Yamaha Introduces Remote ECU Lock Feature to Combat Motorcycle Theft

Yamaha has developed what it calls an "industry-first" anti-theft technology that lets owners remotely lock their motorcycle's ECU through a smartphone application. The system is now coming to the United States after being introduced in the UK.

How It Works

The technology uses Yamaha's existing Communication Control Unit (CCU), a small black box mounted behind the left side cover that enables communication between the ECU and external devices. Through Yamaha's Power Tuner app, riders can connect to the CCU via Wi-Fi.

Leon Oosterhof, Yamaha's Product Manager, explained: "The base technology that allows ECU lock is our existing CCU that we have been using for a few years already. With the Yamaha Power Tuner app, you can communicate with the bike. All the customer needs to do is install the app."

If a bike is stolen, owners can connect to the CCU through the app and apply an ECU lock using a previously set password. The system can be linked to multiple devices, allowing several users to lock and unlock the motorcycle.

Limitations

Whilst the feature won't physically prevent a bike from being taken, it stops thieves from simply starting the engine. A determined thief could potentially swap the ECU and CCU from an unlocked bike, but the system acts as a significant deterrent, particularly for opportunistic theft.

Availability

This new system has been introduced in the UK and is provided as standard with the YZ250F, YZ450F, WR250F, and WR450F models at no additional cost. No subscriptions or add-ons are required. While neither of these bikes is available in India, hopefully, in the coming years, some of its premium bikes will be available with this security feature as standard.  

(Source: Ride Apart)