For the typical rider, autonomous driving technology might be the very least desirable feature a manufacturer could incorporate into a motorcycle. For a motorcyclist, taking control of the vehicle, refining and perfecting techniques for cornering, braking, accelerating, and shifting, are all integral to the joy of motorcycle riding.

But what if autonomous driving technology could keep riders safer, keep novice riders on two wheels and aid in learning how to ride properly, or make a dreary highway commute easier? Yamaha Motor Co. has been experimenting with autonomous driving tech for motorcycles for some time now, notably with their MOTOBOT series of riding robots (see MOTOBOT 2 vs. Valentino Rossi here). The company recently continued an investment in a company called TIER IV Inc., which is a leading developer of autonomous driving technology. It would appear that Yamaha is taking autonomous driving seriously.

Yamaha’s latest transaction with TIER IV is their third such investment in the Japanese company, after ones made in August 2017 and July 2019. TIER IV is the developer of Autoware, billed as the world’s first open source autonomous driving operating system—and that “open source” part is important.

By making the source code of the software public, the TIER IV hopes that other developers utilize, modify, and contribute to the adoption and advancement of the Autoware OS. Yamaha hopes the investment will help establish and promote autonomous driving technology, something that will be of particular interest for Yamaha’s automated transport solutions business they are developing for factory grounds.

This latest investment by Yamaha is for so-called “Series B” financing, which is described as a second round of financing for a company that has met particular milestones, and has grown out of the initial startup stage. In its press release, Yamaha notes that other investors in TIER IV include Sompo Holdings, Inc., one of Japan’s leading insurance companies, and Bridgestone Corporation. TIER IV was one of several businesses Yamaha targeted as part of their new Medium-Term Management Plan for 2022 to 2024, with a goal of developing it into a future core business.

While Yamaha’s plan with TIER IV is not specifically geared towards automating the motorcycle, their MOTOBOT program clearly is (although MOTOBOT is not meant to create a completely self-riding motorcycle, but rather to develop a better understanding of the relationship between rider inputs and the machine). Both Autoware and MOTOBOT are aimed at creating a safer, more efficient, transportation system, whether fully automated or not. It’s all part of a future that moto manufacturers are working towards, where accidents are avoided thanks to improved tech.

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