Motorcycle displays are getting crazier year after year. I remember back in 2017, I was in awe when my new KTM 390 Duke came standard with a full-color TFT display. I remember getting all hyped up every time I’d turn the key and be greeted by KTM’s Ready to Race slogan in full color and matching animations.
But now, just seven years later, TFT screens have become standard on pretty much all motorcycles—from Chinese knockoffs to beginner-focused scooters all the way to top-tier ADV bikes. But of course, technology has always paved the way forward, and leave it to no other than KTM to usher in the next generation of connected rider tech.
As was the case in the dawn of TFT displays, KTM is once again pioneering new tech when it comes to motorcycle displays. For 2025, KTM’s screens aren’t only bigger, they’re better equipped with more features than ever before, too. One of which is Android Automotive, a fancy piece of tech that essentially turns your display into a smartphone.
Android Automotive is a completely different animal from Android Auto. While the latter merely mirrors your phone onto the display, Android Automotive is a standalone operating system which can work independently from a smartphone. As such, Android Automotive unlocks a whole suite of third-party Android apps such as music, navigation, and messaging. Heck, technically speaking, you could watch Netflix while riding your motorcycle. But of course, manufacturers won’t allow this for obvious reasons.
And as for KTM’s use of Android Automotive, well, the Austrian manufacturer will be rolling out two configurations for its new displays: the V80 and H88. The V80, as its name suggests, is a vertically mounted display measuring eight inches, while the H88, on the other hand, is a more familiar, albeit much larger, horizontally mounted unit measuring 8.8 inches.
The V80 is similar in appearance to what CFMoto offers in the 800NK naked streetfighter, that’s to say, a massive iPad stuck to your handlebars.
Now obviously, all manufacturers have become obsessed with tech because they’ve come to believe that it’s the only way forward. But if today’s market is anything to go by, it’s clear that consumers are looking for something much simpler.
As we discussed before, KTM, Harley-Davidson, and Polaris have been struggling to sell expensive, premium models. And that’s because of the uncertain economic times, not just in the US, but in other parts of the world, too. These days, folks simply can’t afford to dump $20,000 on what’s essentially a toy. And slapping on ultra-fancy displays certainly doesn’t help anyone in the cost department.
At the end of the day, I couldn’t care less if the next generation Duke had a massive, full-color display with a 1280x720 resolution and 256 million colors, or just a barebones digital display that looked like a Casio calculator. What matters more to me is that it’s fun to ride, easy to use, and is reasonably priced. What do you think? Is KTM, as well as a bunch of other manufacturers, going way overboard with all this tech?
