A place to learn about the physics of motorcycling.

Motorcycle Physics

I've been fascinated by motorcycles since I was a child. I've owned and ridden them since I was a teenager. What keeps a motorcycle on two wheels? What are the physical forces behind the simple (OK, not so simple) act of riding a motorcycle?

Lean angles, countersteering, force vectors, rotational velocity, inertia, inverted pendulums... what's with all this stuff?

This site is a great place to learn about motorcycle physics and related topics. As I find useful books and articles about motorcycle physics, I'll post them on this site.

Motorcycle Physics Books

I've been trying to locate useful books related to the the physics of motorcycle riding and racing. Here are the ones I've found so far:

Talk Back!

Do you know of any good books about motorcycle physics? Leave a comment and let us know!

Motorcycle Physics Resources

Web Resources

Motorcycle Turning

"Question: If you are on a motorcycle going down the highway, and you press on the inside of the left handle grip, why do the wheels turn to the right, but you turn to the left?" Answer here

Edutopia

Speed 101: Motorcycle Racing as Real-World Physics Lab

Sarah Carter Shares Her Thoughts

Despite what some people may think, motorcycle roadracing is not only a highly strenuous sport, but there is MUCH more involved than just twisting the throttle and turning the handlebars.
The Physics of Motorcycle Racing

Other Pages

A Point of Physics (PDF) discusses gyroscopic forces, angular momentum, and includes a few interesting sketches. Short and to the point, discusses steering by moving the rider's body... but... according to Keith Code's No B.S. test bike it's not the body lean. Very interesting... (Popular Mechanics)

Motorcycle Dynamics at Padua University
The Physics of Motorcycles on MotorcycleJazz.com

Wikipedia holds forth

Talk Back

If you know of any great motorcycle physics resources, drop a comment and let us know.