Here at Sinclair Law, I am not only dedicated to helping motorcycle riders when they get involved in an accident; I take great pride in being a part of the riding community myself. I understand the camaraderie that can only be found at bike rallies, poker runs, and bike rodeos. I understand the freedom of the road and the joy of the wind in your face with nothing but open asphalt in front of you. Unfortunately, I also understand that riding a bike can be inherently more dangerous than other means of transportation and just how severe the damage can be when a motorcyclist meets the pavement.
In my role as a personal injury attorney, I see the results of these motorcycle accidents every day, and to be honest, I take a lot more pleasure in meeting my fellow riders socially than I do in my office. So, I would like to offer you a little insight into the latest technology that has come out to not only enhance our riding experience but help keep you safe while out there on the road.
Electronic Throttle Control (ETC)
Whether you are a novice rider or have years and thousands of miles in the saddle, there is always that chance of jumping on the throttle a little too hard at the wrong time. Remember Indian Larry’s fatal fall.
Electronic throttle control goes a long way toward eliminating that problem. Instead of a mechanical cable linking your twister to your engine, it sends an electronic signal to a tiny computer that registers your current engine speed, gear, road speed and a whole lot more then applies power at a rate that gives you the maximum acceleration that can be delivered safely.
Adaptive Motorcycle Headlights
According to the American Automobile Association, up to 90 percent of motorcycle accidents that happen at night have poor visibility as a contributing factor, and the vast majority of them happen in curves. This is mainly due to headlights only letting you see a small part of the curve ahead of you. That is where adaptive headlights come into play.
As you enter a curve the sensors in an adaptive headlight system read the angle of your bike, calculate your turn rate and then actually adjust the angle of your lights, letting you see more of the road ahead.
Smart Helmets
Helmets with built-in sound systems and even intercoms and citizen band radios are nothing new. Now, though, thanks to the modern technologies of voice recognition and heads up displays, you can have a helmet that lets you check your GPS system, receive phone calls, listen to music and even access a rearview cameras. All this is available without ever having to take your hands off your handlebars or eyes off the road.
While these gadgets could become a distraction, used wisely they can greatly increase your situational awareness.
Bosch Stability Control
This may be the single best bit of tech in this entire article. I have seen literally thousands of motorcyclists injured in both low-side and high-side accidents caused by losing stability and not being able to react in time to save themselves. Now Bosch, yes the same company that builds stereos, has what it claims is a system that makes this virtually impossible.
Its many sensors constantly monitor your bike’s position and performance parameters and in a matter of milliseconds can take control of your bikes engine and braking system to help you regain control.
All of this technology is designed to help keep you safe on the road, but being a biker myself, I know we can be a funny lot. We are very much, on the whole, traditionalist when it comes to our rides. We all have our own ideas of what a motorcycle should look like. Honestly, I could never see myself hanging a bunch of futuristic looking gadgets on my Pan or my Shovel Head. That is the wonderful thing about the majority of these innovations, though. They can be added to your bikes without compromising their looks or the way they feel when you ride.