Some motorcyclists move ERP 2.0 units to boost detection at carparks

Operations executive Paul Kumar rides a Yamaha XSR900 motorcycle, which he collected in March.

The 42-year-old had the on-board unit (OBU) relocated at a workshop a week after he got the vehicle, using a customised bracket that cost $100.

He had found the light from the OBU’s touchscreen distracting even after he turned down the screen brightness to the lowest setting and pasted a privacy screen protector meant for smartphones over the unit to further reduce its brightness.

Some owners of new motorcycles have been repositioning their new ERP on-board units to reduce what they described as a distracting glare from the display, or to make it easier for the units to be detected by sensors at carpark gantries.

Others have chosen to do so out of personal preference, such as to accommodate other gadgets such as mobile phone holders.

The repositioning of the on-board unit (OBU) is allowed if it is done by an authorised workshop, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) told The Straits Times.

The OBU for motorcycles has a one-piece design that incorporates a small touchscreen and a processing unit, unlike that for cars, which has three separate components. It is part of a nationwide transition to the satellite-based Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) 2.0 system.

New motorcycles registered from mid-February have come prefitted with the OBU. On average, more than 1,000 new motorcycles are registered monthly.

Installation of the OBUs started for existing motorcycles in June, replacing the in-vehicle units (IUs), the OBU’s predecessor.

In response to queries from ST, a spokesperson for the LTA said the OBU is typically installed on a motorbike’s left handlebar using the mirror mount provided, and workshops are allowed to decide on a suitable alternative if this is not possible.

“If preferred, motorcyclists may also customise their mounts at their own cost, after consulting an LTA authorised workshop on the requirements,” the spokesperson added.

The installation of the modified mounts should be done only by authorised workshops.

Factors that the workshops consider include the height and angle of the OBU to ensure “safety and optimal communication with the satellite and gantries”, said the LTA.

The unit must also be at least 1m from the ground and be connected to a continuous power source, similar to the outgoing IU.

On Facebook and online marketplace Carousell, ready-made brackets are listed for sale at between $30 and $80.

O Miller, an engineering company, makes mounting brackets for OBUs. The adjustable brackets allow the units to be mounted on either side, as well as the centre, of the handlebar.

Besides supplying the brackets to motorcycle shops, it also sells them directly to motorcyclists. Since March, the company has sold about 100 brackets to motorcyclists – 40 of them in June alone, the firm told ST.

Its spokesman said demand for OBU brackets is rising for various reasons, as more motorcycles are being fitted with the units.

Some motorcyclists wanted different brackets to adjust the OBU’s position, to make room for accessories like mobile phone holders, for instance.

While some riders have repositioned their OBU out of preference, information technology executive Sarah Jane moved hers to the right handlebar of her Royal Enfield Meteor 350 motorcycle so that it ends up nearer the sensors of carpark gantries.

This was after the 35-year-old found that the OBU did not work very well at gantries when located on the left handlebar.

She said that while the switch has somewhat helped, there are still occasions when she has had to turn the handlebar or move her motorbike forwards and backwards in an effort to get the OBU detected so that she can be let into a carpark.

She is looking to move the OBU again – this time to the middle – using a mounting bracket she bought online. This is because the way the unit sits on the right handlebar, which she said was rather high, blocks her vision.

“I am not sure if it will negatively affect sensitivity. If it doesn’t work, I will have it moved back again,” she said.

Checks by ST at various motorcycle dealerships found the OBU is most commonly fitted on the left side, sharing the mounting point with the mirror stem or clipped to the side of the handlebar.

Yet for some motorcycles, such as models from Germany’s BMW, Ducati from Italy and American manufacturer Harley-Davidson, as well as some sports models, different mounting solutions are used. These include mounting the OBU in the middle of the handlebar area, which can partially obstruct the rider’s view of the instrument panel.

One reason mechanics cited was that a motorcycle’s fairings, panels that extend from the headlights towards the handlebars, or the motorcycle’s windscreen, may get scratched if the OBU was fitted on the side and moves with the handlebar.

Several motorcycle owners who wanted to relocate their OBUs have been turned away by some workshops here, which were either unwilling to do so or said they were not allowed to carry it out.

Lorry driver Low Kwang Hu, 53, collected his new Honda ADV160 motorbike on June 1 with the OBU mounted on the left handlebar.

He was told by a workshop that the unit must be in that position, even though he preferred it to be on the right side.

He is now looking for a mounting bracket so he can go ahead with the change, and may engage another workshop to do it.

A 35-year-old facilities officer told ST he had gone as far as Johor Bahru to have a workshop move the OBU of his Yamaha Xmax scooter from the left handlebar to the centre of the dashboard, behind the windscreen.

A workshop in Singapore that he approached said it was not authorised to carry out the modification.

The LTA spokesperson said it is an offence for non-authorised workshops to install or relocate the OBUs, adding: “The on-board units may encounter operational issues, and its five-year warranty coverage may be voided when handled by unauthorised workshops.”

The LTA lists 414 workshops authorised to install OBUs, including some listed as “coming soon”.