The subscription economy has gotten so out of hand that it sometimes feels like you need a monthly plan for everything: Music, movies, and cloud storage. Heck, even your doorbell camera wants a piece of your wallet. Somewhere along the way, the automotive industry looked at all that and thought, “Hey, why not cars too?” Before long, it started feeling like owning a vehicle might turn into something closer to signing up for Netflix.
The truth is, a lot of that nonsense started in the car world. BMW became the poster child when it experimented with subscription-based features in some markets, including heated seats and certain driver assistance tech. The hardware was already in the car. Owners just had to keep paying to unlock it through software. Unsurprisingly, the internet roasted the idea. People weren’t thrilled about paying monthly for equipment they technically already owned.
Motorcycle riders watched all this unfold with a bit of concern. Modern bikes are already packed with electronics. We’re talking six-axis IMUs, traction control, ride modes, launch control, wheelie control, engine brake management, quickshifters, and cruise control. Once those systems are controlled by software, the temptation to start charging for them later becomes very real.
