Yamaha is developing electric power steering for motorcycles

Yamaha’s new electric power steering system is currently used in some motocrossers. (Yamaha/)

YamahaThe announcement at this year’s All Japan Motocross Championship that the Works Race Bike will be equipped with a prototype electric power steering (EPS) system could be the first step towards a whole new generation of rider aids.Started by ABS When Towing control..

But is it really that hard to turn a motorcycle bar? All bikes need to balance stability and maneuverability, and to get the most out of the latter, the former usually has a compromise that needs to be addressed by adding a steering damper. Yamaha’s EPS promises to eliminate that compromise by emphasizing the rider’s input while resisting external influences in the direction of the front wheels. This allows for motorcycle setup and geometry that would otherwise be unthinkable.

Related: Honda patented self-steering motorcycle

The system uses torque sensors, control boards, and actuators to add steering assist without the feeling of unnaturalness. (Yamaha/)

This system works through three major components. The magnetostrictive torque sensor measures the amount of steering movement and the force applied by the rider and sends that information to the control panel. The board is then bolted to the front of the headstock to inform the electronic actuators that work with the steering stem of the amount of assistance to add. This is basically the same technology used on bicycles to measure the force exerted on the pedals. The harder you pedal, the more electrical support they add. The same is true for EPS, but only for steering.

According to Yamaha, the first motocross version of the setup provides most of the support at low speeds, which are likely to use the big movements of the bar, and as you go faster, the focus shifts to a second role as a steering damper. Knowing the difference between the rider’s input and the external force, the steering actuator can counter bumps and road surface changes that may try to change the course of the bike. In competition, the result is a reduced physical ride quality for the bike and an increase in rider strength and stamina at the end of the race. According to Yamaha, despite this system, the bike feels natural to the rider.

Related: Honda is developing a steering assist system for motorcycles

motocross It’s just the beginning. According to Yamaha, this system was developed “with a view to mounting it on various motorcycles.” It’s compact enough to fit virtually any bike, and existing machines don’t need to be redesigned from scratch to incorporate it.on SuperbikeIt could easily be the next step from the types of active steering dampers already in use, but in the future, with the addition of electric actuators to control the steering angle, the door to many other possibilities. Will be opened.

The system looks compact enough to fit on almost any type of bike. (Yamaha/)

I’m already using a modern bicycle Ride by wire throttle ABS brakes that give a certain amount of influence to two of the three main controls on the on-board computer. Power steering means that the input of the third rider can now also be controlled by the computer. Both Honda and BMW have previously demonstrated motorcycle prototypes. Yamaha created a Motobot robot rider It can wrap the circuit on an otherwise standard machine without human control inputs. Computer technology for self-driving bicycles already exists, so EPS can put control into the hands of those computers by simply adding the last part of the jigsaw puzzle.

Combined with the kind of inertial measurement system found on many modern bicycles, the possibilities are enormous. Combined with something like a lane surveillance camera or the radar currently on the bike, you’ll see the potential for a semi-autonomous ride.For example, a next-generation traction control system that not only makes it easy to imagine lane assist, or even object avoidance, but also allows anyone to control a slide like Rossi or force a tight line when they start getting it. Fixed target On the outside of the corner.

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This system also offers the possibility to rethink some of the steering and suspension geometry ideas currently in use. Future bikes may have a more radical setup that relies on EPS for control. Modern fighters are designed to be inherently unstable, so they are physically bendable and responsive. It relies on the computer constantly making adjustments just to keep it in the air, allowing the pilot to focus on other things. Who says that in the case of EPS, motorcycles couldn’t follow the same route?

Yamaha is not the only one who believes in such a system.I have already seen Honda Riding Assist ConceptUse automatic steering to balance, even when stationary, BMW Prototype Self-Flying R1200GS Demonstrated at CES A few years ago.Beyond that, the electronics giant BoschAlready a market leader in ABS and traction control equipment for motorcycles, we are working on our own automatic steering settings. Yamaha EPS may be limited to motocross rider work for now, but it won’t be long before something similar appears on the road.

https://ift.tt/lFebqvw Yamaha is developing electric power steering for motorcycles

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