So we wonder how long it will be before traction control becomes mandatory on motorcycles.
After all, ABS became mandatory in European and Australian cars in 2003 while electronic stability control (incorporating traction control) became mandatory six years later.
ABS becomes mandatory in November on new motorcycles over 125cc (bikes with lower engine capacities must have either combined brakes systems or ABS), so maybe traction control will follow in six years!
In its online survey, the first question asks: “If something unexpected happens while you’re riding and you have to brake, which of the following can help prevent you from falling off?”
It provides these answer options: ABS, traction control and stability control or all three.
Their “correct” answer is all three: “ABS stops wheel lock, traction control senses traction loss and stability control monitors the way you’re riding. These technologies work together to keep you on your bike.”
They got one thing (partially) right: ABS does stop wheel lock.
As for whether traction or “stability” control are activated during braking is debatable.
To assess this part of the question, we need to know what they mean by those terms.
In cars, traction control was an early technology that simply cut engine power when the wheels started spinning.
Stability control is a lot more elaborate and involves sensors that detect pitch, roll and yaw, controlling it with a variety of measures that include throttle, brakes and even some steering input.
No motorcycle has true stability control, although some call their traction control “stability” control, even though it’s not.
So VicRoads firstly need to get their terms right. As it is, the mention of stability control is simply confusing.
Also, traction control would not activate under braking unless you are accelerating at the same time.
Key to safety?
But is traction control really the key to motorcycle safety as VicRoads and other safety “experts” suggest?
The idea of traction control is to prevent rear-wheel spin from too much power for the road surface by cutting engine power.
It helps to prevent power slides, but also wheelies and burnouts!