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June 14,2019,Philippines—A force to be reckoned with, technology has transformed the way we eat, the way we travel, or generally, the way we live. It is a powerful tool in assisting the global manufacturing industry to produce more advanced and more convenient products with the changing consumer demands in mind. In particular, recent technologies used in the automotive market is beyond boundaries. From hand-cranked start systems to integration of artificial intelligence—the industry has definitely come a long way.

The same can be said to motorcycles. It was once dismissed as “a form of entertainment that can appeal only to the most enthusiastic of mechanical eccentrics” by the Engineering Magazine in 1901. “We think it doubtful whether the motorcycle will, when the novelty has worn off, take a firm hold of public favor.” The magazine said. However, the motorcycle has only proved over time that it was not simply a novelty product and has even evolved into a widely-used vehicle for daily transportation.

As we head into the future, it is inevitable to embrace changes, and motorcycle assembly companies are aware of that. While it is not moving at the same speed as of cars, the motorcycle market is surely heading onto the same direction. Here is a look at the future of motorcycles.

Electric motorcycles

The worsening pollution and global warming are some of the reasons why the global manufacturing industry has started using alternative energy sources to power up their production. For the same reasons, motorcycle manufacturers have also made their production greener and have started preparing for a world without fossil fuels by producing more electric motorcycles.

Existing and upcoming electric motorcycles in the market are designed to have faster pick-up speed and go as far as a minimum of 100 kilometers in a single charge. They also do not have clutch or gears for shifting which eliminates rumbling noises and reduces noise pollution.

There are companies like Zero Motorcycles who have been manufacturing electric motorcycles for 13 years now, while there are motorcycle manufacturers like Harley-Davidson who will only be releasing their first all-electric motorbikes soon. Nonetheless, it only indicates that more electric motorcycles will be racing along our roads in the near future.

Autonomous motorcycles

When talking about self-driving or autonomous vehicles, people only usually think of cars, buses, or trucks. Unknown to many, the motorcycle assembly industry has also already delved its wheels on autonomous vehicle technology and are exploring ways on how it can improve motorbikes.

Current efforts in making the motorcycle autonomous, however, are not meant to eventually give people a driverless experience. It is more similar to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems where the autonomous features are meant to assist the rider. Autonomous motorcycles are designed to help riders keep staying on the same lane or automatically brake when they detect they are about to hit an object. Basically, they are safety features not only for the rider but also for everyone they share the road with.

Riding a motorcycle is all about control, that is why a fully autonomous motorcycle might not be every rider’s cup of tea. Of course, that does not erase the possibility of their existence in the future.

Futuristic riding gears

Of course, the motorcycle market does not only focus on improving the actual motorcycle unit. A few manufacturers have also started looking into developing futuristic riding gears and making them more accessible to the average motorcycle rider, including the racing suit equipped by airbag technology that is already in use by top riders. Similar to safety bags found in vehicles, airbags in suits are designed to be deployed right before the moment of impact or when the system detects that the rider is about to crash. The airbags will mainly protect the back, shoulders, and neck regions.

There are also efforts on enhancing the helmet, including the first Head-Up Display brought by

NUVIZ which is a helmet add-on that can record the rider’s ride as well as transmit real-time information via a small head-up display attached on the helmet glass. The rider will not have to take their eyes off the road anymore to see the necessary information for their trip with this technology.

The ride of motorcycles towards the future is looking smooth so far. In fact, the future has already started in some countries today. Hopefully, more EMS company in the Philippines bring the future of motorcycles to Filipino riders the soonest possible.