Buying GSA with ASC ESA Good or Bad idea?

[Mr Anderson]

Hi,

New to forum.

Looking for GSA but what's everybody's take on buying with all the tech stuff on it?

What are the pro's and cons?

I will be carrying pillion so being able to adjust preload etc. on the move appeals to me.

I suspect resale values are better but repair cost a greater?

Any advice is appreciated

 

[Old Wobbly]

Hi,

New to forum.

Looking for GSA but what's everybody's take on buying with all the tech stuff on it?

What are the pro's and cons?

I will be carrying pillion so being able to adjust preload etc. on the move appeals to me.

I suspect resale values are better but repair cost a greater?

Any advice is appreciated

If you are lucky enough to still grab one of the last twin cam GSA's then you should get every bell and whistle going in a great deal - just as some of us have.

Resale will of course be higher with the extras and it my experience they're great to have so you can enjoy them too. Yes, more to go wrong but it's only a motorbike - not the space shuttle so easy enough to put right if you're out of warranty or out of reach given some savvy and equipment.

I'd get as much as you can afford.

Have fun looking and buying.

 

[Alan R]

Ludites will say go without - more to go wrong. Higher spec will usually make resale easier - more desirable to potential buyers. I have the full package on my GS and do actually use most of the settings and find that I can feel and appreciate the difference. I have to confess that I swapped out the suspension units for Wilbers WESA mainly because I wanted a more bespoke set up.
In summary go for ESA
Alan R

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

I had ESA on both of my RT's & couldn't tell the difference on any of the settings.

I have ESA on my GSA & still can't tell the difference on any of the settings.

Try it with/without & see what you think.

Edit: Oh, and welcome.

 

[autogs]

you cant adjust preload whilst moving.damping ie sport comfort and normal can be done on the fly.ive had esa on all 5 of my gsa's and i can tell the diff on all the settings,mind you i am a riding god

 

[GSTourer]

Unlike autogs, I am not a riding God and like Timaloy I have ESA on my RT and cannot tell the difference between Normal, Comfort and Sport.

 

[Roberto]

Just in the interest of balance:

I had ESA on both of my RT's & couldn't tell the difference on any of the settings.

I could on my RT.

I have ESA on my GSA & still can't tell the difference on any of the settings.

I could on my GSA.

Try it with/without & see what you think.

Definitely agree on that one

 

[autogs]

honestly i cant fathom the cant tell the diff brigade,to me the diff between sport and comfort is very marked,bike stiffens right up and feels very different.still were all different i suppose, i road tested a toilet twice when they were launched and did not like it one bit.

 

[Tusky]

Agree with that 100% and as for preload..... I often flip to one up whilst carrying a pillion and lower the bike by 50mm, which is very useful for a 29 inch leg when getting on slippery wet ferries and loose gravel etc.

 

[B4ndit]

I like ESA. I use it all the time. Comf for Motorways, Norm for other roads, Sport for the twisties. And the ability to do it on the move is great. But I do like my gadgets. Mate with the same bike as me leaves his on Comf mode and swears he can't tell the difference. Both bikes seem to make progress similarly.

 

[tspivey]

I would say its a good idea to have it and can't understand those who say they can't tell the difference.

 

[albonet]

I ve had GSA with and without, both great bikes, Id go for the bike with good history and panniers ESA is just a bonus it is a good tool if you carry a pillion though.

 

[SMC]

Due to the high riding position on the GSA I would recommend it, especially if you have a pillion getting on and off frequently. When they get off in a few seconds you can have the bike lowered back to the correct height again. Regarding the "Sports, Comfort modes" etc. I personally could not tell much difference and to be fair on both the RT and GSA I had, I always left it on Normal mode (I don't ride very hard anyway).

 

[Bendy toy]

I have ESA with a back shock that has done about 20K miles. I find its obvious which setting Im on but the bike seems to handle just as well in comfort as in sport.

I like the ABS and would not want to live without it. Previously I had (non abs) Yamaha blue spot brakes so I'm used to decent stoppers.

The ASC has saved me some embarrassing slides when I was over enthusiastic exiting a bend. These bikes handle so you can be cranked over more then you expect leading to a power slide if not careful.

 

[Mr Anderson]

Agree with that 100% and as for preload..... I often flip to one up whilst carrying a pillion and lower the bike by 50mm, which is very useful for a 29 inch leg when getting on slippery wet ferries and loose gravel etc.

How do you lower the bike? is that part of the electronics?

 

[ghiribizzo]

It's lowest when on single rider mode. When you go from single to single + luggage and then 2-up, the rear shock extends. Select 'off-road' - BIG mountains (ha ha..) then both shocks are extended, making it a very tall thing indeed.
I'm fine with that - 34" inside leg... but the earlier ESA shocks were Japanese Showa. Not the best - they fade and a few guys have reported leaks. Mine got a bit mushy by 12,000 miles but weren't leaking. Later bikes had WP type shox - seem to be better. It's easy to see which are fitted.
But whichever you get it's still a hit or miss might do...could do...should do set up. If you are BMW's target weight, you're ok.
Changing to Wilbers - jeez! A new, better bike again. You tell them what the weights are for you + gear; weight of pillion + gear? (careful..!) Do you do much two up riding? They'll then fit a spring suited to what you specify.
Change in settings? Hell yes. Comfort round towns, over speed bumps and the like. I find standard a bit harsh in cities. But out of the town a press takes you to normal and you'll feel the damping change within a hundred metres.
Worth it? Yes.
Don't change riding modes (ie the spring) with you and pillion sitting on the bike though.

 

[Mr Anderson]

Yeah I'll be doing some euro tours with a pillion! so heavy usage in that respect! (my wife not being the "heavy" of course)!
Did a trip to Germany on my new R1 with the doris and although good fun, that bike was clearly out of its comfort zone!

 

[Beemerman59]

With standard ESA I found it very hard to tell the difference between sport, normal and comfort. Then moved over to Wilburs and had the shock spec'd to 100Kg which I believe is 15Kg heavier than the Germans think is an average tosser size. Using the same electronics in the Wilburs package the difference in each mode is now very marked. I think whether you notice the damping settings or not might depend on your weight. No real difference in the preload settings i.e they all worked fine. The handling went from good with newish standard shocks to bad with knackered standard shocks with 30K miles on them to bloody fantastic with the Wilburs set up. If I was buying another ESA bike I would factor in the cost of an immediate upgrade to the Wilburs... they're worth every penny and worth even more if you plan to keep the bike a while as they can be rebuilt and serviced relatively easily.

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

With .....is 15Kg heavier than the Germans think is an average tosser size.......I think whether you notice the damping settings or not might depend on your weight.

An interesting observation & could explain why some people insist there is a difference & some of us just can't see it.

Rather than hijack this thread I've started another one here:-

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...ce-is-it-weight-related&p=3636218#post3636218

 

[Old Wobbly]

In Soft mode the bike is noticeably lower and softer sprung, it bounces easy and as you go to Normal and Sport is just gets taller and stiffer - very very noticeable and yet the GSA handles great in any of the modes - Soft in the wet is quite a surprise!

Stick the ESA in Off Road mode and get to the max setting the bike's grown a load more and needs a bit more thought to handle at walking speed - very manageable just lots taller.

I am really surprised that folk cannot tell the difference - thinking back to my K1200S that was also clearly different although the step from one mode to another wasn't quite so marked as the GSA as the suspension travel is greater on the GSA.

I use ESA on most days and in most ride, especially if it starts to rain as I move to comfort, motorways often comfort too, otherwise normal for a bit of both, sport for the twisties and off road mode hasn't seen any use yet unfortunately!