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Eleven instrumented crash tests were performed as part of the 2016 World Reconstruction Exposition (WREX2016), using seven Harley-Davidson motorcycles and three automobiles. For all tests, the automobile was stationary while the motorcycle was delivered into the vehicle, while upright with tires rolling, at varying speeds. Seven tests were performed at speeds between 30 and 46 mph while four low-speed tests were performed to establish the onset of permanent motorcycle deformation. Data from these tests, and other published testing, was analyzed using available models to determine their accuracy when predicting the impact speed of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The most accurate model was the Modified Eubanks set of equations introduced in 2009, producing errors with an average of 0.4 mph and a standard deviation (SD) of 4.8 mph.

A series of tire property tests have been performed at CALSPAN on the flat bed tire test machine. The tires used in the testing were inflated tires with the tread removed. Identical make/model/size tires in normal (tread not removed) condition were also tested. Three passenger car tires and one truck tire were tested. The purpose of this paper is to present comparative results of the testing and data analysis. The test results objectively demonstrate substantial differences in cornering properties. Grouping all tires together, the measured cornering stiffness of a modified tire was reduced on average to 36.1 percent of the normal tire measured properties (ranging from 24.1 to 49.4 percent; standard deviation was 7.7 percent). Overall the character of the modified tire cornering stiffness plots and other modified tire properties were demonstrated to be markedly changed.

The time/distance relationship for a heavy truck starting from a stopped position is often needed to accurately assess the events leading up to a collision. A series of tests were conducted to document the low speed acceleration performance of a Kenworth T2000 tractor- truck equipped with an auto-shift transmission. The tests included several load configurations and acceleration rates. The vehicle was instrumented with a DATRON speed sensor to measure time, distance and speed. This paper presents data from these tests and discusses low speed acceleration profiles of heavy trucks.

Catastrophic and sudden tire tread separation is an event that drivers of motor vehicles may encounter and, in some instances, is implicated as the cause of motor vehicle crashes and related injury or property damage. In an effort to understand how tire tread separation affects vehicle handling, a series of tread separation handling test programs were conducted. In each tread separation test program a sport utility vehicle was instrumented and equipped with steel belted radial tires that were modified to emulate tread separation between the inner and outer steel belts. The test vehicle was then subjected to a variety of open and closed loop handling test maneuvers. This paper presents the data and analysis from these tests. The research demonstrates through controlled experiments that a tire tread separation has an effect on the vehicle’s fundamental handling characteristics. It also demonstrates that the effect depends on the position of the compromised tire on the vehicle.

The time/distance relationship for a heavy truck starting from a stopped position is often needed to accurately assess the events leading up to a collision. A series of tests were conducted to document the low speed acceleration performance of a Freightliner FLD-120 tractor-truck. The tests including several load configurations and acceleration rates. The vehicle was instrumented with a DATRON speed sensor and the engine RPM was also documented. This paper presents data from these tests and discusses low speed acceleration profiles of heavy trucks