Playing the safety card
Safest motorcycle in the world: that's the claim by Russian motorcycle company Chak Motors about its new Molot. Before smirking, read on…The word “Molot” translates from Russian as a sledge or mallet-type hammer, which is probably an apt moniker for a tough-talking 1000cc sportsbike.
That’s what has been produced by Russian manufacturer Chak Motors, which has stripped down a Honda CBR1000RR to its core – engine and chassis -- and then set about rebuilding a sportsbike based on a “safer and smarter” platform where mature technologies are incorporated into the design.
We’ve already seen the likes of anti-lock braking, traction control, variable engine mapping and electronically adjustable suspension in volume production, but how does the Molot set itself apart?
For a start, LED lighting dominates the landscape – so the visibility thing sorted – but Chak is really pushing the “prevention is better than cure” line with its taking-the-human-factor-away Predictive Emergency Braking System (PEBS).
It’s old technology in cars, but Chak Motors has adapted it to work on a motorcycle, and has used a typical scenario -- a car coming to a stop in front of you – to explain the system’s expertise. In that case, here’s how it world work:
- Once you get in to a minimum range zone, PEBS will send you out a warning via a flashing light on your dash and a light vibration in the handlebars;
- If you fail to react, PEBS will send a maximum vibration and apply a small amount of pressure to your brakes; and
- If you fail to react again, PEBS will take control of your brakes and apply full pressure – with anti-lock braking -- to stop the vehicle to avoid a collision.
PEBS works with two radars up front: one short range and long range, and also an HD camera that is mounted in the headlight. There’s also an HD camera in the rear of the bike, and both record 24 hours, seven days a week. If you want exciting garage footage of your toolbox, look no further…
In addition to PEBS, Molot is equipped with blind spot monitoring, with two sensors located in the rear cowl of the bike. The warning is two-fold: a light on a side mirror and a vibrating pulse through the handlebars.
And it goes on. There’s also a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) which alerts you to the fact you may be in drift mode (handlebar vibration, again…); a safety cut-off feature when the Molot it detects any anomaly in vibration and control; every single piece of data is stored in an aviation-like ‘black box’ and is easily accessed from the rear cowl; and – of course – you can also charge your smartphone or tablet.
After that, it’s probably boring to prattle on about the nuts and bolts of the bike, but we can tell you that aluminium, composites and carbon-fibre are liberal ingredients in the frame and bodywork, while a powerful lithium ion battery is used instead of a heavy lead/acid battery.
What do you think? Is Chak Motors on a winner, or is it making motorcycling too sanguine?
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