A Study of Motorcycle Suspension Damping Characteristics

Reports from the field offer widespread agreement that certain of the currently produced motorcycle forks and shock absorbers give superior results in terms of ride and handling. This study was undertaken to establish such correlation as may exist between the qualitative differences noted by experienced motorcycle riders and comparative suspension damping characteristics as revealed by instrumented bench testing. Substantial and significant variations were discovered in the course of these bench tests, not only in general damping patterns, but also in response to temperature increases typically encountered during dynamic testing. This paper describes methods and hardware employed, interprets results, and suggests future lines of development.