Active Cruise Control: Comfort in Riding

Bosch’s Active Cruise Control system for BMW arrives on the market to provide both comfort and safety while riding . While the automotive industry has been incorporating this technology for nearly a decade across more and more models, in the motorcycle world it is still a major novelty.

We should not confuse this ACC (Active Cruise Control) with the traditional Cruise Control system that has already been available for several years on certain motorcycle brands and models. Standard Cruise Control allows the rider to set a fixed speed, and it is automatically deactivated simply by touching the brake lever or pedal. This feature brings comfort during long-distance rides by reducing fatigue and releasing the constant pressure on the throttle grip.

Active Cruise Control goes one step further. It incorporates a key element: in addition to maintaining the chosen cruising speed, it also reacts when it detects an obstacle within its forward scanning range.

BMW explains it in its manual as follows:

“The electronic speed regulation with integrated distance control allows the rider to set the desired speed and the distance from the vehicle ahead. The radar sensor at the front of the motorcycle determines, through rotation frequency and speed, the distance to the vehicle in front. When this distance decreases, the system slows down and automatically restores the desired distance.”

It is important to note that ACC sensors only respond to moving vehicles, not stationary ones. This prevents the system from constantly activating in traffic jams, at traffic lights, or in similar stop-and-go situations.

Another aspect of the system is its inertial detection. For example, when entering a curve, ACC reacts by reducing speed so that the lean angle does not become excessive or too abrupt. This reduction happens progressively and is automatically regulated depending on the degree of inclination detected.

Finally, ACC settings allow the rider to choose between two regulation modes: Comfort and Dynamic. This selection can be made in advance. When a slower vehicle is detected ahead, the system responds by reducing speed and then restoring it more gently or more quickly, depending on the chosen mode.