Some people say nostalgia is a thing of the past. It’s certainly a well-ridden topic with bikers who are quick to discuss how much the open road and the motorcycles that cruise them have changed.

There have been many technology advancements brought to motorcycles, some are loved while some die-hard bikers consider others taking away from the art, and feel of riding itself.No one would argue for the old days of kick start engines and advancements in electronic controlled combustion has left many with a much smoother ride.

GPS, onboard computers and even Bluetooth may have the more traditional riders wincing. Well, the die-hards of riding should brace themselves as BMW perfects a system that could be considered as revolutionary to riding as the electronic ignition.

It wasn’t too long ago that being able to change a motorcycle’s ride with the flip of a switch was considered cutting edge.

Following the road taken by Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, others have begun to offer the ability to change a motorcycle’s suspension and consequently handling with different ‘ride modes’ though a switch on the handlebars.

It appears German ingenuity may have BMW Motorrad overtaking the technological pack with an electronic system that evaluates the best setting and automatically make the adjustments.

‘Making motorcycles better, safer, and more fun to ride with innovative developments has been one of the BMW Motorrad core competences for decades,’ explains BMW.

‘As the leader in this technology, BMW Motorrad presents new solutions in quick succession that usually soon become indispensable in series motorcycles.’ Being called a semiactive suspension control system the official name for the system is Dynamic Damping Control, or DDC.

To understand how the riding world arrived at this automated moment, BMW Motorrad offers a brief history;

As early as 1986, BMW Motorrad achieved a milestone in suspension technology by launching the Paralever swingarm, an innovation that considerably improved rear suspension and the transfer of forces. In 1993, the freshly launched opposed twin “boxer” engine series was the first to be fitted as standard with a front suspension system that operated independently of the rear known as Telelever. Yet another revolutionary step in suspension technology was taken in 2005, when the Duolever offering extreme torsional rigidity for the front wheel was launched.

Bikers were also able to benefit early from pioneering innovations in drive control. In 1988, with the launch of ABS in the BMW K1, BMW Motorrad presented the first antilock brake system to be fitted as standard on motorcycles. Since 2007, the automatic stability control system ASC has been preventing the rear wheel from spinning out of control. In 2009 there followed Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) which also analyses the vehicle's inclination, a first on a series production motorcycle.

And BMW Motorrad has always been that one step ahead in suspension control systems as well. 2004 saw the advent of ESA, the electronic suspension adjustment system, which allowed the rider to adjust suspension elements at the push of a button – also a first on series production motorcycles. In 2009, the successor system ESA II went a step further and was the first to provide spring rate variation.

Noting this technology has been used successfully in BMW automobiles, the engineers at the German motorcycle company have been trying to apply that technology to ‘the requirements of motorcycle physics and integrating this in the relevant control systems’.

The minds behind DDC are noting that it’s not about taking control away from rider as much as achieving even greater stability and safety in riding response.

Dynamic Damping Control (DDC) is a semiactive suspension system which reacts automatically to maneuvers like braking, accelerating, and cornering on various road surfaces and analyses the situational parameters provided by sensors to set the correct level of damping at electrically actuated proportional damping valves.

For the gearheads, here is a technical rundown of how DDC works;

DDC is linked to the traction control system DTC and ABS via the CAN bus. The system recognizes the control activities by the other systems and adapts the damping as the situation requires. The adjustments to damping depend on whether the springs are compressing or rebounding, with each process being controlled separately.

The damping is adjusted at an electrically actuated, proportional damping valve that features a variable ring gap and therefore variable flow cross section for the damper oil. The inversely proportional adjustment to flow rate and pressure gives rise to a change in damping force within milliseconds to adapt to new conditions.

Unlike ESA II, the dynamic damping control system DDC does not make use of characteristic curves, but characteristic maps that provide the optimal damper tuning within a defined range.

Selected at the press of a button, three characteristic maps for the basic configurations "Comfort", "Normal", and "Sport" let the rider decide what type of ride they would like.

Some examples are given of exactly how the new system would handle different riding conditions and in the opinion of its masterminds, it helps the situation.

At the beginning of a ride, the valves in the front and rear dampers are actuated only marginally (supplied with power) when the speed exceeds a definable value. When the rider accelerates such as leaving the city limits, the valve in the rear strut is actuated more strongly owing to the changes in dynamic wheel load distribution and in the drive torque. Once the target speed has been reached, valve actuation drops back to its original level (less power supply than setting off). Information flows from the throttle grip via engine control to the DDC control unit, and from there to the damping valves.

When the rider takes a series of corners, both damping valves are actuated more strongly with increasing inclination – starting from the low power supply – until the vertex is reached. When the vehicle returns upright between two corners, the actuation of the two damping valves constantly drops to the original power level with decreasing inclination. When the motorcycle turns into the second corner, valve actuation again rises proportionally to the angle of inclination and again drops from the vertex value. Information flows from the sensor box (DTC) to the DDC control unit, and from there to the damping valves.

When the motorcycle brakes, e.g. at a rail crossing, the actuation of the front damping valve increases proportionally to the deceleration so that the damping forces and therefore riding stability increase as a result. In this case, Dynamic Damping Control DDC analyses both the dynamic phase of braking, until constant deceleration and wheel load distribution, and the subsequent static phase.

When the motorcycle is passing over the rail crossing, used to represent all uneven road surfaces, the valves in the front and rear dampers are actuated (powered) proportionally to the respective compression travel. In this case, information flows the front and rear spring travel sensors via the DDC control unit to the valves.

When the motorcycle is finally brought to a stop, the valves are first actuated as in the braking process described above. As soon as the motorcycle is stationary, the power to the valves and therefore their actuation are deactivated.

No definite date has been given of when this feature will appear on BMW’s motorcycles with a timeline of ‘in the near future’ given by the German motorcycle manufacturer. Aside from the efficiency of the system the reactions from the riding public should be telling.

While its well-known that bikers who choose BMW motorcycles are more cutting edge and welcoming of new technology, the ‘old school’ bikers may feel a bout of anxiety over the possibility of similar systems finding their way onto what is considered the more traditional motorcycles.

Regardless, the latest jump in motorcycle technology leaves everyone riding down an interesting road.