Motorcycle safety features
Motorcycle manufacturers have developed advanced safety features for modern bikes. This section tells you more about these features to help you make an informed choice.
Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC)
How it works
An electronic Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC) system constantly monitors and measures key motorcycle data, such as:
- wheel speed
- lean angle
- pitch angle
- acceleration
- braking pressure, among others
This data allows the system to recognise critical situations in cornering and intervene, thereby preventing the wheels from locking under heavy braking, stopping the wheels spinning under acceleration, and depending on manufacturer settings, preventing the rear wheel or the front wheel from lifting, ensuring that they constantly maintain traction. The system also can distribute braking force between the front and rear wheels, even when only one brake is used depending on manufacturer specifications.
Benefits of a Motorcycle Stability Control system
The key benefits to the use of a Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC) system include safer braking and accelerating, particular in corners, and increased rider confidence.
Video courtesy of Robert Bosch (Australia) Pty. Ltd
Linked Braking System (LBS)
How it works
A Linked Braking System can consist of a hydraulic proportioning valve which is connected to the front and rear braking systems however, more modern systems are integrated into the ABS system. Whenever a brake lever or pedal is engaged, the system distributes optimal braking force between both the front and rear braking systems.
Benefits of a Linked Braking System
The use of a Linked Braking System enables riders to use both brakes to their full potential giving the rider greater confidence in navigating hazardous situations.
Preliminary research shows that when both ABS and LBS are fitted to a motorcycle, there is a severe injury crash reduction of 44% across all motorcycle crashes in Australia.
Video courtesy of Motor Cycle News
Traction Control
How it works
The Electronic Control Unit, or ECU, uses the ABS sensors on a motorcycle to determine how fast a motorcycle’s wheels are spinning. An event which may occur in a loss of traction can be identified by the sensors due to a differential in wheel spin speed between the two wheels: a loss of traction occurs when the differential is too high. When there is a risk of a loss of traction the ECU will modulate the drive torque to ensure that traction is maintained. The ECU may also use the accelerometers and gyroscopes to gather more data when taking corrective action.
These process are different depending on the manufacturers, however these corrective actions may include:
- changing the ignition timing
- skipping fuel ignition on cylinders
- adjusting the throttle
Video courtesy of Robert Bosch (Australia) Pty. Ltd