Motorcycle modeling for high-performance maneuvering

Producing a high-performance motorcycle prototype entails extensive engineering in which virtual prototyping plays an important role by reducing the number of physical tests that need to be performed during the design process. High-performance motorcycle maneuvering required in racing competitions is discussed. Various constraints that limit the performance of a motorcycle are focused upon. Motorcycle features - including engine power, tire forces, and wheelie and stoppie maneuvers - are reviewed. An algorithm for finding the minimum-time trajectory for a constrained 1DOF vehicle model is developed. This model is a point-mass vehicle constrained to follow a given path and subject to accelerations representative of more general vehicles. Examination of the idealized situation clarifies the dynamic features needed to find the minimum-time velocity profile. A detailed nonholonomic motorcycle model capturing gross vehicle motion and the associated contact forces is presented. A quasi-steady technique for approximating the velocity constraint and acceleration limits that are in play for the vehicle at each location along the desired path is developed. From the information obtained, an approximately optimal velocity profile is constructed and used to build an approximate motorcycle trajectory