BMW Motorrad always puts serious thought into developing front suspension.
- BMW and ZF develop a new carbon fibre front end.
- BMW won the 24-hour Spa of the EWC while testing the new carbon fibre telescopic fork.
The R 1250 GS is fitted with a Telelever front end, the K 1600 GT Duolever suspension is innovative, while the S 1000 RR semi-active unit is an integral part of the superbike setup.
However, BMW has up the ante in its latest joint venture with suspension experts and partner ZF (Zahnradfabrik) to develop a carbon fibre telescopic fork.
The collaboration is to develop the front fork for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team.
Firstly, carbon fibre front suspension is common in MotoGP, but it’s still a grey area for BMW as the House of Munich is not involved in the world championship.
As a result, the Endurance World Championship is BMW’s best bet to test out the new component.
The BMW M 1000 RR now features the said component, with the fork consisting of a carbon fibre outer tubed mated to a carbon fibre composite/metal inner tube. The metal fork legs slide within the carbon fibre tubes.
The lightweight material not only helps to reduce weight and allows BMW to study the M 1000 RR characteristic.
According to BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Mark Bongers, the main focus during the development of carbon fibre forks is to test the bending loads.
“Using this material and this technology allows us to shift the threshold at which body vibrations occur.
“One major focus during development was the design of the homogeneous bending loads.
“The goal being for the throttle response for the rider to be extremely subtle, even under the most extreme strains. And feedback from the riders confirmed that the goal was achieved,” he said.
In an exciting development, the number 37 BMW M 1000 RR fitted with the carbon fibre telescopic fork won the 2022 24-Hour Spa of the Endurance World Championship.
Could the new component make its way to future BMW bikes? BMW certainly thinks so, but it will need to meet the strict homologation standards before that happens.
(Source: webbikeworld)
