KTM is working on radar technology for its smaller capacity motorcycles too. Leaked patent images have revealed radar tech being used on what looks like a KTM 490 Duke. This is a big deal indeed as it is the first time that a manufacturer is looking to launch this advanced technology on a smaller bike.
Radar technology has been used in cars for several years now, but didn’t appear on motorcycles even in patents until a couple of years ago. Now, it is known that KTM, Honda, Kawasaki, and Ducati are all developing radar technology. Ducati became the first to debut radar tech on its recently launched Multistrada V4 while Honda will be launching the same on the 2022 Gold Wing.
KTM on the other will debut radar technology on the Super Duke. It is natural for advanced technologies to debut on flagship models and then slowly make their way to the bottom-end. KTM however, is attempting to directly launch radar on the 490 Duke which is one of its lower models.
The motorcycle in the leaked patent image could very well be the upcoming KTM 490 Duke, but we do not know for sure at the moment. It will feature a radar sensor up front which will then feed information on the distance to the vehicle in front to the on-board computer which will then set the adequate speed for the cruise control.
It will also help in blind-spot detection and make riding the motorcycle safer. Until now, radar-based cruise control has been a feature that’s been offered on premium cars. Recently, it began showing up on high-end motorcycles and in a short span of time, it has already filtered down to smaller motorcycles.
We expect this tech to become commonplace among high-end and then mid-range motorcycles pretty quickly. KTM, is leading the charge in this area and it should be interesting to see how it fares against the competition.
As stated before, it looks like the upcoming KTM 490 Duke. The motorcycle is expected to be launched with a parallel-twin engine with a maximum power output in the range of around 60bhp. It will definitely be launched in India and RC as well as ADV version of the new platform are expected to follow suit.
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