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Vehicle dynamics control (VDC) for motorcycles had a fast growth during the last 10 years. The available technologies comprise curve-safe ABS and traction control (TC) systems, anti-wheelie control, right up to comprehensive motorcycle stability systems including even more control functions. VDC systems rely on real-time information about the current motorcycle dynamic state. Thus motorcycles are equipped with additional sensor units, namely MEMS inertial measurement devices, capable of gathering accelerations and angular rates. The application of model-based estimation theory enables the determination of the necessary information about the in-plane and out-of-plane motion, e.g. the motorcycle lean angle. Since VDC systems include safety critical control functions, the validation within simulations including sensor characteristics is mandatory.

In this study a preliminary investigation regarding closed-loop acceleration control for motorcycles is presented. Comprehensive considerations for the implementation of such a controller are discussed. Challenges, which are addressed, are a stable and sufficiently accurate measurement with the help of low-cost sensors and the consideration of the varying available maximum acceleration for set point calculation. In case of torque control, the maximum available torque is scaled by the throttle and thus automatically meets the limitation. Using acceleration as control variable, the varying set point limitation must be considered. According to current hypothesis, a precise closed loop control of the motorcycle longitudinal dynamics can be realized on the basis of the reference variable acceleration, yielding new possibilities in drive train control. The current control of the longitudinal dynamics is done by specifying a target output torque.