Patents are one of the most exciting insights into the future of powersports, but they can also be one of the most frustrating. Recently, Can-Am had the RideApart team at odds over what a patent was all about, but this time it's Honda.
A recently filed patent by Honda has RideApart's Executive Editor, Jonathon Klein, wondering if the OEM is developing a power-steering system for motorcycles, whereas I began to wonder if this couldn't be an electronic steering damper of sorts. However, after diving deeper into the patent, I changed my take entirely.
According to the technical problem information, this is the issue that the device sets out to solve, "When a saddle-ride vehicle is running, turning operations are often performed successively in mutually different directions, such as a left turn immediately followed by a right turn. When the rider steers the handle to successively perform such turning operations, there has been a problem that the rider may be caused to feel discomfort if attitude stabilization control, specifically a steering assist to maintain the attitude upright, is performed."
I can't see the need for electric steering on a motorcycle, and although there's no reason not to develop an electric steering damper—I believe the only reason they don't use them in MotoGP is regulatory—but the "solution to problem" makes me wonder whether this device could be used to help prevent low-speed spills when there's too much steering input or lean angle at a speed that could cause the bike to tip over.
According to the patent, the solution to the problem is described as, "An aspect of the present invention is a saddle-ride vehicle including: a steering actuator that applies torque in a steering direction to a suspension apparatus supporting a steering wheel; first detection means that detects a roll angular velocity of a vehicle; and a control apparatus that controls the steering actuator, based on the roll angular velocity detected by the first detection means, to apply the torque to the suspension apparatus, in which the control apparatus: includes modes of the control, the modes including a first control mode that performs control to apply a predetermined first steering torque, and a second control mode that performs control to apply a second steering torque smaller than the first steering torque; and switches between the first control mode and the second control mode if a predetermined condition is satisfied."
Now, that's a lot of technical jargon to take in. But to me, it sounds like this device can apply torque to the front wheel to help keep the bike upright if it detects that the roll angular velocity is such that the motorcycle could tip over. What's even more interesting, is how this technology could work with Honda's e-clutch to assist new riders struggling with low-speed maneuvers like U-turns.
But this is just my opinion and I'm dying to hear what your take is in the comments.
