While the industry does not find a solution for drivers who ignore rear-view mirrors or the use of turn signals, there is another great “drama” of motorcyclists that may have its days numbered: the slipping of the rear wheel, better known as highside. If there is a more appropriate term let me know.
The highside happens when there is a momentary and uncontrolled loss of grip on the rear axle — not to be confused with the monumental outputs in power that the most gifted are able to achieve on the command of modern superbikes (CBR’s, GSXR’S, Ninjas and company…). An event that occurs at high bank angles and disturbs the entire longitudinal axis of the motorcycle. Result? A scare of biblical proportions that is usually seconded by a sudden gain in grip capable of catapulting the rider and motorcycle through the air.
Just this weekend, Cal Crutchlow, a MotoGP rider with Team Castrol LCR Honda, experienced the bitter taste of a highside.
The solution found by Bosch
To prevent weekend pilots from being sent out of orbit — sorry, I had to make this joke — Bosch took inspiration from space technology.
A kind of rockets, which run on compressed gas, when detecting a highside — through the accelerometers responsible for controlling traction and anti-wheelie (or anti-horse) — trigger a force impulse contrary to the direction of skidding. A system very similar to what we find in spacecraft to control movements out of orbit.
Want to see how it works? Here is a video:
This Bosch system is still in the testing phase. It remains to be seen when it arrives in production and how much it will cost, knowing in advance that the price to be paid will certainly pay it off. The price of the fairing of the motorcycles and the Betadine are for the hours of death...