A motorcycle used to have a kickstarter

A motorcycle used to have a kickstarter, four gears, a horsepower or 50 max. And two brakes.

That is now different ... Below we have listed the most common abbreviations for current assistance systems. To make us realize once again what future classic fans will face.

Our electronic aids.

Until the late 1980s, a motorcycle had brakes and a handlebar. The choice of tires could then also be important. Ask your father about Avon's 'cling rubber compound'. But apart from extreme circumstances, it was always the rider who had full control over whether the engine with its rubbers remained at the bottom. And it sometimes went wrong for the heroes of that kind. When driving 'at the sharpest edge', the brakes, suspension and damping or grip proved to be the limiting factor. With the rise in power, with all due respect, the skills of us, motorcyclists, began to enter the danger zone. In the mid-sixties, the 44 horsepower Honda CB 450 'Black Bomber' in the press was only recommended to highly experienced riders with circuit experience.

BMW's R75 / 5 had 'only' 50 DIN hp because the German designers had calculated that more power on two wheels on public roads was unnecessary and even dangerous. The brand has since convincingly returned. And it cooperated with the introduction of the ABS itself.

First came the ABS

Now there are ABS systems in various variations and there is a letter-vermicelli-like range of electronic ingenuity aboard the high (er) engine segment where the power of 150 + pk makes nobody nervous anymore.

"If you can just drive well, then you just don't need all that electronic misery" is a killer of a motorcyclist 1.0 who got stuck in his nostalgic dreams.

For motorcyclists, many of the electronic aids are important for safety. And for the most talented of us, all those abbreviations make it possible to use the astonishing performance of modern motorcycles to the cutting edge. But with a much less chance of going down the road than that of an even brave Honda CB 450 had a pilot. What does the letter bee with abbreviations actually all stand for? We have listed them once

All electronic cousins

• ABS, Anti-lock Braking System, Anti Blocking System. Electronic control system that prevents wheel locking during hard braking. Also: 'Always Stop Stopping'.
• ADD, Aprilia Dynamic Damping. Aprilia's software that works actively on the front and rear fork damping.
• ABS with UBS, Anti blocking system with slope detection. ABS therefore also works optimally in curves.
• AMP, Aprilia Multimedia Platform. Aprilia's hardware and software to make smartphone compatible with the on-board electronics. GPS.
• APRC, Aprilia Performance Ride Control, electronic management system from Aprilia.
• ASC, Automatic Stability Control electronic management system stability control
• ATV, All-Terrain Vehicle, so a quad.
• C-ABS, ABS system that Bosch developed for KTM.
• CE - Conformitee Europeene, conforming to the European standard sheets with requirements. Applies to just about everything. Often used with clothing and gloves. The CE labels can also be purchased separately. Therefore, never buy 'crooked goods'.
• CCU, Communication Control Unit, user-friendly interface for data logger. Transfers engine and lap data wirelessly to tablet or smartphone.
• CPU, Central Processing Unit, The brain of a modern engine. With more computing power than that of the moon lander. (1969)
• CVT constant variable transmission. Stepless transmission due to variable disc diameters. As in: “DAF's ancient Variomaat.
• Data logger: digital data storage concerning the journey, the technology. With for example CCU readable with tablet or smartphone.
• dB (A) is the unit of the strength of the sound, related to human hearing.
• Decibel, the standard indication for volume. Important for the exhausts and sound production of helmets.
• TLC: Diamond Like Carbon; particularly hard carbon coating for, among other things, piston pins
• DCT, Dual Clutch Transmission A gearbox with two clutches. The advantage is that you can switch without power outage.
• DOT / USDOT (US) Department of Transportation, designation primarily used for brake fluid. Never mix ordinary brake fluid with silicone fluid! Quality indication ascending to '5'. Benefit scholarship offer: 5 Liter DOT 0. Just kidding.
• DTC, Dynamic Traction Control. Electronic control unit, allows more wheel slip up to defined limits and supports sporty and dynamic driving.
• DVT, Desmodromic Variable Timing. Controlled valve timing according to Ducati.
• EBS Engine Brake Control Mechanical or electronic system that 'together with the slipper clutch-anti-hopping clutch' ensures that the rear wheel does not block when the gas suddenly closes.
• ECU, Electronic Control Unit. The digital brain of the on-board electronics.
• ECU / ECM Engine Control Unit / Electronic Control Module. The 'brain' of every modern motorcycle. Combines (many) measurement and control functions.
• EDS, Electronic Damping System. Electronic system with which the spring preload can be adjusted in stages depending on the load in front and rear / adjusts itself optimally.
• EFI Electronic Fuel Injection. The successor to the carburetor who died down to environmental requirements.
• ESA, Electronic Suspension Adjustment, Electronic system with which the damping (and suspension) can be controlled / controlled.
• Exup valve, Exhaust Ultimate Power Valve, A volume controlled exhaust system. Originally from Yamaha.
• HUD Heads-Up Display, we will hear more about that. Projection of relevant data on the inside of the visor. Like in jet fighters.
• IMU, Internal Measurement Unit (Bosch). The Inertial Measurement Unit measures every movement of the motor on the basis of different sensors. So also the slope.
• K-ACT, Kawasaki electronic brake-link system that connects front and rear brakes.
• KTRC, Kawasaki Traction Control, Kawasaki's name for the traction system. Electronic system that prevents turning of the rear wheel.
• LCD Liquid Crystal Display, display that works with liquid crystals.
• LED Light-Emitting Diode, lighting type. Good light output, small, with a long service life.
• FEAM, Fuel Economy Assitance Mode, software that promotes fuel-efficient driving
• KIPASS, Kawasaki Intelligent Proximity Activation Start System, key switch activation system, Electronic system that allows 'keyless' starting.
• MVICS engine management: electronic management system from MV.
• LCS: Launch Control System, electronic control system that ensures that acceleration is controlled.
• LIF, LIFt control Electronic control system that ensures that no uncontrolled wheelies are made.
• LiFe-Po, Lithium-Ion Phosphate, a modern, high-power battery.
• OBD / OBDII On-Board Diagnostics, fault diagnosis system on board the motorcycle itself.
• OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer, parts as supplied by the factory. Unlike 'aftermarket'.
• PWR: Power modes. Electronics that control the motor characteristic according to your current situation
• TFT LCD display, Thin Film Transistor, a fast-responding display.
• TPMS Tire Pressure Monitoring System, tire pressure monitoring system.
• QSS: Quickshift System. Electronic control system that briefly interrupts the ignition during switching without clutch.
• RDC, Reifendruck monitor, (BMW) tire pressure monitoring system. Mocking: Rarely Displays Correctly.
• SC: Slide Control. Electronic control system that prevents breaking of the rear wheel under load in curves.
• SCS, Slide Control System. . Electronic control system that prevents breaking of the rear wheel under load in curves.
• TC Traction Control, system that prevents the rear wheel from turning under power.
• TCS, Traction Control System. Prevents the rear tire from splicing under acceleration.
• UBS, Unified Brake System. Yamaha's version of the coupled front / rear braking system
• USB, Universal Serial Bus, general software connection. Also for GPS etc.
• VTEC, Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control, With Honda's VTEC a switch is made at a certain speed from a "tame" to a "wild" cam of the camshaft valve control mechanism. The valve timing-the engine character can therefore be optimally driven while driving.
• YCC-T Chip Controlled Throttle, Yamaha's ride-by-wire / electronically controlled throttle control.

We wish the next generations of classic enthusiasts many enjoyable kilometers. And in the meantime Honda has made a self-stabilizing motorcycle that - neatly on two wheels - travels slowly behind its owner.