Adaptive cruise control

[Daboo]

I'll preface this with saying I'm sure you guys will think I'm nuts.

I put ACC in something of the same category as traction control and the other safety net "features". I think traction control and the other electronic aids were invented because motorcycles reached the point that the average rider couldn't get out of the dealership parking lot without them...or he'd wreck it into little itty bitty parts.

Here's a quote from an article on the original Hayabusa that bears this point out.

Suzuki Built The Fastest Motorcycle Nobody Could Handle

This 200-mph diplomat ended the speed wars by forcing a global truce. An unrestricted, aero-aggressive icon of raw velocity.

www.hotcars.com

The 1999 model year represents the only time the Hayabusa was sold without electronic intervention. These bikes are identified by their unrestricted 220 mph (340 km/h) speedometers. In this original form, there were no secondary throttle plates to soften the power delivery, and no software-coded speed cap. Independent testers frequently saw 191 to 194 mph on radar, figures that caused a political firestorm in Europe.

Riding a 1999 model is a different experience than riding later generations. The throttle response is more immediate, and the lack of a 186-mph limiter allows the engine to pull through the top of sixth gear. This version of the bike required a high level of rider discipline; without traction control or ABS, the only safety net was the rider's right wrist. This lack of intervention is a far cry from the best motorcycle safety features found on contemporary motorbikes. The original Copper and Silver paint scheme from this year has since become the most sought-after configuration for collectors.

What made the original machine feel “too fast to handle” though, was the blatant absence of any electronic restraint. The 1,299cc inline-four produced immediate, muscular torque from as low as 4,000 rpm, lifting the front wheel in first and even second gear with nothing more than a firm throttle roll. There was no ABS, no traction control, no wheelie control, and no lean-sensitive IMU calculating grip in milliseconds. There was no slipper clutch to smooth aggressive downshifts, and no electronic safety net to save a ham-fisted rider mid-corner. The only fallback you had was a silent prayer if things got too hairy.

Modern liter-class motorcycles may produce comparable horsepower figures, but they rely on cornering ABS, slide control, launch control, quickshifters, and vastly superior tire compounds to manage it. The 1999 Hayabusa asked the rider to manage 175 horsepower and a tidal wave of torque with pure mechanical feedback alone, so it's no wonder it earned its reputation as a machine few could truly master.

Chris

 

[bdalameda]

I love the ACC cruise on my wife's Volvo. When we go up to the Bay Area and frequently get stuck in traffic the Volvo ACC will actually let the car come to a complete stop and then slowly follow the car in front of you without touching the gas pedal or brake. It as close as you can get to making driving in stop and go traffic tolerable.

 

[ST Gui]

You do understand I bought the Civic and the CRV for my wife's safety mainly? I'm still super manly tough and smoke cigars when Jack gives them to me. I was in a terrible fist fight just last week but luckily I beat her good.

Ok that last bit is a little cringe but I do get that's humor. R-R-R.