The Effect of Frame Flexibility on High Speed Weave of Motorcycles

The effect of frame flexibility on the stability of constant speed, straight line motions of a motorcycle is studied by reference to linearized differential equations governing the behavior of a system of five rigid bodies, two of which are connected to each other with a hinge, a spring, and a damper, and are intended to represent a flexible frame, while the rest represent the front fork and the wheels of the vehicle. Although the configuration of the system is characterized by seven generalized coordinates, it is shown that the stability information of interest can be deduced from four first-order differential equations.