"- Designed to achieve a lock on a specific motorcycle ahead for a staggered formation

- Multiple motorcycle tracking option with the ability to select a specific lead bike

With the advancement of technology and the increasing number of road users, adaptive cruise control is one feature that is bound to play a major role in the future. While car companies have progressed well in this direction, two-wheeler brands have also made note of the same and started working on it. One manufacturer, in particular, Harley-Davidson, is taking a unique approach towards adaptive cruise control keeping its group riding aspect at the forefront.

Now, for those unaware of adaptive cruise control, the system works by receiving information about objects and surrounding vehicles with the use of radar, laser or camera. The information is processed by the control module which instructs the vehicle’s main control unit to automatically moderate the speed and keep pace with the vehicle ahead. Now, while the system is increasingly available on four-wheelers, two-wheelers are expected to receive similar tech by 2020. On that note, Italian bike maker Ducati has already announced that beginning with a few models of its 2020 range, it will be equipped with such technology.



Coming back to Harley-Davidson, the patents filed by the bike maker are suggestive of adaptive cruise control which, apart from being motorcycle-oriented, is also particularly designed to offer a group riding structure, something that is commonly associated with Harley-Davidson motorcycles and their owners. Over here, the system is designed to lock onto a specific motorcycle ahead rather than the vehicle up front. The idea projected is to have a staggered formation that can be formed by multiple motorcycles all linked together. A transceiver sends out a unique identifying signal which is received by the motorcycles fitted with the same system allowing the bikes to be ridden in a convoy. The system will also provide information to track their positions while allowing the rider to pick a lead motorcycle to follow.



The user interface for the system will be shown on an on-board display. It will provide information like displaying the location of the leader the system has locked-onto and an option to change the leader when desired. Besides that, the patent application also showcases a scenario where the lead motorcycle has switched a lane to overtake a car.

Apart from adopting adaptive cruise control, Harley-Davidson has gone a step further by incorporating group riding which, without a doubt, is one of the significant reasons why buyers are inclined towards the brand. The new thought towards group riding based adaptive cruise control adds a stronger reason for existing and future buyers to be loyal to the American brand."

https://www.bikewale.com/news/41766-...e-control.html

I have a new car with adaptive cruise control. I do not use it as I don't trust technology over my won common sense and instincts. I doubt I would every use what Harley has patented here, however, it would speed up local HOG groups rides. Perhaps, even hitting freeway speeds on the freeways.

 

The Hoggies will love it. They were gonna do that same technology for the buffet line, using belt buckles.
Only thing that held them back was getting the signal to penetrate the bellies covering the buckle.

 

I don’t do group rides, so not an issue. I had a Merc with distance control, lane control and all kinds of warning systems, I hated it, most these systems come on by default, and you have to cancel them one by one, got rid of it pronto.

i can understand the benefit of these systems and would even go as far to suggest that if driving or riding is a mere chore by all means use all of them.

I love riding and driving, so I’m fully involved, no distractions like mobile phones, radio etc. I don’t carry passengers on my bike, nor particularly like them in my car when I drive.

 

with cruise control on you are no longer riding your motorcycle.
You are riding ON your motorcycle. If I have to explain the difference you will never understand.

My wrist is strong and so is my desire to control my own throttle.

 

If you need this option might I suggest that you shouldn't be riding in groups.
I'm afraid this will be another gadget that will distract riders and cause them to not have all their attention on the road.
I've rented cars with this option and absolutely hated it. Just gets in the way of driving.

 

Just what I want on my motorcycle, more complexity.

This sort of stuff makes me thankful that I’m getting old and hopefully won’t have to live in a world where cars and motorcycles drive themselves and we won’t be allowed to.

 

Interesting. I also would be a little leery of using it on a motorcycle. Cruise control is fine. But leaving the decision as to how fast you should be going is where I draw the line. If the sensors start getting faulty readings and think that bike a couple feet ahead of you is starting to pull away, things could get interesting. The processor things it's time to speed up and crank that throttle wide open -- yeehaw !. And what if it temporarily loses a reading and then locks onto something else ? Too many unknowns and variables and there is no way they can adequately beta test a system like that until thousands of bikes get on the road and kinks are worked out. I personally would not want to be one of the Guinea Pig first adapters of the technology.

 

LOL...the anti-tech sentiments in some of these posts are hilarious. However, I did learn that I prefer to be riding ON my motorcycle as opposed to actually RIDING my motorcycle. Seriously dude, WTF?

 

You can sign up to be one of the beta testers of the new technology.

 

Not anti-tech, just not interested. Pretty soon the wiring harness on a bike will be like that of a car.