Motorcycle Support for a Two Post Shake-rig

Abstract: This thesis project was done at Öhlins Racing AB, one of the world leading manufacturers of suspension equipment for motorcycles and race cars. A big part of that development is to collect and analyse data from tests done on fitted motorcycles and cars. How that is usually done is that a motorcycle is fitted with sensors and sent with a test driver around a track. Some adjustments are done on the suspension and then it's sent out again. This can be a very time-consuming process and the rider habits, weather changes and other uncontrollable effects can have a disrupting effect on the results making the tests practically unrepeatable. To be able to place a motorcycle in a controlled environment is therefore desirable to complement the track tests. Öhlins want to be able to use the shake-rig they already have at their facility in Jönköping for motorcycles as well as cars. It was the goal of this thesis project to take the first steps towards that happening. This report describes the process of designing such a support fixture. The goal of the thesis was to find a way to put a complete motorcycle (with rider) on a two post test-rig. This will require a contraption that prevents the motorcycle from falling off it. A comparative study was made with a simulation model to figure out which one of the concepts drawn up would perform the best. The winning concept was a telescopic swing-arm designed to extend from a mounting point on the motorcycle backwards to a foundation standing on the floor behind the bike. Considerable attention was paid to design a good connection to the motorcycle to which various types and makes of bikes could be mounted. The result was a support fixture made of almost exclusively aluminium with telescopic swing arms and a robust connection module to connect to a motorcycle’s peg-mount. The connection module can account for misalignment issues between the peg-mounts and with the use of washers and spacers it is fully adaptable to almost all sorts of bikes.