Article: The flotation stage
The flotation stage
The motorcycle’s natural pitching centre lies at the swingarm pivot, the point around which the rear of the bike oscillates as it absorbs irregularities in the terrain.
It acts as the dynamic anchor of the rear end, defining how the bike’s geometry changes as it moves.
However, this reference point is not fixed. As the rear wheel begins to leave the ground, the system enters a transitional state. The pitching centre gradually shifts towards the front wheel, changing the balance of forces and altering the bike’s dynamic response.
When the swingarm reaches its maximum extension, something significant happens: the pitching motion stops completely.
At this point, the bike stops pivoting and enters the floating phase: a brief moment in which the suspension has reached the end of its travel and the system is momentarily suspended between loaded and unloaded behaviour.
It is precisely at this threshold that tyre bounce emerges.
The energy accumulated during the compression and extension of the swingarm does not disappear: it is transferred to the tire, which absorbs and returns it in the form of bounce.
Though subtle, this phenomenon has a decisive influence on the motorcycle’s stability, grip, and dynamic behaviour across every metre of terrain.
