Is my DDC even working?

[alex]

Was it previously owned by Richard Cooper (47) he's about 8st...

 

[fast_ryan]

DDC Suspension

If there is a fault with the DDC the bike will almost certainly display "DDC!" on the dash and you will likely feel very little movement in the forks. That and it will not calibrate. You should be able to feel the difference, regardless of riding mode selected, by changing the front damping from +7 to -7. The system will also only work when the ignition is turned on.

Many owners complain about a lack of feel from the DDC system; particularly from the front end. Broadly speaking this translates as a feeling which can be described as vagueness, or that the front end is floating especially on corner entry and towards the apex. This problem is usually amplified if the rider's weight is significantly below the BMW 'average' and will generally lead to issues with setting preload. If you can't set preload then any changes you make to compression and rebound will not have the desired effect. The general consensus is that if you typically weigh below 75 Kgs (with kit on) you will struggle with set-up.

The only way to improve this is to change the springs to a more suitable rate based on both rider weight and riding style. If your bike was purchased from new then the springs will have been supplied as standard from the Factory based on what BMW consider to be 'average' weight. If however the bike was pre-owned then there is a good chance that the springs may have been changed so you will need to check. The tell-tale indicator is normally that the rear spring is a different colour compared to the OEM one. The only way to check the forks is to physically remove and inspect the springs. Hopefully evidence of any suspension work was supplied at the time of purchase. Depending on mileage and usage you may also want to check when the suspension was last serviced. From experience using DDC exclusively on track the fork oil ideally needs to be changed after a full season's worth of trackdays.

There are plenty of good suspension tuners out there who understand, and have experience with, the DDC system especially as its been around now for quite some time. You will find plenty of recommendations on this Forum but a visit to one is highly recommended in order to get the most from the bike. In the interim return all settings to standard, set front and rear preload (noting the aforementioned comments regarding rider weight), calibrate and experiment from there.

 

[Ukbmw]

Well ive done some more testing today.
If i flick from rain mode to slick whilst pumping the rear up and down with ignition on i hear a noise pitch change under the tank and the rear goes harder.
So the rear is definately adjusting.
If i do the same whilst pumping the front i feel no difference.
Then ignition off and the forks go rock hard.
What i need is a comparison with another s1000 to see if it makes a noticable difference to the forks.
If it does i know i got to investigate further.
Can anyone help please?

 

[oldwobbler]

i believe the tail wags the dog on these systems , the rear sends the message for the front to react, so doing the front on its own may not be noticeable, i know i hated my front ddc feel hence put aftermarket kit n shock in,

Really?? A motorcycle, traveling forwards, hits a bump with its front wheel but the active suspension doesn't do anything until it gets a message from the back wheel to say its hit a bump??

 

[Oli]

Really?? A motorcycle, traveling forwards, hits a bump with its front wheel but the active suspension doesn't do anything until it gets a message from the back wheel to say its hit a bump??

What @Boomaz is referring to is the fact that the DDC equipped RR?s, as standard, only have 1 potentiometer, for the shock.
Therefore, to my knowledge all dynamic damping adjustments are determined from the shock movement
Edit: In addition to throttle input, lean angle, ride mode etc.

 

[oldwobbler]

So when the front wheel hits a bump the DDC does nothing? It only changes damping after the back wheel has hit the same bump? Did not know that.

 

[soofsayer]

So when the front wheel hits a bump the DDC does nothing? It only changes damping after the back wheel has hit the same bump? Did not know that.

No thats bollocks. The front (optional) potentiometer allows for rebound and compression to be set differently by the user. Without it damping is still happening but the forks work on a predetermined rebound/compression setting from factory depending on where the ddc is set by the user.

 

[oldwobbler]

No thats bollocks. The front (optional) potentiometer allows for rebound and compression to be set differently by the user. Without it damping is still happening but the forks work on a predetermined rebound/compression setting from factory depending on where the ddc is set by the user.

Thats what I thought.

 

[Ukbmw]

I realise the bike has only one sensor as standard.
My question is why is my rear adjusting hard to soft when i control it in the dash but the front doesnt change?
Im just sitting still in my garage when i try this so if someone please has a spare min they can try this too to see if they are all like this.
I know the extra fork sensor seperates the rebound and compression but does it do more that that?

 

[fast_ryan]

2D Potentiometer

I know the extra fork sensor separates the rebound and compression but does it do more that that?

The 2D potentiometer separates the compression and rebound stages of the front suspension. If you have a 2D HP datalogger fitted it also allows you to record suspension travel.

 

[preynol1]

https://www.rideapart.com/articles/253824/bmw-dynamic-damping-control/

Don?t want to confuse this topic but this article explains the principles of some manufacturers auto damping at the time it was written.
My take on it is...
Like all damping systems it?s limits of adjustments are the constrained by the mechanics of valves oil grade etc in the forks and shock. The ability to adjust the comp and rebound is fine tuning the system within that mechanical range instantly based on constant algorithms.

The advantage is not so much damping tuning for an individuals riding style size / weight etc. Nor reacting to sudden bumps pot holes. As in all suspension this is limited to the mechanical limits of the system. But it works well to adapt damping to different steady state road surfaces. I.e a nice flat track or bumpy country road.

Like all suspension setting and performance feel is constrained to the mechanical limits of the components. Hence the best advice is talk to a running expert as has already be said.

Cheers




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[Ukbmw]

The problem is most experts dont use the dds. They just remove it and use cartridge kits so its still very vague

 

[phil]

My question is why is my rear adjusting hard to soft when i control it in the dash but the front doesnt change?

My Ktm feels exactly the same, what ever I do with the suspension/mode settings the front always feels the same.

 

[alex]

Take it to MCT.

 

[Corkgsxr]

I think it's more why would you try tune and understand a new system when you can whip out and use something you have years of experience.

 

[cre0108]

I have just bought a new gen 3 2018 and i will be taking this next week to MCT as i am a light rider. I dont think its so bad now but i know it cant be working correctly if the pre-load is wrong for my weight. I will have a setup and new springs. Unfortunately the weather will not allow me to gain much experience this year.

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[Ukbmw]

Well for some reason yesterday when out for a blast i could notice some damping change when sitting still which i couldnt before.
Not sure if its a fault or if theres more to its adjustents that i know about.
BUT the biggest change ive found that helps is winding up the ohlins damper.
I suddenly thought if it was harder to turn i wouldnt get the tucking feeling and guess what it was alot better.
Its wound up reasonably stiff which makes wheeling it about the garage not as nice but its transformed the feel on the road and its not bad enough to feel when negotiating junctions so all good

 

[scooby]

sounds like your masking a problem the wrong way to me.
why dont you just go get it looked at by someone that knows rather than second guessing what it is or isn't doing,and then covering over the issue in a way that totally ruins the feel of the bike,wonding up the steering damper certainly isn't a solution to vague front end feel

 

[Oli]

sounds like your masking a problem the wrong way to me.
why dont you just go get it looked at by someone that knows rather than second guessing what it is or isn't doing,and then covering over the issue in a way that totally ruins the feel of the bike,wonding up the steering damper certainly isn't a solution to vague front end feel

Fully agree, steering dampers should never be used to compensate or mask a chassis issue

- Oli

 

[fast_ryan]

DDC Suspension

sounds like your masking a problem the wrong way to me.
why dont you just go get it looked at by someone that knows rather than second guessing what it is or isn't doing,and then covering over the issue in a way that totally ruins the feel of the bike,wonding up the steering damper certainly isn't a solution to vague front end feel

+2.