I have been working on a ip over switch to automatically kill the bike should it be crashed or be knocked/fall over while running.

Obviously there are safety benefits for this, as well as protecting the engine from further internal damage, and protecting pedestrians and emergency services who may need to move the bike etc.

Now, It's possible that I'd be able to make it universal, able to fit and work on ANY bike, on road, off road, etc, with very simple and straight forward installation.

Before I pursue making a batch of these up myself, I have a couple of research questions.

Does anybody know of any aftermarket suppliers, that sell this kind of item?

If this was available at a good price, is it something that you would consider purchasing?

If yes to above question, how much would you be willing to pay.




If my research from various sources is positive, there may be a couple of free prototypes available

 

The tip over sensor,(or bank angle sensor), is a great idea. Which is why the manufactuers have been using them with every fuel injected bike that has been produced. The main reason for this with fuel injected bikes is the high pressure in which the gas is under. if a line erupts and the fuel pump does not shut off, you could potentially have a flame thrower.

I guess my point is, since all manufactures have been using them since early 2000, your target area would be pre fuel injection, and probably not many people willing to dish out money for one. Plus, your going to run out of customers relatively fast. You won't have any new customers as you will be dealing with only older, carbed bikes. If you spend the time and money to establish yourself, you will be out of customers in a few years, just when your getting under way.

I would also suggest doing a poll in the F3 and older sections. That's where your main customers are going to come from.

If its something just to do in your spare time and make a little extra cash, then Im sure you could find enough people to purchase and keep you in a little money. Just don't plan on getting rich from it.

One area you may want to look into is Harley Davidson. I don't know if their bike incorporate something like this or not. I would assume they do not. But for the sportbike section of motorcycles, its kind of already been covered by the manufactures.

Also, I don't know what the responsibility would be if what you made failed. If someone is in full lean, and the sensor cuts out the power and they crash... it could be bad. You would have to somehow make it possible to mount it perfectly horizontal on any bike. Also, I don't know if G force would come into play or not since the bike is leaned over, and potentially the G force should keep the pendulum from not exceding the limits of the switch. Most companies suspend them in oil, but it also has to react fast enough for riders who switchback corners, so the oil would have to be thick enough to stop the pendulum form moving back and to easy, but thin enough to allow it to move if the bike tips over. I think they are actually a little more complex than they appear.


EDIT: I just did a quick search. Looks like HD has in fact been using them for quite some time as well. So scratch that idea.

 

Just thinking about it. One area you may want to consider is a bypass for existing bank angle sensors. Honda's are extremely easy to bypass, but others are fairly difficult as some incorporate chip boards and other operations that run through them, so bypassing is not so easy. If you made a plug in bypass, you may have something.

Many people would bypass it for diagnostics, racing, or when putting the engine into a cart, buggy, quad... many people drop these engines into other vehicles without the knowledge to bypass the bas. It may be something to consider.

 

This thought initially popped into my head, as a few of the amaeteur racing clubs require a tip over sensor as safety rules. I understand that manufacturers have used them since FI, due to high pressure fuel hoses. However, there's still a risk of reduced or stopped oil flow on a carb'd machine causing engine damage.

I was intending on using a mercury switch, so centrifugal force during high lean cornering should stop the switch from activating (like putting water in a bucket and spinning it upside down).

You're 100% correct though about the small potential market, but it would just be a bit of spending money for the bike The market is far too small for it to be a serious full time business.

I would have to get hold of a few of the more difficult to bypass sensors to see how they can be bypass, though I assume they wire into the ECU and is being monitored by it to check for anti tampering.

As for mounting, the battery box seems to be the best option, but there isn't always space on ALL bikes here.

The concern you raise also about liability if the system fails is something I would need to get a solicitor to look into, however, from my logic failure is more likely to happen at low speeds, and the system is designed to fail safe, so if the system fails it will keep the bike running, and not turn it off, hopefully meaning the above scenario should never happen.

 

certainly not trying to discourage you. It sounds like you've researched it enough, I was just throwing somethings out there in case you hadn't considered them.

one more thing to consider though. Carbed bikes will shut off if they are laying on their side. The jets aren't in the gas, so the engine shuts off. It may not be as fast as within a tip over sensor, but they do shut off pretty fast if they are tipped. In reality, probably plenty soon enough before engine damage can occur. Probably another reason the tip over sensor was created as fuel injected bikes will just keep running on their side.

As for the failsafe, Im not sure how you would incorporate it, but I know even factory tip sensors can fail in extreme lean angles.

I wonder if you could create an extreme lean angle sensor? I think race bikes can exceed the lean angle of the factory sensor in some cases. Maybe if you made a 55 deg angle sensor or something. I don't know any race regulations, so that would be something to check into as well.

Again, not trying to discourage ya, anytime someone has initiative to do something like this, its a good thing.

and, if nothing else, at least Im bumping the thread along so it stays visible longer for others that may have some input