A Lot of Technology Requires Some Explaining
The new 2020 Honda Africa Twin, no matter what type of Africa Twin you get, has the 6.5-inch touch-panel TFT LCD Multi-information Display with handlebar controls and features like Apple CarPlay and settings for the ABS, Torque Control, wheelie control and more. To help folks understand what’s what before they get out there knot the real-world, Honda has created a simulator on its website.
The simulator will allow you to play around with the system in a safe environment and learn where are the controls are and what all the capabilities are. This should help riders new to the system learn it pretty quickly.
“The electronic technology of the 2020 Africa Twin is amazingly capable, and Honda’s new Multi-Information Display simulator enables customers to more easily get the most out of their machines,” said Chris Cox, Manager of Experiential Marketing & P.R. at American Honda. “We encourage customers—whether they already own an Africa Twin or are in the market for a new adventure bike—to give the tool a try.”
I wonder if as more and more technology gets added to bikes if this will become a more common thing from manufacturers. It would make sense. Personally, I’m kind of against having all this extra stuff on the bike, but there are a lot of features that I know riders want and find helpful. If these infotainment systems are going to be on bikes, then I’m all for some simulators to help us all learn.
Smart move by Honda. I’ve seen high-end aircraft navigation systems do the same thing (Garmin, etc.) for their complicated-but-capable GPS nav products.
Better – and SAFER – to learn the interface “offline” on a laptop or tablet before taking to the streets (or skies) where lives are at stake.