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COMPARISON TEST H WORLD EXCLUSIVE! Semi-active: magic carpet or myth? In a world first, Bike puts Aprilia’s and Ducati’s semi- active and standard suspension through a battery of scientific tests to find out if it works, and which is best Words Simon Hargreaves Pics Jason Critchell BIKE THAT GLIDES over bumps. reason it won’t appear on more cost- No crashing into pot-holes, conscious bikes. juddering over motorway ripples, Well, there might be a reason. If semi- crunching over speed bumps or active doesn’t take off it’ll be because it clattering into cat’s eyes. Seem like turns out that it doesn’t make a difference. a dream? Everyone from Blade Which is where Bike comes in. Our road Aowner to scooter rider knows their test has just described how the Caponord suspension is up against Britain’s decaying and Multistrada feel back-to-back on the roads. The best we can do is grit our teeth road; what they’re like to ride, and how and hope we don’t knock any out. semi-active suspension feels to a couple of Or is it? 2013 is the year of semi-active blokes out for a blast. What it doesn’t do is suspension, with four models from three put a number on it. Because no-one has. manufacturers. Right now they’re Until now. Bike is going to put the premium bikes at premium prices – the Multistrada and Caponord’s suspension least you will pay to be on electronically under a datalogging microscope to find out controlled damping is Aprilia’s £12,421 which has the best ride quality and how Caponord. But, like all technology, it’ll they compare with a standard Multistrada. eventually filter down and there’s no No-one has done this before. The Test Bikes ■ 2013 Aprilia Caponord 1200 Travel Pack (semi-active suspension) ■ 2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Granturismo (semi-active suspension) ■ 2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200 (passive suspension) The Location Millbrook Automotive Test Facility, Bedfordshire COMPARISON Semi-Active Suspension: The Facts TEST The Equipment How we record ride quality The Test Method Different surfaces, different speeds... H Datalogger We’re measuring four types of bumps: range to suit. The preload is set to solo rider rear suspension (as they react and interact ‘Jolt’ is the measure of rate of 1) Speed bumps (15mph, first gear) (the sensors preclude testing with panniers over bumps). The rate of acceleration change change of acceleration in m/s3. 10g Z-axis 10g Z-axis Humans are sensitive to rate lo-bandwidth 2) Country road/urban (45mph, third gear) fitted). The standard Multistrada is set to is the rate at which the acceleration between lo-bandwidth of acceleration change rather accelerometer 3) Motorway (80mph, top gear) standard settings for preload and damping, front/rear changes – it’s how ergonomists accelerometer on than acceleration under seat top yoke 4) Cornering bumps (50mph, third gear) as per the handbook. measure ‘jolt’, or what we call ride quality. The tests are run without panniers, with After each test, the data is downloaded Greg has applied some maths to the data the bikes in Touring mode. In the Aprilia’s and the rider (Simon H) records his (the root mean square function) to let us GPS case, Touring affects the engine only; the comments on the bikes for comparison. see the comparative magnitudes of the ride receiver suspension is on automatic to adjust The graphs are measuring rate of quality. Individual bumps aren’t visible preload and damping as the bike sees fit. acceleration change derived from pitch rate, because the data is ‘smoothed’ to produce a GTME’s Greg Taylor works his magic The semi-active Multistrada is also set to where pitch is the front to rear, rear to front meaningful line. The higher the line, the Touring, which places the suspension in a rocking movement between the front and worse the ride quality. The Results The higher the line, the worse the measured ‘jolt’, or ride quality over four typical road surfaces 50g Z-axis Pitch rate gyro (on reverse 50g Z-axis 750mm stroke accelerometer on fork side of bike) measures accelerometer potentiometer SPEED BUMPS leg (KA 200mm stroke lateral axis rotation (front to mounted on measuring COUNTRY ROAD/URBAN MOTORWAY CORNERING BUMPS linear potentiometer rear wheel rear). Includes 10g swingarm (15mph, first gear) (45mph, third gear) (80mph, top gear) (50mph third gear) for fork travel on accelerometer for chassis travel reverse side) centre vertical acceleration To put numbers on ride and Greg Taylor runs the bike (measuring rate quality we need to GTME, motorcycle and of change of suspension, measure the same thing motorsport development or acceleration, but also Aprilia and Ducati are engineers. Peter will measuring the rate of measuring – the speed of supply eight sensors for change of acceleration), a the suspension the tests, and Greg will fit gyro located near the INTENSITY INTENSITY INTENSITY movement. Unfortunately them, log the outputs and centre of the bike which INTENSITY we can’t tap into their collate the data into a gives us rotational pitch TIME TIME TIME TIME sensor data, but we know figure for ride quality. rate, and another DUCATI MULTISTRADA ACTIVE DUCATI MULTISTRADA ACTIVE DUCATI MULTISTRADA ACTIVE DUCATI MULTISTRADA ACTIVE two clever fellas who can The sensors are a mix of accelerometer measuring DUCATI MULTISTRADA STANDARD DUCATI MULTISTRADA STANDARD DUCATI MULTISTRADA STANDARD DUCATI MULTISTRADA STANDARD supply and fit equipment potentiometers for each vertical acceleration at the APRILIA CAPONORD APRILIA CAPONORD APRILIA CAPONORD APRILIA CAPONORD to record exactly the wheel (measuring centre of the bike. A GPS same data. suspension position and aerial records vehicle Peter Trevor runs KA thereby giving us speed, time and location COMMENTS COMMENTS COMMENTS COMMENTS SIMON: The Caponord feels safe, smooth and SIMON: ‘The Aprilia has no jarring, just gentle SIMON: ‘Caponord has no chopping or SIMON: ‘The Caponord’s wheels are losing grip Sensors Ltd, designers and suspension speed), for reference, and a secure. No jarring from suspension or jolting out suspension movement. The front is harmonious stuttering, and a very smooth ride quality. It and skipping sideways over these bumps. The suppliers of motorsport accelerometers for each datalogger on the seat of the seat, and no sense of wallowing. The with the rear, working together – not fighting or doesn’t white-line or chase changes in surface. bumps are kicking into the chassis. Ride quality sensors and instruments, wheel and at each end of records all sensor info. chassis mass seems to be very stable while the disconnected. Ripples are smudged into a long ‘Again, the semi-active Ducati feels harder is worse than expected after previous tests. wheels move around beneath it. wave of suspension movement. It feels very than the Aprilia, but isolates from bumps better. ‘The semi-active Ducati is much, much better ‘The semi-active Ducati is definitely a harsher good but not magic carpet. The Caponord obscures the bumps, but the than the Caponord. There’s almost no sideways experience, but this is due almost entirely to the ‘With the semi-active Ducati, when you filter Ducati ignores them. By a normal definition of movement. There’s less chassis disturbance, fussy throttle control and the engine vibration. the engine’s vibration (which is a lot), the ride quality I’d say the Ducati feels as good as the less deflection, and much more stability. It’s actually quite tricky to hold the bike constant suspension has a less floaty, more direct feel. It’s Caponord, it’s just less obvious because the ‘The stock Ducati is terrible. A big thump kicks at 15mph in first gear over the speed bumps. better-damped, but no less smooth. experience is much more visceral. the bike sideways. I honestly think I might ‘With the standard bike, it’s very hard to make ‘But wow, the stock Multistrada is chalk and ‘At the start of the test area the stock ’Strada damage the rims. It’s less stable and properly a distinction between it and the semi-active cheese. Harsher, and the front and rear ‘fight’ feels similar to the semi-active bike. Then as the unpleasant. Yet elsewhere in the corners, the ’Strada. Feels as awkward to hold at 15mph in 1st each other – you get a suspension “noise”. The bumps begin to add up, you get an overall level suspension has a much more direct, normal feel. gear without using the rear brake to balance the other two bikes block this “noise” out.’ of noise that’s more intrusive and distracting. It’s When you brake, you can feel the tyre biting in a bike (which I don’t want to do in case it alters the GREG: ‘The Caponord is the most composed, not necessarily a bad thing – it feels like a normal way you can’t on the others.’ data). But there’s nothing between them for me.’ indicating a good level of integration front to rear. bike and makes you realise the previous two GREG: ‘With the bikes leaned over, this is as GREG: ‘The Aprilia is the most composed over The semi-active Multistrada is also smooth machines aren’t normal.’ much a test of lateral chassis flex as suspension these events. Both sets of Ducati data take time compared with the stock bike, suggesting GREG: ‘Again the Caponord is providing the movement. The logger shows the Aprilia has the to settle, possibly because the lack of throttle although the magnitude of the jolt is larger, the least pitch jolt in terms of magnitude and control.

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