See Honda’s electronic steering damper in action

[wkid_one]

Honda’s new 2004 Fireblade is awash with the latest technology from the GP circuit but the most unexpected development is the inclusion of a electronic rotary steering damper. And we can show you how it works.

Valentino Rossi has only just started using the technology on his championship leading RCV taking it out for the first time at Estoril last weekend but it will be a standard feature on next year’s Fireblade.

The electronic steering damper differs from most other steering dampers by offering continuously variable stiffness depending on how fast you are travelling. At low speeds it provides very little damping so you can manoeuvre the bike with ease, while at high speeds that damping increases to aid stability. This allows the bike to have a much steeper head angle than would otherwise be possible.

<IMG src="http://www.motorcyclenews.com/content/images/Home/Top_story/images/02679916.jpg" width=200 border=0>

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/content/images/Home/Top_story/video/02679913.exe

See the video on how it works...interesting

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[Dave]

Imagine it now-24 FIREBLADE OWNERS DEAD
24 fireblade owners died this month after jump starting their motorcyles causing damage to the circuits inside the 'Steering computer' of their motorcycles.
This caused the motorcycles to turn hard right at about 120k/hr
Killing the riders instantly.


Great invention!

[Coldkiwi]

my thoughts exactly.. I posted it elsewhere.. but who the heck needs a potentially unstable electronic steering damper when a 100% reliable mechanical one does the same job?

the sensible thing to do would be to hook up a servo to the speedo&nbsp; on a mechnical one such that could just adjust the damping level for changing speed and not actually provide the feedback.. or maybe this is in fact what honda have done?

[merv]

I would say give Honda some credit for doing something different which is something they are very good at.

If we all took the attitude let's stick with things mechanical, besides still using typewriters, we'd still be filing points at tune ups, we wouldn't have electronic fuel injection etc etc. The computer age is with us and we've just got to get used to it.

Honda cars such as Accords have electric power steering and fly by wire throttles these days and I didn't hear too many complaints about that so I can't see why they can't innovate with their bikes as well.

[Coldkiwi]

merv, with all due respect you need to do some more reading. Issues with EFI systems on bikes are well documented. electronic power steering isn't a feedback loop with highly unstable tendancies when excited (to my knowledge anyway... any controls engineers out there who clarify or shoot me down with scary terms like "Nyquist Distribution"?). :gob:

a fully electronically operated damper (if that is indeed what they are proposing not just an electronic setting adjuster) would need to deal with some very fast and highly unpredictable inputs (tank slapper anyone?)&nbsp; in a very controlled and reliable manner. show me it settling down quicker than a mechnical one on some poor bastards bike thats just landed on one wheel after he's flown over a ridge prior to a tight corner on the Isle of Man TT and maybe THEN I'll accept its a step forward.

(what'd you expect? I'm studied mechanical engineering not electronic!) :)

[Dave]

Where do we insert the "ride like rossi" eprom and take our hands off the bars alltogether?
Tank slappers are meant to be there-It reminds you why most plebs are driving cars.
Besides-is this a way of honda saying we'll never get suspension right so lets try to tune the chassis around it?

[Sharkey]

Coldkiwi, I think you're being a bit rough. Chances are that neither Microsoft nor Intel had any involvement in its development, and so it's sure to work fine......

[wkid_one]

Coldkiwi, I think you're being a bit rough. Chances are that neither Microsoft nor Intel had any involvement in its development, and so it's sure to work fine......

Thank fuck for that - other wise some 12 year old could hack in to our bikes and take them over - or we would keep having to download security updates that make it worse not better.

I agree tho - there is nothing to suggest this won't work - in fact - given Hydaulic Dampers are only set for one speed (usually 7-10 settings) - a variable on the fly adjustment makes sense - I just want someone else to test it first.

I besides that - IT IS FECKEN UGLY and how is my radar stem going to fit in the Head Stem with that thing on??

[Coldkiwi]

Originally posted by Sharkey
Coldkiwi, I think you're being a bit rough. Chances are that neither Microsoft nor Intel had any involvement in its development, and so it's sure to work fine......

dude, do you not remember those damn controls labs we did? I recall very little of the equipment working, and the video's of unstable stuff we did see 'working' weren't really encouraging!

dave, its not so much the shaking that would/has put me off but the thought that it the damper would make it worse! I'm fortunate that the ZX-6 isn't slapper-prone and I&nbsp;only get wiggles out of it (its undampered) on the strips at Pukekohe but I've seen the results of unstable systems and I wouldn't want one to be on my bike! (but I'm sure you agree)

[Hoon]

Looks like a very&nbsp;ingenious idea to me and I can't see any problem with it.&nbsp; The worst possible outcome I can think of is if the valve jams - no problem at high speed but at low speed it will be heavy to turn.

The problem with standard dampers is that you have to crank them up to stop those high speed wobbles but then its harder to steer around the carpark and in the driveway (myself I've never had that problem, guess it only affects those 53kg weaklings who keep winning races)

But one downer is that it won't be any good for tank slapping stoppies.

[Dave]

Got to wonder why their testing it on rossi's bike, I dont think they use his bike to ride around a carpark at low speed!

[Sharkey]

dude, do you not remember those damn controls labs we did? I recall very little of the equipment working, and the video's of unstable stuff we did see 'working' weren't really encouraging!
From watching the programme of how it works, all the electronics are doing is adjusting the rate of damping. So if the manure hits the propellor, the worst that will happen is no damping at high speed (bad, but no worse than having no steering damper, as you acknowledge is your current case Coldkiwi) or lots of damping at low speed (bad but really only inconvenient).

It is important to realise that this doesn't appear to be direct electronic control of an unstable system. It looks safe enough to me.


I just want someone else to test it first.

In fact, wkid_one, if someone passed the collection plate around and purchased a new Fireblade, I would be willing, strictly in the interests of science and broadening mans undersatnding of the universe, to be the someone else who tests it. :rolleyes:

[Coldkiwi]

ahh.. well if I wasn't paranoid about running foreign .exe programs I probably would've figured that out for myself too I guess!

still.. no damping at&nbsp;300kmhr+ on a GP bike is a little different from no damping at 230kmhr on my nice and polite 6yr old ZX-6!! the way they ride those bikes, dampers are essential... it would really only be ballast on mine!

[Hoon]

I&nbsp;would&nbsp;guess that the valve would be spring loaded to return to its safest position in the event of failure which I'd say would be closed (good high speed performance/bad low speed).

Street riders already have to&nbsp;endure&nbsp;stiff steering dampers at low speed so its no added danger.