A stunt motorcyclist rides his motorcycle over a short ramp so that the motorcycle loses contact with the ground. As he does this, he guns his engine and the motorcycle's front wheel is observed to rise. Explain.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Answer is There is no external torque on the system, so the angular momentum is conserved. If the motorcycle is traveling from left to right, the increased clockwise angular momentum of the drive wheel requires a compensating counterclockwise angular momentum for the body of the motorcycle, thus raising the front end.

A Stunt Motorcyclist Rides His Motorcycle Over a Short Ramp