Bosch presents new generation of its motorcycle ABS

Bosch presents new generation of its motorcycle ABS
  • New motorcycle ABS10 is up to 30 percent lighter than current ABS9
  • Cost-effective solution for price-sensitive small motorcycle segment
  • Hoheisel: “We are bringing ABS technology to all vehicle classes and markets”
  • ABS can prevent one-quarter of all motorcycle accidents resulting in casualties
  • More and more developing markets are mandating motorcycle ABS

Shorter braking distances, fewer accidents, greater safety – ABS makes riding a motorcycle safer. “ABS can prevent one-quarter of all motorcycle accidents resulting in casualties,” says Bosch board of management member Dr. Dirk Hoheisel, quoting from GIDAS, the German In-Depth Accident Study. Bosch will be presenting a new generation of its motorcycle antilock braking system at the EICMA trade show in Milan (November 19–22). Launching next year, the latest version of this life-saving technology has been designed with the needs of emerging markets like India and Indonesia in mind. ABS10 is smaller and lighter than previous versions: compared to the current ABS9, Bosch engineers have managed to reduce the weight by almost 30 percent and the size by almost 45 percent. As well as optimizing size and weight, Bosch focused on reducing costs. As a result, the system is now also suitable for use in small motorcycles with up to 250cc displacement – a segment that is both price-sensitive and popular in emerging markets. “We are bringing our ABS technology to all vehicle classes and markets,” Hoheisel says.

Motorcycle market growing – especially in emerging markets
More than one in three new motorcycles manufactured in Europe is now fitted with ABS. In emerging markets, however, the safety system has always been a fringe issue to date. But in many Asian countries – such as India, Indonesia, and Thailand – low-cost motorcycles count as the most important means of transportation. It is for this target group that Bosch has developed the new, smaller generation of ABS comprising a one-channel and a two-channel solution. “In the next five years, we are expecting significant growth in the market for motorcycle safety systems. A major driver of this is growing demand in emerging markets. Our new, cost-effective ABS10 greatly increases safety for motorcyclists in these regions,” Hoheisel says.

Accident analyses in Thailand and Indonesia show that ABS saves lives
Evidence of the extent to which motorcycle ABS increases safety can be found in accident analyses conducted in Indonesia and Thailand. Each year some 21,000 people die in motorcycle accidents in these two countries. Studies show that roughly one in four accidents could have been prevented with the help of ABS. The antilock braking system enables riders to brake without fear, so they react more quickly and with more power. For example, it prevents the front wheel from locking during an emergency braking maneuver. This means the motorcycle remains stable, making it easier to avoid a fall. Even in many unavoidable accidents, the safety system would have helped minimize injuries and save lives. This is primarily through a reduction in the speed of impact. Another study from India concludes that motorcycle ABS could prevent one in three motorcycle accidents outside built-up areas in the country. It would reduce the speed of impact in a further 16 percent of accidents.

Worldwide, ever more countries are promoting motorcycle ABS
These figures amply demonstrate the safety benefits of fitting motorcycle ABS. The benefit has already been recognized in the European Union. As of 2017, all newly registered motorized two-wheelers with more than 125cc displacement throughout the EU must be fitted with an antilock braking system. In Japan, ABS will be mandatory from October 2018 for new type approvals for motorcycles with more than 125cc. In emerging markets such as Brazil and Taiwan, too, laws mandating ABS in the future have already been passed. The issue is also on the political agenda in India and the United States. “We welcome the decisions around the world to make ABS standard. This will greatly reduce the number of motorcycle accidents,” Hoheisel says.

Bosch ABS solutions for all kinds of motorized two-wheelers
Bosch offers ABS solutions to suit all kinds of motorized two-wheelers. Since the mid-1990s, the supplier of technology and services has manufactured more than two million antilock braking systems for motorcycles. Bosch already offers a cost-effective solution here: last spring, Indian manufacturer Bajaj began offering Generation 9 front ABS – a one-channel solution for motorcycles with hydraulic brakes only on the front wheel – as an optional feature in the Pulsar RS 200. The versatility of the motorcycle ABS range is one of the reasons that Bosch received India’s Car & Bike Award in the Technology of the Year category at the end of January. Piaggio has also opted for the Bosch front ABS system in its Liberty ABS, the new motor-scooter generation just launched in the Vietnamese market.

Categories: Technology, Uncategorized
Tags: BOSCH