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A ride comfort analysis of two-wheeled veichles is discussed in this work. A series of experimental tests were performed in relation to roads having different surface roughness; employed vehicles, differing on motorization, suspensions and wheel sizes, were instrumented with two axes (longitudinally and vertically oriented) accelerometers, fixed at the human-vehicle interfaces. Moreover, two axes accelerometers were also fixed to the wheel hubs, in order to record road inputs at each wheel. The comfort analysis, which was conducted following the international ISO 2631, allowed the influence of the primary vehicle suspension system to be investigated. In addition, a multibody model of the scooter-pilot system was built using Adams© code, for one of the employed vehicles, with the main aim of assessing the effectiveness of a dynamic simulation of ride comfort.

This paper deals with the analysis of the handling behaviour of a novel three-wheeled motorcycle. This vehicle has two front steering wheels and a single rear wheel and can be driven much like a common two wheeler. In order to analyse the handling behaviour of such vehicle and to compare it to an ordinary two wheeler, an experimental campaign was conducted with the vehicle endowed with several transducers. Experimental tests included some classical handling manoeuvres. Concurrently, a simulation model was developed using a multi-body code. A simple logic was employed to drive the model; it consists in a roll follower and a longitudinal velocity follower. The main dynamic parameters obtained from simulations, such as the steering angle and steering torque are compared to the experimental data and discussed. The effect of the driving style on the manoeuvre is also analysed with reference to steering pad manoeuvres.

In this work a lumped-parameter model, able to simulate the dynamic behavior of different types of valve train systems, was developed. Among the various aspects, the rocker arm flexibility, the valve lash, the possibility that the mechanical elements lose contact with each other and the possible impact of the valve in its seat were taken into account. The model includes two different descriptions of the valve spring, which can be schematized either by an ideal elastic reaction or by a multi-mass scheme, including the possibility of contact among adjacent masses.