Self driving cars?

Krakkkers

Unfortunately this technology is now on Motorcycles where you now have ABS, Traction control, Lean sensitive traction control, Anti wheelie control and adverse weather ECU mode to cut power.
The end result is you can buy a Bike that has 200 bhp and it won't let you use it.

Ectophile

Krakkkers said:

Unfortunately this technology is now on Motorcycles where you now have ABS, Traction control, Lean sensitive traction control, Anti wheelie control and adverse weather ECU mode to cut power.
The end result is you can buy a Bike that has 200 bhp and it won't let you use it.

That's to handle the middle-aged bikers, who used to ride when they were young, before buying a sensible car.  In middle age, they decide to buy a bike again, and get the biggest most powerful one they can afford.

A couple of days later, they are upside down in a ditch, because they have no experience of riding a powerful bike.

Goudy

That could be right but I tend to think of it being partly down to motorsport as well.
Race on a Sunday and sell on a Monday.

Certian classes of bike racing, like Superstock only allow limited modifications from the stock bike, the likes of brakes, fairing, parts of the suspension and exhaust could be altered, but not much else.
You certianly weren't allowed to fiddle with much of the electronics.

As these aids couldn't be added later they needed adding to the stock bikes and not long back a certian manufacturer decided to edge their bets and produce a bike with these electronic aids already on it out of the box.
 
It took a while for some racers to get their head around these aids, but when they did it certianly gave them an advantage and it won, a lot.
So it didn't take long before everyone else followed suit and start selling similar equiped bikes.

I rode the stock bike mentioned above a few years ago and it was epic.
I've owned earlier Fireblades and done the big V twins like the  Aprillia but I thought the S1000RR was as close to sports bike perfection as you can get.

You would have to ride it like one of Ectophiles bikers or on a track to get the aids to kick in.

 

Reddleman79

Regarding self-driving cars, I would imagine they rely on a host of sensors, detecting road markings, signs etc. In warm, dry countries where road surfaces are clean and well marked, they maybe stand a chance, but in the depths of a British winter, those sensors are going to get covered in grime and road salt, and not give the required feedback.

castle96

I would NEVER buy/'drive'/get in one !

Car_54

Reddleman79 said:

Regarding self-driving cars, I would imagine they rely on a host of sensors, detecting road markings, signs etc. In warm, dry countries where road surfaces are clean and well marked, they maybe stand a chance, but in the depths of a British winter, those sensors are going to get covered in grime and road salt, and not give the required feedback.

Yes, it's amazing that none of the thousands of scientists and engineers working on autonomous vehicles worldwide have thought of that ...

Herzlos

Reddleman79 said:

Regarding self-driving cars, I would imagine they rely on a host of sensors, detecting road markings, signs etc. In warm, dry countries where road surfaces are clean and well marked, they maybe stand a chance, but in the depths of a British winter, those sensors are going to get covered in grime and road salt, and not give the required feedback.

The self driving features on my car work fine, and my car is so dirty no-one can be sure what colour it's supposed to be.

Most of the vision stuff is behind the rear view mirror, with radar type stuff mounted lower. They won't be as good in the poor weather but they'll still work fine or at least provide a clear warning.

Goudy

Work fine on mine and it's filthy.

I sometimes get a front parking sensor playing up and beep at me when I'm not near anything.
Turns out I have a spider that's spinning a web down there!

Grey_Critic

Meantime in the USA Tesla is recalling 320,000 vehicles due to Self-Driving software problems.

Goudy

Yes, Tesla have had problems with their system, but it's not the same level as what most cars are fitted with.

Tesla's "Autopilot" is a level 2 "Hands Off" system.
That's not literally hands off, most systems tested require you to keep a hand on the steering wheel, but it's a level of control that takes over acceleration, braking and steering that the driver only has to monitor.

What we mainly have here is Level 1 , "Hands On".
A shared control system, like adaptive cruise, lane assist, emergency brake, lane keeping but the driver is requires to take over at times.

Level 3 is "eyes off"

Level 4 is "mind off"

Level 5 is "steering wheel optional"