Anti-wheelie systems for high-performance motorcycles: A Nonlinear Model Predictive Control approach

The global proliferation of Powered Two-Wheel (PTWs) underscores the need for increasingly effective active safety systems in motorcycles. Among others, the Anti-wheelie (AW) system is one of the most peculiar and safety-critical, aiming at limiting front wheel lift, preventing from possible vehicle instability, loss of control, and, in general, increased accident risk for motorcyclists. In this paper, an AW system based on an always-active, closed-loop control action that relies on a refined vehicle dynamics model is proposed. A Nonlinear Model Predictive Control strategy is leveraged to track an optimal pitch angle, ensuring maximum acceleration while maintaining safe interaction with the rider by constraining the reduction in applied torque. The control system is implemented on Raspberry Pi hardware, coupled to the vehicle’s Electronic Control Unit (ECU). Preliminary tuning was conducted in a high-fidelity co-simulation environment, and experimental tests were conducted with a sport-commercial vehicle showing satisfactory control performance even in extreme maneuvers. The effectiveness of the control action is further validated through suspension travel measurements and feedback from professional test drivers. •Anti-wheelie systems are crucial in motorcycle safety and performance.•Model based technique and rider interaction allows for effective wheelie control.•A tailored dynamic model with actuation delay is considered as internal model.•Non-linear Model Predictive Control on embedded system embraces desiderata.•Simulative and experimental results show safety, comfort and high performance.