The flashes since returning to World Superbike in 2019 have been different, but BMW has never shown great continuity. However, the German manufacturer is continuing to work to be able to make progress and for the Donington round it has brought a new swingarm to be mounted on the M1000RR. The feedback came already on Friday of free practice on the British track, where Scott Redding signed the third time in the combined, behind only Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu.
At the moment it is only Redding and Loris Baz who fit the new swingarm, but the difference with the previous version already seems very important. The first feedback was very positive and the official team rider revealed that BMW has brought to Donington several solutions to improve the bike, which is much more drivable, according to him: “I think we have made great strides with BMW for bring it close to the leading positions. We have a different handlebar, swingarm and footboard. I feel more mine on this bike and I ride with clearer ideas on how to go fast. It is clearly an improvement. But that’s just the beginning of evolution for me. I have worked with Kalex in the past, they are very good technically and have a good way of reaching a goal, they understand the rider’s perspective. More will come and that’s a good thing. It’s just the beginning of the puzzle, we have a lot of things to push and work on. Slowly, we begin to see something coming ”.
“The grip is better, which was not good for us before with the old swingarm, now it is much better in this sense”, continues Redding, speaking of the innovations introduced by BMW. “Braking and agility have improved a bit, but I feel we need more grip to ride. That’s why I said it’s a good start, but we need more. It’s probably the biggest change we’ve made so far and it gave me the confidence I was looking for when riding. When when a motorcycle leans when cornering, the suspension does nothing. This is why the bending of the swingarm, frame, wheels, etc., plays an important role. It affects the braking and pickup of the bike, because the force passes through it. . The swingarm is a fundamental element and that is why manufacturers of all sports change the swingarms. Solutions can be found, but it is not a question of achieving a goal, but of experiencing the rider’s sensations. are something that is good for everyone and not just for a driver. If we take the example of Tom Sykes last year, his style is totally different from mine. If you can find the right balance, it should work. “
Marc Bongers, Director of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, also commented on the novelty introduced by the House of Monaco and explains why it has only arrived on two bikes at the moment. However, the goal is to have it on all BMWs by the end of the European rounds: “As always, when new components are introduced, something is expected. We have revised the stiffness of the swingarm. At the moment, Scott Redding and Loris Baz are using it, because we have limited availability. We tested it a couple of weeks ago, but unfortunately the test was short, so we have to collect more feedback here, more laps. For now, the judgment is positive. The regulation allows us to make two updates. Depending on your feedback, we may make further changes. For sure, for Magny-Cours we want to make sure everyone has these updates. “
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