Hydroplaning Effects of Tread Patterns of Motorcycle Tires

Abstract

Hydroplaning is a critical phenomenon affecting motorcycles navigating wet roads at high speeds. Insufficient tire performance in resisting hydroplaning leads to motorcycle accidents and rider injuries. The tread patterns on tires play a crucial role in managing water on the road surface and mitigating the impact of hydroplaning. This research focused on employing numerical methods to investigate hydroplaning of motorcycle tires. The fluid–structure interaction, involving the interaction between a rolling tire and the road’s fluid, was simulated using finite-element and finite-volume methods. This simulation was compared with experimental data obtained with a specially designed testing machine. The simulation results demonstrated excellent agreement with the experimental findings. Subsequent analysis studied the influence of tire tread patterns on hydroplaning. The research revealed that hydroplaning force increases with increasing tire speed and contact patch area. Consequently, a novel hydroplaning force function is introduced to estimate hydroplaning resistance. When the maximum hydroplaning force equals the tire’s carrying load, the motorcycle lifts off the road. This function is valuable for assessing motorcycle tire performance and designing effective tread patterns to reduce accidents on wet roads.