Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

ABSTRACT

The two-wheeler chassis consists of the frame, suspension, wheels and brakes. The
chassis truly sets the overall style of the two-wheeler. Motorcycle frame is one of the
main components in the two wheeler vehicles, which is subjected to various stress, strain,
impact load, fatigue loads which could affect the frame. Thus the component not safer for
use for long time, the optimization of design is very difficult and the effect is little by
traditional methods, because the frame is the assembling body and loading part, hence the
analysis is usually carried out by simulation method of motor cycle frame using
software.The main objective of this project is designing the motor cycle chassis frame of
different parameters and under different analysis for checking the safety as well as
optimizing the parameters by varying the loading condition as well as parameters of the
frame.
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTIONS
A motorcycle frame is a motorcycle's core structure. It supports the
motor, provides the hinge points for both front and rear suspension,
and supports the rider and any pillion or luggage. Also attached to
the frame are the controller and battery. At the front of the frame
the head tube that holds the pivoting front fork, while at the rear
there is a pivot point for the swing arm. Frame is the backbone of
the vehicle, which gives scope to incorporate the various
components and mechanisms. The bike frame can be made with
various materials like alloy steels, Aluminum, titanium alloys etc.

It is important to analyze the frame for the safety purpose as well

as reduce the usage.
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
A motorcycle frame is a motorcycle's core structure. It supports the
motor, provides the hinge points for both front and rear suspension, and
supports the rider and any pillion or luggage. Also attached to the frame are
the controller and battery. At the front of the frame the head tube that holds
the pivoting front fork, while at the rear there is a pivot point for the swing
arm.

Frame is the backbone of the vehicle, which gives scope to

incorporate the various components and mechanisms. The bike frame can be
made with various materials like alloy steels, Aluminum, titanium alloys etc.

2.1 Types of Motorcycle Frames

The basic function of a motorcycle frame is somewhat similar to that of

the skeleton in the human body, i.e., to hold together the different parts in
one rigid structure. One of the major benefits (for a motorcycle enthusiast) of
using an advanced frame design lies in the sporty handling characteristics of
the bike. A well-designed frame can add to the joy of riding a motorcycle as
the bike would feel more stable, effortless, and confident around corners, in
straight lines and while braking.

1. Backbone frame
2. Perimeter frame
3. Single Cradle frame
4. Double cradle frame
5. Trellis frame
6. Perimeter frame
7. Monocoque frame

2.1.1 Backbone frame

Backbone tube chassis is a type of automobile construction chassis that

is similar to the body-on-frame design. Instead of a two-
dimensional structure, it consists of a strong tubular backbone (usually
rectangular in cross section) that connects the front and
rear suspension attachment areas. A body is then placed on this structure. It
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

was first used in the English Rover 8hp of 1904 and then the
French Simplicia automobile in 1909

2.1backbone frame

2.1.2 Perimeter frame

These frames originated on racing motorcycles. The steering head

and swing arm are joined at a very short distance, reducing flexure and
torsion substantially. They were originally made from steel but most are
made from aluminum now a days to save weight. Once the advantages of
this frame were seen, they were adopted by most motorcycle
manufacturers.

2.2 Perimeter frame

2.1.3 Single Cradle frame

This is the simplest of the motorcycle frames, a design that harks back
to some of the earliest motorcycles ever made. It has a single large tube for
a spine and smaller tubes that cradle the engine. This is commonly used on
off-road bikes. A variation is the split single cradle which is a single cradle
that splits into two cradles at the back for the exhaust.
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

2.3 Single Cradle frame

2.1.4 Double cradle frame

An evolution of the single cradle, it uses two cradles on either side to

hold the engine. These were commonly used on simple road bikes and some
custom bikes, but have mostly been supplanted by perimeter frames.

2.4Double cradle frame

2.1.5 Trellis frame

European manufacturers came up with this design although it is catching

on in the US as well. It uses many of the same construction principles as
the perimeter frame and matches it in rigidity and weight. Its distinctive
look is formed by a "trellis" of short tubes that make up the body of the
frame. It requires more effort to manufacture than the perimeter but the
result is extremely strong.
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

1. S. S. Rane et al. studied stress distribution in

motorcycle frame under impact load.
Their investigation was to reduce the frame mass & minimize
the maximum structural stress under the impact load. And they
had taken the design variables like thickness and diameter of the
material frame Finite element analysis (FEA) technique was
used to carry out the modeling and analysis of frame and
validated the result by conducting experimental on a practical
setup. Risk analysis of the frame was also performed to quantify
the risk associated with different level of stress. They plot the
graph between reliability and maximum stress was used to find
the dimensions of the frame for different levels of reliability
under the two objectives of minimizing mass and minimizing
maximum stress in the frame.
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

2) Jorge E. Rodriguez Andres et al. studied about the

optimization of design of motorcycle frame using finite element
analysis (FEA) and evolutionary algorithms. The main intension
is to minimize the frame mass and to minimize the maximum
structural stress. The evolutionary algorithm deals with the
decision parameters like discrete (standardized diameters
available in the market) and continuous (angles and fillets). They
concluded that combining of larger outer diameter and thin wall
seems to produce better result. The main drawback of the
evolutionary algorithm used in this paper is that it only produces
one Pareto optimal solution per run.
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

3.Lorenzo Scappaticci, et al. studied The stability and handling

of the vehicle are highly dependent on the geometric properties
of the chassis. The performance of a racing motorcycle chassis
can be primarily evaluated in terms of weight and stiffness.
Their aim in this work is to maximize the performance of a
tubular frame designed for a motorcycle racing in the Moto 2
category. The goal is the implementation of an optimization
logarithm that acts on the dimensions of the single pipes of the
frame and involves the design of an objective function to
minimize the weight of the frame by controlling its stiffness.
They developed objective functions and improved the overall
performance of the chassis (weight reduction) while maintaining
the stiffness characteristics inside a pre-determined range. At the
end of the optimization process, the new chassis had a mass
reduction equal to 15.7 % compared to the original chassis.
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

• 4. Sasidhar Gurugubelli et.al , the aim of this review paper is

to present the idea of harnessing various types of energy and
use it in today’s existence of human life. Chassis or Frame is
the most dominant and crucial part of an automobile. It is
subjected to various stresses, strains, impact loads and
vibrations during the motion, which could affect the bike
frame, its components and mainly dis-comfortness to the
rider. Their intension is to manufacture a bike frame that
could be resistive to all sorts of complications and efficient in
its applications. By the study they conclude with various
analysis tests theoretically as well as experimentally that our
low carbon steel bike frame can with stand a load up to
2059.396 N(209.93 kg) without deflection and the material
can be shock resistant and it can support two to three persons
riding without fail.
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

• 5. Sukmaji Indro Cahyono et,al This paper presents a

simulation Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model of electric
trike frames. The model of electric trike frame is a standard
bicycle frame with addition modification on the back side for
battery pack component and passenger loads. The electric
motor is driven to put in front wheel for easy maintenance.
Due to gain maximum safety in the passenger area and easy
assembling, the frame is manufactured by circular steel tube
in the front side and square steel tube in the back side. The
oval tube is reached safety factor better than the circular tube,
and it’s had a better performance against the vertical load.
The best variable is variable oval tube 56.6 x 40 mm diagonal
size with 1.65 thickness. It maximum passenger load is 700
Kg. The trend line factor of safety of the oval tube are
increased rapidly by the increased of its diagonal size
compare with the circular tube is stronger than oval tube
against horizontal force compare with the oval tube.
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

6 .Tatsuya Matsuura was studied about welded up type of

motorcycle frame, wherein the pivot axis for the rear wheel
Suspension System is disposed forwardly of the rear end of the
frame so as to provide a large degree of Suspension travel with
Small angular movements and without necessitating a large
wheel Base. The construction also minimizes torsional bending
and shearing forces on the frame members that Support the rear
wheel.
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

7 . Li,S. Xu,K. and Wang, J. They proposed this method for a

mechanical moving truck frame. This method combines
topological optimization with topology optimization to design
the frame successfully. Based on the FEA simulation; the
strength analysis of the two working conditions for the moving
vehicle frame is carried out on the basis of satisfying the
requirements of the frame work strength. They used solid work
software for model the parameterization of mowing frame. The
strength analysis of bending condition & torsion working
condition was conducted by the FEA simulation this results the
lot of optimization of space. Topology optimization of frame
results weight reduction of the frame around 7.385 kg weight
decreased 11% (67.875 kg to 59.69 kg).
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

8. Hiroyuki Itoh et.al, They designed a body frame of motor

cycle by changing its shapes like positions of head pipe and the
changes in shape of main pipe and they included seat rail for
supporting a seat, seat rail is connected to a rear portion of the
main pipe. They concluded that by varying positions of head
pipe, main pipe, seat rail and other parameters we can get high
rigidity capable of withstanding transverse bending and
torsional forces.
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

REFERENCE
1. S. S. Rane , A. Srividya , A. K. Verma, “Multi-objective
reliability based design optimization and risk analysis of
motorcycle frame with strength based failure limit.”, The
Society for Reliability Engineering, Quality and Operations
Management (SREQOM), India and The Division of
Operation and Maintenance, Lulea University of Technology,
Sweden, 24 January 2012.
2. Jorge E. Rodriguez Andres L. Medaglia Juan P. Cases,
“Approximation to the optimum design of a motor cycle
frame using finite element analysis and evolutionary
algorithm ”, Industrial Engineering Department Mechanical
Engineering Department Universidad de 10s Andes Bogot
&Colombia.
3. . Lorenzo Scappaticci, Nicola Bartolini, Eugenio Guglielmino
& Giacomo Risitano “Structural optimization of a motor
cycle chassis by pattern search algorithm” To cite this
article: Lorenzo Scappaticci, Nicola Bartolini, Eugenio
Guglielmino & Giacomo Risitano (2016) Engineering
Optimization, DOI: 10.1080/0305215X.2016.1256393.
4. 4. . Sasidhar Gurugubelli, Rajiv Aditya Jayanthi ,
Hemanth Chelluri, Sai Rajeev Kilari , Sai Kiran Cheemala ,
Dinesh Allu
“Design and Fabrication of Electric motor Bike Frame”
Mechanical Engineering, Lendi Institute of Engineering and
Technology, Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, India

5.Sukmaji Indro Cahyono, Miftahul Anwar, Kuncoro Diharjo,

Teguh Triyono, Abdul Hapid, and Sunarto Kaleg “Finite element
analysis of electric bicycle frame geometries.” Citation: 1788,
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame

030084 (2017); doi: 10.1063/1.4968337 View

online:http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4968337View Table of
Contents:http://aip.scitation.org/toc/apc/1788/1Published by the
American Institute of Physics.
6. Tatsuya Matsuura, “ MOTORCYCLE FRAME” Iwata, Japan
73 Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha,Iwata, Japan
7.Li, S. , Xu, K. and Wang, J. (2018) “The Light Weight Design
of Mowing Vehicle Frame with a Combined Method”. Modern
Mechanical Engineering, 8, 192-203.
8. Hiroyuki Itoh; Ken Yamagutch, “BODY FRAME FOR
MOTORCYCLE” Kazuhiro Kawashima, all of Saitama,Japan73
Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, Japan 21
Appl. No.:721,957 22 Filed: Sep. 27, 1996.
Parameters Optimization of Motorcycle Frame