KTM: partnership with Bosch to increase safety on board

KTM, which has always been committed to the development of sporty and high-performance motorcycles, has been collaborating with for several years Bosch to develop systems to increase driving safety, such as the Motorcycle Stability Control introduced on 2014 models of the Adventure family.

Five years later, the Austrian company announces that some of the models in the range will soon adopt the Adaptive Cruise Control and Blind Spot Detection systems, also developed by Bosch. Still in the development phase, both features use a complex system of sensors that allow the detection of other vehicles near the motorcycle and the consequent prevention of frontal collisions or rear-end collisions. The systems were recently installed at prototype level on a suitably modified KTM 1290 Super Adventure S and demonstrated at the headquarters of the Austrian Automobile Club OAMTC in Marchtrenk, Austria.
Adaptive Cruise Control (or ACC) operates when the vehicle exceeds a certain speed with cruise control activated and is not to be considered an emergency braking system. The system is able to detect the presence of a vehicle the size of a motorcycle up to larger vehicles that come within range of the motorcycle. If necessary, it is activated by automatically controlling the accelerator, in order to maintain an adequate safety distance (two seconds from the vehicle moving forward) and if necessary, it gently activates the front brake to reduce speed. The development of the system is still in an experimental phase, as is the possibility for the driver to customize the distance and speed beyond which it can be activated. Once the development phase is completed, ACC should be able to intervene more quickly than any driver in the event of danger.

Blind Spot Detection (BSD) adds a pair of "electronic eyes" to the motorcycle to overcome those situations in which the rider has to turn his head to make sure that there are no other vehicles in his "blind spot" before overtaking. The BSD uses a short-range radar capable of warning the driver of a potential rear-end collision – such as can happen during a lane change – through an audible signal, a visual message on the TFT display and the switching on of high-brightness LEDs integrated into the rear-view mirrors. These and other features, which will certainly change the rules of active safety on motorcycles, are part of new electronic packages that will be installed on some KTM road models starting from the 2021 models. After having personally demonstrated the effectiveness of these systems by riding a KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S without keeping your right arm and right leg on the vehicle controls, Gerald Matschl, Vice President of Research and Development at KTM, said: “KTM has long been committed to improving the safety of its customers and reducing the number of accidents. The development phase of the new systems is still long and we have to travel many kilometers to test these tools in the real world before we can implement them in mass-produced motorcycles, but in the near future they will be available to the public and we are sure that they will make a difference". Luke Brackenbury, PR Manager Street of the Mattighofen company replied: “KTM has always invested in the safety of its vehicles by offering innovations that help the driver control his vehicle without compromising the pleasure of driving. Improving safety for motorcyclists is part of our responsibility as manufacturers of sports motorcycles and KTM has demonstrated this responsibility by introducing, for example, in 2014 the two-channel ABS as standard on the KTM 125 DUKE and the Motorcycle Stability Control, i.e. the Lean angle-sensitive ABS on Adventure family models. With the ACC and BSD systems we hope to make driving for future generations even safer".

KTM currently offers a considerable number of advanced electronic supports on most 2018 road models. The goal of such systems is to improve driver safety and increase driving pleasure. The new 790 Duke, for example, adopts an ABS sensitive to the motorcycle's lean angle, the same adopted by the 1290 Super Duke R, while the 1290 Adventure S and R and the 1290 Super Duke GT adopt the motorcycle's stability control system ( MSC) with the revolutionary lean angle-sensitive ABS function. Many vehicles in the range also adopt the engine torque regulation system during deceleration (MSR) and multi-level traction control. Some models are equipped with the semi-active WP suspension, with the Hill Hold Control (HHC) hill restart system, with the automatic turn indicator reset (ATIR), with the Quickshifter+ and with the cornering lights LED.