The Complete Handbook of Remote Control Motorcycles

Chapter 1: Understanding Remote Control Motorcycles

A remote control motorcycle is a two-wheeled, self-propelled scale model that is operated via a radio link. It is not a car with the bodywork removed, and treating it as one is a common and expensive mistake. The fundamental difference lies in stability. A four-wheeled vehicle is statically stable; it stays upright when stationary. A two-wheeled vehicle is dynamically stable; it stays upright only while moving and through the active management of its balance. This single fact dictates every aspect of the vehicle's design, its control system, and the skill required to operate it effectively.

The core technology that makes a practical RC motorcycle possible is the gyroscopic stabilization system. The term "gyro" is often used loosely, but the actual mechanism is a small, high-speed electric motor spinning a weighted mass, mounted on an axis that is typically aligned with the longitudinal axis of the bike. Gyroscopes resist changes to their axis of orientation. As the bike begins to lean to one side, the gyro's resistance to that change produces a corrective torque, pushing the bike back toward vertical. This is a simplified explanation, but it captures the essential physics. Without a gyro of adequate quality and power, a small RC motorcycle will simply fall over as soon as it is given any steering input or encounters a rough patch of ground.

The quality of the gyro is the single most important factor determining the performance envelope of the vehicle. A cheap, poorly implemented