Motorcycle Dynamics

I have used this book extensively over the past three years whilst undertaking motorcycle engineering projects. It provides the best and most comprehensive explanation of the dynamic behaviour of a motorcycle I have found. B.S and hearsay are abundant in the field, whereas this is based entirely on experimental observations / derivations from traditional physics. There are a number of interesting translations from the original Italian version, however these are small and can be forgiven. An absolute must read for anybody who hopes to work with racing machines or is interested in how a motorcycle really works. Not an easy read, three years in and I still have to re-read passages a number of times to fully understand the content - not entirely a bad thing!

Finally, a full treatise on moto physics! I only wish I could take the course. Clear English, appears to be good quality paper and ink for long life.

La bibbia della dinamica del motoveicolo

Un excellent ouvrage, qui met en équation dans le détail la cinématique d'une moto. Attention : - c'est en anglais (vous l'aviez deviné), - c'est incompréhensible si vous n'avez pas un très bon niveau en maths et en physique.

Motorcycle Dynamics, 2nd Edition After reading numerous books about motorcycling, authored by Keith Code, Lee Parks, David Hough, and Nick Ienatsch, I came across Motorcycle Dynamics written by Vittore Cossalter an Italian professor of applied mechanics. Doing a Google search revealed a whole university curriculum dedicated to the physics and theory behind motorcycles! As a gearhead and licensed professional engineer, I too have a passion for figuring out how things work. First, I would consider books written by Code and Hough to be excellent foundations for those interested in riding motorcycles. The content is explained in simple layman's terms, with words like counter-steer and pivot steer, lean, and turn dominating the primary activities. With Cossalter's Motorcycle Dynamics, you are dealing more (much more) with the physics and theoretical aspect of motorcycles. Moment of inertia, torque, yaw, roll, angular momentum, gyroscopic effects, torsional stiffness, and a myriad of variables and equations are used to describe the events covered by Hough and Code. So in essence, I consider the books written by Code and Hough to be more of an undergraduate level - important and useful. Cossalter's book is more of a graduate level reading - important, useful, but not very easy to understand or directly apply into the real world without some background in physics, science, or engineering. As an example, the first 7 chapters of Cossalter's Motorcycle Dynamics models the behavior and characteristics of motorcycles. From kinematics, tires, chassis dynamics, trim, vibration, to stability, it covers the theoretical/actual behavior of motorcycles in great detail with equations and references. The last chapter, Motorcycle Maneuverability and Handling, is what I consider the meat and potatoes of this book. It starts almost immediately discussing topics covered in the "undergraduate" series of books where the effect of wheelbase and trail are related to changes in directional stability. Counter-steering and dynamics testing are discussed in great detail, with graphs showing steering angle and steering torque to describe what happens at speed while taking a turn or entering a slalom. Some might argue that Cossalter is using 1000 words to describe something that can be said using 5 words. I would disagree, because if you are looking for a Cliff's Notes version of motorcycles, you're in the wrong place. I bought Motorcycle Dynamics because I was curious as to WHY counter-steering is necessary and when it should be applied. Lee Parks did a terrific job of splitting the U-Turn technique from the counter-steering maneuvers, because direct steer is necessary for low speed turns (under say, 5-10 MPH). Parks kept the U-turn section last to prevent any confusion after spending chapters talking about the application of counter-steering. Cossalter does provide simple relationships between real world events and the theoretical. In one scenario, he described how a rider planned to negotiate a right turn while traveling at a velocity of 20 m/s or about 45 MPH. The rider steers left, and the lateral force generated at the front tire contact point causes a yaw motion to the left, which begins a roll motion to the right. Then he follows up with diagrams and graphs to back up the verbal statements. This makes a lot of sense and inherently describes the science behind what was covered with Hough and Code's texts. It is unlikely the average rider would be interested in Motorcycle Dynamics, but to gearheads and engineers, Cossalter's book is definitely a mandatory purchase for one's library. Overall: 5/5 stars