Safety in the bag

Honda has announced the launch of the world’s first commercially- available motorcycle airbag.

Developed by engineers at the company’s R&D centre in Japan, the system will make its debut next year on the US version of the Gold Wing motorbike.

The airbag is one of a spate of new safety systems to emerge from the global automotive industry, with manufacturers including Jaguar and Volvo using advanced technologies to offer better protection for drivers and pedestrians.

A spokesman for Honda Bikes, said that the airbag system is likely to be launched in the UK in 2007.

While airbags have been commonplace in cars since the 1980s, their use on motorbikes — often investigated — has never been realised until now. This is largely due to the dynamics in a motorcycle accident, which are harder to model and predict than those involved in a car crash.

The interaction between the airbag and rider can be affected by different types of crash motion, including yawing, pitching, and rolling, with the calculations further complicated by the fact that motorbikes are not equipped with seatbelts.