American Journal of Engineering, Technology and Society 2015; 2(6): 188-192 Published online January 10, 2016 (http://www.openscienceonline.com/journal/ajets) ISSN: 2381-6171 (Print); ISSN: 2381-618X (Online) The Study of Motorcycle Hub Materials and Analysis Under Critical Load Environments Chidiebere Sobechukwu Metu 1 , Dim Nathan Uche 2 , Sunday Christopher Aduloju 3 , Obumneme Onyedum 1 , Kenechukwu Okechukwu 1 1 Research and Development Department, National Engineering Design Development Institute, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria 2 School of Project Management, Federal University of Science and Technology Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria 3 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA Email address chidieberemetu@yahoo.com (C. S. Metu), nattdims@yahoo.com (D. N. Uche), chrisaduloju@yahoo.com (S. C. Aduloju), onyedumobumneme@yahoo.com (O. Onyedum), kaycee.kenely@gmail.com (K. Okechukwu) To cite this article Chidiebere Sobechukwu Metu, Dim Nathan Uche, Sunday Christopher Aduloju, Obumneme Onyedum, Kenechukwu Okechukwu. The Study of Motorcycle Hub Materials and Analysis Under Critical Load Environments. American Journal of Engineering, Technology and Society. Vol. 2, No. 6, 2015, pp. 188-192. Abstract The knowledge of material science plays a crucial role in the selection of engineering materials for the purpose of design and manufacture of automotive mechanical components. The importance of a hub in a motorcycle automotive industry, as the central part of a motorcycle wheel that rotates on or with the axle and from which spokes radiates, prompted this comparative study on materials which will better serve the purpose of the hub. A comparative evaluation of Cast iron and Aluminum alloy for motorcycle hub were done and their reactions under the same critical load environment were analyzed. Data on the critical loads and forces that were used for the analysis were obtained from literature, and the analyses were done with an Autodesk Inventor Software. Findings made confirmed that the aluminum alloy hub have less weight than the cast iron hub which helps to reduce the inertia (the work done to move or stop the motorcycle hub). Further, the findings showed that the aluminum alloy hub has a good weight to strength ratio when compared to cast iron. The study therefore concluded that, regardless of the material cost and manufacturing cost of both hubs, the aluminum alloy hubs are better alternatives to the cast iron hubs. Keywords Engineering Materials, Cast Iron, Aluminum, Material Selection, Motorcycle Hub 1. Introduction The selection of suitable engineering materials for the design and manufacture of automotive mechanical components remains one of the most difficult task and thus a problem in an automobile industry. According to [1], steel has been the dominant material used in the manufacturing automobile parts since 1920s. Authors of [1] further stated that despite the fact that the choice of materials used by the automobile manufacturers are based on complex decisions variables and are determined by a number of factors, the increasing need to economize fuel followed by the concern about the global warming, air pollution thus causing an increase in gas emissions that are potentially dangerous to human health, [2]. This emission causes a rise in the temperature of the earth as a result of ozone layer depletion from the actions of Green House Gases (GHG) which allows the entrance of sun rays and other dangerous elements into the atmosphere therefore increasing the temperature of earth [3]. More so, energy used, and weight reduction has a significant influence on the choice of materials. Authors of [4] opined that the best material is one which serves the desired objective at the minimum cost, available at demand and suitable for the working condition in a specified environment. Engineering materials are classified into metals and their alloys, and non-metals. The metals are further classified into metals that contains iron as their main constituent element (ferrous metals), and metals that contains elements other than iron as their main constituent element (Non- ferrous metals). However, this study is only interested in cast iron materials and the aluminum alloy materials which are classified under the ferrous metals and non-ferrous metals respectively. Cast