Listen, I love technology as much as the next person. I love being able to stream music, movies, shows, and navigation on my phone, tablet, or other device on command. Better braking systems and nicer suspensions? Love it.
But there comes a point when things can become overly complex. That point is probably different for everyone, and will depend on a number of factors. Do you like working on your own bike, or just riding it and letting someone else work on it? Are you planning a big trip, maybe in places where you don't know how easy it will be to get parts or fix things that break?
If that sounds like something you're interested in, then first of all, congratulations. And second of all, you'll probably want to see what world traveler Noraly, more popularly known by the name of her YouTube channel, Itchy Boots, just revealed as her new motorcycle-slash-world-traveling-companion.
Previously, she rode a Honda CRF350L Rally that she named Alaska for the past few years. And while it performed admirably, and was relatively easy for her to find parts and service no matter where she was, there were still things that could have gone smoother.
It's a relatively uncomplicated bike, and one that doesn't have a ton of sensors everywhere that can have issues. At the same time, at one point, the ABS sensor was throwing errors and it was a persistent pain for a chunk of the journey.
Like any other rider, though, Noraly didn't know it until she had that experience. And over time, her opinions were further refined and shaped by her experiences. So when she had her trip-ending injury and flew back home to the Netherlands for surgery and recuperation time, she formed and enacted a plan to get her next bike arranged for when she was fully recovered.
What do you think she chose? While she probably could have had her choice of any new bike she wanted, that wasn't anywhere close to the right bike for her.
I'll give you a hint: Noraly's new bike wasn't even made in this century, though it's apparently been modified by a guy who specializes in this model, directly to her specifications. The next episode that Itchy Boots posts should go into the modifications in greater detail, but it's so simple and bomb-proof that an electric start was kind of a big deal advancement in this model's evolution.
My questions for you are these: Which bike do you think she chose, before you watch the video? Also, how do you feel about new bike tech? Do you like it, or do you miss simplicity? Let us know in the comments.
