Design of a road simulator for motorcycle applications

Abstract

Four-wheeled vehicles are often tested on indoor, four-poster road simulator rigs. Road loads are simulated with the use of servo-hydraulic systems for suspension set-up optimisation, NVH analysis, and fatigue life cycles. The use of a road simulator is not such a common practice for two-wheeled vehicles despite problems to be faced being extremely similar. The paper presents a device for testing motorcycles on a Servotest® four-poster. A dedicated restraint system had to be devised in order to support the motorcycle without altering its inertial characteristics. Additional pneumatic actuators with a purposely developed instrumentation have been designed to reproduce braking and power thrusts.