Radar Detection

[Fatfatboy]

 I got a news feed pop up that informed me that the Kawasaki H2-SX will get the Bosch Advance Driver Assistance System. I had to look it up to see what it was and found out that it's the radar detection system used on cars for blind spots and to take over if your getting to close to another object.

 I discovered that both KTM and Ducati offer it in their adventure bikes. They have had them in the front of the bike but Ducati announced recently they will also have it in the rear of the bike. I guess to let you know your about to get run over by a cement truck.
I'm not sure why but it seems like most of the safety equipment comes from Europe first. I guess we 'muricans like living on the edge by ride using our own senses.

Right now these are optional items but I'm sure eventually they won't be, driving up the cost of motorcycles.

These safety features are a nice feature to have in a car, I wish the lady that changed lanes right into the side of my Challenger a couple weeks ago would of had it in her car, but are they a necessity, or even a weakness in a motorcycle?
It seems to me these safety features can make one rely to much on them.

Case in point is the back up cameras in cars. One of my brother's has this feature in his Toyota. One day he was parked on old town Main Street. This is one of those streets where the only thing between the  storefronts and the street is a sidewalk and you park at an angle facing the curb so backing out of your parking spot has you backing out into traffic.

He put his car into reverse, turned his wheels, looked at the screen, saw it was clear and proceeded to back out and heard a crunch. His back right quarterpanel came into contact with the car next to him.
If he had used mirrors this little fender would not have happened.  

There are some safety features like ABS that are a benefit but how much more do we need on our motorcycles? Do we  really need this radar detection and beyond or is it just my Neanderthal thinking needs to move up to the 21st century?

   

[Allred]

It does make you question where it's all going to end.

I have to admit that upon driving a car with the distance precaution thing, and lane change prevention feature, I really did like it, it made a 560 mile freeway trip from LA to Redding a little easier (if a trip on near-perfectly-straight roads for 560 miles can be made any easier) and you have to question at what point is something so easy that you stop paying the attention you should be giving to the road.

We've had cruise control on cars for donkey's years, and I wouldn't be without it, and in the days before Japanese bikes the throttle could be adjusted to "stay where you put it", and I always did.

Anti-lock brakes, I was suspicious at first, but now I know they are a good thing, even on a motorcycle, probably especially on a motorcycle? (I have never experienced them on a motorcycle)

All the traction control, ABS, stability control, all working together with each other makes it nearly impossible to screw up and does prevent some people from getting in too deep, but maybe they should learn to drive properly in the first place. I can't help but think that all of this electronic help, plus seat belts, and multiple air bags, make people feel near-invincible!!  I've heard that if people had a 9" pointed steel stake sticking out of the steering wheel aimed right at their chest, they would drive a lot more carefully!!

Radar detection on motorcycles?.............I don't think so, I think you need to be paying so much attention to the road and other road users when riding a motorcycle that you anticipate and "detect" what's going to happen next way faster than any electronic device, and if you're not, well, you shouldn't be riding a motorcycle in the first place. There, how's that for Neanderthal!

I'm thinking it all may be mute soon, we are virtually promised fully autonomous electric cars in the very near future, so people won't need to learn to drive (I think that has almost happened already!!!)  They can talk on their cell phones with impunity, eat their breakfast, sip their coffee, put on the lipstick, etc. and I guess motorcycles won't need radar detection because the cars will stay out of our way!


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[oldironnow]

That's my take. ^

Just get all the cars and pickups and trucks to SEE us, and leave the radar tech off of the motorcycles.

That radar-brain can decide to hammer the brakes when there's an off ramp on a left-hand curve, and the exiting car is trailing slower and slower into its bend, and the radar thinks a car is stopping directly ahead so it freaks out.

[Fatfatboy]

Allred wrote

I can't help but think that all of this electronic help, plus seat belts, and multiple air bags, make people feel near-invincible!!  I've heard that if people had a 9" pointed steel stake sticking out of the steering wheel aimed right at their chest, they would drive a lot more carefully!!


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 I was pondering this while on the super slab today. It was raining. I was in my car doing about 70 MPH and getting passed by cars, SUV's and jacked up 4 x 4 trucks like I was chained to the guardrail. I know some of these had to be going 90 mph+. Our slab near us is not a flat piece of tarmac. Lot of hills and bends.

My thought was pretty much what you stated. All this safety equipment has people thinking that they won't slide off the road because the car won't let them and even if they did slide off the road the insta-bubble wrap will keep them safe.

[Allred]

Fatfatboy wrote

Allred wrote

I can't help but think that all of this electronic help, plus seat belts, and multiple air bags, make people feel near-invincible!!  I've heard that if people had a 9" pointed steel stake sticking out of the steering wheel aimed right at their chest, they would drive a lot more carefully!!


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 I was pondering this while on the super slab today. It was raining. I was in my car doing about 70 MPH and getting passed by cars, SUV's and jacked up 4 x 4 trucks like I was chained to the guardrail. I know some of these had to be going 90 mph+. Our slab near us is not a flat piece of tarmac. Lot of hills and bends.

My thought was pretty much what you stated. All this safety equipment has people thinking that they won't slide off the road because the car won't let them and even if they did slide off the road the insta-bubble wrap will keep them safe.

I think that pretty much sums it up.


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[Allred]

Honda is going one step further with your own personal drone...............(Think Tom Cruise and "Oblivion" here).

https://www.cycleworld.com/story/motorcycle-news/honda-drone-bike/?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&tp=i-1NGB-Et-TYp-1GsvnD-1c-12Y9c-1c-1GsysR-l5lHcJjgwt-1vpFG2

[oldironnow]

Riding home this morning in the dark,

scanning as always for the shadows of the deer, on the verge, in the median, out in front, made me wish for some kind of detection, or maybe help with braking if I was not paying attention while messing with my gloves or visor or something...

But to have the bike start massive braking to avoid a collision when I wasn't set up for it would be catastrophic in its own way.

That's where I'm at now.

Yet, with an IMU, maybe the machine could compensate for all the variables. The braking, the avoidance, the change in the CG from my mass sloshing about on top of the machine, my ham-fisted inputs while I try to get a better hold of the bars ...

[Mad4TheCrest]

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[oldironnow]

Mad4TheCrest wrote

I'm afraid the ultimate technological destination for motorcycles (if they survive as two-wheelers) is to something like an all-electric, imu assisted and gyro-stabilized, sensor and radar protected cocoon. You'll still be able to control them but at the first whiff of trouble they will shut you down and take over. If I am still alive but so old I need to be carried to the bike and strapped on I might appreciate the technology, otherwise there damn well better be an off button for some of that crap.

“hear, all ye good people,
hear what this brilliant and eloquent speaker has to say!”

[Fatfatboy]

Allred wrote

Honda is going one step further with your own personal drone...............(Think Tom Cruise and "Oblivion" here).

https://www.cycleworld.com/story/motorcycle-news/honda-drone-bike/?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&tp=i-1NGB-Et-TYp-1GsvnD-1c-12Y9c-1c-1GsysR-l5lHcJjgwt-1vpFG2

OK,,, who asked for this? Which one of you did it. Come on. Step up. Be a man.

[Allred]

Fatfatboy wrote

OK,,, who asked for this? Which one of you did it. Come on. Step up. Be a man.

.......He did it!!!!!!!


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