Abstract
A Pilot experimental investigation was made of the effect of motorcycle brake control gains on rider subjective opinion and objective performance in emergency stopping manoeuvres. A variable braking control gradient (VBCG) motorcycle was developed for the experiment, which allowed independent variation of the force and displacement control gains of the front and rear wheel brakes. Development of VBCG system was preceded by a comprehensive investigation of the braking performance characteristics of three production motorcycles.