I’ve now had a chance to assess the FCC (following cruise control) over the last three weeks and 600 miles. New toy and I had to play, right?
Well the firmware (206) with the new feature also introduces some seemingly random changes to the cruise function as well as the radar-integrated distance control.
Changes: Pushing ‘UP’ to RESUME when the programmed speed is higher than the current speed sometimes produces an acceleration up to the programmed speed but sometimes produces a ‘SET’ function and resets the programmed speed to the current speed. I’ve not been able to determine the cause. Also the static speed cruise function is now quite happy to stick at one or two mph below the programmed speed whereas before it would keep adjusting to get that exactly. Neither issue is huge but the first particularly is annoying as it creates a lack of smoothness in progress and invariably makes me look down at the clocks to check when I should be watching the road ahead.
The adaptive part operates well when following cars, but regularly loses ‘sight’ of leading motorcycles, which can cause unintended acceleration if the programmed speed is higher than theirs!!
I don’t believe that the cruise function is linked to the IMU as a couple of times it’s started accelerating in mid-corner.
For the feature to take an additional year to ship after the bike’s launch (and to go through an on/off release process) suggests to me (a 38 year software industry veteran) that Piaggio Fast Forward (that’s the PFF in the radar feature) was/is ‘inexperienced’. When I looked at the company’s website last year their only product appeared to be a range of motorised suitcases that autonomously follow their owners around airport terminals.
So, useful following cars and trucks on motorways but flawed for group motorcycle touring. My mechanic claimed it took almost an hour to figure out to upload and initialise the software and charged me for that time (£95 inc Tax), as well as £184 for the licence.
Now that the Mandello has a PFF version there may be sufficient takers to encourage further optimisation of the software logic. I hope so.
It must be ‘doable’ in terms of the radar seeing other motorcycles. My 2014 has radar controlled cruise and it will pick up bikes.
To be fair, it may be 11 years old but it’s the best system I’ve used to date. Toyota isn’t too bad although the UI is poor. Kia is poor all round - braking for parked cars even when you’re steering around them.
I have experienced the same ‘`push up to Resume’ only to get a set new speed. As for losing sight of leading motorcycle, although not experienced it yet, would think that is the case due to the ‘too closed’ warning flickering on/off as the bike in front moves side to side.
I have found the FCC really great when use on motorways and dual carriageways. Not so useful on single carriageways, due to vehicles slowing down to turn off, where you have to not only slow down but have to change to a lower gear as well.
@GuzziEagles thanks for this info. Now with three instances reported, I think we can assume it’s general problem inherent to the current software build of the dashboard and/or FCC. I tried switching FCC off and found the issue persisted, so just maybe it’s in the latest dashboard in which case any updated V100 would have it.
I too am really enjoying FCC and recently I added a quickshifter which enables gear changes when on cruise. That somewhat reduces the impact of cars slowing down for turnings.
@Rebreather I had FCC fitted by the former Guzzi dealer for Bristol, Downend Scooters. They retain accredited service but sales have passed to Fowlers who are also setting up a service accreditation. I had also asked the Gloucester dealer, and they said they’d charge an hours’ labour to install and configure too.
It would be great to hear about your FCC experience and whether you get a ‘Set’ when you push the lever up to get a ‘Resume’ (as happens for me most times).
Also, what version of the dashboard software are you running?
The software versions are shown on this screen - get to it by a long press on the right navigation button (of the four on the left switch cluster). Then press down arrow to go to the Service screen.
Why when I “activate” the cruise control does it default to 34mph? This is after a long press of the switch. Then to set to the desired speed I think it hold the switch forwards to set. If you come out of cruise control but have a speed set. I thing if you just do a quick push to the left of the switch then it goes back to the desired speed.
Thats how I think it works for me anyway. I’ve slept a lot since I tried the cruise control last.
Yeah, I’ve been playing with it on the Mandello and seems a bit hit and miss? My guess, like you perhaps, is getting the difference between a short or slightly not short enough push on the lever? Kinda difficult sometimes with gloves and surface bumps etc.
Sounds different to mine and to the owners manual (!)
The cruise switch has three movements, up down and to the left. A more than one second push to the left (a long push) switches the cruise function on. Another quick left SETs the cruise speed. Once on cruise, up increases speed, down decreases. A long up or down accelerates or decelerates. So far, so sensible.
If you’ve previously been on cruise but dropped out, a long up does a RESUME function and speeds the bike up or down to the last cruise speed that you had set.
This is how things worked on my 24 model from new. After the install of FCC and an upgrade to the console software to support it, the behaviour changed.
Now when I try to do a RESUME with a long push up, I usually get a SET, but maybe one in ten is an actual RESUME. No rhyme or reason to it that I can see.
