A ‘Motorcycle of the Future’ has been designed that insurance companies will love – it’s safer, cheaper to repair and harder to steal!

The Australian concept bike has been developed by the IAG Research Centre in conjunction with renowned motorcycle design consultant Tim Cameron, and it was unveiled by MotoGP championship leader Casey Stoner at a launch in Sydney.

The bike features automatic brake drying, traction control, an accidental tip-over warning device and lots of sensible, clever other ideas such as a speed limiter. Expensive and essential parts of the bike are protected by ones that can easily be sacrificed in a low speed crash.

Research into motorcycle tip-over crash tests have revealed that design features which prevent damage to expensive or essential components can reduce the total cost of repairs by as much as 40% compared to an unprotected motorcycle.

Key safety features of the concept bike include -

• low tyre pressure indicators compare the front and rear tyre rotation speeds and detect any change which could be attributed to loss of air;
• rider-controlled speed limiter function enables the rider to temporarily preset a speed which cannot be exceeded inadvertently;
• blind spot warning sensors indicate to the rider whether there is likely to be unsighted nearby traffic, by using side-looking proximity sensors linked to warning lights adjacent to each of the rider’s rear view mirrors;
• traction control ensures that power can be applied without tyre slip, particularly on wet or greasy surfaces;
• anti-lock braking compares wheel rotation speeds and regulates braking pressure;
• emergency brake assistance is able to sense the rate at which the brakes are applied and then increase the brake line pressure if emergency stopping is required;
• electronic brake force distribution reduces stopping distances by directing brake line pressure to the tyre which has the most traction;
• automatic brake drying picks up input from a rainfall sensor and occasionally applies gentle pressure to the brake pads to keep the discs dry and ready for an emergency;
• self-cancelling turn signal indicators measure distance traveled and time elapsed;

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