Experimental modal analysis of two-wheeled vehicles. Prediction of the response to road unevenness

The experimental study of the vibrations of two-wheeled vehicles gives useful results when it is carried out exciting the whole vehicle through the wheels. Modal analysis techniques make it possible to identify both in-plane modes, which influence comfort, and out-of-plane modes, which influence stability and handling. In the paper some results in terms of natural frequencies, damping coefficients and modal shapes are presented. The possibility of predicting the comfort on the road making use of the transfer functions measured in laboratory test is highlighted