CFMoto, the Chinese motorcycle brand, is reportedly developing an all-new suspension setup similar to BMW’s Duolever.
the new suspension system could be used on CFMoto upcoming touring and naked motorcycles.
the Hossack-style fork shows that CFMoto is exploring wider possibilities in creating a motorcycle that’s on par with established machinery.
The setup is a girder-style fork suspension and is expected to be incorporated into the new CFMoto model. The suspension technology was first developed by British engineer Norman Hossack in the 1970s and has since been adopted by BMW and Honda for their touring bikes.
The use of the girder-style fork suspension on the 1250TR-G is intended to broaden the spread of suspension geometry and separate braking and suspension forces, allowing for relatively soft suspension without suffering from too much dive during braking. The use of a single shock absorber also makes it easier to adopt technology like adaptive damping or electronic control preload adjustment.
CFMoto’s new suspension setup is expected to narrow the gap in quality and technology held by more established Japanese, European, and American motorcycle brands. The company has already begun exporting 800cc models all over the world. The 1250TR-G uses a 140 hp, 1,279cc V-twin engine that is derived from a KTM design but heavily altered by CFMoto.
The new suspension technology is expected to form the basis of an upcoming 1250NK streetfighter model, which was inspired by the 2017 V.02-NK concept and first seen in patents filed earlier this year. While the 1250TR-G is currently only sold in China, its technology is already at levels that would be more than acceptable globally.
Coming in new for the Malaysian market is the new MODENAS Ninja 250 Ohlins edition.
The Ninja 250 (non-ABS) Ohlins Edition is limited to just 180 units.
Features the same 249cc parallel-twin DOHC, 4-valve engine.
Priced at RM20,500, the Ninja 250 Ohlins Edition features fully-adjustable Ohlins KA 744 STX 36 Supersport monoshock.
That said, the STX 36 monoshock is adjustable for compression and rebound. In addition, the Ohlins monoshock is fully covered by MODENAS.
Limited to just 180 units, the Ohlins monoshock is fitted to the non-ABS Ninja 250 only.
According to MODENAS, the Ohlins KA 744, STX 36 Supersport monoshock offers better stability and handling especially during cornering.
Nevertheless, other specification remains unchanged with the Ninja 250 Ohlins Edition continue to be powered by a 249cc, twin-cylinder, eight-valve, DOHC engine that makes 36hp at 12,500rpm and 23Nm of maximum torque upon hitting 10,000rpm.
Power is transferred down to its rear wheel via a six-speed gearbox enhanced with Kawasaki’s assist and slipper clutch for ease of riding.
Other highlighted aspects include:
164kg (wet weight)
14-litre fuel tank
Front 310mm single semi-floating disc brake with 2-piston caliper
Rear 220mm single disc brake with 2-piston caliper
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.
The BMW R 1200 GS uses the trademark BMW Telelever front suspension.
The system separates suspension forces from steering forces.
In doing so it provides superb manoeuvrability and comfort.
A newfound friend and I were chatting about bikes and more, of course but let’s keep it to bikes here since this is Bikes Republic and not the Sarawak Report.
He owns a 2016 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure, on which he had toured all the way to the Mae Hong Son loop and back a few times on it besides many other places.
2016 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure LC
Now, although I don’t own a GS, I’ve ridden one over quite some distance too. If you could recall the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure in November last year, I had ridden a 2013 BMW R 1200 GS LC from KL to Pattaya and back, covering around 3200 km.
2013 BMW R 1200 GS LC
That trip firmly convinced me why BMW owners swear by it. It’s when you have to ride through treacherous conditions, or when your mind and body are exhausted, the R 1200 GS just keeps going. And going. And going.
A large part of that character is due to the bike’s Dynamic ESA /ESA II electronic suspension. It controls the damping electronically, removing bumps that would otherwise tire out the rider in a hurry.
2017 BMW R 1200 GS
However, as much as having a “smart” suspension, there’s no going around the Telelever’s basic setup at the front. The spring and damper are moved out of the fork tubes and placed at a separate location. The spring and fork tubes are then connected via an A-arm, also known as a wishbone to the frame. BMW did this to separate the damping forces from the steering. We wondered why the set up isn’t used in performance bikes. A little research revealed some interesting answers.
BMW R 1200 GS Telelever set up
The traditional telescopic forks, whether “normal” or upside-down, suspend and also steer the bike. Let’s take a look at the picture below.
The forks connect to the frame via the headstock and forms a triangle. This makes the headstock as the weakest point in this connection, yet the forks and frame transmit loads into it.
Motorcycle frame headstock. This belongs to a custom bike and is very simple
Imagine the forces pushing up into the headstock from the rear tyre when accelerating, and the forces pushing up the fork under heavy breaking. At the same time, consider the bike’s and rider’s weights squashing down from above. All these forces threaten to split the fork-frame triangle like Jean-Claude Van Damme right at the headstock. This is why the front fork and wheel assembly comes off in some heavy accidents.
While this is happening, the rider steers the bike using the exact same components that are transmitting the forces to the headstock, frame, etc. Yes, those very same forces that threaten to tear the forks off the frame.
BMW S 1000 RR frame
What that means is the forces you feel at the handlebar are the total, the sum, of all these forces acting in unison, plus the cornering forces such as camber thrust, weight, rolling drag torques, etc. That’s not necessarily a bad thing since that’s what riders call “front-end feedback.” The darker side, on the other hand, is when the rider lets off the throttle or applies the front brake abruptly in mid-corner, consequently transferring weight to the front and pushing the bike wide. That self-righting torque (the bike standing up) usually panics riders, causing them to think that they’ve run out of grip hence not forcing the bike back down to make the turn. This is why one overshoots a corner.
2016 BMW S 1000 RR
The Telelever and Duolever remove those forces from the steering; although the former still leaves some load through to the headstock and frame, while the latter completely isolates steering from suspension duties. The Telelever is the reason why the R 1200 GS is so easy to manoeuvre even extremely slow speeds, as exhibited by the tests in the GS Trophy. The Duolever system fitted to the K 1600 full-dress tourer line-up gives the bikes surprisingly light steering, despite their heft.
Duolever on K 1200
By if the Telelever is that good, why isn’t it used on performance bikes, much less in competition, say MotoGP? Part of the feedback is missing at full lean. It may be okay for road riding where speeds and tyre loads are much lower but not in racing where the rider needs to listen to the tyres.
In this Suspension Explained series, we will unravel the “mysteries” of your bike’s suspension
Although the suspension is now very advanced, the basics remain the same
As the prologue, we touch on preload, compression damping and rebound damping
Suspension technology has progressed by leaps and bounds over the years. The motorcycle started out as a little more than an engine stuffed into a bicycle frame, hence the only suspension was the rider’s bum and his resolve to withstand the hammering.
Since then, motorcycle suspension evolved into simple underseat springs to sprung struts to hydraulic and gas damping to electronic self-adjusting marvels.
Regardless, the principles of the suspension remain the same. There are a number of parameters that govern how your bike behaves whether on the road, track or off-road. However, only three parameters are adjustable on a motorcycle (without further modification), namely preload, compression damping and rebound damping.
Adjusting the suspension best requires a bit of background knowledge, because whatever adjustments that may have you feeling right may not be exactly right for the bike’s dynamics. A wrong adjustment may mask itself as another problem, causing you to go around in circles. Oh yes, we’ve been there.
We’ll discuss one topic per week. We’ll also speak to the experts on aspects of suspension technology, adjustments and modifications, while dispelling some myths along the way.
Hope this series will be beneficial to all our readers.
PRELOAD
Any discussion about suspension has to start with preload. Preload is of course related to spring rate, but since most riders don’t change the springs in their suspensions, we’ll just stick to preload.
To put it in simple terms, preload means the amount the springs are compressed when the suspension is fully extended.
Front preload adjuster – the blue bolt
For illustration purposes, take a valve spring and stand it on your desk. Now add some weight to the top so that it compresses a little. That’s preloading the spring. Adding more weight means adding more preload, while taking some off means reducing preload.
When you increase the preload by turning on the preload adjuster on the forks, or collar on the rear shock, suspension sag is reduced; and vice-versa. The spring pushes back against the adjuster collar, lifting that end of the bike up. So, if you increase (by turning clockwise) your rear suspension’s preload, the seat goes up higher, and similarly for the front.
Rear preload adjuster
Therefore, adjusting the preload DOES NOT change your spring rate. If someone comes up to me and say I’d make the spring stiffer by adjusting the preload… well, I’d tell him to go fly a kite. But that’s just me.
We’ll leave this subject here. More on this in latter instalments.
DAMPING
If a bike’s suspension depends on the spring along, it can leave itself prone to oscillations. A compressed spring stores kinetic energy. When it’s released, it may extend to more than its resting length. The load on top of the spring has now received this kinetic energy and unleashes it back downwards, compressing the spring. This goes back and forth until that kinetic energy is transformed to heat (absorbed in the shock absorber’s oil).
Courtesy of motorcycle.com
Have you ridden on a bike that “pumped” up and down or wallowed like a sampan in stormy seas? (My bike does that.) Yes, it’s due to the lack of damping.
Damping is divided into two: Compression damping and rebound damping.
COMPRESSION DAMPING
Compression damping (or just compression) determines how fast the wheel move upwards when it contacts a bump. Correct compression damping will allow the suspension to absorb bumps and road irregularities better.
The damping adjusters on the BPF fork are all on top. Compression is marked as COM
With more compression dialed in, the suspension, hence the wheel, is more resistant to moving upwards and vice-versa. Dialing in the correct amount will also deal with fork dive to a certain amount during hard braking, although that depends more on the spring rate and preload.
Compression damping is adjusted by the screw in the middle
Too much compression damping will cause the shock of the bump to be transferred directly to the chassis and rider. (That “BLAM” feeling when you hit a bump.) Consequently, the wheel will skip across the bumps, or cause the brakes to lock up easily as the suspension resists being compressed.
On the other hand, too little will have the wheel kicked up quickly, which will also cause it to lose touch with the road. Hitting corners at high speeds will cause the suspension to “squash” down, reducing ground clearance.
REBOUND DAMPING
Rebound damping is the opposite of compression damping. Rebound determines how smoothly and controlled the suspension re-extends to its proper state, after it has been compressed.
Rebound damping is marked at TEN (for spring tension)
Without or too little rebound damping will cause the spring to re-extend quickly, or in simple terms, bounce back. The rider will feel as if he’s being kicked out of the seat after the initial bump has been absorbed. It’s like squeezing a spring between your fingers and letting it go abruptly, or like a Jack-in-a-Box.
Rebound adjuster on the rear shock is usually underneath the shock body. Here it is the screw surrounded by the red collar
Too much rebound damping will cause the wheel to “pack up.” That means the wheel will only come back down too slowly, causing the bike to feel “loose.”
CONCLUSION
That’s it for this week. This is just basic knowledge. We’ll touch on more next week, so stay tuned!
K-Tech menyediakan dua komponen untuk menaik taraf sistem suspensi untuk Kawasaki Z800. Dua komponen ini adalah K-Tech 25IDS (Independent Damping System) katrij fork depan yang menggantikan katrij asal fork depan dan K-Tech Razor-R iaitu monosok belakang.
The Malaysia 2Wheels Festival returns for its third instalment this weekend.
Organised and launched by WSF Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd back in September, this year’s running set out with several missions at hand whilst tying itself up with the monthly KL Car-Free Morning initiative.
The event this year is supported by several key partners including government bodies such as Tourism Malaysia, the Ministry of Youth & Sports (KBS), the Department of Road Safety (JKJR), the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), as well as the Road Transport Department (JPJ) and its youth squad called the ‘Skuad Muda JPJ Malaysia’.
The event is split into two areas of its venue, which is the CIDB Convention Centre, with one part held outdoors and the other being indoors.
A tour of the indoor section reveals the presence of several manufacturers and their key dealer representatives. Amongst them include big names such as Moto Guzzi Malaysia,BMW Motorrad Malaysia, Triumph Motorcycles Malaysia via autohrised distributors Fast Bikes Sdn Bhd, the newly consolidated KTM Malaysia represented by dealer Kamalia Motoworld Sdn Bhd, as well as Kawasaki Motors Malaysia Sdn Bhd (KMMSB) represented by its super dealer Wilhin Motor (M) Sdn Bhd.
Also present here were several OEM brands and representatives. Leading this pack were the UK’s K-Tech suspension brand and its local distributor Kratos Motorsports. The specialist distributor is holding a special sale that sees all K-Tech products it carries enjoying a 10% discount throughout the festival’s duration, so for those in search for the optimum suspension setup for your bikes, this could be a good time indeed.
Moving along outside, there were several smaller vendors present here alongside a vast line up of F&B stalls too. However, all eyes were on the event’s main draw for Saturday, that being its Malaysia Book of Records attempt at organising the largest gathering of Yamaha RX-Z motorcycles.
The move was meant to celebrate the model’s 30th anniversary in Malaysia, and the turn out was indeed impressive. Besides owners from the greater Klang Valley areas, much of the gathering saw the arrival many Yamaha RX-Z owners from out of state too.
Despite the rainy season getting the best of most, the gathering was indeed a success as it charted a record entry with a total of 2,277 Yamaha RX-Zs in the gathering, securing its spot in the record books in the process too.
For those wanting to attend, the 2015 Malaysia 2Wheels Festival is happening until Sunday (tomorrow). Directions to the CIDB Convention Centre can be obtained in the map we’ve attached below.
Whether it be conquering the track, the open-road, dirt, or acquiring a tailored setup for your custom machine, the UK’s K-Tech brand of suspension kits is one you can trust.
