Riding a two-wheeler can get rather lonely and to make things worst, you won’t get the luxury of information like automobiles do, not at least without stopping. Well, those are non-issues if you ride a 2017 Indian Motorcycle that come equipped with Ride Command Infotainment System as standard. Sticking a infotainment display on a bike is not new, but one that does almost every infortainment in car does and sports an enormous display for legibility is kind of qualifies it as industry leading. And we are talking about factory-fitted stuff; not some aftermarket do ups.
Ride Command was announced along with Indian Motorcycle’s line up of Model Year 2017 bikes, which will see the 2017 Chieftain (from $23,999) and Roadmaster (starting at $28,999) outfitted the infotainment as standard. Yup. Not a dream. And if you do acquire the aforementioned 2017 bagger or touring bike, expect a 7-inch display, boasting 800×480 pixels with 2-finger capacitive touch, staring right at you when you saddle up. The infotainment system opens up a world of information and entertainment, offering you turn-by-turn GPS navigation, along with tidbits like points of interest (POI) and critical information like time, air temperature, direction, fuel level and even fuel range.
And it takes just 10 seconds to boot up, because you want information and you want it the moment you turn the key and before you flick your wrist. Ride Command is an infotainment system and therefore, it is no surprise that radio comes as standard and if that isn’t enough, there is also a USB port so you can playback digital mix tape stored on USB flash drives, while Bluetooth connectivity lets you stream audio from compatible device – delivered through up to 200W premium audio system and with control on both the touchscreen, and on the handlebar audio controls.
When paired with your phone, it puts phone functionality right in front of you too and from there on, you will have the freedom to access your phonebook, receive incoming call notification with name display, make voice activated calling, get incoming text notification and a whole lot more. With all those features, there’s little difference in amenities between a motorcycle and a car, well, except maybe the lack of air-conditioner, but seriously, a motorcycle needs no such thing; it has natural air.
Images courtesy of Indian Motorcycle/Todd Williams Photography.
