Great video! I work in a shock repair business in Mexico City. This video along with the one from jvbproductions your recommend, helped me to gain confidence to remove the front shock of a R1200GS , repair the shock and reinstall everything with no mistakes. Congratulations Adam!
MARIO, COMPRE UN AMORTIGUADOR PARA LA R1200 LC PERO LE CORTARON EL CABLE DEL ESA, PREGUNTA, HAY ALGUNA MANERA DE REUTILIZAR EL QUE TENGO ACTUALMENTE MONTADO, ES DECIR, PUEDO REMPLAZAR EL CABEZAL DONDE ENTRA EL CABLE?
Gr8 vid brother! Well done. As Im about to repair/change a leaking front ESA-shock on 1200Gs-Lc this vid was very interesting giving me gr8 insight on what all the work is about. It looks like one could do it with some effort and luck due to not having the same experience as you do. Thanks again for a really helpful vid.
hi Adam I have a 2018 R1200GS water cooled bike. Oil started dripping from my front shock. time to replace.. what is your suggestion for a non OEM ESA replacement? Ohlins, Touratech, other brand? please advise. Thank you
I’ve been really happy with Tractive shocks. I have not used Ohlins or Wilbers before. Touratech is just pricey Tractive so I’d avoid that. If your’e in USA, I’d check with Ted Porter’s Beemershop to see what they have for non-ESA bikes and go from there.
242/243 is the medium strength loctite. The 243 is just impervious to any lubricant that may get on it. These are both good enough but if you want to step up, get the 262 for ‘chassis bolts’ like this that if they back out would be catastrophic. For this job, I probably used 262.
My rear shock is "dead" (2018 R1200GSA) and it is easy to notice jumping and rough hitting while driving over bumps. BUT how do i know if front is ready for removal? rear did not leak, it just stopped working so i am guessing internal gaskets failing after 50K km. ISTA shows no errors and rear calibration was successfully done. But i did not find in ISTA anything for the front one. Any one had this issue?
Wow, that's a new one for me. Usually the motors don't fail but an internal fluid component fails and leaks fluid everywhere. To have a non-leaking shock that is no longer doing damping is a bit weird but if you are riding hard with a lot of luggage, 50K is not so low that I'd be upset. I guess you could have a BMW dealer investigate the issue.
Nice tutorial, I have to remove the front shock of a 2013 1200GS because it's leaking, How did you place the lift? Right under the engine guard or directly to the engine>
Hey Adam, so sorry to see that you had that accident on your GSA. Glad you were not injured. My question is in regards to this video. I noticed at the 7:18 minute mark on the video where you have the OEM front shock and the Touratech front shock laying side by side that the amount of exposed piston rod on the Touratech shock is a lot less (maybe more then half) when compared to the OEM. Wouldn't this greatly impact the amount of front wheel available travel? I know the stock travel is listed at around 8 inches or 200mm. Jeff
I believe that due to the TT shock being heavier, thicker and longer as well as being progressive, this eliminates that issue of requiring the longer travel.
In the video it appears that they have the same distance from top mount bolt to bottom mount bolt in length. No worries I appreciate you getting back to me. I will give Ted at the Beemershop a call and get his take on it. So what bike are you getting to replace the 2017 GSA?
Awesome. you've probably done a few more than me :P This was my first time doing it. About to do it again on my 2018 GSA and it'll be much faster this time. I have GS 911 for calibration. Hoping it goes well!
While I have you, this time around I decided to order all new bolts so I'm not re-using ones I take out. I couldn't find anything that said the Suspension Mount bolts or rear-subframe bolt should be replaced but I'm replacing them anyway as they come with OEM thread-locker. Some of these bolts are $27 a pop!
@@AdamChandler86 You can just use the old bolts, just use the red locker that's high strength, honestly those bolts do not need replacing, Just make sure they're torqued to stop damage to the threads, we have an idiot at work that guns them on.. he won't last long tbh, I had to replace all the bolts on afew bikes because the Torx heads were damaged and the customer would have complained.. :(
Glad to have found this video, there just isn't much out there in the way of Touratech shocks. I am particularly interested in your video because I am just short of pulling the trigger on purchasing the Extreme version of the Touratech shocks and I'd like to pick your brain a little bit with a few questions. 1. Is there any particular reason that you chose to stay with the ESA setup as opposed to going full manual Extreme shocks? I ask this because although the Touratech Dynamic version is a bit lighter than BMW's the ESA setup is still quite heavy. The Extreme shocks shave off quite a bit of weight in comparison. as hell with the electronics. Not here to criticize your view but when manual shock is properly setup there is very little need for on the fly preload adjustments. This is coming from a guy that does not ride two up. 2. There looks to be just the two different versions of shocks for your bike Dynamic & Extreme and the Extreme being about $800 cheaper seems to be a heavier duty shock gear for off road riding. Are you more of a street rider? 3. Regardless of what type of rider you are, how different is the new setup compared to oem stuff that you took off? Would you buy them again? Do you think that the price you paid was money well spent? Thanks
Good questions and good luck deciding! I use ESA quite a bit. I'm constantly adjusting on the fly the rebound and damping controls and lifting lowering the bike are just more convenient. Given all of the aftermarket modifications on the bike, the ESA tech didn't add a lot of weight. Also ESA compatibility increases resale of the shocks sold individually and if I sell them with the bike one day. Very few people have non-ESA GS bikes. In USA, getting one w/o factory ESA is a special order so this is the most common setup Which means the next owner purchasing ESA plugs from Tractive that eliminate the function o the bike at $240 each (look up ESA Disable Unit) so removing ESA from a bike with it costs an additional $500 to remove functionality. Extreme Touratech Shocks are manual only. No ESA hardware is present so the Dynamic & Extreme shocks are identical in condition but Extreme lack the ESA components which saves weight and cost. That's the only difference but BeemerShop is a great place to call or email for specific questions. I actually discuss this a bit more in the last 5 minutes of this video - ruclips.net/video/n2ArdxhVRSI/видео.html but in summary, if you weigh less than 90 kilos and don't ride 2-up very much and don't ride your GS like a dirt bike (fast speed hills, rocks, ruts, bottoming out, jumps) then ride the OEM until it breaks and then replace it with this. If you are heavy, pack a lot of gear, ride 2-up and do a lot of off-roading this is a nice upgrade. It's much cheaper than buying OEM replacements and it is noticeable under extreme scenarios. I weigh 115kilos, my partner is around 65 kilos and so we are very high weight for the GS. When you factor the kind of riding I do solo, it makes a huge difference to have this on my bike. I would not want to go back to stock.
I really do appreciate the valuable feedback. I will have to check with Ted Porter and verify if in fact the Extremes and Dynamics are truly the same less the electronics. If the Dynamic ESA has the PDX Valve that prevents the shocks from bottoming out then they would in fact be the same. In terms of the weight of the ESA versions (OEM or Dynamic) I'm guessing that you don't really have anything to compare it to. My 2011 came with the ESA setup and I removed it (still have the perfectly functioning shocks sitting on a shelf) in favor of a brand new set of manual Ohlins TT's. and I am here to say that the weight difference is around 10 lbs per shock. If my Ohlins TT's have 500 miles on them that's saying a lot. Unfortunately for me I made a $2,000 mistake in buying them. I'm not saying they are not good shocks, they're just not the right type of shocks to support the rough off road terrain that I like to ride so I'm taking them off in favor of the Extremes. As far as resale value is concerned I am so far past the point of no return that I will own this bike for life. I am fairly certain there is not another GSA on the planet like it. There is more in upgrades then the bike cost brand new if that tells you anything. Don't know where you but perhaps we may get a chance to ride together one of these days.
Fully depends on the rider. If you're a heavy rider or ride with a pillion and lots of gear, there is an improvement in bike handling. Or, if you take the bike off road regularly getting air or putting the bike through hundreds of compression cycles or bottoming out, you'll benefit. Or, if you want more adjustability in the Low/high compression, you'll benefit and finally, if you want a suspension system that can be serviced with individual replacement parts when things break and a build that is heavier than stock with thicker materials, then you'll love this setup. A lot of people purchase them when their OEM shocks fail and BMW charges more than Tractive.
Totally is. After you remove all of that bodywork, then fuel tank then air box, you have to make sure you don't put screws back in the wrong place. Took about 3 times as long as the rear.
It's the air box and fuel tank removal that looks the daunting part. Glad my front shock hasn't gone is all I can say, although the chap at ESA repairs did suggest sending that in too, along with my rear shock.
What a BEAST! Thanks for taking the time to do the video. I think I’ll be doing this over the coming winter. 😅👍
Good luck and have fun.
Great video! I work in a shock repair business in Mexico City. This video along with the one from jvbproductions your recommend, helped me to gain confidence to remove the front shock of a R1200GS , repair the shock and reinstall everything with no mistakes. Congratulations Adam!
That's great to hear! Thank you for the feedback.
MARIO, COMPRE UN AMORTIGUADOR PARA LA R1200 LC PERO LE CORTARON EL CABLE DEL ESA, PREGUNTA, HAY ALGUNA MANERA DE REUTILIZAR EL QUE TENGO ACTUALMENTE MONTADO, ES DECIR, PUEDO REMPLAZAR EL CABEZAL DONDE ENTRA EL CABLE?
Gr8 vid brother! Well done. As Im about to repair/change a leaking front ESA-shock on 1200Gs-Lc this vid was very interesting giving me gr8 insight on what all the work is about. It looks like one could do it with some effort and luck due to not having the same experience as you do. Thanks again for a really helpful vid.
You're welcome and good luck!
Makes me really love my R1150GS
Yeah, you have a MUCH easier time with your shock removal.
Mine is weeping slightly, now I know what to do over winter
Have fun with the install.
hi Adam I have a 2018 R1200GS water cooled bike. Oil started dripping from my front shock. time to replace.. what is your suggestion for a non OEM ESA replacement? Ohlins, Touratech, other brand? please advise. Thank you
I’ve been really happy with Tractive shocks. I have not used Ohlins or Wilbers before. Touratech is just pricey Tractive so I’d avoid that. If your’e in USA, I’d check with Ted Porter’s Beemershop to see what they have for non-ESA bikes and go from there.
Hey Adam, great video :)
Have you made a review of the tourtech vs the OEM? ☺️
That’s a very good idea! I actually am putting shocks into a new bike so I can show the differences. Thanks for the suggestion.
I hop I will never have to do this, but thank you for sharing this endeavour with us !
VERY HELPFUL! Thank you.
Thanks Trent!
curious which locktite you used? I'm reading 2701 but am not able to source it. Many thanks
242/243 is the medium strength loctite. The 243 is just impervious to any lubricant that may get on it. These are both good enough but if you want to step up, get the 262 for ‘chassis bolts’ like this that if they back out would be catastrophic. For this job, I probably used 262.
@@AdamChandler86
many thanks!
$380 at the dealer seems like a pretty good deal for the install now,. OUCH
YEP! That's for Front & REAR! Took me about 8 hours the first time. I could probably do it in 4 if I did it again.
That's some work undertaken. Qudous
My rear shock is "dead" (2018 R1200GSA) and it is easy to notice jumping and rough hitting while driving over bumps. BUT how do i know if front is ready for removal? rear did not leak, it just stopped working so i am guessing internal gaskets failing after 50K km. ISTA shows no errors and rear calibration was successfully done. But i did not find in ISTA anything for the front one. Any one had this issue?
Wow, that's a new one for me. Usually the motors don't fail but an internal fluid component fails and leaks fluid everywhere. To have a non-leaking shock that is no longer doing damping is a bit weird but if you are riding hard with a lot of luggage, 50K is not so low that I'd be upset. I guess you could have a BMW dealer investigate the issue.
Thx a lot !
I try it today.
Nice tutorial, I have to remove the front shock of a 2013 1200GS because it's leaking, How did you place the lift? Right under the engine guard or directly to the engine>
Good Question. I have a skid plate so used that. You can use a 2x4 wood block as well.
Adam Chandler Thanks
Had to remove the alternator cover but I made it!
So what was your mileage at, that you needed to replace both shocks?
Mileage is irrelevant. It’s riding style, weight and luggage. The OEM shocks were not up to the task.
62000 miles 2013 gs1200 I had to replace front gsa shock it was pretty enjoyable to be fair nice to work on
Mine died at 17,000 miles
Hey Adam, so sorry to see that you had that accident on your GSA. Glad you were not injured. My question is in regards to this video. I noticed at the 7:18 minute mark on the video where you have the OEM front shock and the Touratech front shock laying side by side that the amount of exposed piston rod on the Touratech shock is a lot less (maybe more then half) when compared to the OEM. Wouldn't this greatly impact the amount of front wheel available travel? I know the stock travel is listed at around 8 inches or 200mm.
Jeff
I believe that due to the TT shock being heavier, thicker and longer as well as being progressive, this eliminates that issue of requiring the longer travel.
In the video it appears that they have the same distance from top mount bolt to bottom mount bolt in length. No worries I appreciate you getting back to me. I will give Ted at the Beemershop a call and get his take on it. So what bike are you getting to replace the 2017 GSA?
Is this a GSA?
Hi Bernie, it is.
Would you believe I replace these front shocks in an 45 mins inc calibrating them ( BMW tech job ) nice to see someone tackle this :D
Awesome. you've probably done a few more than me :P This was my first time doing it. About to do it again on my 2018 GSA and it'll be much faster this time. I have GS 911 for calibration. Hoping it goes well!
@@AdamChandler86 Really impressive considering you didn't have Air to check for bits you get stuck.
While I have you, this time around I decided to order all new bolts so I'm not re-using ones I take out. I couldn't find anything that said the Suspension Mount bolts or rear-subframe bolt should be replaced but I'm replacing them anyway as they come with OEM thread-locker. Some of these bolts are $27 a pop!
@@AdamChandler86 The new 1250 is really amazing btw, The shift cam looks better quality than the older models which had a habit of eating Cams lol.
@@AdamChandler86 You can just use the old bolts, just use the red locker that's high strength, honestly those bolts do not need replacing, Just make sure they're torqued to stop damage to the threads, we have an idiot at work that guns them on.. he won't last long tbh, I had to replace all the bolts on afew bikes because the Torx heads were damaged and the customer would have complained.. :(
Glad to have found this video, there just isn't much out there in the way of Touratech shocks. I am particularly interested in your video because I am just short of pulling the trigger on purchasing the Extreme version of the Touratech shocks and I'd like to pick your brain a little bit with a few questions.
1. Is there any particular reason that you chose to stay with the ESA setup as opposed to going full manual Extreme shocks? I ask this because although the Touratech Dynamic version is a bit lighter than BMW's the ESA setup is still quite heavy. The Extreme shocks shave off quite a bit of weight in comparison. as hell with the electronics. Not here to criticize your view but when manual shock is properly setup there is very little need for on the fly preload adjustments. This is coming from a guy that does not ride two up.
2. There looks to be just the two different versions of shocks for your bike Dynamic & Extreme and the Extreme being about $800 cheaper seems to be a heavier duty shock gear for off road riding. Are you more of a street rider?
3. Regardless of what type of rider you are, how different is the new setup compared to oem stuff that you took off?
Would you buy them again?
Do you think that the price you paid was money well spent?
Thanks
Good questions and good luck deciding! I use ESA quite a bit. I'm constantly adjusting on the fly the rebound and damping controls and lifting lowering the bike are just more convenient. Given all of the aftermarket modifications on the bike, the ESA tech didn't add a lot of weight. Also ESA compatibility increases resale of the shocks sold individually and if I sell them with the bike one day. Very few people have non-ESA GS bikes. In USA, getting one w/o factory ESA is a special order so this is the most common setup Which means the next owner purchasing ESA plugs from Tractive that eliminate the function o the bike at $240 each (look up ESA Disable Unit) so removing ESA from a bike with it costs an additional $500 to remove functionality.
Extreme Touratech Shocks are manual only. No ESA hardware is present so the Dynamic & Extreme shocks are identical in condition but Extreme lack the ESA components which saves weight and cost. That's the only difference but BeemerShop is a great place to call or email for specific questions.
I actually discuss this a bit more in the last 5 minutes of this video - ruclips.net/video/n2ArdxhVRSI/видео.html but in summary, if you weigh less than 90 kilos and don't ride 2-up very much and don't ride your GS like a dirt bike (fast speed hills, rocks, ruts, bottoming out, jumps) then ride the OEM until it breaks and then replace it with this. If you are heavy, pack a lot of gear, ride 2-up and do a lot of off-roading this is a nice upgrade. It's much cheaper than buying OEM replacements and it is noticeable under extreme scenarios. I weigh 115kilos, my partner is around 65 kilos and so we are very high weight for the GS. When you factor the kind of riding I do solo, it makes a huge difference to have this on my bike. I would not want to go back to stock.
I really do appreciate the valuable feedback. I will have to check with Ted Porter and verify if in fact the Extremes and Dynamics are truly the same less the electronics. If the Dynamic ESA has the PDX Valve that prevents the shocks from bottoming out then they would in fact be the same.
In terms of the weight of the ESA versions (OEM or Dynamic) I'm guessing that you don't really have anything to compare it to. My 2011 came with the ESA setup and I removed it (still have the perfectly functioning shocks sitting on a shelf) in favor of a brand new set of manual Ohlins TT's. and I am here to say that the weight difference is around 10 lbs per shock.
If my Ohlins TT's have 500 miles on them that's saying a lot. Unfortunately for me I made a $2,000 mistake in buying them. I'm not saying they are not good shocks, they're just not the right type of shocks to support the rough off road terrain that I like to ride so I'm taking them off in favor of the Extremes.
As far as resale value is concerned I am so far past the point of no return that I will own this bike for life. I am fairly certain there is not another GSA on the planet like it. There is more in upgrades then the bike cost brand new if that tells you anything.
Don't know where you but perhaps we may get a chance to ride together one of these days.
Now that you mention it, I do remember Dynamic do not have the bottom-out feature. That's something that is worthy of an "extreme" branding.
Adam Chandler you just sealed the deal for me. Highly valued feedback thanks
Is the Tourtech shock electronically adjusting like the factory shock?
It is. Both front & rear are in many ways identical to OEM.
@@AdamChandler86 Good to know. Are they better performing than OEM shocks?
Fully depends on the rider. If you're a heavy rider or ride with a pillion and lots of gear, there is an improvement in bike handling. Or, if you take the bike off road regularly getting air or putting the bike through hundreds of compression cycles or bottoming out, you'll benefit. Or, if you want more adjustability in the Low/high compression, you'll benefit and finally, if you want a suspension system that can be serviced with individual replacement parts when things break and a build that is heavier than stock with thicker materials, then you'll love this setup. A lot of people purchase them when their OEM shocks fail and BMW charges more than Tractive.
@@AdamChandler86 Thanks for the information 👍
how expensive are theTOURATECH Shock Absorbant ?
I think front is $1500 and rear is $2500. USD
thanks for taking the time in aswer me. best regards and happy week
SO 4 years sown the track have they failed you
It depends on your riding but yes, about 50K miles in of hard and fully loaded riding and you’ll probably need to replace them.
Wow, that's a lot more work than the rear shock.
Totally is. After you remove all of that bodywork, then fuel tank then air box, you have to make sure you don't put screws back in the wrong place. Took about 3 times as long as the rear.
It's the air box and fuel tank removal that looks the daunting part. Glad my front shock hasn't gone is all I can say, although the chap at ESA repairs did suggest sending that in too, along with my rear shock.