Please Stop Putting Giant Tablets On Motorcycle Dashboards

Auto manufacturers already went crazy with putting tablets the size of flat-screen TVs all over the inside of cars. On motorcycles, it'll be even worse.

Photo by: Honda

By: Janaki Jitchotvisut

Nov 5, at 7:15am ET

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What do you find most appealing about riding your motorcycle? Is it the disconnection from the noise of the world around you, instead neatly enveloping yourself (and your racing thoughts) inside the persistent hum of your bike, as well as the very distinct and specific level of focus it requires?

Is it the fact that, no matter what else might be troubling you, you know that your bike is always there to take you somewhere lovely and get your mind off of things? Or better still, hang out with friends and enjoy a nice time riding together?

Maybe it's something else entirely; you do you! But at the same time, I'm willing to bet that one thing absolutely no one will answer is that they find a giant-sized tablet on their dash to be the single most irresistible feature of their bike.

One of the reasons that most of us who love motorcycles do, in fact, feel this way about them is that they aren't cars. That's not to say that you can't enjoy both; only that if you do, chances are excellent that you love them for totally different reasons.

I'm not a fan of massive digital displays taking over dashboards in cars, particularly when they're out of all reasonable proportion with everything else around them. And I'm even less a fan of that kind of design choice on a motorcycle.

I want fewer distractions on my bike. I want to clear my head on my bike. Most of all, I don't want to be tricked into staring at YET ANOTHER GIGANTIC SCREEN on my bike. I do that enough for work, as I'm sure does anyone who spends any serious amount of time at a computer.

When I ride a motorcycle, I do it to get out in the world. Do I listen to music (and maybe some navigation) inside my helmet as I go? Sure. But to be honest, if I can avoid it, I don't even take phone calls on my bike. I could, of course, if I needed or wanted to.

While I'd never try to tell you that you shouldn't, purely from other riders I've spoken to in person, I get the feeling there are a lot of riders who feel similarly. When you've mounted up, wherever it is you're riding, the entire purpose is to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with the real world. Touch grass, touch asphalt, breathe air that isn't stale, maybe zip up some cool roads or sweet new trails.

Lose yourself, only to find yourself.

What do you think?

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Comments

Yes, I know there are some navigation systems made for overlanding that purposely have large displays, all the better to more clearly display the necessary map details to help you navigate. That's an excellent use of technology, for a very specific type of rider (and purpose). Most of us probably don't want (or need) something that big, though. If you do want (or need) something that big, it should be an option; not stock equipment that you're stuck with whether you want it or not.

Or am I completely wrong, and do most of you reading this feel like one of the only things that's been missing from most new releases is a tablet dash that's nearly the size of your windscreen? If so, feel free to tell me so in the comments.