Optimizing the performance of racing motorcycles is a central goal for competition teams. The necessity to ensure driver stability and a good level of grip in the widest possible range of riding conditions makes it necessary for tires to work in the right temperature window, capable of ensuring the highest interaction force between tire and road. Specifically, the internal temperature of the tire is a parameter that can be difficult to measure and control but has a significant impact on motorcycle performance and, also, on driver stability. Deepening knowledge of internal tire temperature in racing motorcycles can improve performance optimization on the track and finding the right motorcycle setup. In this work, a physical thermal model is adopted for an activity concerning the development of a moto-student vehicle, to predict the racing motorcycle setup allowing the tire to work in a thermal window that optimizes grip and maximizes tire life. More in detail, a focus has been placed on the effects of the motorcycle’s wheelbase and pivot height variations on internal tire temperatures. Indeed, the stability and handling of the vehicle are highly dependent on the geometric properties of the chassis. Several values of such quantities have been tested in a properly implemented vehicle model developed in the “VI-BikeRealTime” environment, validated by outdoor tests, able to provide forces acting on the tires, slip indices, and speeds, needed by the thermal model as inputs. Through the analysis of the internal temperatures calculated by the model, reached by the various layers of the tire, it has been possible to investigate which of the simulated conditions cause a too-fast thermal activation of the tire and which of them can avoid overheating and underheating phenomena. Lately, this research has delved into the correlation between motorcycle riders' paths and temperature fluctuations with the aim of comprehending how minor alterations in routine maneuvers may influence tire energy activation, particularly in the context of racing and qualifying conditions.

Bicycle mobility has become increasingly popular as a sustainable and healthy means of transportation. Bicycles are not only a cost-effective transportation mode but also help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. However, the efficiency and safety of bicycling largely depend on the optimization of bicycle components, such as the tires. The importance of bike tire optimization cannot be underestimated as it can affect both bicycle dynamics and bicycle performance. Due to the lack of multi-physical mathematical models able to analyze and reproduce complex tire/road contact phenomena, useful to predict the wide range of working conditions, this research aims to the development of a bicycle tire thermal model. The main outcome is to provide the full temperature local distribution inside the tire’s inner rubber layers and the inflation chamber. Such kind of information plays a fundamental role in the definition of the optimal adherence conditions, for both safety and performance maximization, and as an indicator of the proper tire design for various applications, each requiring specific heat generation and management. The experimental validation has been carried out thanks to an innovative test-rig developed at Politecnico di Milano. It is known as VetyT (acronym of Velo Tyre Testing), and it complies with the standard ISO 9001-2015. It has been specifically instrumented for the activity, acquiring the external tire temperatures to be compared with the respective simulated ones, under various workingconditions.

In this work, a tire thermal model is adopted for an activity concerning the development of a moto-student vehicle, to predict the racing motorcycle setup allowing the tire to work in a thermal window that optimizes grip and maximizes tire life. Through the analysis of the internal temperatures calculated by the model, reached by the various layers of the tire, it has been possible to investigate which working conditions cause a too fast thermal activation of the tire and which of them is able to avoid overheating and underheating phenomena. Furthermore, since having the tires working at the right temperature in the fastest possible time is crucial in a race, various tire warm-up levels via thermal blankets have been tried, to figure out at which temperature and for how long to use them to reach an optimal inner liner and tread core temperature.

The importance of bike tire optimization cannot be underestimated as it can affect both the bicycle dynamics and bicycle performance. Due to the lack of multi-physical mathematical models able to analyze and reproduce complex tire/road contact phenomena, useful to predict the wide range of working conditions, this research aims to the development of a bicycle tire thermal model, playing a fundamental role in the definition of the optimal adherence conditions, for both safety and performance maximization, and as an indicator of the proper tire design for various applications, each requiring specific heat generation and management.