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Oct 06
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Ducati is producing a motorcycle with built-in radar

By General Posts

by Kris Holt from https://www.engadget.com

The Multistrada V4 has several rider assistance features.

Ducati has started production on what it claims is the “world’s first motorcycle equipped with front and rear radar technology.” The company worked with Bosch on the radar system, which allows the Multistrada V4 to offer some rider support features.

Each radar weighs 190 grams and is about the size of an action camera, so the system won’t add too much weight or bulk to the motorcycle. The front radar enables adaptive cruise control, which helps the Multistrada V4 automatically adjust its distance from other vehicles while riding at between 30 and 160 km/h.

The rear radar can detect vehicles that are in the rider’s blind spot. The system can tell you when vehicles are approaching at high speed.

Ducatti hasn’t revealed much more about the Multistrada V4, save for the fact it has a “new, light and compact V4 engine.” The company has yet to reveal what the motorcycle even looks like. It’ll show off the Multistrada V4 for the first time on November 4th.

2021 Ducati Multistrada V4 Production Starts – 1st Motorcycle With Radar Tech

by Nithyanandh Karuppaswamy from https://www.rushlane.com

The 2021 Ducati Multistrada V4 is the first production motorcycle to be equipped with front and rear radars for rider assistance systems

The 2021 Ducati Multistrada V4 has entered production at the Audi-owned sportsbike marque’s Borgo Panigale facility near Bologna, Italy. In its fourth generation, the popular adventure tourer ditches the L-Twin motor in favor of Ducati’s new V4 unit. The all-new adventure tourer will make its world premiere on November 4.

The fourth-gen Multistrada V4 is claimed to be the first production-spec motorcycle to be equipped with front and rear radar technology. In 2016, Ducati worked in collaboration with the department of electronics, information and bio-engineering at Politecnico di Milano, Italy’s leading technical university, on rider aid systems. Four years down the line, Ducati has brought a comprehensive radar-based rider assistance systems to the market in association with Bosch.

Ducati radar technology

The radar system on board the 2021 Ducati Multistrada V4 involves two compact radar units 70 x 60 x 28 mm, roughly the size of a modern action camera. Each unit weights around 190 grams and integrates neatly into the motorcycle’s bodywork.

The front radar unit is responsible for Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) just like in the cars. This system modulates the motorcycle’s braking and acceleration to automatically regulate the distance from the vehicle ahead. Designed to function in 4 configurable stages between speeds of 30 to 160 kmph, the radar-based ACC has been tuned to suit the dynamics and ergonomics of a motorcycle. Of course, the rider will be able to maintain constant control of the vehicle in any scenario even when the ACC is operational.

The rear radar unit functions as a blind-spot monitor to warn the rider of vehicles that are not visible on the rear-view mirrors. The rear unit also warns the rider of a fast approaching vehicle from behind. The control algorithms related to Ducati Radar Technology have been the subject of a patent which was filed in 2017.

2021 Ducati Multistrada Design

Along with the production announcement, Ducati has also teased the motorcycle through a set of images. While the entire motorcycle is not visible, we can observe that the 2021 Ducati Multistrada retains its instantly recognizable styling but sports sharper elements. The front radar module is located between the twin LED headlamps while the rear unit is nestled below the taillight.

The exact specifications of the new lightweight V4 engine on board the Multistrada still remain under the wraps. So far, the V4 unit is available in two displacement configurations on board the Panigale and Streetfighter models.

The new flagship adventure tourer will be launched in India sometime next year. Expect the prices to start well above INR 20 lakh (Ex-showroom).

Mar 20
Love0

How to Handle the Four Most Common Road Emergencies

By General Posts

You are out on the Highway, enjoying your getaway when suddenly your motorcycle stalls. What to do? Fortunately, the four most common road emergencies can usually be prevented by regular inspection and maintenance, but here’s what to do when that doesn’t work. FROM www.ridermagazine.com

1. Out of Gas
Run out of gas on the road and you’ll need a donor bike and a transfer device. To siphon, the fuel level in the donor bike must be higher than the level it will reach in the recipient bike; place the donor bike on a curb or rise. Carry a siphon hose, at least three feet of flexible, transparent hose that is easy to coil and stow under a seat or in a fairing pocket. Get one with a squeeze bulb and you won’t need to undergo the potentially disgusting ritual of siphoning raw gas with your mouth.

To avoid mouth siphoning immerse the hose deep into the donor bike’s fuel supply, cap the other end with your thumb and begin to slowly draw out the hose and lower it into the recipient bike’s fuel tank. Remove your thumb once the level of fuel in the hose drops below the top level of the fuel in the donor bike (that’s why a transparent hose is best), and the fuel will begin to flow.

If this is not possible, drain fuel into whatever is handy, such as a beverage container, sidecover or tool tray by removing a fuel line and turning on the petcock. This may not be possible if the donor bike has a vacuum-flow system. Rinse the container thoroughly with gasoline, and be certain ol’ Jimbo ain’t lightin’ up during this procedure.

Tools: Siphon hose

Prevention: Check the gauge, dummy! Zero your bike’s trip odometer when you fill up, and it will show the elapsed mileage.

2. Flat Tire:
Establish whether your bike has tube or tubeless tires. For the past few decades, most bikes with cast wheels have carried tubeless tires, while most with wire spoke wheels have had tube-type. If it’s a tube-type, you’ll have to “break the bead,” pull the tire away from the wheel (pack tire irons) far enough to expose the puncture in the tube. This may mean removing the wheel from the bike. Roughen the area around the puncture with the tool supplied in the patch kit and apply cement. Wait momentarily till the glue becomes tacky, and apply the patch.

For a tubeless tire, it’s only necessary to remove the nail and insert the tool from the patch kit to enlarge and roughen the hole. Cover a plug with cement and insert. Cut off excess and add air. The three methods of doing so are with CO2 cartridges, an electrical pump that runs off the battery and a hand pump.

Tools: Toolkit, tire patch kit, tire irons, air supply

Prevention: Inspect tire tread frequently for depth and foreign objects, and check pressure regularly. The last 10 percent of tire life results in 90 percent of the problems.

3. Low Oil:
Suddenly the oil light comes on. You’re a quart low—oops! Rodney has a quart along, but your bike runs that expensive 20W-50 synthetic bike oil and his is 40W cheapo car oil. Can you mix them?

The answer is yes. Considering that the alternative is either serious engine damage or sending someone on a 100-mile goose chase, mixing will not harm the engine, though it will dilute the properties of the high-quality oil. Change oil and filter at your earliest convenience.

Tools: Rag, funnel, extra quart

Prevention: Check oil

4. Sudden Engine Stop, Reason Unknown
A sudden engine cutout usually boils down to fuel or electricity. Check fuel supply, check for a clogged gas cap vent (does opening the cap suddenly and temporarily “solve” the problem?) or fuel filter. If your bike is carbureted and there’s fuel in the float bowl(s), the problem likely resides elsewhere.

Turn on the ignition and see if your bike has lights, horn and starter. If not, check that battery cables are tightly connected and clean. If your battery isn’t maintenance-free, are the cells properly topped up with distilled water? Spray WD-40 on the sparkplugs, wires and coils to displace any water.

If the lights and horn are strong, check fuses (know your bike’s fuse box location, and carry spares). With a clip lead and light, clip the lead to ground (a piece of bare metal on the engine) and place the point on either side of the fuse with the ignition on. If there’s power on both sides, the fuse is good.

If the starter cranks but the engine does not start, use the clip lead to establish if there is juice at the coils. If so, pull the spark plugs and establish if they’re sparking. If not, trace the wires back to the last place where there was electricity, then inspect upstream for bare wires or breaks. Listen and watch for obvious stray sparks. Wrap broken wire with tape to get you home.

Tools: Clip lead, electrical tape, fuses, WD-40

Prevention: Pray

And, of course, whenever you go for a ride, carry a cell phone, credit cards and some spare cash–sometimes calling in the cavalry is your only option. It’s also a good idea to have coverage with a roadside assistance plan, such as the one that’s included with annual membership at the American Motorcyclist Association.