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Re: Race bike Stability and Safety

To: "Nafzger" <nafzger@vtc.net>,
Subject: Re: Race bike Stability and Safety
From: Skip Higginbotham <saltrat@pro-blend.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2002 21:42:57 -0500
Howard, you can't get off that easy......excellent information points.
Thank you. (I am shortening the nose on the "Rose" by the way)
Skip (-:


At 07:02 PM 9/10/02 -0700, Nafzger wrote:
>Skip,List,
>
>Following is a quote from the book" The Automotive Aerodynamics Handbook"
>written by Henry C. Landa. This is certain to inspire more discussion.
>page T 9-2 & T 9-3.
>"There are many aspects of vehicle design that can cause inherent or latent
>instability. Suspension systems in total or by component, excessively
>elastic or springy frames, tires, weight distribution both laterally and
>vertically, and steering geometry can cause unstable conditions to be
>present under certain road and operating conditions. These factors along
>with the aerodynamic design should be incorporated into the vehicle design
>so as to produce stability as a natural condition of operation. To expect a
>driver to provide control forces simply to maintain stability will virtually
>guarantee a sub- standard and hazardous performance.
>
>Location of the center of air pressure.
>
>For road/sport vehicles: 25-30% aft of front.
>For modern aerodynamic shaped track cars: 30-70% aft of front.
>For pleasure and business automobiles: 30-50% aft of front.
>
>LONG NOSES AND CROPPED REARS TEND TO SHIFT THE CENTER OF PRESSURE FORWARD;
>extending the tails of sport vehicles enhances their stability. Vertical
>vanes used in conjunction with negative lift foils enhance stability only if
>such vanes are in the rear, ie., behing the center of gravity."
>
>Remember I'm playing Tom Brokaw now and just reporting the news.
>Howard Nafzger




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