Anyone ridden ESA and Non?

[SPL]

Guys,

Had a quick squirt on the LC at the weekend and was pleasantly surprised at how peppy it was.

Felt like it had more in common with my Multistrada than my 07 GS in terms of handling and performance, which is a pretty neat trick by BM

I might even be tempted to flog my MTS and return to the fold (but will need a longer test ride to be certain).

Anyway, having had ESA on both a K1200S and my MTS, I find that I don't really use it all that much other than when I load up with pillion and luggage. So it's only been adding a bit of pre-load via the button instead of winding in a turn on an adjuster. I reckon I could manage to turn the adjuster by hand (and the exercise would do me good )

My old GS didn't have any such gizmos, although I did upgrade to better conventional suspenders.

So, rather a long winded way of getting to the question;
Has anyone ridden a conventionally suspended LC and an ESA version, and is there a noticeable difference that's worth the extra expense (and, let's be honest, the worry of possible teething problems)???

My dealer only had top spec ESA demo bikes, so I don't know if / when I could try both for myself

 

[Engineer]

Guys,

Had a quick squirt on the LC at the weekend and was pleasantly surprised at how peppy it was.

Felt like it had more in common with my Multistrada than my 07 GS in terms of handling and performance, which is a pretty neat trick by BM

I might even be tempted to flog my MTS and return to the fold (but will need a longer test ride to be certain).

Anyway, having had ESA on both a K1200S and my MTS, I find that I don't really use it all that much other than when I load up with pillion and luggage. So it's only been adding a bit of pre-load via the button instead of winding in a turn on an adjuster. I reckon I could manage to turn the adjuster by hand (and the exercise would do me good )

My old GS didn't have any such gizmos, although I did upgrade to better conventional suspenders.

So, rather a long winded way of getting to the question;
Has anyone ridden a conventionally suspended LC and an ESA version, and is there a noticeable difference that's worth the extra expense (and, let's be honest, the worry of possible teething problems)???

My dealer only had top spec ESA demo bikes, so I don't know if / when I could try both for myself

Have only ridden the conventionally suspended one - but it is the whole geometry change that has made this bike feel so good I suspect, my bike feels just like the descriptions that I have read from others who have the fancy suspenders - I guess the whole active damping thing might make things feel slightly different on bumpy roads but the way the thing steers and handles seems to be the same on the conventional bike.

Haven't had much time to tinker with the re-bound damping and pre-load yet but the rebound damping is now adjustable by a little wheel instead of a screwdriver, which is nice.

The tool kit will upset the old 'uns on here because there are only 3 items in it! under tyhe main seat held in with a laccy-band

 

[SPL]

The tool kit will upset the old 'uns on here because there are only 3 items in it! under tyhe main seat held in with a laccy-band

So that's credit card, mobile phone, plus one other item
Can't think what that 3rd thing would be

 

[Engineer]

So that's credit card, mobile phone, plus one other item
Can't think what that 3rd thing would be

If one buys a new BMW then tools are redundant because if it all goes tits up then just dial International Rescue...... Virgil and his gang will come to your assistance.

 

[Delboy777]

So that's credit card, mobile phone, plus one other item
Can't think what that 3rd thing would be

BMW assist phone number ?

 

[Hammam]

Guys,

Had a quick squirt on the LC at the weekend and was pleasantly surprised at how peppy it was.

Felt like it had more in common with my Multistrada than my 07 GS in terms of handling and performance, which is a pretty neat trick by BM

I might even be tempted to flog my MTS and return to the fold (but will need a longer test ride to be certain).

Anyway, having had ESA on both a K1200S and my MTS, I find that I don't really use it all that much other than when I load up with pillion and luggage. So it's only been adding a bit of pre-load via the button instead of winding in a turn on an adjuster. I reckon I could manage to turn the adjuster by hand (and the exercise would do me good )

My old GS didn't have any such gizmos, although I did upgrade to better conventional suspenders.

So, rather a long winded way of getting to the question;
Has anyone ridden a conventionally suspended LC and an ESA version, and is there a noticeable difference that's worth the extra expense (and, let's be honest, the worry of possible teething problems)???

My dealer only had top spec ESA demo bikes, so I don't know if / when I could try both for myself

I've had ESA on my old GS, then ESA II on my recent RT. ESA suspension does not make it better than manual suspension (they're the same shocks, after all.) If anything, it might make it a bit inferior in that all you have in terms of adjustment are 3 damping presets, and 3 preload presets (5 on the GS), dialed in for a 84 kg rider, so you lack a bit of the fine tuning you can get with manual setting. But, and it's a big «but», it is very, very convenient (at least the electronic damping part of it, which you will change much more often than the preload) when you want to change on the fly several times in a short period, like when you ride on the horrible street and road surfaces we have here in Quebec. From one street corner to another you have to go from «Comfort» to «Normal», back to «Comfort», then back to «Normal» 30 seconds later, all day long. On the road it's the same routine, albeit at a slower rythm, but then you have to add «Sport» when you hit the twisties, and the surface is good. Which never lasts very long. Then it's back to «Normal» again, or even «Comfort» sometimes, it's so bad.

So you trade fine-tuning for convenience. But I wouldn't go back to manual setting, at least as long as I'll ride on the Martian surfaces our governing bodies are not ashamed to call streets and roads. Now, maybe the «dynamic» ESA III that comes with the GS LC will help fine-tune damping a bit better. We'll see.