Very often we refer to the bikes that are sold in India as “modern” bikes. Now I just wonder are they relaly modern?
Let me put down the tech we get to see in our modern machines.
– Single cylinder.
– Twin valve head.
– SOHC (Single Over Head Cam).
– Air cooled.
Is this really modern? My knowledge about bikes is not too great but isn’t all that tech there and used since, what 70’s or earlier?
More so, with every upgrade/new model of a exisiting bike, we keep on seeing them going heaver and heaver in weight. Is this due to modern tech?
So are the bikes really modern just because they uses stuff like LED lamps, Digital consoles, Clip on handle bars, Fancy disc brakes, Gas shocks, etc but still the same decades old engine design?
Oh someone might point out at the usage of EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) in our bikes. But is it really a step to use modern tech in our bikes or just an effort to make sure the bike meets emission norms?
We can say that as per the majority of consumer’s need the decades old engine design is what’s best suited. But then why call them “modern”?
Now one thing which has surely gone modern is the place where the bikes are manufactured. Having visited a scooter factory way back in 80’s and recently, another factory where bikes are made, the difference is surely noticeable. We can call this modernisation.