Got radar? These days, the biggest development in moto technology is radar-governed safety systems, with Bosch powering the way forward for OEMs, licencing the tech to companies like KTM (the new 1390 Adventure S EVO is a good example). But if your bike didn’t have that tech from the factory, it was basically unobtanium, with only Innov offering an aftermarket solution. Welp, now Garmin has their own offering. Sort of.
The new Garmin zūmo R1 Radar assembly is a bolt-on unit that attaches to just about any motorcycle on the market. It’s a rear-facing system, with a radar unit that discreetly mounts to the tail-section, as you can see in the video above. That radar device then sends a signal to a Garmin XT2 GPS unit, or a smartphone connected via app, that shows you where other traffic is situated around you. It also has side-facing and rear-facing lights that will flash to warn other traffic around you of your presence.
In other words, it’s basically a fancy-pants blind spot warning system, doing the same job that a good old-fashioned shoulder check used to do. And for some riders, especially those in urban areas or maybe a neck/back injury, that’s actually a pretty valuable tool to have.
But other riders might stumble over the fact that the radar unit is priced at $599 USD, not to mention Garmin’s disclaimer that it might not work so well in inclement weather (it’s IP67 sealed, but fog or rain might disrupt the radar). And of course, it does not offer adaptive cruise control, which is the biggest new offering of current OEM radar-equipped bikes.
See Garmin’s new technology here, if you have more questions/
