Motorcycle manufacturers are always looking for the next big step in technology, which often results in some mind-twisting patent applications. While we’ve seen examples like inflatable parachutes and a jump control system, the latest revelation comes from Bavaria’s finest, BMW Motorrad. The bikemaker has patented a new heated seat setup that plants to..wait for it...fool you by using your own innocent mind against you, although for the greater good, as you’ll find out.
BMW Motorrad Patents Illuminating Heated Seat
BMW’s latest patent - sourced by Cycle World - shows a special heated seat, paired with a light-emitting electroluminescent film at its top section. Basically, the part that remains visible to the rider, even on the go. This illuminating section glows red when you switch on the heated seat, essentially to trick your mind into thinking the seat is quite warm. The patent quotes “It is generally known that the human perception of heat can be influenced by colors. At least based on everyday experiences, people associate warmth or heat with the color red. As a result, red or reddish colors always evoke a sense of warmth in humans, regardless of an actual ambient temperature”.
The intention? To make you turn off the heated seat. Once you see the bright lava-like glow on the seat, your mind basically perceives it as “hot” and psychology makes you feel it too. Don’t get us wrong, the seat will ACTUALLY be hot as well, but with the added illumination, BMW wants it to feel hotter than normal, so much so, that you turn it off eventually. There’s also a chance you’ll feel the warmth for longer - even after you switch it off - if the light stays on. Or at least that’s what the bikemaker expects.
Ultimately, this will help reduce the energy consumption of the heated seat, meaning less juice drawn from the battery. This might not sound like a big problem for your R 1250 GS or K 1600 GT, but it can surely become one for EVs where you only have limited battery capacity for all electrical functions. So in a way, the new patent will help future BMW electric motorcycles preserve charge.
Which BMW Motorcycles Could Feature This Tech?
The obvious picks for this tech would be the long-distance Beemers like the R 1250 RT and the K 1600 GT. The patent also shows an ADV, so you clearly can’t discount the R 1250 GS and F 850 GS–even the S 1000 XR, for that matter. Meanwhile, the bikemaker is yet to debut an electric motorcycle, let alone an electric tourer, so it’s a bit too soon to expect an EV with this tech. Take this with a pinch of salt, though, as the illuminating seat patent seems more like an ‘if’ rather than ‘when’ scenario, given it's never been done before.