Real-time estimation of road–tyre adherence for motorcycles

Abstract

Improving braking skills of a rider supported by a real-time training device embedded in the motorcycle represents a possible strategy to deal with safety issues associated with the use of powered two wheelers. A challenging aspect of the braking trainer system is the evaluation of the adherence between tyre and road surface on each wheel. This paper presents a possible method to evaluate the current and maximum adherence during a braking manoeuvre. The proposed approach was positively validated through multi-body simulations and experimental data acquired in naturalistic riding conditions.

Keywords:

• driver-vehicle systems and driving simulator
• intelligent transportation systems
• active and passive safety systems
• naturalistic riding

Acknowledgements

This research activity was partially funded by the Province of Prato within the project Road Safety of Powered Two Wheelers.