ABSTRACT

Motorcycles also afford their riders with a direct and unassisted mechanical link between the primary control inceptors and the system under control. Instead of a steering wheel, steering column, flexible linkage, rank and pinion steering system, power assistance, track rods, ball joints and the relatively complex paraphernalia of a McPherson strut suspension layout, a motorcycle has handlebars and a front wheel affixed between two fork stanchions. Instead of a gear lever, or steering wheel mounted controls, an electronic double clutch and microprocessor-controlled automatic gear selection, a motorbike has a foot-operated gear lever protruding directly from its manual gearbox.