Yamaha’s Advanced Motorcycle Stabilization Assist System Under Active Development
Yamaha is currently developing the Advanced Motorcycle Stabilization Assist System (AMSAS), an innovative technology that aims to enhance the stability and safety of motorcycles.
The main causes of motorcycle accidents have been linked to the rider’s recognition errors (10%), decision-making errors (17%), and operational errors (5%). Furthermore, statistics show that around 70% of motorcycle accidents happen within two seconds of the triggering event.
Yamaha Motor is responding to these findings by focusing on four key areas for rider aids development: predictive hazard assistance, preventive measures, defensive riding assistance, and damage reduction during evasive maneuvers.
AMSAS, which was introduced last year, utilizes controlled drive and steering forces to stabilize a vehicle’s orientation when moving at low speeds. “[Its most distinctive feature is] its approach to use an arrangement highly applicable to existing vehicles since it does not require any modifications to the frame,” says Project Leader Akitoshi Suzuki.
In the ongoing development of the prototype system, a production YZF-R25 serves as the platform and is fitted with drive and steering actuators as well as a 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU).
The objective of AMSAS as a rider aid is to improve the stability of motorcycles when they are starting off or being driven at low speeds, specifically addressing the instability commonly experienced during these periods. “When starting or stopping, the drive actuator fitted to the front wheel aids with stability, and from there up to about 5 km/h, the steering actuator attached to the handlebars takes over,” explains Suzuki.
The AMSAS prototype vehicle, currently in mid-development, can travel at walking speeds without tipping over, thanks to the combined efforts of its components. The rider’s skill level does not affect the vehicle’s stability at these low speeds.
Yamaha has committed to achieving zero fatalities resulting from motorcycle accidents by 2050, and is currently intensifying its efforts across the three pillars of Technology, Skills, and Connectivity. AMSAS, one of Yamaha’s key technologies, has the potential to be a crucial rider aid when combined with other technologies such as the world’s first radar-linked Unified Brake System, already implemented on the TRACER 9 GT+.
Anyway, with this amazing news, Yamaha is advancing the motorcycle industry towards a safer future, with AMSAS playing a crucial role in this vision. As development continues, AMSAS has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach motorcycle safety and usher in a new era of enhanced rider protection and stability on the road.
photos: Yamaha