Creating a Custom Motorcycle System for Unreal Engine 5

Summary

Developer Ihor Fridman recently shared his technical experience building a custom motorcycle system for his in-development game using Unreal Engine 5. In this deep dive, he explains the physics behind motorcycle stability, detailing how he treated the bike and rider as a single unified system rather than separate entities, which is a departure from typical vehicle simulation approaches. By integrating the center of mass, tire grip, and suspension parameters with UE5's Chaos physics, he achieved realistic dynamic balance at high speeds, avoiding the jitter and instability often seen in two-wheeled vehicle simulations. He also discusses the practical challenges encountered, such as synchronizing physics collisions with animations, optimizing performance for open-world environments, and using custom physical materials to enhance road feel. For players, this system promises a more immersive driving experience, with realistic leaning, braking, and acceleration that mimic real-world physics. For developers, this is a valuable case study on how to break free from default templates and create complex vehicle systems within UE5. As more indie studios and developers explore realistic physics simulation, this type of knowledge sharing is likely to drive innovation in vehicle gameplay. The insights provided could serve as a foundation for others looking to implement custom vehicles…