Electronic Stability Control for Powered Two-Wheelers

Active stability control is now present in all cars. On powered two-wheelers (PTW), instead, this control system has not been introduced yet. This is due to both a structural delay in control system design for PTW with respect to four-wheeled ones and the very challenging nature of the related control problems due to the complexity of the vehicle dynamics involved. This paper constitutes the first attempt to address this problem, and it provides an innovative control strategy that significantly enhances vehicle stability while preserving driveability. A control strategy is herein proposed, which, by modulating braking and traction torques, improves the stability of the vehicle. The proposed strategy is endowed with an activation/deactivation logic. Extensive validation tests carried out on a commercial multibody simulator assess the validity of the proposed approach.