Could it get any better than this?

[Greenman14]

Thanks to John and Nick at Revs I'm all Wilbered up now. The decision was made after testing a Tracer 900, which I liked a lot but couldn't get my head around spending £8500 on a new bike and having to spend a grand replacing the suspension, that and the crap p/ex price I was given.

So, with a Hilltop remap, Keihan decat headers, riding position courtesy of Renthals and Fastaway, nice new Dunlop Roadsmarts (as good or better than PR3s IMHO) and HID lights I think it's sorted at last, after 4 years. With only 20,000 miles the engine is nicely run in and the gearbox is probably as good as its going to get.

Other than some preventive winter maintenance greasing suspension bearings what else can I do?

Re the Wilbers, my original shocks were still working but these are so much better, the bike feels so planted, holds a line much better, low speed control is much easier and there's loads of feedback on what the wheels are doing. And all for less than the cost of a BMW replacement rear unit.

 

[Wicker]

Agree. Went the Wilbers ESA route last month and lovin it. Had been thinking about getting new GS but at £14.5k plus farkels less p/x, I decided to extend the life of the old bike and treat it to new suspension. Its only got 68k under its wheels so should have some life left yet

 

[Bungy]

And they do a minus 80mm version which is ideal for the vertically challenged like me.

 

[Lord Snooty]

Greeny, Had to check my garage to see if my bike was still there as you have just described my bike to a T - apart from the Renthals. Agree about the Roadsmarts, excellent tyres.

 

[Aidan1150]

There's a lot to be said for really personalising the bike you have rather than just chopping it in for another. Like you it took me a couple of years to get mine just the way I wanted it but I have went on to clock up over 100k miles in the ten years since. Sometimes the bike you have is all the bike you need.

 

[kyrano]

The wilbers are not electronic adjustable suspension ? what do you do with the plugs to the suspension ? also would you have a part numbers for a 2011 TC adventure

 

[Greenman14]

The wilbers are not electronic adjustable suspension ? what do you do with the plugs to the suspension ? also would you have a part numbers for a 2011 TC adventure

The Wilbers are direct replacements for ESA units. The electronic gubbins is transferred from the BMW shocks to the new units. You could just fit non-ESA units but I don't know how you'd stop an alarm appearing- somebody on here is bound to know though.

I don't have part numbers as the GSA shocks are different, longer, than the GS and mine's a GS. Give Revs a call, they're very helpful and will explain the options.

 

[kyrano]

Thanks for getting back to me on this, I have been looking at possibly changing my suspension to something different, i was not sure if the wilbers come with the electronic option or not

 

[mpgscott]

What sort of cost are the replacement ESA units for a GSA roughly??

Thanks
Mark

 

[Neil W]

With my WC all of the numerous ESA glitches and faults have been software related issues, I was contemplating a suspension upgrade but as the original BMW actuators are utilised i doubt it would cure anything

 

[Greenman14]

What sort of cost are the replacement ESA units for a GSA roughly??

Thanks
Mark

My GS cost £1300; a new BMW rear shock is about £1500, so I've been told. I would expect GSA gear to be more or less the same cost as GS.

 

[mpgscott]

My GS cost £1300; a new BMW rear shock is about £1500, so I've been told. I would expect GSA gear to be more or less the same cost as GS.

Many thanks...

 

[Greenman14]

With my WC all of the numerous ESA glitches and faults have been software related issues, I was contemplating a suspension upgrade but as the original BMW actuators are utilised i doubt it would cure anything

Were the problems with the actuators: hydraulic preload and stepper motors for damping, or with the electronic controls? Either way new spring/damper units aren't going to be a solution unless the Ohlins option replaces the actuators as well as the springs and dampers.

 

[Bendy toy]

The Ohlins is a complete on-the-fly adjustable suspension system.

The Wilbers WESA uses the BMW OEM ESA mechanism replacing just the shock absorber with Wilbers units. The total cost for the pair is a couple of hundred more than plain non ESA units to cover the costs of swapping the mechanism from the old OEM shocks to the Wilbers shocks.

You *can* buy the WESA shock direct from Germany but the ESA hydraulic system is pressurised. I had a good look at mine when I powder coated the frame. Stripping the ESA gubbins does not look like a job for the average DIY garage meddler. I will attempt most things but left well alone with that lot.

 

[Wicker]

Installing the WESA to my GS took John at Revs at least 1/2 day. I had dropped the bike in mid Pm on the Wed and collected at 1400 the next day and they were just finishing off. Of course they may have done a few other jobs in the workshop in between or drunk a lot of tea

 

[Pukmeister]

I had a good look at mine when I powder coated the frame. Stripping the ESA gubbins does not look like a job for the average DIY garage meddler. I will attempt most things but left well alone with that lot.

The ESA preload head is easy enough to remove when changing the spring, the shock section is outwardly similar to a standard shock save for the electronic damping cable on the bottom. After the spring is compressed slightly using a compression frame a retaining ring is removed and the ESA head and shock spring (once decompressed) just lift off.

I fitted Hyperpro 40mm lower springs to my GSA shocks so I could get my feet on the deck, but didn't like them so put the original springs back on and fitted a sargent seat instead.

If anyone wants a set of 40mm progressive lowering springs for a 2008 GSA with ESA suspension give me a shout.

 

[Greenman14]

For a DIY job I think the difficult bit could be ensuring the actuators are in sync with the ECU, the mechanical work looks relatively straightforward now that I've seen the bare shocks with the collets and springs. Maybe a GS911 would be needed to set the ECU, someone on here is bound to know.

 

[Bendy toy]

Maybe just leave the ESA at it's lowest settings and the same with the switch settings.
But if it all goes pear shaped. ...


Sent via iPhone so expect strange words