3 Polarizing Motorcycle Features Bikers Seem To Either Love Or Hate

The list of features available on modern motorcycles seems to grow longer with each new model year. Some of them, like anti-lock braking, slipper clutches, and tire pressure monitoring systems, are pretty handy. Others don't live up to their promise, are overpriced or cumbersome to use, or just don't add any perceivable benefit to some riders. Meanwhile, some riders still swear by those features.

Some of the most unused features found on motorcycles are extensions of popular features found on cars. While cars also have some features almost no one uses, when it comes to motorcycles, some features are downright polarizing.

Innovation is a good trait for motorcycle manufacturers. It's made today's bikes lighter, faster, and easier to ride. However, some features offered on today's motorcycles, such as excessive riding modes or keyless ignition, aren't always popular. Unfortunately, some are unavoidable, and you'll have to use them even if you're not a fan. Below, we'll explore the features that many riders either love or hate, with almost no in-between.

Keyless ignition is a polarizing feature gaining popularity among manufacturers of some electric motorcycles and traditional bikes. This includes models from Indian, Honda, Yamaha, Triumph, and others. If your bike is so equipped, you'll be forced to use it. However, for now, those riders are still among the minority.

Some riders enjoy the convenience of keyless ignition on their bikes. The freedom provided by slipping a key fob into a pocket or clipping it to a belt loop or backpack is an understandable benefit. However, many of the riders weighing in on forum threads about keyless ignition systems found on new motorcycles don't appreciate the risk of the key fob slipping from a pants pocket while on a ride. Those riders would much prefer having a standard key that stays secured in the motorcycle's ignition while riding. 

Another potential drawback to the "out of sight, out of mind" operation of a motorcycle key fob, rather than using a physical key which requires your touch before and after each ride, is forgetting it's in a backpack that's not taken along for the ride. A few riders report scenarios where their key fob was close by or carried by a passenger when starting a ride, only to have the bike rendered inoperable once the fob was out of range.

Other than losing the key fob, the worst case scenario is leaving it in a pants or jacket pocket that ends up in the washing machine. Some will point out that the same thing can happen with a traditional key, but keys usually still work after a good washing, and they're far less expensive to replace.

It wasn't too long ago that anyone riding a motorcycle quickly developed a certain skillset in order to operate it safely. Before ABS, traction control, cruise control, and other high-tech innovations, a rider was required to feel the motorcycle's response to their inputs and adjust accordingly without the benefit of electronics.

There's no doubt that newer motorcycles with cruise control and improved tech, like ABS and traction control, are safer and easier to operate, especially for newer riders. However, too much of a good thing is often a bad thing, like any motorcycle with more than a few pre-programmed ride modes. For example, the BMW R 1300 GS features four riding modes: Road, Rain, Eco, and Enduro. Opting for the TE spec model adds even more modes: Dynamic, Dynamic Pro, and more off-road-specific options. 

Other models include standard pre-programmed and fully customizable modes to dial the bike's suspension, throttle response, ABS, and traction control settings to your preferences. While a few options and settings are advantageous and more choices sound like a great idea, most riders won't actually use more than a couple of them beyond spending a few minutes riding in each setting to see if they notice any measurable difference. Some riders will enjoy this, but others may see it as an unnecessary addition.

Before motorcycles became the high-tech machines we know today, subscriptions were mostly limited to magazines and occasionally signing up to get music CDs (or cassette tapes if you remember that far back) mailed to your home each month. Today, paid subscriptions are extremely popular, if we include services like Netflix and a host of entertainment options.

Subscriptions are also increasingly popular in automobiles with services like General Motors' OnStar, Ford's BlueCruise, and Mercedes Me Connect from Mercedes-Benz, to name a few examples. They're also becoming a common offering to motorcycle riders, with paid subscriptions like Kawasaki's voice command feature, Indian Motorcycle's Ride Command+, and CFMoto's Intelligent Services, which started out as a free service but moved behind a paywall in August 2025.

Premium features, like tracking ride routes, digital key, geofence, and real-time location, are often locked behind a paid subscription. While these features offer a certain novelty at first, many riders may not be eager to spend money every month just to obtain them. Motorcycle communities often show that bike owners would rather not have to pay a subscription, which should come as no surprise. On the other hand, there will always be a group of tech-savvy bikers that enjoy the extra details, likely overlapping with the group that creates custom ride modes to match their riding style.