer than they should. A modern street tire offers more grip than race tires from decades ago. This single advancement transformed how confident and capable motorcycles feel.

Disk Brakes

Disc brakes deserve special praise. Drum brakes did not stop motorcycles so much as negotiate with speed. They faded, filled with water, and worked on geological timelines. The introduction of hydraulic disc brakes brought consistency, power, and control. Braking became a technique instead of a prayer. Paired with modern tires, disc brakes are one of the purest joys in riding today.

Cartridge Forks

Cartridge forks quietly enabled modern riding. Earlier damper rod forks were harsh, mushy, and unpredictable. They dove under braking, pogoed over bumps, and forced riders to work around them. Cartridge forks introduced controlled oil flow through valves and shims, giving real damping precision. Suddenly trail braking, fast transitions, and mid corner corrections became accessible to normal riders. The front end stopped being a liability and started acting like a partner.

Fuel Injection

Fuel injection rescued us from carburetors. Carbs worked well at exactly one elevation and hated everything else. They required constant tuning, synchronization, and patience. Riding from sea level to the mountains meant power loss and terrible throttle response. Fuel injection brought smooth power at any altitude, precise fueling, easy starting, and tunability without tools or mercury filled tubes. Modern systems feel seamless and intuitive. It did not just replace carburetors. It freed us from them.

Honorable Mention: Motorcycle Communications

A good comms system should make riding better without calling attention to itself, and Cardo absolutely nails that. You turn it on, you start riding, and everything just works.

If you ride alone, you can listen to music, audiobooks or your favorite podast, naturally, the official CanyonChasers Podcast. You can get turn by turn directions from your phone, which stays safely in your pocket instead of bolted to the handlebar like a frightened limpet.

If you ride with a passenger, you can actually talk to each other without shouting through your helmets like two people arguing across a parking lot. And if you ride with friends, Cardo’s mesh tech lets everyone chat together with clear, instant reconnection. If your riding buddies are anything like mine, that conversation becomes the hardest you laugh all week.

The new Pro units pack in crash detection, upgraded audio, smarter connectivity and a whole list of subtle features that quietly make every ride smoother, safer and way more enjoyable.

Worse

Not every modern advancement has improved the experience.

TFT

TFT dashboards promised the future but delivered glare, confusing menus, and expensive failures. Sunlight turns many of them into mirrors. Basic adjustments require deep menu dives. Service reminders demand dealer visits just to turn off a light. If one fails, it is often paired to the ECU and key system, turning a simple screen replacement into a multi thousand dollar nightmare. Analog gauges were readable, durable, repairable, and timeless. TFTs age poorly and fail expensively.

Keyless Entry

Keyless ignition systems are even worse. Turning a key was never the problem. Keyless adds batteries, signal interference, electronic glitches, and absurd failure modes. Some systems still require a physical key for the seat, making it possible to ride away while your actual key ejects itself onto the highway. It is a solution to a problem no one had, and it is remarkably good at ruining a day.

Riding was not better in the past. It was louder, wobblier, and far more flammable. Modern motorcycles are smoother, safer, and more fun than ever. The riding experience today is the best it has ever been. The only thing worth bringing back is the humble analog key. Just that one thing.