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The 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has touched down at Donington Park for Round 5 and the Prosecco DOC UK Round. One of the biggest talking points coming into the United Kingdom is that BMW have brought a new swingarm for Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW). One of the first major in-season upgrades of the season, with a key feature being a revised stiffness.

It was a positive first day for Redding, with the British rider claiming third on the combined times as he goes in search of his first podium with the German manufacturer. Impressive race pace saw the Brit in contention with Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) lap times, with his longer runs showing that the bike has definitely evolved into something that he’s more familiar with.

Reviewing the day’s work and his feeling with the new swingarm during the competitiveness of the round, Scott Redding stated: “I think we’ve also made some big steps with the BMW to bring it closer to the front. Different handlebars, different swingarm, different footpegs, I’m just feeling more that it’s my bike and riding with more of a clear mind of how to go fast. It’s definitely an improvement, that’s for sure. But it’s still the start of the evolution for me. I’ve worked with Kalex before; they’re very good technically and a very good way of achieving the goal and they understand that from a rider’s perspective. There will be more to come, which is very good. It’s just part of the puzzle. We have many, many things that we are pushing and working on. Slowly, we start to see something coming.”

Continuing in his media debrief, Redding elaborated on where in particular the swingarm is offering a step up in performance: “Edge grip is better which was a very big negative for us before with the old swingarm, it’s much better now in this area. Braking feels a bit better, agility a little bit better… I just feel we need more drive grip. That’s why I said that it’s a good start, but we need more; it’s probably the biggest change we’ve made so far and it’s given me confidence when I’m riding that I’ve been looking for.”

Redding then spoke about how a swingarm works, and how important it is: “When you lean a bike in the corner, the suspension no longer does anything. That’s why the flex of the swingarm, chassis, wheels etc all plays a part. It does influence braking and picking the bike up, because the force is going through it. So, the swingarm is a massive part and that’s why you see manufacturers in all sports changing swingarms. You can find things, but it’s not about achieving a goal with it, it’s about rider feeling. So, you need to find something that’s good for everyone and not just one rider. For example, Tom last year, his style is totally different to mine, so it could be a bit meh. If you get it in the ballpark, it should work.”

Likewise hailing the new swingarm, Loris Baz shared his comments: “Straight away, I just had a better feeling. Absorbing the bumps better, turning on the limit better. It’s a matter of feeling for the rider and that’s the most important thing. If you feel comfortable on the bike, you are able to make that extra push and do the things like you aren’t able to do if you don’t have the feeling. You need to give the feeling to the rider and that’s exactly what this swingarm does, both to Scott and myself a bit more feeling, a bit more grip and more turning. A good step in the right direction.”

Speaking about the upgrade during a live FP1 interview, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers talked about the upgrade: “As always, there’s an expectation when you bring new parts. We have revised some stiffness on the swingarm which is a usual process. Right now, it’s Scott Redding and Loris Baz running it; we have limited availability. We did test it a couple of weeks ago, but the test was shortened unfortunately, so we have to gather more feedback here, more laps. So far, it’s positive.”

The topic of availability of the new item then surfaced, and whether for the future it will be on all four M1000RRs: “We are allowed to do two updates through the regulations. Depending on the feedback, we might still make some further modifications. For sure, the latest at Magny-Cours we want to make sure everyone has these updates.”

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