It’s the first sports bike to be produced with semi-active suspension. The damping inside the HP4’s Sachs forks and rear shock adjusts as you ride, based on your road speed, throttle position, lean angle, shock movement and intervention from the traction control and ABS.Preload is still manually adjustable.
The suspension’s parameters are set within each of the four riding modes – softest in Rain mode and hardest in Slick.
A similar system is used in the latest Ducati Multistrada S, but it’s tailored towards comfort, not performance, like the HP4.
The Ducati and MV have electronic Ohlins, linked to the riding modes, but the suspension settings stay static as you ride.
Even higher spec than the S1000RR, the HP4 also boasts Brembo monobloc front brake calipers, 15-way adjustable traction control, which you can change on the move, lightweight wheels, smoother fuelling and more mid-range.
On the track
The biggest surprise is how much it actually weighs. Measured on a calibrated set of scales, fully-fuelled, at Pirelli’s testing HQ in Sicily it’s a not insignificant 210kg – 18kg more than the 1199R.
The extra weight actually makes the HP4 feel friendlier, more cossetting and stable than the Ducati and thanks to the Beemer’s turbine of an engine, it’s still flippin’ fast and puts a huge smile on your face.
We’ve tested the HP4 a number of times on road and track and were sure it would be dominant here at a rough and bumpy Pergusa circuit. The BMW’s clever semi-active electronic suspension shines on inconsistent surfaces like this.
Ever-changing to suit the speed, lean angle and track surface, the rear suspension lets the rear Pirelli Super Corsa SC2 create immense grip.
Hodgson’s lap time is faster than he went on an S1000RR last year and a fraction faster than Pirelli’s racing tyre test rider.
But to colour those figures, the track has been resurfaced in places and we’re now using Pirelli’s new, second-generation Super Corsas.
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