PATENTS: Harley-Davidson’s STANDALONE technology
‘The advantage of the Harley-Davidson patent is that in this case the entire balancing system (flywheel, sensors, control unit…) finds space inside the rear case, and therefore is compatible with any motorcycle.’
The American factory has filed patents for an assistance system that’s capable of keeping a motorcycle standing when it’s stationary or running at low speed.
Adaptable to any model, the clever new technology seems perfect for the weighty bikes in the HarleyDavidson range. Low speed handling isn’t exactly the easiest thing to master on some of the big boys in the H-D range, and if the worst does happen and you end up taking a tumble, you’ve then got to pick it up. Lifting a 300kg motorcycle is not exactly easy, so that’s why Harley has patented an assistance system that’s capable of keeping your pride and joy upright.
Adaptable to any and all of Harley-Davidson’s machines, the system features a traditional spinning mass gyroscope. That’s basically an enlarged version of children's toy gyroscopes. However, the Harley-Davidson gyroscope consists of a large flywheel capable of rotating between 10,000 and 20,000rpm thanks to an electric motor. This solution allows the flywheel to move freely in both axes (roll and yaw) while you're moving. It's a clever solution which means that the system should not affect the dynamic behaviour of the bike at higher speeds. At low speeds (below about 5km/h), the gyroscope comes into action and helps keep the bike balanced. A clutch engages blocking the roll axis, while a control unit manages the lateral inclination of the rotating mass, creating a force that influences the balance of the bike. A series of sensors register when the bike begins to lean on one side and the control unit and the actuator work to compensate the lean. It actually takes relatively little force to do this, provided the correction happens before the bike begins to lean too much. And then as soon as the motorcycle reaches speeds above 5km/h, the gyroscope actuator is disengaged and you can go on your merry way until you slow down or come to a standstill.
Admittedly, this isn't the first time we've seem a bit of technology designed to keep a motorcycle upright. It's not even the first system to use a gyroscope. A very similar system has been by Indian firm Liger Mobility, who have developed a device capable of independently balancing the weight of a scooter. And, of course, Honda showed off its 'Riding Assist ' technology a few years a go; you might remember the videos of a bike rolling out of the garage to a waiting ride. The Japanese factory's solution relies on the technology that was developed for its UNI-CUB (a single-wheel vehicle that's capable of moving simply by shifting the weight of the body and leaning towards the desired direction). Using sensors, it works out what needs to happen to the bulk of the bike to keep it right side up – including moving the wheels and extending and compressing the suspension. It's a much more complicated system which isn't so easily transferable to existing models.
That's part of the beauty of the Harley system – the entire system (flywheel, sensors, control unit) fits neatly into a topbox, and as a result is compatible with nearly any motorcycle. But whether or not we'll see this technology any time soon still remains to be seen...