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This paper presents an analysis of time-optimal maneuvers of a race motorcycle in the circuit of Adria (Italy) with different choices of gearbox ratios. The minimum lap time is found by means of the Optimal Maneuver Method, whose theoretical basis is presented in [1], [3], [4], [10]. The method essentially solves a two-point boundary value optimal control problem by finding the driver's inputs that minimize an objective function (i.e. the minimum-lap time). The good agreement between the method results and data acquired by a measurement system mounted on board a motorcycle driven by expert drivers justifies its use as a tool for vehicle set up and design parameters analysis. In the past the method was extensively used to analyze the influence, on racing vehicle performance, of geometry, mass properties distribution, tire and engine power characteristics as shown in papers [2], [6], [7].

This paper deals with the application of the optimal maneuver method to the assessment of motorcycle maneuverability. The optimal maneuver method is a novel approach to the analysis of vehicle performance. The essence of this method is the solution of an optimal control problem which consists in moving the vehicle, according to holding trajectory constraints, between two given endpoints in the “most efficient way”. The concept of “most efficient” is defined by a proper penalty function defined to express maneuverability. In this paper we briefly outline the method and give examples of its application to three classical maneuvers commonly used to test motorcycle handling: a slalom test, a lane change maneuver and a U-curve.