An On-Board Data Acquisition System for Motorcycle Brake Testing 920259

Motorcycle brake testing for accident reconstruction, compliance, or research, requires the measurement of several parameters to document system performance. To fully document brake system performance requires a data acquisition system with sensors for measuring speed, braking distance, temperatures, line pressures and actuation forces. Until recently, data acquisition systems have been, in general, too heavy, bulky, or limited in function for use on motorcycles. This study describes the design features, hardware, and performance of an on-board data acquisition system developed for motorcycle brake testing. The self-contained package has analog, digital, and counter channels which can be scanned at high frequency. The fully programmable unit can be optimized for varied applications. Speed and distance measuring accuracy are verified and compared to commonly used measurement methods such as speed traps, radar guns, and chalkmarkers. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are discussed.