The active safety of motorcycles depends as much on the skill of the rider as on the handling of the bike itself, and is determined primarily by bike stability and manoeuvrability. Manoeuvrability can be defined as the speed, efficiency and precision with which the bike responds to changes in rider controls. These days, the manoeuvrability of motorbikes is gauged almost exclusively by subjective rider opinion, and opinions often vary widely. Manoeuvres based on the automobile swerve test were carried out at the Institute for Automotive Engineering at the Technical University Aachen, with the aim of establishing an objective method for determining motorcycle manoeuvrability. Comparative test rides on winding country roads established that the response lag between the start of a steering torque and the resultant bike roll angle represents a valid criterion for judging manoeuvrability. It does not depend on driver skill and accords well with subjective evaluations. An established and standardized test method for evaluating bike manoeuvrability would then allow test personnel to vary parameters and investigate the effects of particular bike design features. As well this test manoeuvre should be suitable for computer simulations.
Abstract