[ODE] Simulating a bicycle/motorbike with rider + Friction question

[Chris Pilkington]

Hello,

1)
I am simulating a bike with rider.  I started by using the buggy
sample and then taking two wheels off, centering the remaining wheels,
making the wheels taller etc.

It tips over (obviously) so I have to add a rider to lean the opposite
way.  I did this by adding a Hinge 2 to the top connecting a long box
with weight.  The first axis points forwards and backwards so that
under forwards acceleration the rider can lean backwards and not fall
off ...   The other axis point left and right so that leaning into
turns will prevent falling over.  The problem is that all the leaning
is manual.  So when you get to a corner you have to control your
accelerator, turning of the front wheel and leaning into the corner. 
The leaning into the corner is the problem, it just doesn't feel
right.  Does anyone have any ideas about other ways to model the
rider?

2)
For rocky surface, cobbled roads, rough gravel etc.  I was wondering
if anyone has written a component that models "roughness" onto 1
polygon.  So you specify your polygon and say that it is a rough
polygon, then when the collision checks happen, it is 1 polygon, but
then the surface has a simulated (sin/cos/rand wave) over the top, so
that you actually collide with the wave, not the polygon.  Collide
with polygon, then perturb contact point?  Just an (crazy) idea.  This
would make it easier for me modelling the track, instead of having 50
million triangles to simulate the rockiness of a 32 triangle hill.  If
there isn't one, I may investigate making it myself (Warning, I
haven't even compiled ODE before, have browsed the source code a
little).

Thanks,
 
Chris Pilkington
chris.pilkington at gmail.com