I’M SITTING ON a new Ducati Multistrada in a large paved lot. A light sprinkling turns into a downpour as I listen intently to a Ducati rep tell me how I’m supposed to ride in a circle at 45 mph at a 35-degree lean, then stab the front brake.
In other words, I’m to risk crashing an $18,000 motorcycle.
This nut actually thinks I’m going to stay upright. And all I can think is the stability control system developed by Bosch and used by Ducati must be really good.
Staying Up on Two Wheels
Stability control is a simple idea: A computer works with sensors in the vehicle to recognize loss of traction, then uses the brakes and the engine to stop the skid without any intervention on your part. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates stability control can eliminate one-third of fatal car crashes. That’s why it’s commonplace in automobiles. In recent years, stability control has made its way onto motorcycles, related to anti-lock braking and traction control systems. This latest iteration from Bosch, available on the 2016 Multistrada and 1299 Panigale, takes anti-lock brake and traction control systems to a whole new level.