Are you ready? Ducati's Multistrada will be able to brake for you

Oct 07, 2020

Are you ready for a motorcycle that can apply the brakes for you?

As Mark Gardiner reported here more than two years ago, Ducati has been at work on an adaptive cruise control system and promised to introduce it in 2020. The Italian company has now kept that promise by announcing that the system will be an option on the 2021 Multistrada V4. As Spurgeon reported last month, the new flagship Multistrada will be powered by a revised version of Ducati's V-four engine, but the inclusion of adaptive cruise control is an even bigger change.

Ducati team building the Multstrada — Ducati is about to unveil its 2021 Multistrada V4. Ducati photo.

Ducati plans to release information on the new engine next week and will unveil the finished motorcycle on November 4, but for now let's take a quick look at the new technology being offered. We're working on a more in-depth examination for later.

Developed in cooperation with Bosch, the system uses front- and rear-facing radar units to detect other vehicles nearby. The technology is common in many cars, but this is the first time both front and rear radar has been used in a motorcycle, Ducati says.

radar unit for Ducati Multistrada — Ducati says the radar units measure just 70 mm by 60 mm by 28 mm in size, weigh just 190 grams and are integrated into the bodywork so they are not noticeable. Ducati photo.

The front radar can make adjustments to acceleration and brakes, so if the motorcycle gets too close to a vehicle ahead, the Multistrada will be able to slow itself down by rolling off the throttle or even applying the brakes, even if the rider doesn't act. Ducati says the system can be set to four levels and is active between speeds of 30 to 160 kilometers per hour (18 to 100 miles per hour). Don't expect the system to slam on full brakes, however.

"The authority of the system in terms of deceleration and acceleration has been limited in order to ensure the rider can maintain constant control of the vehicle in any situation," Ducati said in a statement.

rear radar unit in the tail of the Multstrada — The rear-facing radar unit on the Multistrada V4 will provide warnings of vehicles approaching from behind or in a blind spot. Ducati photo.

The rear radar unit, meanwhile, provides blind spot detection by warning the rider of vehicles that might not be visible in the mirrors. It also warns of vehicles approaching from behind at high closing speeds.

Along with the switch to a four-cylinder engine, it's clear with this new technology that Ducati intends to position the Multistrada as a flagship street model offering the most advanced technology. We also expect to see similar systems developed by and with Bosch begin to show up on other premium models.

We're working on getting a closer look at this technology that is making its way from cars into the motorcycle world.