Curve Safe Traction Control for Racing Motorcycles

Today’s racing motorcycles can provide engine torques higher than the rear tire can transfer to the road. In motorcycle applications, rear wheel torque control can be critical not only for performance, but also for safety, especially in or out of curves. While most drivers can achieve rather good results in handling this high torque on a straight road, the same is not true during cornering. In this paper we present a strategy for traction control which enforces safety while keeping high acceleration even for large roll angles. The proposed control strategy is tested on a motorcycle simulator and performance could be shown during different demonstrative maneuvers.