Rider aids and safety assistance systems have advanced by leaps and bounds in the past few years. A decade or two ago, a bike with ABS and traction control was considered groundbreaking when it came to safety. These days, even simple commuter scooters come standard with TC and ABS.
Manufacturers are now leveraging the power of technology in a bid to make bikes safer than ever before. We’re seeing it with BMW, Ducati, and KTM’s radar systems, and this time around, it seems that Honda’s working on a similar adaptive cruise control system.
Interestingly, instead of relying on radar alone, it combines stereo cameras alongside radar tech for a more intelligent adaptive cruise control system.
So, what’s the benefit of making use of radar and cameras side-by-side? Let's dig into it.
Well, of course, it’s safety. Radar systems on their own have certain limitations such as lacking the ability to make out certain objects on the road, but they have much longer range than camera systems. Meanwhile, camera systems can quickly identify objects, but can also be affected by variables such as dirt and glare.
And so by combining the two, Honda hopes to develop a safer, more intelligent system.
Judging from the images in the patents, the new radar and camera adaptive cruise control system will be used in a future iteration of the Honda Africa Twin. It shows the cameras mounted just below the headlight, with rubber mounts and a gimbal-style mount to absorb vibrations, as well as adjustments in pitch and yaw.
Of course, such a system would also make sense in touring models like the NT1100, Rebel 1100, and the Gold Wing.
Another interesting development from Honda comes in the form of an automatic braking system. It makes use of the data gathered by the radar and camera setup, so it’s more than likely that this feature will be baked in once the entire package is rolled out. So yes, it’s pretty much like the adaptive cruise control systems we find in our cars, as the radar and camera systems will tell the bike to speed up and slow down depending on the pace of traffic.
As I mentioned earlier, we’re seeing more and more advanced safety systems in modern-day motorcycles. And while that’s definitely a sign that technology is advancing, it begs the question: how much is too much? At this point, we’re pretty much making motorcycles that will eventually be able to ride themselves. We’re making bikes that are more like cars when it comes to the tech found within them.
Where’s the fun in that?
