1200GSA LC ESA harsh suspension

I've read through this thread with interest and I'm no motorcycling god by any means but I just can't get my head around the tyres being so responsible for what seems to be an overnight change in the bikes handling characteristics :nenau

Yes as they square of at the rear the bike will feel like it "tips" over more when leaning into corners and as the front wears low the front will feel more vague entering corners etc.

A tyre walls Caracas is going to be stiff regardless of miles covered. It's designed to support nearly 400kg's of moving bike and rider and is designed to tolerate stresses far beyond what you could ever put the bike through. Just think, two up fully fuelled with full luggage :eek: you are talking about half a ton plus being pushed through a very small amount of road contact rubber :eek:

How often do you ever read about a total tyre failure from a high end brand motorcycle tyre? :nenau

The harsh crashing suspension is not going to be tyre pressure related. Yes you can fine tune the ride but dropping 2/3/4 psi out of a tyre is that really going to cure an almost unrideable bike as the OP has posted :nenau I doubt it.

This has to be a suspension fault. Something in the mechanical damping or a software fault in the dynamic ESA. I mean this bike reads rider inputs at hundreds of parameters a second and makes lightning quick adjustments that very few of us can realistically comprehend.

I am yet to experience any problems with mine which is at 1700 miles :rolleyes: but the OP has been riding BMWs for over 50 years so I think he knows bad suspension when it's there :D

I will continue to follow this and I bet it has nothing to do with Anekees 3's. Every tyre has it's characteristics and we all have our personal preferences. But I just cannot see that the tyre is to blame wholly for such a dramatic change in how the bike handles.

I will await to be proved wrong and if so I will lick a dead fly of my visor!! :eek:

Jon :beerjug:
 
My previous bike 2014 GS LC TE had Anakees 3 fitted and the ride was spot on with no suspension problems. The new bike GSA LC 7/2014 also came with Anakees 3 and the suspension is bloody hard and something is just not right:( done nearly 2000 miles now. So I don't think the tyres are the problem.
The demo bike GSA LC also had Anakees3 and their was no probs.
It's back to A.J.s next week for an software update. Will see what happens:(
 
If the tyres are an approved fitment, the correct size and pressures I would doubt they would cause the problem.The gsa demonstrator I rode had very harsh suspension, the front end even on the softest settings felt almost solid.
I would suggest either a software glitch on certain bikes or a lack of production quality and consistancy from the shock absorber manufacturers is more likely to blame
 
Just seems odd that mine has been fine up until today.:nenau The pressures are quite high, so maybe I'll drop them a tad, before tomorrow's ride.
 
Paul G (BHT) said:
Bike booked in again on the 9th September, have been asked to leave it with them for a week.
Click to expand...
So, tomorrow's the day... 4th time lucky maybe.

Will be away until the 23rd of this month so will give you an update once I return.
 
Anakee 3s on mine and they are fine apart from being noisy.
Pressures i run are 42 rear 36 front and the suspension is lush, compliant and...well just nice !!!

It can't be the tyres causing this hooha
all that said i will be going the PR4 route when it needs new boots just because they are brilliant
 
JohnnyBoxer said:
Nutty says it's the tyres, have you changed them, Paul?
Click to expand...
I changed the Anakee 3's on my TE and replaced them with Pilot Road 4's. The ride is only slightly better so in my case at least,I'd have to discount the "it's the tyres" theory. I'm currently trying 33psi front & 39psi rear.
I'm still of the belief that there's too much high speed compression built into the suspension-that makes the bike harsh over broken,sharp or rippled surfaces.
I have a Wilbers fully adjustable rear unit on my R100R and that bike genuinely rides better that my 2014 TE-obviously it lacks the WC's outright speed! If I wind in the high speed compression adjuster,I get the same harsh ride as my TE,back it off and it's plush,comfortable and well controlled.

I feel that I'm unable to exploit the PR 4's grip because of the lack of control from the Sachs units-I might just have bought the wrong bike!
 
Has your dealer put the latest software on your bike?
There was a new release which mine had installed yesterday.
My thoughts are that the road mode is less harsh now, almost like on my 2013 gs with contis. Dynamic is nice and hard. The fuelling is noticeably different too.

Get them to do the update and see how it feels then and report back.
 
On poor surfaced roads my 2013 was a much better ride than my 2014 bike. I think that the upgraded suspension on the 2014 bike gives a harsher ride and more so on some bikes than on others!
 
Titto said:
Has your dealer put the latest software on your bike?
There was a new release which mine had installed yesterday.
My thoughts are that the road mode is less harsh now, almost like on my 2013 gs with contis. Dynamic is nice and hard. The fuelling is noticeably different too.

Get them to do the update and see how it feels then and report back.
Click to expand...



I contacted my dealer this morning after reading your post. They just got back: :-(


I've searched all bulletins pertaining to your bike and there's currently nothing in the US for updating the ESA. There was a bulletin for updating the ASC on very early production models, but yours didn't fall into the VIN bracket. I've forwarded your complaint to BMW and will keep you posted when/if I hear anything.
 
FWIW the dealer now says BMW told them there will be a software flash coming soon that will improve the harsh suspension on some bikes. It will help if your bike exhibits the following. When riding on a particularly rough road and your suspension progressively harshens. If you stop and cycle the ignition off then restart and the ride improves.
 
The ESA on my month old GSA 1200 is not much use to me, i run it on the softest setting all the time, 1 up, 2 up, track day.
I liked the suspension on my 13 WC better. The 14 is good but i would like a softer range of adjustment. I wonder if anyone supplies softer springs?
 
Software fix?

Hello Everyone!

I will certainly ask my dealer to load the software update to my 2013 model. Can't wait!

Graham
 
I thought that the 2013 model was fine, it's the 2014 with the white springs that seems to give the issues
 
Paul G (BHT) said:
So, tomorrow's the day... 4th time lucky maybe.

Will be away until the 23rd of this month so will give you an update once I return.
Click to expand...
Spoke to my dealer this morning and my GSA is now fixed.

Picking it up tomorrow and will be speaking directly to the mechanic to find out exactly what he has done.

Will post and update tomorrow once I have collected and returned home.
 
Fixed Wow! I too am looking forward to what you think when you ride it, and more importantly how they fixed it...please keep us posted Paul.
 
Paul G (BHT) said:
Spoke to my dealer this morning and my GSA is now fixed.

Picking it up tomorrow and will be speaking directly to the mechanic to find out exactly what he has done.

Will post and update tomorrow once I have collected and returned home.
Click to expand...

They declare it "fixed" it will be interesting to see if you are of the same opinion........
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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