Australian Motorcycle News Vol 72 Issue 20

“LIKE ABS, OTHER TRACTION AIDS WILL LIKELY ONE DAY BE MANDATED BY GOVERNMENT” BIKES THAT can steer themselves and not fall over? It appears the technology is closer than we might think, at least according to Japanese manufacturers Honda and Yamaha it is. Yamaha’s Advanced Motorcycle Stabilization Assist System (AMSAS) consists of a steering-assist system and an electric drive mounted on the front wheel to provide stability at low speed. It can be mounted to any bike. Honda has developed a self-balancing system ostensibly for use on its flagship Goldwing, allowing riders to move the big beast around at walking speeds without fear of it toppling over. Some modern motorcycles are already packed with tech to help riders avoid accidents, such as radar cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and lane-change…

This time last year BMW trademarked the name ‘Roctane’ to use on a motorcycle. Now we can reveal this will be a significantly revised version of the R 18 cruiser with a stance and style unlike any of the four existing variants. The R 18 Roctane has been type-approved in Europe, meaning key dimensions and performance figures have been put on paper. Even in the absence of a photograph, the numbers reveal that the Roctane is a distinct departure from the existing R 18 range. At present, the four R 18 models can be split into two groups. There’s the original R 18 and the R 18 Classic, both based around a 32.7-degree head angle and a 1731mm wheelbase, while the heavier R 18 B and R 18 Transcontinental tourer…

INDIAN IS about to launch an ‘Elite’ version of its liquid-cooled Pursuit tourer with documents confirming its existence emerging in both Europe and Australia. It was first named in approval filings in Australia a few weeks ago and has now been approved in Europe, along with the remainder of the 2023 Indian range, suggesting a launch is imminent. While type-approvals sometimes give clues to substantial technical changes, in this instance they tell us that the Pursuit Elite will be all but identical to the existing versions. This suggests its updates will come in alterations to appearance and equipment levels rather than substantial mechanical revisions. That’s in line with existing ‘Elite’ variants of the Chieftain and Challenger, which are limited-edition machines with a smattering of optional extras and distinctive paintwork to set…

MELBOURNE-BASED start-up Savic Motorcycles has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help finance the production of the first 100 units of its C-Series electric café racer, recently tested by AMCN (Vol 72 No 18). The crowdfunding campaign is being done in partnership with Equitise, a leading Australian investment platform that connects startups with investors looking to support new and innovative ventures. Funds will also support the launch of international exports for Savic Motorcycles, which has already attracted global attention along with a swag of design and innovation awards. “Demand is growing and, with more than 250 pre-orders, we want to scale up manufacturing to deliver our bikes to Australian riders as well as bringing our premium products to new riders around the world,” said CEO and founder, Dennis Savic. The first…

Yamaha and Honda have set the challenging target of eliminating motorcycle fatalities by 2050, which is only a couple of generations of machine development away. That means the relevant technology needs to be introduced to production motorcycles within the next few years. At present car safety features such as radar-assisted cruise control and lane assist are filtering down to motorcycles. However, behind the scenes a much great revolution of design is unfolding with the aim of making motorcycling fatality-free. THE ‘PILLARS’ OF ITS STRATEGY ARE TECHNOLOGY THAT ASSISTS WITH RIDER RECOGNITION, JUDGMENT, OPERATION AND DAMAGE MITIGATION Idiot-proof R3 Yamaha’s recent announcement of its Jin-Ki Kanno x Jin-Ki Anzen Safety Vision program gives an insight into both the technology and the theories behind it. Its reveal of Yamaha’s Advanced Motorcycle Stabilization…

Honda Riding Assist program has been operating for six years. The latest development is a self-balancing Goldwing. This model has been the subject of a wide range of patent applications related to a next-generation version to be released within the next few years with the focus on rider-assist systems intended to make it harder to crash. The latest application shows that the future Goldwing won’t only help while you’re riding, but also when you’re pushing it around. The system seen in the new patent document is based on a setup that’s already been subject of several other patents, namely a steering-assist system for the Goldwing. The same mechanical components – an electric steering servo that sits alongside the headstock and can act as both power-assistance and as an accident prevention…