SwRI Motorcycle Development Team Puts New Spin On Approach To Industry Needs

SAN ANTONIO--June 1, 2002--A team of engineers and technicians, who also happen to be motorcycle enthusiasts, offers a full range of motorcycle technology services at Southwest Research Institute(tm) (SwRI).

The SwRI® Motorcycle Development Team is taking a new approach by gathering a group that understands motorcycles technically as well as from personal experience.

"Not only do our engineers and scientists have different technical degrees, they also benefit from a broad range of experience," said Brian Birch, Motorcycle Development Team leader and an engineer in the SwRI Engine and Vehicle Research Division. "At SwRI, we have access to almost every facet of technical expertise. By bringing all of this knowledge and experience together, we can offer our clients numerous services that may have sent them to 10 different companies in the past. We offer the motorcycle industry 'one stop shopping' for all their technology and development needs."

The team includes experts in engine development and design, engine controls, emissions research, transmission testing and design, electromagnetic compatibility research and testing, materials testing, fire technology, oil and fuel analysis, noise and vibration testing, and instrumentation development.

"Our motorcycle clients expressed a need for engineers who understand the motorcycle industry from a motorcyclist's perspective," Birch said. "We have brought together a team of representatives from different technical backgrounds, many of whom also happen to be motorcyclists. We offer a unique perspective because we understand the industry as motorcyclists as well as engineers."

The Institute offers testing, development and design services for both motorcycles and scooters, including powertrain component simulation, engine design and optimization, engine control development, hardware-in-the-loop evaluation, transmission and drivetrain development, frame and suspension evaluation, laboratory and dynamometer testing, emissions determination and reduction, and environmental testing.

As an independent, multidisciplinary research, development and testing organization, SwRI provides a non-biased, third-party perspective. The SwRI Engine and Vehicle Research Division has achieved certification to ISO 9001, an internationally recognized quality standard, and is working toward ISO 14001 certification.

For more information, visit the SwRI Motorcycle Technology Web site online at motorcycle.swri.org.

SwRI is an independent, nonprofit, applied research and development organization based in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 2,700 employees and an annual research volume of more than $319 million.