- Likely to be used for the Gold Wing
- Features steering actuator to shift weight
- In its early stages of development
Over the last few months, Honda has filed numerous patents around the next-generation Gold Wing. Its latest filing has been leaked and it reveals a new safety aid to prevent the bike from toppling down when the rider is pushing or moving it manually.
The probable update will work on the basis of steering left and right marginally to balance the overall weight of the bike, depending on which side it’s leaning. For instance, if the rider is pushing the bike from the left side and starts tilting on his/her side, then the system and tilt sensor will automatically steer the bike towards them and make it upright. Similarly, if the bike starts tilting away from the rider, that is the right side, then the handlebar will fractionally tilt away from the rider to make the bike upright again.
The new design features a steering servo attached to the Gold Wing's fork to turn the unit left or right as per the tilt. In other words, it can function as a steering damper as well as a power steering, and at the same time discounts the rider’s input to prevent the fall.
Considering the heft and overall dimensions of the bike, it makes sense for Honda to add the semi-self-balance system to the Gold Wing. While the bike already features a walking speed mode to ride it at slow speeds, the new feature could complement it and reduce the physical effort of the rider for pushing the bike ahead or behind.
