A lot of the comments on this subject have been very interesting and I can understand both parties.
As a born again biker who started riding again after a 20 year gap just 3 years ago, new bikes were a revelation!.
I owned a Exup 1000 when I previously rode a bike in my early 20's which at the time was the dogs, being 20ish I rode it like a prat, youth did that to me i suppose, I also did trail riding and some motocross so I felt comfortable on a bike !
Fast forward 20 years and I thought (I know I will get a bike!!) One k7 GSXR 750 and I was gobsmacked by handling, tyres and brakes that would have only dreamed ofiin my youth, 3 months later I got and 07 R1, awsome kit sooooo quick but too young for an old bugger like me,
Well, after three years now back on bikes and 20,000 miles later I am finally buying an Adventure.
What I am doing is getting every button going, not because i will rely on it all the time, but because its there when I need it and it doesn't harm retail values either.
The latest boughts of icy roads show how people rely on technology in cars, they think that due to 4 wheel drive,tcs,rds, and all that other stuff they won't crash on black ice, well they will. PErhaps they feel that they are invincible. Ferraries, Porches and the like are now fully loaded with kit, the purists say get rid of it, or can I turn it off, but this technology is certainly not harming sales so its here to stay
This technology will become even more common place for certain. Yes it may protect a total numpty from screwing up once in a while but it wont prevent an off in total.
The choice is yours, pay for it if you want it, dont if you dont want it.
I really dont think that forcing "new riders" to do without this so they can learn like we did in the old days won't serve a purpose to be honest, it will probably just discourage people getting into biking in the first place
