BMW's Dynamic Damping Control - the Future of Suspension
Artificial intelligence has arrived on two wheels and it's set to make life better, simpler and safer for motorcyclists the world over, according to BMW and its new DDC system.DDC (Dynamic Damping Control). It's BMW's latest hi-tech suspension innovation which works alongside BMW's established ESA II system (Electronic Suspension Adjustment) to automatically manage a motorcycle's suspension damping according to the actions and conditions of your ride.
So how will that help me?
Well, for a start, it will mean the days of bamboozling suspension talk, spring rates and damping control will be a thing of the past. From here on in, a push of a button is all it will take to find the best possible set-up for your motorcycle, regardless of the roads you're traveling on or the speeds you're riding at. You'll always have the best grip levels, stability and comfort available from your motorcycle's suspension.The BMW DDC system works by linking together a whole bunch of data collected by BMW's DTC and ABS systems, which plot and determine exactly what's going on with the motorcycle. Between them and some additional suspension travel sensors, the DDC system calculates the necessary amount of damping needed by your suspension faster than you can think, adjusting the system's electronically actuated proportional damping valves to suit in under 30 milliseconds. It knows to add extra damping to the rear shock when you accelerate and in turn more to the front when you brake. And it's continuously variable according to the extent of the force that's been applied to the suspension. It even knows how to tackle potholes and automatically adds support when the DTC systems tells DDC that the motorcycle's leaning into a corner, arming the suspension ready for the effects of cornering.
The DDC system is set to be a factory fitted option on all new BMW's from here on in, so it should be appearing on new models in 2012.
Unfortunately, the DDC system is not retrofit so you won't be able to bolt it on to your current BMW motorcycle as an extra... but then again, what better excuse is there to want a new motorcycle...
