Honda SENSING RIDE Motorcycle Safety System (Nov 2026)

Honda introduced "Honda SENSING RIDE", a safety and rider-assistance system for motorcycles, on 3 November 2026 at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan. Honda says the first model to get it is the 2027 CRF1150L Africa Twin Adventure Sports, and that it plans to add the system to more models. The system uses two millimeter-wave radar units, one at each end of the motorcycle, and offers 10 functions. This article is based on Honda's own announcement and is correct as of 4 November 2026.

What the system is

Honda says SENSING RIDE builds on Honda SENSING, the driver-assistance package the company offers on cars, with functions added that suit motorcycles. According to Honda, the system looks at the situation of the rider and the motorcycle and then gives notifications, warnings and operational assistance, including help with avoiding a collision.

Honda also says the system works together with its Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), an automatic gearbox that removes the need to operate a clutch by hand. Honda states that DCT was first used on motorcycles in 2010.

How radar-based rider aids work in general

Honda's pages do not describe how the radar is used, so this section gives general background from a reference article on adaptive cruise control in cars. Radar measures distance by timing radio waves that bounce back from an object, and it can also tell how fast the gap is changing. Car systems commonly use radar at 24 GHz or 77 GHz. The same reference says that most adaptive cruise control systems count as Level 1 on the SAE scale of driving automation, which means the system helps with one task, such as speed, while the driver does everything else.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States makes the same point about cars: the driver still steers and must be ready to act if the system does not respond well. It also says that some drivers overestimate what such systems can do. These comments are about car systems and not about Honda's motorcycle system, but they match the warning Honda itself gives.

The 10 functions Honda lists

• Adaptive Cruise Control: keeps a set speed and following distance
• Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go: reduces throttle and brake inputs in slow, stop-start traffic
• Group Ride Assist: helps riders keep suitable spacing in a group, including a staggered formation
• Distance Assist: adjusts following distance when the rider opens the throttle while approaching a vehicle ahead
• Emergency Brake Assist: adds braking help when the rider brakes and a collision is likely
• Forward Collision Warning: shows an alert on the meter when a collision ahead is possible
• Brake Pulse: works with the forward warning to make the rider more aware
• Blind Spot Information: lights a signal at the mirror when a vehicle is diagonally behind
• Rear Collision Warning: flashes the indicators to warn traffic behind
• Rear Distance Information: shows a display on the meter when a vehicle approaches from behind

Which motorcycle gets it first

Honda's European press release describes the 2027 model year Africa Twin family as having more power, more technology and more choice for riders, and says SENSING RIDE debuts on the Adventure Sports version. The Africa Twin range and the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade were Honda's two headline motorcycle premieres at the show, which runs at Fiera Milano from 3 to 8 November 2026, with public days from 5 to 8 November.

Honda's stated safety goal

In the announcement Honda repeats a company target: to cut the number of traffic fatalities involving its motorcycles and cars, per 10,000 units sold, by 50 percent by 2030 compared with 2020, and to reach zero by 2050.

Limits Honda states

Honda says each function has limits and may not work as intended depending on road, weather and vehicle conditions. It asks riders to stay alert to their surroundings, and its release says riders should not overestimate what each function can do. Like the assistance systems on cars, these features are described as aids to the rider and not as a replacement for the rider's attention.

What is not yet known

• Price of the Africa Twin Adventure Sports with the system
• On-sale dates and the countries where it will be sold, including India
• Which other Honda models will follow
• Technical details of the radar units, which Honda's page does not give

Sources

• Honda Introduces Honda SENSING RIDE Advanced Safety and Rider-Assistive System for Motorcycles, Honda Global Newsroom
• Honda Showcases Its Mobility and Technology Strength at EICMA 2026, Honda Europe Newsroom
• Adaptive cruise control, Wikipedia
• Advanced driver assistance, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Image credits: Cover photo: 2022 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin in Pearl Glare White Tricolor, front r by Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 4.0. Pictures from Wikimedia Commons.