From ABS to ARAS: Advanced Motorcycle Safety Innovation

Racing purists often bemoan the rise of advanced electronics systems in series such as MotoGP. If you listen, they’ll tell you it eliminates a great deal of unpredictability from the sport by creating riders that are, as a result of the advancements, too precise… too perfect.

Sure, the racing may be close, they’ll explain, but there are now actually fewer opportunities for overtaking and general mayhem.

While you can certainly debate the merits of the technology in sporting arenas, there’s little arguing that a boost in precision, predictability, and anything resembling perfection would pay major dividends on the street. 

Racing improves the breed, indeed.

ABS to ARAS

When anti-lock brake systems (ABS) first rose to prominence in the two-wheeled domain back in the 1980s, they were met with substantial skepticism. Motorcyclists were concerned with the prospect of relinquishing any control over the machine as well the potential of lessened “feel.”

While ABS still has its detractors among riders, studies have proven time and time again that it reduces crashes and injuries among motorcyclists. As a result, it’s gone from a rarity to nearly standard issue with a push toward making it mandatory.

ABS cracked open the door to electronic aids in motorcycles. ARAS (Advanced Rider Assistance Systems) are now smashing that door down.

High-end motorcycles are increasingly incorporating technologies that will be familiar to anyone who has driven a modern car, adapting and translating many of those same safety features for two-wheeled use.

Utilizing AI and myriad sensors, including front- and rear-facing cameras and radar systems, ARAS pulls from multiple techniques to enhance rider safety and convenience:

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), and Rear-End Collision Warning (RCW) are among the most prominent (and largely self-explanatory). 

Yamaha, among others, has taken it a step further, teaming its Unified Braking System (UBS) with other ARAS technologies. Beyond simply warning a rider of potential dangers, the conjoined pairing determines if deceleration is insufficient to avoid an obstacle and then assists by applying additional braking power – intelligently distributed among front and rear brakes – as needed.

Even more sophisticated systems are currently under development and slated for near-term availability. Some of these employ greater range and 360-degree radar systems that continually scan the road for potential threats, offering significantly elevated awareness for the rider. Rather than a simple flashing light, haptic feedback as delivered through the bars, also promises to make the communication from machine to man in the moment of action more immediate and pressing.

Challenges

Often self-styled as rebels or happily perched on the bleeding edge, motorcyclists also often happen to be rather conservative in how they expect their machines to perform. The idea of taking critical decisions and actions out of their hands and handing them over to a computer may be interpreted by some as nothing short of an act of sacrilege.

Therefore, communicating the benefits of ARAS to riders is nearly as important a hurdle as developing systems that actually work as advertised. Both goals will be aided through the development of systems that perform their digital magic acts intelligently and without severing the rider’s feel or sense of control. 

Today’s (and even tomorrow’s) ARAS are a far cry from autonomous driving systems, and they’re not meant to be – or even hint that self-riding bikes are even a desired end goal.

However, making motorcycling a safer proposition is an admirable goal. And if any given ARAS option proves up to the task of providing increased safety, it deserves careful consideration by riders of all skill and experience levels.

Intentionality 

Implemented properly, ARAS are intuitive when required and invisible when not. The assists should be largely unseen and unfelt, rather a rider’s intentionality made real, with enhanced precision and predictability. 

Now that sounds about perfect.