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Universal ABS & Traction Control for a Two‐Wheeled Vehicle
ENGL 398
Submitted to: Michael Chappilini
Submitted by: Masihuddin Ahmed
December 4, 2015
Mechanical and Aerospace Department

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Abstract
The proposed project is to design, develop, and implement a universal traction control system
for two wheeled vehicles. The proposed project will be overseen by Malcolm Cooke starting
January 12th, 2016 and will be completed by April 30, 2016. This proposal covers the need,
problem background, and methodology, team member qualifications. It also proposes a
schedule, budget, and procedure for the completion of this project. The goal of this project is to
make the roads safer for both the motorcyclists and those with whom they share the roads.

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Table of Contents
Introduction 4
Project Description 4
Literature Review 4
Methodology 6
Schedule of Work 7
Member Qualifications 8
Anticipated Involvement 8
Budget 9
References 10

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Introduction
Motorcycles can be very entertaining to operate, but also very dangerous. In recent years, as
electronic systems have made cars safer, the gap between the safety of cars and motorcycles
has increased. Anti‐Lock Brakes have been shown to consistently decrease braking distances by
over 30%. [12]For those who learned to drive on cars that came with traction control and anti‐
lock brakes, motorcycles can be raw and daunting. We propose to research, design, and build a
traction control, tip control, and anti‐lock braking system for a motorcycle. Somewhat similar
systems exist for automobiles, and anti‐lock braking systems are progress in the commercial
motorcycle world, but a system that does all of these things together would be revolutionary
over both current systems.
Project Description
The final working product will be a standalone system that can be installed and can
work on any standard road legal two wheel vehicle. The system would measure wheel speed
and tilt angle, will detect imminent slip or tip and using the user inputs of steering angle, brake
pedal pressures, and throttle pressures, will apply either the rear or front breaks at variable
strengths and duration to reduce impact or avoid crash altogether. This system would make
motorcycles safer and reduce accidents and scares for riders. Cars already have these systems
and already improve the safety of the roads. It would have the capability to be applied to any
two wheeled fuel driven vehicle across the world, including the scooters. Overall then, the
system would make road transportation safer for all.
Literature Review:
Anti‐Lock Brakes
In emergency braking situations, the operator of the vehicle desires to reduce the
velocity as quickly as possible, and as such, will jam the brake line. If the inertia of the vehicle is
great enough, this can cause the wheel to lock under the high pressure of the brake line. Not
only does this increase braking time, but it also causes uneven tire wear as the vehicle is
skidding on a single contact patch. Furthermore, under locked wheels, the vehicle becomes
uncontrollable and the steering controls
produce no response. Should the operator need
to avoid an object, they would be unable to do
so.
Anti‐Lock brakes were first developed for
trains over a century ago. In the 1940s, this
system was transferred to airplanes in the
middle part of the twentieth century to improve
capabilities when landing. Ford first introduced
ABS to road going vehicles when it placed the
expensive and unreliable “Sure‐Track” to its cars
Figure 1 [8]

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in 1969. The product was not perfected until it was reintroduced by Mercedes‐Benz in 1979.
Most cars came with ABS(Anti‐Lock Brakes) standard by the start of the twenty‐first century. In
2011, ABS was made mandatory on all commercially sold vehicles by the United States Federal
Government[11].
For a two wheeled vehicle, the anti‐lock braking system consists of two‐wheel speed
sensors and two hydraulic pumps controlled by the vehicle’s ECU(Electronic Control Unit) [1].
The speed sensors are used to monitor the front and rear wheel speeds. When the differential
between the front and rear wheel speeds exceeds a maximum threshold, the ECU modulates
the brakes of the faster wheel at increasing frequency in an attempt to minimize the
differential. Modulation of the brakes (instead of constant, direct application) is done to
prevent the brakes from locking a tire (dropping its speed to zero) and resulting in loss of
vehicle control. In addition, long‐term, continuous application of brakes requires rapid transfer
of heat to the surrounding atmosphere [5]. This rapid dissipation of heat is not always possible
and may result in mechanical failure.
Traction Control
In the 1980s, BMW recognized that drivers tend to overact and lose control before
dangerous maneuvers and accidents. In these situations, known as either over steer or under
steer, the front wheels or the rear wheels lose traction under turning, and the steering inputs
do not provide accurate controls on where the vehicle will progress to. In these cases, the
wheels that have lost tractions will not travel exact perpendicular to their radial direction, and
as such, will travel at a higher rate of revolution than both the same theoretical wheel that
would not be slipping, and other wheels on the vehicle that have traction. By detecting and
individually decreasing this wheel’s speed, control can be regained[4].
BMW released its lowest priced car with TCS (Traction Control System) in the early
1990s. As its occurrence increase in production models across different manufacturers, roads
were found have become safer. In June 2006, The United States Insurance Insitute for Highway
Safety issued a study in which it concluded that an additional 10,000 fatalities could be avoided
per year if all vehicles were equipped with Traction Control. In 2011, TCS was made mandatory
on all commercially sold vehicles by the European Union[6].
Using the same wheel speed sensors from ABS systems, TCS systems control wheel
speed to control the vehicle and maintain control. When slip is detected from the wheel speed
sensor, yaw sensors, and steering angle sensors, individual wheels are control by one of three
methods. The first two methods can only be applied to wheels driven by the engine – typically
either only the front wheels, or only the rear wheels. The first method is to retard ignition to
reduce the power from the engine to the crankshaft, thereby reducing wheel speed. The
second is to electronically adjust the throttle and reduce the driven wheel speed. The last
method, which allows for the most control, is to electronically apply individual brake using
hydraulic pumps [9].
Traction control scenarios where the vehicle is stuck (in mud or snow for example) are
the most difficult to deal with [2]. Inventors Davor Hrovat, Michael Fodor, and Mitch McConnel
patented a method for traction control in which the relationship between the driver’s power
train input (the gas pedal) and the power train output changes based on environmental

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conditions. This method allows the vehicle to compensate for changes in environmental
conditions rather than relying on the driver to manually compensate using the vehicle’s gas
pedal.
Application for Two‐Wheeled Vehicles
The Institute for Highway Safety, in a study conducted in 2013, found that the rate of
fatal crashes is 31 percent lower for motorcycles equipped with ABS [3]. The EU has mandated
that by 2016 all two‐wheel vehicles will be equipped with ABS and traction control [8]. This is
part of an effort to make the roads safer for motorcycle drivers as well as those in their vicinity.
If this law results in safer roads, it is likely that other nations outside the EU will also adopt such
a law. In anticipation of such a requirement, this project will help develop a system to meet the
demand before it is needed.
The objective of the proposed project is to develop an anti‐lock braking and traction
system that can be universally applied to any two wheeled vehicles. The challenge would be to
imitate an automobile system while accounting for the extra tilt dimension. However, the
added information of changing contact patch provides extra information over an automobile
system. By analyzing how the contact patch changes as a function of angle, wheel speed, and
surface type an algorithm can be developed to approximate the contact patch region [10]. From
the contact patch approximation, it would be possible to predict how the current vehicle state
falls in relation to a critical slip region (in which the bike will start to lose traction).
Robert Lot from the University of Padova’s mechanical engineering department
developed an accurate mathematical model for the dynamic behavior of motorcycle tires by
analyzing experimental data [7]. Lot’s model takes into account the deformability (due to the
elastic nature) of the tire as well as its actual shape. His model allows for the determination of
the actual contact point (the center of the contact patch area). The velocity vector of the actual
contact point can then be used to calculate longitudinal and sideslip angles, which allows one to
determine instantaneous slip.
Methodology:
Lock‐up (ABS):
Under heavy braking, the inertia of the vehicle coming into the maneuver will overcome
the friction force on the tire, and the wheel will lock – causing potential loss of control and
increased stopping distance. Under this circumstance, the wheel speed of the locked wheel will
drastically drop to zero, while the vehicle and other non‐locked wheels will continue to travel at
speed. A sure sign of this is when any wheel speed drastically and suddenly drops to zero, while
the vehicle and other wheel maintain their speed. To determine when this is occurring, the
system must monitor all wheel speeds individually.
After determining that one or both of the wheels have locked, the system will then
apply negative voltage in pulses to the hydraulic pump, thereby releasing the pressure, and in
turn, the brakes. Normal ABS systems use a vacuum release valve to periodically release the

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pressure, but for the sake of our system, a two‐way hydraulic pump can do the job of both the
ABS and the TCS unit.
Traction‐loss (TCS):
When turning suddenly and at an excessive speed, the traction of the sidewall on any
wheel may break from the inertia of the vehicle coming into the turn, resulting in a total loss of
control, and usually a dangerous spin. At the onset of the loss of traction, the wheel that has
lost traction is no longer traveling racially ‐ instead, it is travelling in a direction at an angle from
the rest of the vehicle. In this case, this wheel ‐ no longer travelling in a straight line – is actually
travelling at a higher speed than the other wheels.
Again, using wheel speed sensors on individual wheels, this can be detected. When the
front wheels lose traction, the vehicle fails to turn completely, resulting in understeer. When
the rear wheels lose traction, the vehicle tends to turn excessively, resulting in oversteer. After
determining that one or both of the wheels have lost traction, the system will then apply
positive voltage in to the hydraulic pump, thereby increasing the pressure, and in turn, applying
brakes.
Figure 2 & 3 [2]
Schedule of work:
Completed
By
Project Component
9/7/15 Research on existing ABS and traction control for automobiles
9/15/15 Research on existing motorcycle ABS systems
9/30/15 Research on tire contact patches, specifically how they change over time

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10/15/15 Research on electronic throttle stabilization
10/30/15 Research on skipping fuel injection and ignition retardation
11/15/15
Research on any alternative proposed methods for traction control; Focus on
experimental and theoretical methods, ones that have not been implemented
yet.
11/30/15
Design and setup a test bench and test cases that can be used to test the system
once it is prepared
12/15/15
Version 1 of the code must be prepared and tested. Experimental results from the
collected data should be gathered and prepared for analysis.
1/11/15 Project submitted to Professor Malcolm Cooke
Member qualifications :
Masihuddin Ahmed
• Mechanical Engineering, & Pre‐Med
• Designed shop floor at Herouk Devtek
• Biomedical Engineering’s CREATE Program
• Completed relevant coursework & Case Western Reserve University
Abdallah Soliman
• Aerospace Engineering & Computer Science
• Lead developer for multiple projects at Concepts Collective
• Designed & Built oil well management system
• Completed relevant coursework & Case Western Reserve University
Anticipated involvement:
The senior project for the Mechanical Engineering is overseen by Professor Malcolm Cooke.
Professor Cooke, president of ThinkBox, is in a prime position to both help and critique our
progress and improve our design. Overall, we wish our product to be both available and useful
to the motorcycling community and our proposal will be valuable to thinkbox and Professor
Cooke in that it will provide a groundbreaking method to make road transportation to all road
users.

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Budget:
As stated in the methodology, the final design will require a means, by which the wheel speed
can be determined electronically, a method for applying the brakes electronically, and finally, a
method for releasing brake pressure electronically. The first requirement is met by having one
electronic Hall Effect sensor on each wheel. The last two requirements are met by a two way
hydraulic pump placed between the master cylinder of each brake line (front and rear) whereby
an electronic signal may pump oil toward the brake caliper, thereby inducing the brakes. Under
the conditions of user brake induced lock‐up, a negative voltage may be applied to the same
pump to release brake pressure and counteract the lock. Finally, a microcontroller is required
to compile and access the information independently.
Cost Component
$42.00 Rear Wheel ABS Pump
$42.00 Front Wheel ABS Pump
$60.00 Beagle Bone Black Microcontroller
$22.00 Rear Wheel Speed Sensor
$22.00 Front Wheel Speed Sensor
Final Cost: $188.00

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References
[1] Google Books, 'Patent US4861118 ‐ Anti‐lock brake system', 2015. [Online]. Available:
https://www.google.com/patents/US4861118. [Accessed: 23‐ Nov‐ 2015].
[2] Google Books, 'Patent US7792625 ‐ Traction control system and method for a vehicle', 2015.
[Online]. Available:
https://www.google.com/patents/US7792625?dq=traction+control&hl=en&sa=X&ved=
0CB0Q6AEwAGoVChMIjYeFpeb0yAIVyTgaCh0kBwxH. [Accessed: 23‐ Nov‐ 2015].
[3] Iihs.org, 'Motorcycle ABS: Why you want to ride with it', 2015. [Online]. Available:
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/brochures/motorcycle‐abs‐why‐you‐want‐to‐ride‐with‐it.
[Accessed: 23‐ Nov‐ 2015].
[4] Safetyresearch.net, 'A Brief History of Electronic Stability Controls and their Applications |
Safety Research & Strategies, Inc.', 2015. [Online]. Available:
http://www.safetyresearch.net/blog/articles/brief‐history‐electronic‐stability‐controls
and‐their‐applications. [Accessed: 23‐ Nov‐ 2015].
[5] R. Juvinall and K. Marshek, Fundamentals of machine component design. Hoboken, NJ:
John Wiley & Sons, 2012.
[6] B. Poovey, 'How Does Motorcycle Traction Control Work? | RideApart', RideApart, 2014.
[Online]. Available: https://rideapart.com/articles/motorcycle‐traction‐control‐work.
[Accessed: 23‐ Nov‐ 2015].
[7] R. Lot, 'A Motorcycle Tire Model for Dynamic Simulations: Theoretical and Experimental
Aspects', Meccanica, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 207‐220, 2004.
[8] Bosch‐motorcycle.com, 'Legislation', 2015. [Online]. Available: http://www.bosch‐
motorcycle.com/en/de/fahrsicherheit_fuer_zweiraeder/motorrad_abs/gesetzgebung/l
gislation.html. [Accessed: 23‐ Nov‐ 2015].
[9] L. Austin and D. Morrey, 'Recent advances in antilock braking systems and traction control
systems', Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: Journal of
Automobile Engineering, vol. 214, no. 6, pp. 625‐638, 2000.
[10]M. Massaro, R. Sartori and R. Lot, 'Numerical investigation of engine‐to‐slip dynamics for
motorcycle traction control applications', NVSD, vol. 49, no. 3, pp. 419‐432, 2011.
[11] M. Schinkel and K. Hunt, 'Anti‐lock braking control using a sliding mode like
approach',Proceedings of the 2002 American Control Conference (IEEE Cat.
No.CH37301), 2002.
[12] D. Khorasani‐Zavareh, S. Shoar and S. Saadat, 'Antilock braking system effectiveness in
prevention of road traffic crashes in Iran', BMC Public Health, vol. 13, no. 1, p. 439,
2013.