ESA Removal

[WindyChuffer]

Am thinking of a new GSA, and pondering over whether to get ESA or not.

BUT am doing a big overland trip next year, and worried about ESA breaking and ruining the trip.

So am thinking of getting a bike with ESA, and for the trip, changing the front and rear shocks to regular shocks, and then re-fit the ESA on return.

Is this feasible? Is it really is as simple as just changing the shocks?

 

[littleredrooster]

Not sure how the ECU controller thingy would react to not having anything attached to it?

 

[wilbjr21]

I don't think I'd worry about it at all.

If it did fail it would only stay where it was and this would probably be your most common setting.

 

[Tartan Terror]

I would go for a bike without the ESA. After all you will how often do you adjust your suspension? And it's less to break when miles from everywhere

 

[GSband]

Main question is : will ESA break down in foreseeable future ? Replacement may prove to be expensive.

 

[Achim]

Main question is : will ESA break down in foreseeable future ? Replacement may prove to be expensive.

I seem to remember when I checked this out prior to buying my bike that the rear ESA unit alone costs about £1000 to replace. I suspect the front unit won't be a bargain, either (think along the lines of £750). Have you checked the cost of a pair of Ohlins lately? Bargain, compared to an ESA replacement.

I bought an 08 without ESA and don't find the occasional adjustments too onerous , especially as I saved lots of money which can be spent on other stuff. More importantly, it's one less bit of dodgy electronics to pack up at great expense (the ESA units can NOT be repaired).

Achim

 

[Bear]

I can't help but think that ESA is a solution to a problem that doesn't really exist. It's either an expensive toy for those who need lots of toys (or can't use a screwdriver and C-spanner to change a few settings) or it's an admission that BMW can't design a suspension system that is at least adequate for any reasonable circumstance. A skilled rider can make decent progress even if the suspension settings are not perfect (just how fast can you go on a public road) and the likes of me will blame something (anything) else for being last to the pub. Both my suspension units ('06 R1200GS) were replaced under warranty. I'll be interested to know how many ESA warranty claims there are.

 

[original_concept]

I seem to remember when I checked this out prior to buying my bike that the rear ESA unit alone costs about £1000 to replace. I suspect the front unit won't be a bargain, either (think along the lines of £750). Have you checked the cost of a pair of Ohlins lately? Bargain, compared to an ESA replacement.

I bought an 08 without ESA and don't find the occasional adjustments too onerous , especially as I saved lots of money which can be spent on other stuff. More importantly, it's one less bit of dodgy electronics to pack up at great expense (the ESA units can NOT be repaired).

Achim

Aye, the ESA, IMHO is ok, if you're not going to run the mileage up high enough for when the rear shock needs replacing. IME on various bikes inc. BMWs, 25K is about the limit when the shock (for my back) needs repairing or replacing (YMMV or YBMV), as I tend to run bikes to 100K, ESA becomes too expensive.

I like and would love to have ESA but only if BMW would subside 50-60% of the replacement cost

So my 2009 does not have ESA.

Horses for courses.

 

[WindyChuffer]

Thanks for the comments, but the point in my original post is being missed. I fully accept that there is a risk with ESA, but I am trying to clarify, if it is possible to replace the ESA shock units with regular non-ESA shock units.

If you can, then if ESA fails, at least you can just junk it and fit regulat shocks. Or if you are going somewhere remote, and want to eliminate a failure risk, fit regular shocks for the duration then revert back to ESA later.

So, anyone know if you can simply remove ESA shocks and replace with regular shocks?

 

[Robbo1200ADV]

Surely the ESA is covered by warranty and you can extend that each year? Mines got it but I dont lie awake at night worrying its gonna fail

 

[skywalker]

Thanks for the comments, but the point in my original post is being missed. I fully accept that there is a risk with ESA, but I am trying to clarify, if it is possible to replace the ESA shock units with regular non-ESA shock units.

If you can, then if ESA fails, at least you can just junk it and fit regulat shocks. Or if you are going somewhere remote, and want to eliminate a failure risk, fit regular shocks for the duration then revert back to ESA later.

So, anyone know if you can simply remove ESA shocks and replace with regular shocks?

Yes you can but say good bye to your manufacturer's warranty.Heard of someone who did exactly this and then experienced a battery problem. Went to have battery checked out by a dealer and because the ESA is worked via the ZFE unit -fault logged - couldn't do battery test. Dealer contacted BMW warranty dept for advice and their reply was unless the bike was returned to original spec ie ESA then his warranty would be void.
So your real answer is to by a bike without ESA isn't it.

 

[zoltan]

I inquired with WP Suspension the cost of service on the ESA . They told me that the BMW unit can not be serviced , because is different from the one branded as WP , which can be serviced ( recommended every 2 years or 20k ).

 

[Howard Millichap]

Main question is : will ESA break down in foreseeable future ?

Of course it'll break. It's on a BMW isn't it?

 

[1Rider]

Break it will

Esa opinions are many - the system has been around now for long enough to expect a long row of reports of the system failing starting to emerge, or? Sure some must have taken the '08 ESA bikes outside the city, maybe even to the desert or some other high temp, high work load environmental conditions where shocks are fried for lunch

If it doesn't break during the first miles, sure it will break at 10K, or at the latest 20 - but I guess no ukgser have the miles on the ESA shocks yet.

And of course we expect the esa failures to be catastrophic and leave you stranded.

So please report, so we all can get older and wiser. Then again the Germans may know their maths: '08 + warranty period equals few reports in the forseeable future...

 

[igsy]

Esa opinions are many - the system has been around now for long enough to expect a long row of reports of the system failing starting to emerge, or? Sure some must have taken the '08 ESA bikes outside the city, maybe even to the desert or some other high temp, high work load environmental conditions where shocks are fried for lunch

If it doesn't break during the first miles, sure it will break at 10K, or at the latest 20 - but I guess no ukgser have the miles on the ESA shocks yet.

And of course we expect the esa failures to be catastrophic and leave you stranded.

So please report, so we all can get older and wiser. Then again the Germans may know their maths: '08 + warranty period equals few reports in the forseeable future...

Mine is a July 08 GSA with ESA, has now got 10K miles on it and it works great.