Experimental Analysis of the Handling Behaviour of a Two-Wheeled Vehicle

An experimental analysis of the handling behaviour of a two-wheeled vehicle was realized in order to define and quantify the most important forces and torques needed to drive the vehicle, and to find the driving method applied by the driver. To acquire all the data, a scooter was instrumented and tested under some codified maneuvers. In addition to the usual instrumentation (speed sensor, inertial sensor, linear and angular transducers) a load cell was installed under the saddle to measure the forces and torques applied by the driver. The experimental analysis was focused on the interaction between the driver and the vehicle. The main signals, quantifying the driver actions, were obtained via the load cell and the steering axis. These data were analyzed in order to verify that the most common two-wheeled vehicle driving method, known as “counter-steering”, is not sufficient to explain the handling behaviour but it has to be taken into account with the torso movement and the driver position. For each tested maneuver an explanation of the driving method is given, supplied by the time history data.