Indian Motorcycle working on hidden radar sensor
US brand Indian Motorcycle is reportedly developing a clever way to hide forward-facing radar sensors.
Indian Motorcycle is reportedly working on a unique headlight that will house a forward-facing radar sensor, allowing the brand to build bikes with the latest riding technology while maintaining the analogue aesthetic preferred by its customers.
Forward-facing radar sensors - which make technology like adaptive cruise control (ACC) possible - are nothing new to motorcycling. BMW and Ducati are just some of the brands to have equipped their bikes with the tech.
But the key selling points of the bikes that presently have ACC don’t necessarily include an old-school aesthetic. Although modern cruiser-tourers like the Indian Roadmaster or Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra are loaded with tech (the Roadmaster has a 7-inch touchscreen built into its dash, for example), riders want their bikes to look a little more old-fashioned from a distance.
Producing a headlight that effectively hides a sensor would not only ensure that Indian’s bikes remain aesthetically pleasing, it would also place it ahead of the competition.
According to patent documents, it’s not just about ACC for Indian. The Minnesota-based brand is also exploring the combined use of radar with cameras and advanced algorithms that would allow multiple motorcycles to ride in a coordinated group.
This is something that Harley-Davidson has reportedly also been working on for a number of years. So far, though, it has yet to appear on any of the MoCo’s models. Not surprising if you think of all the variables involved in, say, a typical Harley Owners Group ride. Building such a system is probably a lot harder than it sounds.
Cruiser haters may scoff at the idea of Indian putting so much effort into such a seemingly irrelevant thing as a hidden forward-facing sensor, but this sort of dedication to the intangibles is what separates the great from the good. Think of the effort that Triumph puts into making everything just so, for example, or MV Agusta. Sometimes it’s nice to make things nice.
When we’ll see Indian’s clever headlight on a production model is unknown. If it’s simply for ACC use, however, it could appear as early as next year.
For more motorcycle news, stick with Visordown.
Chris Cope is a fourth-generation journalist, originally from Texas. He has lived in the UK for roughly two decades and has been writing about motorcycles for most of that time. He has written for dozens of publications and websites in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
