Since their introduction in the automotive industry, airbags have established themselves as a life-saving innovation. According to the NHTSA, over 50,000 lives were saved by airbags in the USA alone between 1987 and 2017. Worldwide, it is estimated that they prevent around 70,000 deaths every year. However, while cars have long been equipped with this technology across the board, airbags have a niche existence in motorcycle construction. Only the Honda Gold Wing has been available with an airbag as standard since 2007 - an exception that highlights the particular challenges involved in implementing such systems on two-wheelers. Now Yamaha is getting into the game with an innovative sensor concept.
Motorcycles differ fundamentally from cars in many safety-related aspects: they have no crumple zones, the rider is unsecured and sits closer to the point of impact. As a result, a motorcycle airbag has to react much faster and trigger more precisely than its car counterpart. In addition, the movements of a motorcycle in the event of an accident are more complex – in addition to pure deceleration, pitch and yaw movements also play a role. The sensor system must therefore process considerably more information in order to ensure error-free triggering.
These technical hurdles are partly responsible for the fact that Honda’s Gold Wing has so far remained the only production motorcycle with an airbag. Its low weight, stable riding character and the rider’s far-rear seating position offer ideal conditions for the integration of such a system.
Yamaha patent: New sensor technology for more precise accident detection
Yamaha has now filed a patent that deals specifically with improving the sensor technology for airbags on motorcycles. The technology involves the use of two acceleration sensors – comparable to the inertial measurement units (IMUs) used in many current motorcycles for vehicle dynamics control. The highlight: one of the sensors is placed in front of the motorcycle’s center of gravity, the other behind it. This allows the system to precisely detect three-dimensional movements – horizontal, lateral and vertical.
This arrangement allows the control unit to detect a potential collision and its direction particularly quickly and reliably. This is crucial in order to deploy the airbag in a fraction of a second – before the driver hits an obstacle.
Super sports bike as test object: Yamaha R1 in focus
It is interesting to note that Yamaha uses the YZF-R1 as a reference model in the patent drawings – a super sports bike where the challenge is particularly great. The sporty, forward-leaning seating position means that the rider’s head is very close to the front of the motorcycle. It was precisely this problem that Atsushi Ishii, Head of Mobile Safety Solutions at Autoliv, highlighted in 2023. According to Ishii, it is most difficult to implement airbags in so-called “powersport motorcycles” such as the Yamaha R1.
Yamaha’s choice of this particular model as an illustration could be an indication that the Japanese manufacturer is willing to tackle the most complex airbag integration scenarios – and not just focus on touring or city vehicles.
Tricity with airbag: safety for transfer riders in mind
In addition to the R1, the patent also shows Yamaha’s three-wheeled Tricity scooter with an airbag system. This vehicle is primarily aimed at car drivers who want to switch to a motorcycle or scooter. The additional stability provided by the third wheel is intended to reduce fear of contact – an integrated airbag could reinforce this effect. Autoliv also presented an airbag prototype on a Piaggio MP3, a direct competitor to the Tricity, at trade fairs in 2023. It seems that manufacturers are expecting particularly high potential from safety-oriented urban vehicles.
Conclusion: The second attempt for motorcycle airbags?
Yamaha’s patent shows that the development of airbags for motorcycles continues to progress – with a focus on intelligent sensor technology and algorithmic precision. It remains to be seen when the first series applications could follow. However, one thing is clear: if the airbag on two wheels is to have a real future, this is exactly the kind of approach that is needed to overcome the technical hurdles.
Yamaha develops airbag technology for motorcycles: New patents show solutions to an old problem 9Yamaha develops airbag technology for motorcycles: New patents show solutions to an old problem 10Yamaha develops airbag technology for motorcycles: New patents show solutions to an old problem 11
