Regret not optioning ESA on new 1250 GSA!!

[Warlord]

Just so you know, my Ohlins TTX kit cost me £2,050 including ESA elimination plugs.... and I fitted the kit myself.

I'd expect you'll be paying around £2,300 including fitting..... at a guess.

 

[Blackal]

Hi Paul. I paid £15400 for it 2 months ago. It has 700 miles and I have just had the 600 mile first service done. It has cruise control, heated grips and OEM fog lights added. It's 'as new' obviously. £14k?

You might get some interest, but you are squarely up against everyone who hasn’t got cash over £10,000 - but can afford £170/month for a new PCP (or used PCP).

I fitted Ohlins forks to my 5,000m R-1, and could recognise the benefit within 300yds!

 

[PhilBoy]

Keep it and put Maxton shocks on. Your bike would be transformed, a real manic ride. Esa is over rated and not worth it if you intend keeping the bike, says it all when BM extended warranty won't cover then after 30000 miles.

 

[Warlord]

You might get some interest, but you are squarely up against everyone who hasn’t got cash over £10,000 - but can afford £170/month for a new PCP (or used PCP).

I fitted Ohlins forks to my 5,000m R-1, and could recognise the benefit within 300yds!

Was that 300yds once you'd landed the wheelie

 

[LBJ GSA]

Just so you know, my Ohlins TTX kit cost me £2,050 including ESA elimination plugs.... and I fitted the kit myself.

I'd expect you'll be paying around £2,300 including fitting..... at a guess.

Thanks dude.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I would not buy a GS without ESA.The ZF Units on the new 1250 work great.I would not spend 2 grand on manual Ohlin$$$ TTX like I did on my 2017 GSA and have the yellow triangle (ESA warning) lit up all the time...very annoying as also that Ohlins shocks are not ESA compatible...
Otherwise I probably would change to Ohlins again for being rebuildable.If I keep the bike longer than 3 years (which I doubt...) I would get ESA-Wilbers which are ESA compatible & rebuildable;the of both worlds !
Otherwise the 2019 ESA shocks set on max/dynamic work at least as good as Ohlins TTX on my 2017 !
That's my opinion...
To order a GS without ESA...might as well get a Afreeka Twin and be booored and pray everyday to not get a flat with the tubed tires that are so 1970...
Carbs would be so much better than fuel injection too...

He hasn't got a bike with ESA has he?

Suck it up

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Quite obviously - not many have.

Yep
They keep buying ESA equipped GS .....don't they

Thinking it's marvellous

I tried one and didn't like it at all

 

[Warlord]

He hasn't got a bike with ESA has he?

Suck it up

... and he still thinks Wilbers ESA shocks are rebuildable on watercooled R1200 Bikes.... when they're not.

You'll need Touratech (Tractive) setup for ESA serviceable shocks.

 

[Deleted account 191119001]

Thanks dude.

Another option find yourself a decent pair of ESA takeoffs either here or on Fleabay, probably cost about 400 euro, then ask Denzo on here to change the springs and shock for you, surely best price you will find out there, then ask BMW to fit the shocks and wizardry, might save you mega bucks, surely worth investigating, to PM Denzo you need to pay the 12 quid.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Thanks for all the replies. As always, we have a spread of opinions! I'm broadly quite 'encouraged' now to properly check out e.g. Ohlins etc - as retro fitting ESA at £3k is bonkers, as indeed it is spending around £4500+ to part exchange my 2 month old bike for a GSA TE. A speculative £1500 or so suspension investment seems like it could be the way forward. I'm not sure whether I have rose tinted glasses, but my very first 2004 GS 1200 had a nicer / plusher ride than this 2019 bike to be honest! Having said that, I had not experienced ESA back then. I would love to ride one with after markets - so if there is anyone in the south with one, please let me know!
I've not ridden anything with top end suspension, hence why I am such a big fan of ESA. For me, it's not about the electronic adjustment 'on the fly', it's soley about the magic carpet ride!

Well if you like magic carpets - buy Ohlins or Wilbers

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Just so you know, my Ohlins TTX kit cost me £2,050 including ESA elimination plugs.... and I fitted the kit myself.

I'd expect you'll be paying around £2,300 including fitting..... at a guess.

OP should try KAIS they may do you a deal

You don't need the ESA eliminators so should be cheaper than yours & £2030

 

[RedRick Esq.]

Well if you like magic carpets - buy Ohlins or Wilbers

You and I both love Öhlins but your statement is simply not true ( refer to my earlier post) and i accept that BMW shocks regardless of ESA or not are not renowned for their quality

Recently in France there was a 10 mile stretch of road that we had to ride daily,it was bloody awful, almost like washboard but widely spaced, if you eyeballed it you would have said it was lovely tarmac.

My superb, equipped with top Öhlins, was just terrible and i would describe the ride as bloody jiggly, Every time i cemented over intercoms the GS riders could not equate what i was saying to what they were feeling

The rest of the roads were no problem

Before you say it they are set up perfectly for me by Öhlins specialist

I hope that the WP set up on my forthcoming SD GT are good

 

[Nutty]

He hasn't got a bike with ESA has he?

Suck it up

You’re forgetting that Boxerfrogs is stoopid again, JB

 

[Boxerlust]

Why is the W-ESA from Wilbers not rebuildable ?
JUst a ESA shock with Wilbers spring ? Clue me in as I never checked into it !
As for the TTX versus 2019 ESA.
The TTX are good shocks and rebuildable which is a plus but the stock ESA shocks on my 1250 set on max/dynamic are just as good if not better as the TTX on my 2017 ! O.K they are not as plush but for fast road riding you don't want plush.And they did not cost me another 2 grand and the electronic wizardry to not to illuminate the yellow ESA-fault triangle was also not part of the Ohlins package...
If Ohlins were ESA compatible I would switch after 3 years if I kept the bike...otherwise definitely not worth the 2 extra grand + 500 bucks to make the annoying yellow triangle disappear !

 

[Deleted account 191119001]

Why is the W-ESA from Wilbers not rebuildable ?
JUst a ESA shock with Wilbers spring ? Clue me in as I never checked into it !
As for the TTX versus 2019 ESA.
The TTX are good shocks and rebuildable which is a plus but the stock ESA shocks on my 1250 set on max/dynamic are just as good if not better as the TTX on my 2017 ! O.K they are not as plush but for fast road riding you don't want plush.And they did not cost me another 2 grand and the electronic wizardry to not to illuminate the yellow ESA-fault triangle was also not part of the Ohlins package...
If Ohlins were ESA compatible I would switch after 3 years if I kept the bike...otherwise definitely not worth the 2 extra grand + 500 bucks to make the annoying yellow triangle disappear !

Wilbers only do ESA for bikes up to 2016, and if you want to rebuild your original oem sachs shocks to Wilbers for bikes from 2017 , you need the oem sachs shocks as donors, hope this clears your head.

 

[Boxerlust]

Smogbob the 2019 1250 shocks are not made by Sachs but by ZF ! I expect the 2017 1/2 & 2018 ESA latest generation will be too...So you send your shocks to Wilbers and they use their shock design and adapt them to the BMW ESA system ? If this is the case W-ESA would be the way to go when the stock ESA shocks are worn...The Touratech ones are ridiculously expensive and I don't think Hyperpro who makes them for TT is that good to begin with...

 

[Geekay]

You might get some interest, but you are squarely up against everyone who hasn’t got cash over £10,000 - but can afford £170/month for a new PCP (or used PCP).

I fitted Ohlins forks to my 5,000m R-1, and could recognise the benefit within 300yds!

yeah you're probably right - but i am speaking from experience - i own a GSA 'XE' model - albeit one which was BMW's press bike and has every option added (bar the LED headlights, oddly) - and i bought it under a year old for peanuts - and i mean thousands, not hundreds, less than an equivalent TE, but my XE with all those options would be within spitting distance of a TE price when new.

I also know, though, that its trade-in value will be seriously dented as main dealers simply don't want any "non-TE' on the forecourt as they can't shift them! I have to remind myself how little i paid for the bike when i got it - but there's no way i'd order a new one like that.

I notice there's some prices mentioned above - i know what i paid for mine from a main dealer - and it was thousands less than that i'm afraid

 

[Warlord]

Why is the W-ESA from Wilbers not rebuildable ?
JUst a ESA shock with Wilbers spring ? Clue me in as I never checked into it !

Ok.....

When the R1200 came out in c. 2004 to 2012 the ESA was a different setup back then. Wilbers did a replacement upgrade which included the springs and dampers (which are all fully serviceable). So this kit is the full deal.

When the R1200 LC came out in c. 2013 to 2018 the ESA was changed. Wilbers were NOT able to upgrade the shock, because all the damper internals were sealed and integrated to the ESA (apparently there is a rod running through the damper in this version). So what Wilbers actually do is change the spring, change the compression chamber for adjustability and then stick a Wilbers sticker on it. BUT the actual damper and internals remain untouched. The ESA stepper motors remain untouched.

So if the shock was old and the internals or oil is worn, tough shit it stays that way.

Wilbers cannot and will not service the BMW ESA Damper as it's a sealed unit on post 2013 models.

So what you actually get with the Wilbers ESA, is BMW ESA original damper and stepper motors.... Wilbers Spring and Wilbers Compression Chamber. That's it.

Bloody cheeky if you ask me, considering the price they charge.

 

[Deleted account 191119001]

Smogbob the 2019 1250 shocks are not made by Sachs but by ZF ! I expect the 2017 1/2 & 2018 ESA latest generation will be too...So you send your shocks to Wilbers and they use their shock design and adapt them to the BMW ESA system ? If this is the case W-ESA would be the way to go when the stock ESA shocks are worn...The Touratech ones are ridiculously expensive and I don't think Hyperpro who makes them for TT is that good to begin with...

ZF Aftermarket Brands
LEMFÖRDER, SACHS, TRW, BOGE, OPENMATICS: In addition to the ZF brand, the ZF Aftermarket portfolio comprises various renowned brands, covering steering and chassis technology as well as connectivity solutions and braking systems.

 

[Warlord]

What is a much better solution is the Touratech Extreme shock upgrade (Built by Tractive).

In this kit you actually get the Tractive Stepper Motor Upgrade, a Tractive Damper which is serviceable (fatter rod for better stability), a new custom spring designed for your weight AND plug in compatibility to your existing ESA.

So if you like pressing buttons to change pre-load height, and hard medium soft rebound..... it's all there.

But this kit costs around £3500

or...... do what I did, and dump ESA and get the manually operated Ohlins TTX kit for a tailor made setup for around £2000 (Ideal if you plan no off-roading)