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Optimisation of the chain drive system on sports motorcycles

Article in Sports Engineering · June 2004

DOI: 10.1007/BF02915918

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Optimisation of the chain drive system on sports
motorcycles
Stuart Burgessand Chris Lodge
Bristol University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UK

m ii

Abstract
This paper investigates the optimisation of the chain drive system on sports motorcycles.
Recently there has been the development of a chain transmission efficiency model that is suitable
for motorcycles. The new model is used to predict the efficiency of a 600cc sports motorcycle at
different speeds. The transmission efficiency is estimated to be between 96 and 99% for speeds
less than 75 mile/h. Between 75 and 150 mile/h the transmission efficiency can be as low as 85%
due to inertial tension. The transmission efficiency model presented in this paper enables opti-
misation of sprocket and chain sizes. In general, large sprockets are better at low speeds and
smaller sprockets are better at high speeds. The optimum chain size is the chain with the smallest
pitch that can meet the torque and power requirement. The sprocket centre distance also has a
big effect on efficiency and it is important to use an effective installation procedure. In particu-
lar, it is important to set a chain up when the rear wheel axle, front crank and swing arm bearing
are all in-line.

Keywords: transmission efficiency, power loss, roller chain

Introduction 9 what size of sprockets to select (for a given gear

ratio)
Background 9 what size and type of chain to select
This paper investigates the optimisation of the chain 9 what installation procedure to select.
drive system on sports motorcycles. Chain drives are
One of the key problems until now has been that there
used on the vast majority of sports motorcycles
have been no equations for calculating the efficiency
because they are much more efficient than belt drives
of a motorcycle chain. This makes it difficult to
and prop shafts. The chain drive system is a critical
determine the optimum size of sprockets and chain. At
subsystem on sports motorcycles. For any sports
present, designers use experience and rules-of-thumb
motorcycle it must be decided:
for optimising the chain drive system.
Correspondenceaddress: This paper presents a recendy developed model of a
Stuart Burgess chain transmission system that is suitable for motor-
Bristol University cycles (Lodge, 2002) and shows how it can be used to
Department of Mechanical Engineering optimise the components of the transmission system. A
Queens Building case study is carried out on a 600cc sports motorcycle
University Walk
Bristol to show how efficiency varies with speed. In addition, it
BS8 1TR is shown how to optimise the size of the sprockets and
E-mail: s.c.burgess@bris.ac.uk chain as well as the installation procedure.

9 2004 ~ Sports Engineering (2004) 7, 65-73 65

Optimisationof the chain ddve system on sportsmotorcycles I S. Burgess and G. Lodge

Sports motorcycles series involves bikes that are similar to models which
The sports motorcycle industry is very large and are available to the public.
A picture of a typical road bike and a typical off-
diverse. On a global scale there are hundreds of
thousands of people who are involved in some kind of road bike are shown in Fig. 2. Professional riders must
select the chain drive system carefully in order to get
motorcycle sport. Fig. 1 gives a classification of the
maximum performance from their motorbikes.
main types of motorcycling sports. Motorcycling can
be divided into two main classes: competitive racing However, amateurs are also very keen to get maximum
performance from their motorbikes even when they
and leisure. Within both of these categories there are
two main types of motorcycling which are road and are riding just for leisure.
off-road. As shown in Fig. 1, there are many types of
motorcycle racing, especially off-road. These motor- Past research
cycle sports attract competitors with a very wide range The mechanics of roller chains are very complicated
of ages from youth to very senior. For most types of because there are many variables that affect transmis-
competitive motorcycle sports there are both amatettr sion efficiency and load sharing within a chain. In
and professional riders. 1998 a simple equation was developed for transmis-
The fastest speeds occur in road racing on circuits sion efficiency that was suitable for slow-speed drives
such as Silverstone and Brands Hatch, where the top such as those found on bicycles. Studies with this
riders reach speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour equation showed that the best performance for
(mile/h). (Note: 200 mile/h = 322 km/h). The Moto bicycle road racing is often achieved with large
Grand Prix contains motorcycles which are at the sprockets (Burgess, 1998a; Hamer, 1998; Burgess,
leading edge of technology. However, the Superbike 1998b).

Motorcycle
sports

I I
Competitive Leisure
racing

I
I
I I I I
Road Off-road Road Off-road
I
I I
Touring
II Road racers

I I I I
I II Purpose-
built track I~ Natural
terrain
Indoor
simulated
terrain
I Moto GP
I
Dirt track
I
Motocross __,,

I Supercross
Superbikes Speedway Enduros
Arena trials
Drag racing Hill climbs
Hare-hound
Trails

Figure 1 Classification of the main motorcycle sports

66 Sports Engineering (2004) 7, 65-73 9 2004

 S. Burgess and C. Lodge ! 0ptimisation of the chain drive system on sports motorcycles

RollerLink Plate RollerLinkPlate RollerLink

8""B
Pin LinkPlate

I- I Pin
Bushing Roller

Pin Link Plate Pin Link

Figure 2 Typical sports motorcycles Figure 3 Construction of a motorcycle roller chain

The equation used for the bicycle studies described chain code represents the number of 'eighths' in the
above has two limitations. First, it does not include a chain pitch. If the first number of a chain code is 5
centripetal term and therefore the equation is not then the chain has a 5/8 inch pitch. If the first number
valid for high-speed drives. Secondly, it makes an of the code is 4 then the chain has a pitch of 4/8 = 1/2
approximation for the load in the chain and so it has inch and so on. The second number in the code
limited accuracy. Since motorcycle drives are high indicates the number of 'eighths' in the width
speed, the equation used previously for bicycles is not dimension of the bush. A 520 chain has a bush width
suitable for analysis of motorcycle drives. of 2/8 = 1/4 inch whereas a 530 chain has a bush width
In the last year there has been much progress in of 3/8 inch. The third digit in the code indicates
understanding and predicting the efficiency of chain whether there is a special size. In the case of a 428
drives with the publication of an accurate chain effi- chain, the 8 indicates that there is an extra 1/16 of an
ciency model which is valid for high-speed drives inch on the width.
(Lodge, 2002; Lodge & Burgess, 2002). For the first
time, it is possible to carry out a detailed optimisation Types of motorcyclesprocket
study on motorcycle chains. The main materials used for sprockets are low-carbon
steel, high-carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium
9alloy and titanium. Aluminium alloy and titanium have
Types of motorcycle chain and sprocket
higher specific strengths than the steel materials and
Types of motorcyclechain therefore can give a weight saving. However, the best
Fig. 3 shows the construction of a typical motorcycle match in stiffness is obtained with steel, so there is no
chain. The roller chain consists of a series of links. obvious best material for sprockets.
There are two types of links: roller links (or inner An important factor with sprockets is how they are
links) and pin links (or outer links). The roller link manufactured. W h e n sprockets are stamped into
consists of two bushes that are fixed to two plates with shape they generally do not have very high tolerances
a loose roller assembled over each bush. The pin link on the tooth profiles. Therefore stamped sprockets do
consists of two pins that are fixed to two plates. Most not provide the smoothest and lowest friction drives.
chains are made from high-carbon steel which is case The smoothest drives are produced when sprockets
hardened for wear resistance. Some motorcycle chains are machined or laser cut.
have o-rings around the pins between the side plates
to help keep lubricant in the pin area.
Motorcycle chains come in a variety of sizes. One of Table 1 Typical motorcycle chain sizes
the most important dimensions of a chain is the pitch
Chain Chain Roller Roller Pin diameter Typical
which is defined as the distance between pin centres. cede pitch width diameter (inches) bike
The pitch of motorcycle chains varies form 3/8 inch to (inches) (inches) (inches) size (cc)
3/4 inch. However, the most common size for sports
428 1/2 5/16 0.335 0.174 1O0
motorcycles is 5/8 inch. (Note: one inch = 2 5.4 mm). 520 5/8 1/4 0.4 0.2 500
Table 1 summarises the key dimensions of chains 530 5/8 3/8 0.4 0.2 1000
used on sports motorcycles. The first number in the 630 3/4 3/8 0.469 0.234 1300

9 2004 ~ Sports Engineering (2004) 7, 65-73 67

OpUmisationof the chain drive system on sportsmotorcycles ! S. Burgess and C. Lodge

There have been some innovations in sprocket design. from top dead centre (TDC) to a position away from
Some sprockets have an undercut on their teeth so top dead centre, as shown in Fig. 4. This change in
that it is easy for dirt to escape. This feature can be position causes the radius of the chain around the
very beneficial in off-road riding if there are large sprocket to change from r to r cos (0/2) where r is the
quantities of mud on the chain. The sprocket can also pitch radius of the sprocket and 0 is the angular pitch
have features such as lips and grooves which produce a of the sprocket teeth. The effect of the continually
cleaning effect. changing radius is to cause a fluctuating velocity in the
Sprockets can be made with any number of drive system for a given drive torque. This fluctuating
sprocket teeth. There are obviously limitations on the velocity is called polygonal action (Boullion &
minimum and maximum number of teeth that are Tordion, 1965). Polygonal action becomes more
possible on any given motorcycle. However, there is severe as sprockets become smaller. The problem of
usually scope for choosing smaller or larger sprockets polygonal action is that the rider can feel jerkiness in
for a given gear ratio. This will be demonstrated in a the drive system, especially when the motorcycle is
later section which analyses the effect of sprocket size accelerating hard. The problem of polygonal action
on a 600cc motorcycle. m e a n s that designers must be cautious about selecting
small sprockets.

Performance criteria in motorcycle chain (iv) Durability

drive selection Chain wear is not necessarily a big issue for profes-
sional racers who can afford to change their chains
The chain drive system is a critical sub-system on a
often. However, in an endurance race, chain wear can
motorcycle. It is important that the chain drive system
is carefully selected and installed. Apart from cost, the a) 0
main performance criteria to consider when selecting
parts of the chain drive system are:

(i) Transmission efficiency

Transmission efficiency is important because it
directly affects the torque that can be delivered to the
rear wheel. Even though roller chains are very
efficient, a significant amount of torque can be lost if
the chain drive has not been optimised. For example,
if a chain has a transmission efficiency of 90%, then
10% of the torque applied to the rear wheel is com- I

pletely lost in the chain. b) 0/2

( • )U~ss I
Mass is an important factor because this affects the - i

power-to-weight ratio of the motorcycle. The m a s s of

the chain drive is particularly important because it is )
part of the unsprung m a s s .

(iii) Velocity profile

One feature of sprocket drives that can cause problems
is that the radius of the chain around the sprocket is
not constant. The radius of the chain is determined by I
the position of the roller as it sits between two Figure4 Change of chain radius due to polygonal action, a) Chain
sprocket teeth. As the sprocket turns, the roller moves at TDC, b) Chain away from TDC.

68 Sports Engineering (2004) 7, 65-73 9 2004 i s e o

 S. Burgess and C. Lodge I 0ptimisation of the chain drive system on sports motorcycles

be an issue. In addition, most amateur riders do not F f = tara2% 2 (3)

like to have to change the chain too often. Features
such as o-rings can dramatically increase the life of a where m is the mass per unit length (kg m-l), r d is the
chain. Therefore, when wear is an issue, this can have pitch circle radius of the driving (front) sprocket (m)
an impact on chain selection. and ~od is the rotational speed of the driving sprocket
(rad s-l).
Current selection methods The force in the chain due to the drive torque, F , is
Because of the lack of data and equations for calculat- given by
ing chain efficiency, many decisions are based on T
experience and rules-of-thumb. There are some key ra
questions that have not been answered until now. One
where T is the input drive torque.
question is whether small or large sprockets are best
The main variables in the model of efficiency are:
for a given gear ratio. For bicycles, large sprockets can
9 pitch circle radius of the sprockets
often be best so designers would like to know whether
9 internal diameter of the chain bush, r b
this is also the case for motorcycles. Another question
9 input drive torque, T
that motorcycle designers would like to know is how
9 rotational speed of the sprockets
chain size and the installation procedure affects trans-
9 coefficient of friction,/~p.
mission efficiency.
Laboratory experiments on chain transmission systems
Analysis of a 600cc sports motorcycle chain have shown that the model is accurate for drives
carrying a significant torque (Lodge, 2002). A signifi-
Chain efficiency model cant torque is defined as a torque where the slack span
A model of the transmission efficiency of a chain drive tension is small (say less than 5%) compared to the tight
running at constant torque and rotational speed has span tension. Experiments were carried out on chains
been recently developed (Lodge, 2002; Lodge & and sprockets that were typical of motorcycle transmis-
Burgess, 2002). The model calculates the transmission sions. The model ignores the losses due to impact with
efficiency based on the frictional losses in the chain. the sprocket and vibration in the chain span. However,
The chain efficiency, r/, is given by vibration should be minimal for a correcdy designed
transmission. Also, experimental verification of the
(1) model (Lodge, 2002) showed no significant errors in
= po + N ~ o Z lV
the model due to neglect of the impact losses when
where P is the power output, N is the number of there was significant tension in the chain span. Since
teeth on the output (rear) sprocket and w~ is the speed the case study considered in this paper involves signifi-
of the output sprocket (rev s-l). Ivis the work done, in cant chain span tension, it is reasonable to neglect these
joules, at the four points of articulation. Considering
friction losses only between the pin and the bush, the
work done, IV, at each point of articulation is given by
. Bush~l._~ Pin
IV = 41 +/~p2 /'tp rb am (2)
where F is the force in the chain due to the drive
torque, F f is the force due to centripetal acceleration,
/~p is the coefficient of friction between pin and bush, r b
is the inner radius of the bush and a m is the maximum ~m Maximum
angle of
articulation angle of the sprocket as shown in Fig. 5. Sliding between ~ ~ articulation
The force due to centripetal acceleration, F f is pin and bush
given by Figure 5 Pin/bush sliding due to chain articulation

9 2004 ~ Sports Engineering (2004) 7, 65-73 69

Optimisation of the chain drive system on sports motorcycles I S. Burgess and C. Lodge

losses. In this paper the coefficient of friction is assumed Power loss equation
to be 0.11, which was found by simple experimental The power loss is given by the equation:
measurements on oil-lubricated steels similar to those
used in motorcycle chains. PL = ~'~ -'7)
Efficiency predictions where T is the output drive torque, ~o~ is the output
A 530-type motorcycle chain has been assumed which speed and ~/is the efficiency of the chain.
has a pitch of 5/8 inch. The maximum power has been
approximated to a constant 62.5 kW (85 hp) over the Power loss predictions
engine speed range. The largest inaccuracy in this The transmission power loss was calculated for full
assumption is at low speed (less than 15 mile/h), where power and half power running at road speeds between
either the clutch is slipping or the engine is not in the 0 and 150 mile/h. The results are shown in Figs. 8 and
power band. However, the efficiency of the chain 9 respectively. It can be seen that in both cases the
transmission is not sensitive to the transmitted power power loss from the chain increases with increasing
at low speed as long as the tight span chain tension is speed. The power loss at high speed (above 75 mile/h)
significantly higher than the slack span chain tension. is very significant, regardless of the level of transmis-
Since this is the case, this assumption should not affect sion power. This is caused by inertial tension, which
the accuracy of the transmission efficiency, although
the power loss from the chain transmission will be 100
slightly overestimated at low speeds. 98
The chain dimensions used were the nominal 96
dimensions for the specified 530-size motorcycle o~
94
chain. The transmission is modelled with the standard 92
=o
15-tooth driver (crank) sprocket and 47-tooth driven 90
~E 88
(wheel) sprocket with the slack span at the bottom of LU
86
the drive and no tensioning device.
84
The transmission efficiency was calculated for full 82
power and half power running at road speeds between 80
0 and 150 mile/h. The results are shown in Figs. 6 and 0 50 1O0 150
7 respectively. It can be seen that in both cases the effi- Speed (mph)
ciency of the chain decreases rapidly with increasing Figure 6 Predicted transmission efficiency for a 600cc motorcycle
speed. At low speeds (less than 50 mile/h) the trans- chain at full power
mission efficiency remains similar regardless of the
transmission power. 100
It is commonly thought that well-lubricated chains
are over 98% efficient. The results show that this is 9~
approximately correct for speeds up to 75 mile/h. 94 ~.
However, at high speeds efficiency can drop dramati-
cally to 91% at full power and 84% at half power. In
92
9o \\
racing situations, where torque is required to acceler-
86
ate and overtake rivals, such drops in efficiency can 84
have a significant impact on the performance of the 82
motorcycle. These results show that it is critically 80
important to choose a chain drive system that has a 0 50 100 150
high transmission efficiency. Speed (rnph)
Figure 7 Predicted transmission efficiency for a 600cc motorcycle
chain at half power

70 Sports Engineedng (2004) 7, 65-73 9 2004

 S. Burgess and C. Lodge I Optimisation of the chain drive system on sports motorcycles

causes frictional losses that are independent of the 10

transmitted power. Inertial tension is caused by cen-
tripetal acceleration of the chain and is defined in Eqn. 8
f
(3). This fixed power loss at high speeds means that
6
the transmission efficiency for lower power transmis- o
_J
sion is significantly affected. At low speeds (less than 4
50 mile/h) the power loss is scaled with the transmit- s o
Q.

ted power. ~f
2
The results emphasise the previous observations
that there can be a significant amount of torque 0 50 100 150
reduction at the rear wheel. Speed (mph)
Figure 8 Predicted power loss from a 600cc motorcycle chain at
full power
Optimisation of sprocket sizes
Since a chain transmission efficiency can drop to low 10

levels at high speeds, it is critically important to

determine what chain drive system gives the best
transmission efficiency. A key question is whether it is "" 6 =o
//
best to have large sprockets or small sprockets (for a d 8
._1
=
given gear ratio). Eqns. (1), (2) and (3) show that
sprocket size does affect the efficiency of the chain
m
drive system. 2

The model was also used to investigate the effect of

0
scale of the transmission system in terms of sprocket 0 50 100 150
size. The model was run using different available Speed(mph)
sprocket sizes, whilst maintaining a similar gear ratio.
Figure9 Predicted p o w e r l o s s f r o m a 600ccmotorcycle chain at
The sprocket combinations used were 13/41 tooth half power
(1:3.15), 14/44 tooth (1:3.14), 15/47 tooth (1:3.13) and
16/50 tooth (1:3.13). All four of these combinations
have a similar gear ratio as shown.
The power loss for each of these drives is shown in
A 14/44 ,
Fig. 10. It can be seen that the use of larger sprockets 5"

Jl
15/47
results in less power loss at speeds less than 70 mile/h.
However, at speeds above 70 mile/h the increased
inertial tension from the larger sprockets results in 2 ~
more power consumption by the chain. These results
show that the optimum sizes of the sprockets can be ; ..... I 30 60 90
I
120 150
highly dependent on the speed range of the motor- Speed(mph)
cycle. Figure 10 Predicted transmission efficiency of a 6 0 0 c c motorcycle
A motorcycle used only on the road for leisure, chain using different sprocket sizes
where speeds are less than 70 mile/h, may benefit
from larger sprockets because the increase in the mass
and inertia of the transmission would be more than the sprocket size because of the lower mass, lower
compensated by better efficiency, smoother drive and inertia and better high-speed efficiency. Possible dis-
potentially a longer chain and sprocket life. advantages of small sprockets for racing motorcycles
Conversely, racing motorcycles that race at speeds are slightly more power variation and drive 'jerkiness'
above 70 mile/h would benefit from minimisation of due to polygonal action.

9 2004 ~ Sports Engineering (2004) 7, 65-73 71

Optimisation of the chain drive system on sports motorcycles II S. Burgess and C. Lodge

Optimisation of the chain hot. In addition, the lubricant should be carefully

selected.
There are several different manufacturers who supply
motorcycle chains. Each manufacturer states the load Optimisation of chain installation
carrying capacity of each of their chains. The The efficiency of chain drives is greatly affected by the
designer/constructer of the sports motorcycle must centre distance. Studies have shown that the efficiency
select a chain that can cope with the power and torque of a roller chain decreases rapidly if the chain is too
of the motorcycle. Often the motorbike designer has a tight. For example, experiments have shown that the
choice of different chain sizes and types to choose power loss in a roller chain can be doubled when the
from. centre distance is 0.5% above the ideal centre distance
From Eqns. (1) and (2) it can be seen that the trans- (Lodge & Burgess, 2000). Therefore it is critically
mission efficiency is directly related to the internal important to have a reliable procedure for setting up
diameter of the bush. Therefore, the most efficient the correct centre distance on the chain.
transmission is produced by selecting the chain with The centre distance of the chain is set up by
the smallest bush internal diameter. It should be noted adjusting the rear wheel position so that a certain
that the internal diameter of the bush is virtually the degree of mid-span slack is achieved. A typical recom-
same as the pin diameter because the pin is a clearance mended amount of mid-span sag is 2-3% of the centre
fit in the bush. Therefore the transmission efficiency distance between the sprockets. One of the problems
is also maximised by selecting the chain with the with motorcycle chains is that the chain has a variable
smallest pin diameter. centre distance because of the suspension system.
From Table 1 it can be seen that there is about a Fig. 11 shows the rear drive when the suspension is
15 % increase in pin diameter when the pitch increases unloaded and loaded. The rear wheel has suspension
from 1/2 inch to 5/8 inch and there is a further 15% by virtue of a swing arm which pivots near to the front
increase in pin diameter when the pitch increases from sprocket. The action of the swing arm means that the
5/8 to 3/4 inch. This means that a 5/8 inch pitch chain chain does not have a constant centre distance, c.
will have about 15 % greater power loss compared to When the suspension is unloaded the chain has a short
1/2 inch pitch chain when all other things are equal. centre distance. When the suspension is loaded there
Therefore, the most efficient chain is the chain with comes a point when the front and rear sprockets and
the smallest pitch that can meet the torque and power the centre of the swing arm are all in line. At this point
requirement. the chain centre distance is at a maximum.
The efficiency of the chain is also affected by the If the chain is set up when the suspension is
lubrication system. Some chains come with o-rings unloaded there is the danger that the chain will be too
which help make the chain last longer by trapping tight when the suspension is loaded. Therefore it is
lubricant in the pin and bush area. There is no data for very important that the chain and sprocket system is
the efficiency of chains with o-rings. However, it is set up when the centre distance is at a maximum.
certain that o-rings will add friction to the chain. For There are two techniques for compressing the suspen-
critical race applications, it is advisable not to use o- sion system during chain set-up. One method is to use
rings. an adjustable harness that locks the suspension. A
The chain lubricant is also a critical factor in the second method is simply to get people to sit on the
transmission system. The lubricant should be thin motorcycle.
enough to get into the tight spaces around the pin. Chain efficiency is also affected by the alignment of
However, it should not be so thin that it runs off the the sprockets. If the rear wheel is not in-line, there will
chain too quickly. One of the most critical factors for be uneven forces in the chain links and excessive
the lubricant is its operating temperature. Most friction between side plates of the chain. The front
chain lubricants start to thin and become weak above and rear sprockets also need to be in-line.
70~ When racing hard in hot conditions, care must
be taken to re-lubricate the chain before it gets too

72 Sports Engineering (2004) 7, 65-73 9 2004

 S.BurgessandC.LodgeI Optimisation of the chain drive system on sports motorcycles

a) Rear In general, large sprockets are better at low speeds and

sprocket smaller sprockets are better at high speeds. The
Swingarm \ optimum chain size is the chain with the smallest pitch
centre
Front \ /,~~ that can meet the torque and power requirement. The
sprocket~ ~ sprocket centre distance also has a big effect on effi-
ciency and it is important to follow an effective
installation procedure. In particular, it is important to
set a chain up when the rear wheel axle, front crank
and swing arm bearing are all in-line.
i-~ =,q
Acknowledgements
b) Chainat The authors would like to acknowledge the
tightest
p o i ~ Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
and Renold PLC for their support of this research
programme. The authors would also like to thank
Graham Bradley for helpful discussions.

References
4 c ..1 Boullion, G. & Tordion, G. V. (1965) On polygonal action
"1 in roller chain drives, Transactions of the American Society
of Mechanical Engineers, Journal of Engineering for
Figure 11 Effectofthesuspensionsystemonchaincentre Industry, 243-250.
distance,a)Unloadedsuspension,b)Loadedsuspension. Burgess, S.C. (1998) Improving cycling performance with
large sprockets, 2nd International Conference on The
Engineering of Sport, pp. 23-29.
9Burgess, S.C. (1998) Improving cycling performance with
Conclusions large sprockets, Journal of the Engineering of Sport, 1 (2).
The transmission efficiency of the chain drive has a Hamer, M. (1998) Big is better, New Scientist, 2126, 21
very significant effect on the performance of sports March.
Lodge, C. (2002) Wear and efficiency modelling of roller
motorcycles. The transmission efficiency of a 600cc chains, PhD thesis, Bristol University.
sports motorcycle chain has been estimated to be Lodge, CJ. and Burgess S.C. (2002) A model of the
between 96 and 99% when travelling at speeds less tension and transmission efficiency of a bush roller
than 75 mile/h. Between 75 and 150 mile/h the trans- chain. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical
mission efficiency can be as low as 85% due to inertial Engineers, Part C, Journal of Mechanical Engineering
tension and more than 7 hp (5.2 kW) can be lost from
Science, 216, 385-394.
Lodge, C. and Burgess S.C. (2002) Experimental
the chain. measurement of roller chain transmission efficiency,
The transmission efficiency model presented in this Proceedings of the International Conference on Gearing,
paper enables optimisation of sprocket and chain sizes. Transmissions, and Mechanical Systems, pp. 603-612.

9 2004/seo Sports Engineering (2004) 7, 65-73 73

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