A Definitive Guide to Motorised Two Wheelers

Testing Protocols for Safety and Endurance

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In the automotive industry, the journey from a computer-aided design (CAD) to a road-legal vehicle is paved with thousands of hours of systematic validation. For a fresher entering the industry, testing must be viewed not as a final hurdle, but as the primary engine of design refinement. A robust testing protocol is what transforms a "prototype" into a "product." Without these standards, engineering remains purely theoretical, leaving the vehicle vulnerable to catastrophic failures—such as chassis fatigue or braking system collapse—that carry immense legal, financial, and reputational risks.

The core mindset of a validation engineer is not to prove that a bike works, but to find the exact point where it breaks. This is the "safety net" of the design process. If an error is caught on a computer screen during the initial phases, it costs pennies to fix. If it is caught in the factory during production, it costs thousands. However, if it is caught by a customer due to a mechanical failure on the road, it can cost the company its reputation and millions in legal recalls. Testing protocols ensure that the "breaking point" stays in the laboratory and never reaches the road.

To manage the complexity of a modern vehicle, engineers use the DVP&R (Design Verification Plan and Report). This is the master engineering logic—a living document that maps every single design requirement to a specific, measurable test. We do not test the vehicle all at once; we follow a "Virtual-to-Physical" loop to catch errors when they are cheapest to fix.

Before any metal is cut, we use FEA (Finite Element Analysis). Think of this as a digital "stress test." We apply computer-generated forces to a 3D model to see where it might bend or break. If the computer shows a "hotspot" (a red zone of high stress) near a weld, we fix it in the CAD software before a single rupee is spent on manufacturing.

Once the digital design is safe, we manufacture individual parts. We don't need a whole bike to test a brake lever; we put the lever on a "bench rig" that pulls it 50,000 times until it snaps. This ensures the "building blocks" of the vehicle are solid.

Finally, we build the "Beta" prototype. This stage validates how parts interact. This is where we check for "interference"—for example, ensuring that when the suspension is fully compressed, it doesn't pinch a brake line or rub against the engine.

You cannot sell a vehicle simply because you believe it is safe; you must prove it to the government. This legal certification process is called Homologation. It is the formal bridge between engineering and the law.

You submit a "Gold Standard" prototype to an agency like ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) or ICAT. They witness standardized exams the bike must pass to be deemed roadworthy. Passing these tests earns you a Type Approval Certificate (TAC), your legal "license to sell."

These are the technical rulebooks for India. Every part has an AIS code; for example, AIS-146 dictates exactly how fast a bike must stop under different loads and weather conditions.

This ensures mass production matches the prototype. The government can randomly pull a bike off the factory line at any time to verify it still meets the safety standards of the original prototype.

To organize the hundreds of tests required, engineers divide the validation landscape into four distinct "buckets." Each bucket targets a different risk factor

1. Structural & Endurance:

Focuses on the "bones" of the vehicle. Will the frame snap after three years of use?

2. Performance & Dynamics:

Focuses on the "behavior" of the vehicle. Does it stop, turn, and accelerate as promised?

3. Environmental & Material:

Focuses on the "survival" of the vehicle. Will it rust in the monsoon or fade in the desert sun?

4. Electrical & Electronics:

Focuses on the "intelligence" of the vehicle. Are the computer chips protected from outside interference?

To understand these tests, you must understand Road Vibration. Think of the road as a "hammer" that hits your tires millions of times. These tiny, repeated hits cause Fatigue—much like a paperclip breaks if you bend it back and forth too many times, metal gets "tired" and snaps. We also watch for Resonance.
Chassis Fatigue Test: Actuators shake the frame to simulate a lifetime of riding.
Shaker Rig Testing: A hydraulic platform "plays back" real road bumps in the lab.
Belgian Blocks: Jagged stones used to see if bolts vibrate loose (Fastener Retention).
Pave Tracks: Wavy concrete that forces the chassis to "twist" to test Weld Strength.

Brake Fade Test: Slamming the brakes repeatedly to ensure they don't lose power as they get hot.
Gradeability: Ensuring the bike can stop and restart on a steep 12° hill without rolling back.
Wheel Impact (Drop) Test: Dropping a heavy weight on the rim to ensure it doesn't shatter when hitting a sharp pothole.
Tyre Plunger Test: Measuring the energy required to puncture the tire casing to ensure durability.

Salt Spray Test: Placing parts in a salty fog for 480 hours to simulate years of coastal rust.
IP (Ingress Protection) Testing: Blasting electronics with high-pressure water to ensure they don't short-circuit in a monsoon.
Dust Chamber Test: Exposing switches and air filters to fine dust to ensure they don't clog or fail.

EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility): Ensuring the bike's dashboard doesn't glitch when riding near high-voltage power lines.
Battery Abuse (AIS 156): For EVs, we drop, crush, and short-circuit the battery to ensure it remains stable and never catches fire.

Testing is not just a "Pass/Fail" exam; it is a critical diagnostic tool in the development phase. When a part fails, the professional response is never to simply "replace the part" or "make it thicker." Adding material without understanding the stress can add unnecessary weight and cost, or worse, shift the failure to a more expensive component. Instead, we use a structured Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to find the systemic error.

As a fresher, you will often hear the term DFMEA (Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis). This is a proactive "what-if" document created before testing starts. ‘Failure modes’ are nothing but the different ways something fails or reaches its break-point. ‘Effect’ is nothing but what happens to the vehicle as a consequence to these failure modes occurring. Failure modes consider the following parameters for analysis:

Severity

If this part fails, does the rider crash (10/10) or just hear a rattle (2/10)?

Occurrence

How likely is it to fail based on our simulation?

Detection

How easy is it for a tester to see the failure before it leaves the factory? The goal of the testing protocol is to lower the "Risk Priority Number" (RPN) of every component to an acceptable level through rigorous validation.

An engineer’s integrity is found in their data. In the automotive world, "close enough" is never enough. A hairline crack on a chassis in the lab is a warning sign of a potential disaster on the highway. Your responsibility is to be the "voice of the machine"—reporting data with total honesty, even when it means delaying a product launch to fix a critical flaw.
To transition from a "fresher" to an "expert," you must move beyond textbooks and start reading the actual documents the industry uses as "Law."

In India, the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and ICAT are the ultimate authorities.

What to look for: Search for the AIS (Automotive Industry Standards) library.

Key Standards to Read:

AIS-071: For the validation of electronic clusters and displays.
AIS-146: For Braking System performance.
AIS-156: This is the current "Hot Topic"—it covers the safety requirements for EV Batteries, including fire safety and water immersion.

Previous Standards and Regulatory Framework

Next Testing Article 1

A Definitive Guide to Motorised Two Wheelers

Testing Protocols for Safety and Endurance

Testing, validation and the purpose of it all

The Philosophy of "Testing for Failure"

The Strategic Roadmap: DVP&R and the Validation Loop

The Legal Gatekeeper: Homologation and the Indian Market

The Validation Landscape: Categories of Testing

Comprehensive list of Validation Tests

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

Conclusion and Professional Resources for Further Reading