Ducati Motorcycles To Be Equipped With Radars
By 2020, expect Ducatis to be equipped by front and rear-facing radar along with other high-tech safety features
Ducati has been taking big strides towards improving rider safety. Earlier, the company had successfully introduced ABS cornering system and even manufactures the only motorcycle in the world capable of interacting with an airbag jacket - the Multistrada 1200 D Air. And now, the bikemaker has announced that it will introduce front and rear radars on its motorcycles as a part of its "Safety Road Map 2025" strategy.
Ducati has been working along with the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of the Politecnico di Milano University since 2016 for developing this technology and has already filed a patent. The system, called ARAS (Advanced Rider Assistance Systems) increases rider safety levels via a number of sensors, including radars. The rear radar will enable blind spot warnings and visual indications about something coming from behind, while the front radar will detect the flow of traffic ahead to and relay the information to an adaptive cruise control system.
The Italian manufacturer has announced that the earliest version of the system in question will be available on Ducatis by 2020, but hasn’t revealed which model will be the first one to feature this ground-breaking technology. However, the Multistrada is most likely to get it first.
This is a welcome move by Ducati and will help the company to differentiate itself as a manufacturer of swift yet safe motorcycles. However, these technological developments will add to the electronic complexity of the bikes and even a slight technological glitch may result in a fatal accident. Moreover, the radar itself is quite expensive and will only push the prices of bikes upwards.
It’s too early to call the shots as the technology is in its early days. However, what’s for certain is that there’s a long way to go before this technology makes its way to entry-level bikes.