Motorcycle steering torque decomposition

This work addresses the decomposition of the motorcycle steering torque in its main components. Indeed the steering torque applied by the rider on the handlebar is the reaction to many contributes such as road-tyre forces, gyroscopic torques, centrifugal and gravity effects. Designers are interested in steering torque because it is very important when it comes to rider's feeling and vehicle's handling. A detailed and experimentally validated multibody model of the motorcycle is used herein to analyze the steering torque components at different speeds and lateral accelerations. First the road tests are compared with the numerical results for three different vehicles and then a numerical investigation is carried out to decompose the steering torque. Finally, the effect of longitudinal acceleration and deceleration on steering torque components is presented.