rec.autos.simulators

Thank in adv.

TonC.

Most text books on vehicle dynamics and "handling"
include sections with simplified automobile
dynamics called "bicycle" models ... treating
the front wheels together as one "wheel"
and the rear wheels as another. A lot of this is
applicable to motorcycles. Of course literature on
pedaled bicycles might also be of interest.

Some text book references for this sort of thing are:

"Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics," Thomas Gillespie, SAE,
Danvers, MA, 1992. ISBN 1-56091-199-9

"Race Car Vehicle Dynamics," W.F. Milliken and D.L. Milliken,
SAE, 1995. ISBN-1-56091-526-9

"Tires, Suspension, and Handling," 2nd Ed., John C. Dixon, SAE,
Warrendale, PA, 1996. ISBN 0-340-67796-1.

"Aerodynamics of Road Vehicles," 4th Edition,
Ed. Wolf-Heinrich Hucho, SAE, Warrendale, PA, 1998.
Especially Chapter 10, Motorcycles. ISBN 0-7680-0029-7.

This just scratches the surface because motorcycles
are pretty complicated beasts, with important
multi-body effects, and... and... and... ;)

--
Matthew V. Jessick         Motorsims

Vehicle Dynamics Engineer  (972)910-8866, Fax: (972)910-8216