Quad-Bike Operational Instability

Abstract

The stake-holders in the quad-bike (QB) industry in Australia have failed to reach a satisfactory resolution of the present impasse that exists with respect to the causes and mitigation of the trauma suffered by riders due to QB instability. In an effort to provide purchasers with data enabling them to discriminate between safer and less safe machines, static longitudinal and lateral tests have been conducted by various interested parties; quasi-static lateral tests have also been conducted under some operational conditions. It is argued that while these static tests are valid, under many operating conditions QBs will not reach such unstable slopes due to poor traction. Further, these tests do not include the quasi-static and dynamic factors which also influence the processes associated with operational instability. For these reasons, the static tests do not provide an adequate basis for discrimination between safer and less safe machines.

Keywords

• quad bikes
• static instability
• operational instability
• traction