In-use activity measurements for off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles

Abstract Off-road recreation vehicles are an important source of emissions and make a disproportionately high contribution to the emissions inventory. Here 58 off-road motorcycles and 39 all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were instrumented to collect activity data. The activity data for motorcycles and ATVs varied significantly depending on the type of terrain, the type of off highway vehicle, and personal riding habits. The most rapid transitions in speed were typically observed for motorcycles operated on motocross tracks or in trail riding. Over similar terrain, motorcycles had slightly higher top speeds than the ATVs. The highest observed speeds were for motorcycles in open terrain riding conditions. Interestingly, average speeds were comparable between different types of terrain.