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View Full Version : Air bags on bikes. Honda's latest Goldwing.



eliot-ness
9th September 2005, 09:31
Just heard that Honda are to provide optional air bags for 2006 USA Goldwings. Sales are being hit hard by BMWs latest models so Honda are fighting back with all the latest technology being fitted to next years models.
Safer, or just another sales gimmick??? What comes next. Ejector seats???

Jeremy
9th September 2005, 09:38
Auto-pilot and a microwave.

vifferman
9th September 2005, 09:54
Well, it's got everything else: 6-CD stereo (improved for 2006 with new and extra speakers), electrically-adjustable windscreen, reverse gear, heater vents for your feet, heated grips, satellite navigation system, intercom, a boot, etc etc.)

So it's basically a car with a couple of wheels missing.

BUT (However!!) at least they did something significant to it.
The 2006 VFR gets new indicator lenses, a different windscreen, satin-finish muffler covers (oooooh.....), black-painted rear suspension brackets, New! Improved! instrument panel graphics, colour-coded fairing insert thingummybobs, and (...wait for it....) a reprogrammed ECU that cuts in the stupid wailey thingie at 6400 RPM instead of 6850 RPM "for smoother repsonse". :zzzz:

The 2006 CBR600RRRRRR gets two new paintschemes: a reddish radish one, and an exciting "based on the RC211V race colour scheme" sort of a bit (not really) orangey one. woohoo...
The only really updated bike is the CBRRRR1000RRRRR.

Honda have outdone themselves with mediocrity this time round...

Paul in NZ
9th September 2005, 10:20
Pah! BMW have had hot air bags for yonks... (PT) and most HD's come with a oversized dirt bag so whats new? (PT again)

bugjuice
9th September 2005, 10:24
they should make them with wheels that come down when you stop, so you don't have to waste effort on putting your feet down at lights etc. Taking your feet off the pegs is just so overrated..

microwave could be very handy tho. Could you get a Sky dish fitted too? May be hook up the Xbox and stick some more speakers in.. cos you know.. there's not much else to do..

2-wheel steering/drive..?

Lou Girardin
9th September 2005, 10:27
Stuff airbags, I want funbags on mine.

bugjuice
9th September 2005, 10:31
Stuff airbags, I want funbags on mine.
well they've been fitted as optional extras on some bikes for years..

vifferman
9th September 2005, 10:37
I forgot to mention cruise control.

bugjuice
9th September 2005, 10:38
I forgot to mention cruise control.
that's been standard for years on those things, hasn't it..?? it was one of the first things i remember when I first saw a <s>two-wheeled truck</s> Goldwing

WRT
9th September 2005, 10:44
they should make them with wheels that come down when you stop, so you don't have to waste effort on putting your feet down at lights etc. Taking your feet off the pegs is just so overrated..

Funnily enough some years ago someone invented a "bike" that had automatic "training" wheels on it. The thing looked like the front of a fighter jet, and you actually sat inside it (with a weird combo of handle bars and seat belt). The wheels would retract above about 5kph, up into a 45 deg angle, meaning that if you tipped it onto either side, it would turn into a tripod. Saw some footage of it where they were doing tight circles on it, leaning it over further and further until the left hand wheel touched down. Then they slowed to a halt (must be some tilt sensor that wont let the wheels come down if you are on an angle), before speeding up again, round and round until it was fast enough to tilt back up onto two wheels again.

Looked like it would be fun, but cant say I would trade in a bike to get one. More like something you con your mate into buying so you can take it to a car park from time to time to have a thrash on.

vifferman
9th September 2005, 10:58
that's been standard for years on those things, hasn't it..?? it was one of the first things i remember when I first saw a <S>two-wheeled truck</S> Goldwing
I guess. But it's special, powered by a powerful 16-bit ECU. :yes:
Not as powerful as the sat-nav; you can have it telling you where to go (presumably in a Murkn accent) through the speakers, or actually inside your helmet if you plug in your optional accessory helmet intercom doodad thingummy.

Lou Girardin
9th September 2005, 12:58
Air conditioning?

Smorg
9th September 2005, 14:58
when would the air bag know to deploy? It would send you flying i would think depending on the angle of deployment.
What if you just had a stumble and dropped it at the lights.................kapow!!!!!!!! You'd look like even more of a fool :chase:

bugjuice
9th September 2005, 15:02
when would the air bag know to deploy? It would send you flying i would think depending on the angle of deployment.
What if you just had a stumble and dropped it at the lights.................kapow!!!!!!!! You'd look like even more of a fool :chase:
if the bag is big enough, it could boost you backwards over some cars.. now that could be fun. Find the sensor, then, with a rather large hammer *kapow!!!! wheeeeeeeeeeeeee* (K.I.T.T. boost me up to that window... *smack-bushhhhhhh-wheeeeeeeeeee*)

I saw a pic of it in the Herald actually. One thing that baffles me a bit - a 'bag in a car is mainly there to stop you from going into the dashboard and windscreen. You are retained by the seatbelt, and your generally only have one main motion (forward, then back). On a bike, how many injuries have been from hitting the dashboard? If anything, a head on crash, the bag inflates, and boosts you another 10 feet into the air as you go over the top.. Either that, or most likely nowhere near the bike anyway as the bike goes one way and the rider another..

Smorg
9th September 2005, 15:53
hahahaha if it happened quick enough the driver of the cage would think he'd hit a bike with no one riding it...............until he looked in the trees 100m down the road, it'd be like having an ejector seat

Hitcher
9th September 2005, 16:01
they should make them with wheels that come down when you stop, so you don't have to waste effort on putting your feet down at lights etc. Taking your feet off the pegs is just so overrated...
But they do. Available as an after-market accessory.

idb
9th September 2005, 22:12
Stuff airbags, I want funbags on mine.
A tank slapper for me thanks!

Avignon
9th September 2005, 22:54
Whats the point, get a car. Saftey gone too far.

I want the Japanese motorbike future as portrayed in the Magna classic Akira. 200mph , 2 wheel steer action. Not the safety for your own good stuff, say no to the nanny state.

Jackrat
11th September 2005, 09:00
Air bags ?,yeah right!!
So you go off road, bump over the ditch activate the AB,,,,,,an crash killing yourself in the process.
No thanks,I've had more than one "I don't belive I saved that" situation an I'd like to have every opertunity for it to happen again without some bloody airbag jumping out an totaly rooting any chance I might of had.
I can't see anything that takes away your control of the bike being a good thing.Mind you some drone probably justifiyed his job with this crap idea,so all's sweet aye.

Ixion
11th September 2005, 11:08
Air bags ?,yeah right!!
So you go off road, bump over the ditch activate the AB,,,,,,an crash killing yourself in the process.
No thanks,I've had more than one "I don't belive I saved that" situation an I'd like to have every opertunity for it to happen again without some bloody airbag jumping out an totaly rooting any chance I might of had.
I can't see anything that takes away your control of the bike being a good thing.Mind you some drone probably justifiyed his job with this crap idea,so all's sweet aye.

Apart from the risk of accidental deployment, I can't see how it's going to work. The picture in the paper showed it deployed, and the bag was blown up between the rider and the bars.

Now (a) on most bikes the bars are quite flat. What's going the stop the bag just being pushed forward? (b) in a crash the front end often folds backwards. That will pull the steering head down and back, moving the airbag forward. And (c) even if none of this happens, because the RIDER is not restrained, all that will hapen is that you do a nice dive over the top of the air bag. (And DON'T suggest seat belts on bikes. Some raving idiot at the LTSA will take you seriously)

Stupidest idea I've ever heard of. Which means , Heaven help us, that the LTSA are certain to want to make it mandatory immediately.

Waylander
11th September 2005, 11:18
Whats the point, get a car. Saftey gone too far.

I want the Japanese motorbike future as portrayed in the Magna classic Akira. 200mph , 2 wheel steer action. Not the safety for your own good stuff, say no to the nanny state.
Would you belive that thing is supposed to be electric not petrol powered? Don't think it had two wheel steering but definately two wheel drive. Twin ceramic rotor drives on each wheel. Coputer controlled anti-lock breaks...

Alot closer to the goldwing than you think...

Waylander
13th September 2005, 19:16
You have seriously got to be fucking kidding me....


http://www.motorcycledaily.com/09september05_2006honda_goldwing_airbag.htm

limbimtimwim
8th November 2005, 14:10
Reuters:

http://video.stuff.co.nz/assets/reuters_300_005.asf (2.1M) .

It does seem to work quite well, in ideal circumstances anyway.

PLUG FOR EMPLOYER: stuff.co.nz launches videos today. Be great if you (The public at large) could give it some testing.

Biff
8th November 2005, 14:35
BUT ( The 2006 VFR gets new indicator lenses, a different windscreen, satin-finish muffler covers (oooooh.....), black-painted rear suspension brackets, New! Improved! instrument panel graphics, colour-coded fairing insert thingummybobs, and (...wait for it....) a reprogrammed ECU that cuts in the stupid wailey thingie at 6400 RPM instead of 6850 RPM "for smoother repsonse". Arse biscuits. It'll still sound the same as a cat with explosive diarrhoea being strangled by an Algerian goat farmer, and have as much get up and go as Elvis. It's all smoke and possums if you ask me. Fur coat no knickers. But it does look nice though. So that's alright. OIIIII HONDA - WHERE IS THAT BLOODY V5 MOTORMACHINE?????

Bonez
8th November 2005, 17:18
A tank slapper for me thanks!Just a plain ol slapper for me :blip: