Robert Bosch GmbH (www.bosch.com) board member Dirk Hoheisel says that the company’s two-wheeler and power-sports business is growing twice as fast as the market in general, with “mega-trends such as urbanisation and sustainability fundamentally changing mobility and the motorcycle as we know it today.

“Bosch technologies are making the motorcycle fit for the future by making it safer and its powertrain more efficient.”

Dr Hoheisel says two-wheelers are increasingly in demand, and that their annual global production is forecast to reach around 160 million units by 2021 — one third more than today.

“This makes motorcycle technology a remarkable driver for business. Bosch’s Two-wheeler and Powersports division (based in Yokohama, Japan) continues to gain momentum, having registered sales growth of more than 20% compared to 2016 — twice as fast as the market.

“By 2020, Bosch is set to reach sales of 1 billion euros with motorcycle technologies.”

Bosch says that one of its goals is to make riding accident-free. The company has already introduced ABS, MSC (motorcycle stability control) and side-view assist, but there are further possibilities for developing innovative technology for safer riding.

“Our vision for the future is to use connectivity to prevent accidents from happening in the first place, which is why Bosch is creating connectivity systems that allow riders to communicate with vehicles, the infrastructure, and other road users in general — like a digital protection shield.

“This will allow motorcycles and cars to talk to each other. Long before drivers or their vehicles’ sensors catch sight of a motorcycle, this technology informs them that a motorcycle is approaching, allowing them to adopt a more defensive driving strategy.

"Another solution is the ‘connected horizon’, which allows riders to ‘look’ around the next bend and get advance warning of possible hazards. By 2025, more than 70% of new motorcycles world-wide will be connected.”

Dr Hoheisel also says that the market for light electric vehicles like eScooters is expected to grow by about 40% by 2020.

“Small electric vehicles have a bright future world-wide, which is why Bosch has developed scalable powertrain systems that enable the electrification of light vehicles on four, three or two wheels — such as the Govecs eSchwalbe
or the AIMA eScooter.”