The Significance of Powertrain Characteristics on the Chatter of Racing Motorcycles

Abstract

The chatter of motorcycles is a self-excited vibration that may appear during braking. This vibration can be very strong and the accelerations of both the rear and front unsprung masses can reach 5–10g with frequencies in the range 17–22Hz, seriously hindering the rider’s control of the vehicle. Very few studies exist on this topic, and the first work that compares experimental data to numerical simulation and addresses the fundamental mechanisms of the chatter genesis has been recently published. In the current paper authors present the continuation of the research, and in particular the results of a parametric analysis performed to identify the most important design and motion parameters when it comes to chatter stability. The analysis is carried out by simulating chatter with a validated nonlinear motorcycle multibody model which captures the most important vehicle features.