• Dr. Rolf Bulander: “We are entering a market potentially worth billions”
  • Efficiency and driving enjoyment from under 250 cubic centimeters to over 1,000 cubic centimeters
  • Smartphone-based connectivity now an option
Bosch is entering the global motorcycle market with new powertrain systems. With its electronically controlled fuel-injection technology, Bosch is making motorcycles around the world more fuel-efficient. “With our new motorcycle powertrain systems, we are entering a market that is potentially worth billions,” says Dr. Rolf Bulander, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH. Today, some 60 million two-wheelers with internal-combustion engines are produced around the world each year. By 2020, the market is expected to grow to 110 million units. Bosch is entering this market with a global approach. The company has developed solutions for both affordable two-wheelers in Asia and high-performance bikes in Europe and North America. In doing so, Bosch is extending its portfolio. Two-wheeler riders have long relied on Bosch safety systems such as ABS or motorcycle stability control, an ESP derivative for two-wheelers. “For accelerating just as much as for braking, Bosch offers systems for two-wheeler safety, efficiency, and riding enjoyment,” says the Bosch management board member Dr. Dirk Hoheisel.Special powertrain system for growing Asian market
The Asian markets in particular offer considerable growth potential. As early as 2020, four out of five new two-wheelers with internal-combustion engines will be sold in Asia. This is a market in which motorcycles with engine displacement under 250 cubic centimeters are a means of mass transportation. Currently, many machines are still fitted with carburetors. It is precisely here that Bosch believes its technology offers a decisive advantage: compared with the mechanically controlled carburetor, and depending on situation, the electronically controlled fuel-injection system can reduce fuel consumption by up to 16 percent. This also significantly reduces emissions and use of resources. “Regardless of engine capacity, Bosch powertrain systems mean efficiency and riding enjoyment, from 250 to 1,000 cubic centimeters,” says Dr. Stefan Kampmann, a member of the executive management of the Bosch Gasoline Systems division. Especially in Asia and India, efficient powertrains are an important step toward reducing environmental impact. For this reason, Bosch has developed an affordable and robust engine management system that is specially designed for the Indian and Asian markets. “Bosch aims to offer simplified systems solutions for the mass two-wheeler market in Asia,” says Sandeep N, the regional president of the Bosch Gasoline Systems division’s operations in India.

The all-important engine ECU: digital intelligence for the motorcycle
The control unit is at the core of the new Bosch engine management system. This small computer analyzes all the data from the powertrain: from the ignition to the amount of fuel. “The new Bosch engine management system is bringing digital intelligence to the two-wheeler,” says Hauke Roesch, leader of the small engines project unit at Bosch. This is evident, for instance, in the interplay with modern safety systems such as Bosch’s MSC motorcycle stability control system, which ensures safe braking and acceleration even when leaning into bends. Here, Bosch technology ensures a highly precise interplay between the powertrain and braking systems, down to the nearest millisecond. This is possible because all functions are digitally controlled by the engine control unit’s software.

The connected two-wheeler: onboard computer and immobilizer via app
Thanks to either an additional Bluetooth interface or a connectivity control unit, motorcyclists will in the future be able to connect their vehicles to external devices such as a smartphone. Apps will then make new functions possible. Bosch has already unveiled three possible applications: an enhanced onboard computer, software for remote diagnostics, and an app-controlled immobilizer. The enhanced onboard computer can display data on fuel consumption and average speed, for instance. This makes it possible for motorcyclists to analyze their trips after they have returned home. If a diagnostic app has been installed, the rider’s smartphone can serve as a readout device. It displays error codes, for instance, thus making repairs easier. Connectivity is also gaining importance in the Indian market, as the example of the smartphone-based immobilizer shows: fuel injection and thus also the engine can only be activated by means of the rider’s own smartphone. Two-wheelers can thus be personalized, which provides additional protection against theft. Going beyond connectivity with smartphones, an onboard computer that can be personalized and connected both to the two-wheeler’s systems and the internet is a promising option. The Nyon system that Bosch has now developed for e-bikes gives an idea of what such a solution might look like. It can be used to plan routes, but also to control the e-bike’s various riding modes. Bosch believes that connected onboard computers such as this present an attractive new development for motorbikes as well.

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