Smart key systems offer clear advantages over the ‘standard’ key-in-ignition alternatives, but rightly or wrongly they’ve been attracting more than their fair share of negative press. The latest smart key issue to be reported in the USA has just hit the headlines, but this time things are of a different nature, and an entirely different vehicle type.
Ducati have been forced to recall 1,051 new bikes in the USA after an issue with the steering lock control on smart key equipped motorbikes. A software glitch meant than in some circumstances, the engine could be started and bike driven away without the steering lock being disengaged.
Ducati have been swift with their recall action – only a small software update at the dealership is necessary to solve the issue. However, this latest negative press hides a much more interesting, highly desirable and as yet relatively unexplored new feature – smart key systems for motorbikes.
Although Honda have offered a smart key system on the Japanese ‘Forza’ motorbike since 2004, it is fair to say that motorcycles are an untapped market for smart key systems despite the clear advantages in not having to manipulate keys out of pockets and into ignitions whilst wearing protective gloves. Many motorbikes don’t have transponder immobilisers so a smart start system would also increase the security as well as provide a significant convenience benefit.
SBD will be exploring this market in detail later this year with our analysis report Smart key systems for non-passenger cars that looks into the potential smart keys markets for the motorbike, marine, commercial, plant and construction industries.
Within the passenger car market, fitment growth for smart key systems has been modest so far, but awareness is increasing and customer feedback based on experience is strongly positive. In SBD’s new whitepaper, we predict that by 2015, 22% of all new vehicles sold in Europe will be equipped with a smart start or combined smart entry and smart start system.
“One of the struggles of smart key systems on passenger cars so far has been to really sell the convenience benefit to customers before they have tried it for themselves, ,” says SBD’s smart key expert, David Green. “However, the convenience benefits of a motorbike smart key system are instantly clear to the owners and therefore customer demand could be much higher. Smart key systems fitted on motorbikes are therefore something we expect to see much more of in the coming years.”
To register your interest in Smart key systems for non-passenger cars please email Kavitha Kuppuswamy at kkuppuswamy@sbd.co.uk.