Real world rides, real world riders

Putting a damper on things

Personally, I wouldn’t spend my money on either system, and if I did purchase a new BMW, it would be with standard suspension and the plan of upgrading to high performance Öhlins shocks at later date. IMHO, once set up correctly, would outperform the ESA system and also be far more reliable.

But what really gave me cause for concern was to learn that BMW wants to cram even more complex electronics onto its bike range. I mean who needs a bike mounted camera system for information and warning messages that will show up on an LCD screen mounted on the instrument panel. To ride safely, any motorcyclist needs to be watching the road for possible hazards, and not to be distracted by an LCD screen flashing away on top of the forks. That system may well be a benefit for the average BMW car driver, who is texting his mates or is fiddling with the radio while driving along in his executive steel box, but I cannot see that it will make riding a bike any safer – quite the contrary.

When will BMW learn that electronic innovations developed for its cars are not necessarily suitable for use on a motorcycle.

One exception to this of course is ABS, which is a real and very effective safety feature.

Regards,

Mike Hopkins
Cheshire