It’s nearly impossible to purchase a new motorcycle that doesn’t include some form of pre-installed electronic rider aid. From cornering ABS to switchable ride modes, on-the-fly adjustable traction control to hill-hold start, the variety of rider aids made available in just the last few years is mind blowing.
Behind much of this electronic rider aid development is Bosch – the privately held German company with motorcycle ABS research dating back to 1984. More recently, Bosch has been one of the leading purveyors of traction-control systems on motorcycles from several manufacturers.
Bosch’s latest advancement is its integrated Motorcycle Stability Control system seen on flagship models such as KTM’s Super Adventure and Super Duke GT. The all-in-one system combines lean-angle dependent brake control with electronically linked brakes to provide optimum stopping performance in any scenario. The system also incorporates lean-angle-dependent traction control that includes algorithms for mitigating front- and rear-wheel lift.
In addition to its Motorcycle Stability Control system, Bosch is busy developing small, lightweight, and affordable ABS units for motorcycle manufacturers in emerging markets, as well as looking to the future of the worldwide motorcycle safety industry by developing technologies that will further connect riders with cloud-based motorcycling. Bosch is so serious about its motorcycle future it introduced a Two-Wheeler and Powersports division of the company last year, and positioned the headquarters in Yokohama, Japan.
We recently spent some time with leading figures from Bosch’s Two-Wheeler and Powersports division at the International Driver & Rider Training Symposium. From them, we learned how extensive the German company’s roots are in motorcycling, and peered into the future of electronic motorcycle safety.
