Tech Talks: Bosch Wants Traction Control on All Motorcycles

Bosch wants to provide 100% of the Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC) systems they would like on the world’s motorcycles. Bosch cites 30% of all accidents to be a result of a lack of safety aids like traction control. Future goals for the company include making MSC systems more affordable for the general populace.

A company in our industry thinks all motorcycles would be safer with traction control. 

Bosch is a brand with many fingers in many proverbial pots; whether we’re covering the company’s staggering $2.75 billion investment into Hydrogen, their time in the lab with Kawaski to create an embedded blind spot radar system, or that one time they beat BMW to an emergency call system, it’s clear that Bosch is gunning for a tech-infused future for our good Powersports industry. 

According to a quote or two gleaned from Dan Sutherland’s coverage of Bosch’s Two-Wheeler and Powersports Head (MCN), the newest goal includes providing “100% MSC (Motorcycle Stability Control) systems on every motorcycle in the world.”

Why does Bosch want traction control for all motorcycles? 

Like anything related to industry totals, the answer to this question is multi-faceted, though Bosch’s Geoff Liersch has a relatively easy answer:

It’s pretty simple for me, I would like to see 100% MSC (Motorcycle Stability Control) systems on every motorcycle in the world. Why? Because we can save 30% of the accidents.” “Our challenge is to get costs down so the technology can be affordable in those areas…” – Geoff Liersch, Head of Two-Wheeler and Powersports (“Bosch aim to bring traction control to all motorcycles and cut accidents by 30%,” MCN)

Which motorcycles has Bosch outfitted with traction control? 

So far, we’re told that Bosch has been the brand responsible for the MSC in KTM’s decade-old 1190 Adventure, with a more recent project seeing both IMU and ABS systems chucked into TVS’s more recent Apache RTR 310.

Do these safety aids affect performance?

The answer to this one – “yes” – is obligatory, yet not everybody believes, like our good man Liersch, that performance should be sacrificed in the interest of a more economical safety aid system. 

Still, Liersch insists safety be prioritized:

Sometimes [creating affordable technology] means the performance is not as good as the high-end bikes.” See also Amanda Quick· Motorcycle News ·November 2, 2021·2 min read Harley-Davidson Calls EU Tariff Resolution ‘Big Win’ as Company Stocks Jump “We will reduce the performance of the system away from a performance [focused system] more to a safety system in those markets.” – Geoff Liersch, Head of Two-Wheeler and Powersports (“Bosch aim to bring traction control to all motorcycles and cut accidents by 30%,” MCN)

When does Bosch anticipate finalizing their global goal?

As Liersch reminds us, Bosch first began their journey with rider aids in 1988, when the company made an Anti-Brake System (ABS) and installed it on BMW’s K100. 

Given that was 30 years ago, Liersch believes we still have a long ways to go before Bosch’s dreams are realized: 

… it took 30 years to get where we are today. So, I expect it’ll probably take us another 15 to 20 years. And that depends on how quickly we can move technology to a price point that can be accepted.” – Geoff Liersch, Head of Two-Wheeler and Powersports (“Bosch aim to bring traction control to all motorcycles and cut accidents by 30%,” MCN)

Do you think all motorcycles should have safety aids like traction control?

*Media provided by TVS Motors, as well as Wikipedia, Ducati, and Bosch*