As far as aftermarket add-ons go, most riders are happy with a gadget that offers motorcycle security, or helps them ride faster. The Ride module from Scorpio helps you with both those goals.
The Ride module is a little black box that can be discreetly hidden on a motorcycle that works in conjunction with a smartphone app (iOS or Android). It offers two different services riders should find helpful. First, it’s a monitoring system for your motorcycle, giving you updates on tire pressure, battery status, kilometres left until next servicing, and more. It also displays your bike’s current location, so should you venture off on foot, you can find where you’ve parked it.
Then, the Ride module also offers real-time information about your current ride, if you use it while you’re out on your bike. Obviously, you need to have your smartphone mounted somehow on your bike to use this feature. While you’re riding, the Ride module can offer the same sort of information as a GPS – the gadget will tell you how fast you’re going, what direction you’re headed, and will show your progress and route on an on-screen map.
More interestingly, it also lets you store your rides, so, if you care to time yourself along a particular ride (on-track or off), the telemetrics this offers could be a valuable training tool. There are also options to share your progress via social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.), so if you want to update your friends on your trip’s progress, or brag about some extra-legal speed achieved through the twisties, you can do so. Just remember, the police are using this sort of information to bust speeders all the time …
Finally, you can also use the Ride module as an alarm system. Built-in sensors can detect if the bike is being pushed around, or moved around when it shouldn’t be. The module can then send you an alert on your phone, or trigger an on-board alarm. It will also track your bike by GPS, should it be loaded into the back of a pickup and spirited away. You can even add on an optional perimeter sensor.
There are some drawbacks with the Ride module. First, not all these options are standard; several of them have to be added on at extra cost. However, some users who don’t want all these options (if you’ve already got an onboard alarm, say) might welcome that. The unit itself costs $219; an optional security kit costs $109 and a remote costs $99. The tire pressure sensors are $79 for two.
Another issue is that the system is not a one-time pay-and-play. Because it needs to connect to a wireless network, the system needs an ongoing data plan. Canadian users must spring for an $11.95 a month or $143.40 a year data plan. That’s simply the cost of using a system that operates over wireless networks, but it may turn some users off.
Finally, some people may have security concerns about their ride data; if Johnny Law seized your Ride module for some reason, it could potentially show up in court and result in expensive fines.
Find out more about Scorpio’s Ride module here. As far as we know, the company is not owned by, operated by, or otherwise affiliated with Hank Scorpio, although he would likely love to use the information gathered in some nefarious blackmail scheme. See the video advert below.
