Firm when needed…
BMW M1000R 5469 MILES What’s the M’s clever suspension all about – and does it work?
One of the BMW M1000R’s big selling points is its electronic suspension. The M1000RR homologation superbike - on which the R is based – is built for race teams who will throw the stock suspension in the bin, so BMW stuck with unglitzy, manually adjustable Marzocchi units.
But since the M-R is designed to be ridden and enjoyed in the real world, it comes fitted with BMW’s electronic Dynamic Damping Control (DDC) system. This allows the bike to apply the optimal amount of suspension damping for the road conditions in real time – determined by the parameters set for each riding mode.
This is handy, because suspension is normally a compromise, especially on sporty road bikes. Set a bike up for track performance and it will clatter and crash over potholed tarmac and undulating
B-roads, but soften it off and it’ll let you down on your favourite, marble-smooth A-road.
DDC attempts to solve the problem by giving you the best of all worlds. In the M-R’s sportier riding modes, the suspension is firm and supportive and then you can soften it off at the touch of a button by selecting ‘Road’ or ‘Rain’ modes. But because it’s reacting to the riding conditions, even the stiffer settings will look after you if you hit a bumpy patch.
So, does it work? You bet it does. I swapped bikes for the night with deputy editor Emma Franklin last summer and took her Triumph Street Triple home. I was so disappointed with the Trumpet’s handling – one of its best features normally – because I’d just stepped off the BMW. It genuinely felt like hard work to ride, not something I ever thought I’d say about a Street Triple (or any modern Triumph).
But what did Emm think? “Thanks for that,” she said as she passed back the keys the next morning. “You’ve ruined other bikes for me now.”
That’s the effect the BMW has. Whatever you think of the styling, or the aero wings, or the daft power figures, the next bike you ride after it will probably disappoint you. And a lot of that is down to the way the M1000R just seeks out grip everywhere you go. You’d think that 200bhp-plus on the road would feel intimidating, but it isn’t because the bike’s brain is doing thousands of calculations per second to make sure your ambition isn’t outweighing your talent.
But far from feeling sanitised or removed from the riding experience, the electronic input gives you the confidence to press on and enjoy yourself. Could I get caught out and highside a noughties superbike after riding the M-R? Probably. But that would be my fault, not the bike’s.
LIKES
Seemingly infinite grip
DISLIKES
Other bikes are ruined!