Removing the front shock R1200RT?

[Jack_the_Lad]

Replacing the shocks my 2014 GSA wasn't difficult, just time consuming.  The result was so good that I decided to upgrade shocks on my 2018 RT, which replaced the GSA.


The rear one was easy enough.  The front, on the other hand...


I've peeled just about everything off the front end of the bike that is possible to peel, and I'm still unclear as to how that front shock comes out.


Can anyone point me in the right direction please? 




Thanks...

[milleplod]

I'm assuming you've got the top and bottom bolts out? If it's just clearance that's the issue, certainly on the earlier RTs it made all the difference if the front engine cover was removed - that gives you that little bit extra clearance. Of course, it might be different on newer bikes, my apologies if so....and good luck!
Pete

[julianq]

On earlier one, as above belt cover off and careful manoeuvring. Book of words made it easy.

[Jack_the_Lad]

On earlier one, as above belt cover off and careful manoeuvring. Book of words made it easy.

Thanks for the reply.


It was obviously a bit too late at night - I didn't realize that I was actually done.  All I have to do was remove the top bolt, jack the engine up a bit to extend the forks fully, lower bolt, and remove the clips for the ESA wire, and lift the strut out.


Now all I have to do if bolt it all back together again, hopefully without too many pieces left over at the end...

[Old-Git]

What is the upgrade that you are doing? Ta.

[Jack_the_Lad]

I'm replacing the stock shocks with Tractive ESA units from Ted Porter's beemershop.

I've never liked the RT stock shocks and switching shocks on a previously owned GSA transformed the bikes overall ride-feel & handling from OK/liveable to absolute magic carpet ride. FAR better control and an enormous improvement in compliance - made the bike both quicker and more comfortable. I'm hoping for the same results on the RT

The comfort part was probably related to the increasingly rapid decay of our roads. The handling improvement may be related to what BMW considers an average rider weight. Using the ESA to increase the apparent rider weight doesn't work well if you don't fit the BMW plan - fully dressed for battle I'm probably 245lbs & I understand the "standard" rider is supposed to be closer to 180 dressed.

Not an inexpensive mod, but without doubt custom set-up shocks for my weight & riding style have been the the very best thing I've ever done for bikes over the last 20 years: 1150RT, 1200GS, 1200GSA & now the RT.  Explain how you ride, what proportion is sporty, with/without passenger, with/without bags, body weight, experience level etc, administer severe punishment to a credit card, then sit back & wait.

Installed 3 headlight LEDs at the same time, so by the time I was done virtually all the plastic was off the bike, including air filter (for the shocks not LEDs) and that last one requires a lot of digging!

[bandytales]

Hi J-T-L, keep us posted as to what you think of the shock changes. I know when you pay a lot of money for something you may feel obliged to say it's good, but please try to be honest!
For me, it shouldn't take much to improve the stock items as they are pretty poor in terms of suppleness on choppy surfaces.

[Jack_the_Lad]

Hi J-T-L, keep us posted as to what you think of the shock changes. I know when you pay a lot of money for something you may feel obliged to say it's good, but please try to be honest!
For me, it shouldn't take much to improve the stock items as they are pretty poor in terms of suppleness on choppy surfaces.

I certainly will do, and will be completely honest with my opinions.  Not big on the self-reinforcing business, if I've paid a lot for something and I'm not happy I squeal loud and long! 


A few years ago, I had a friend who was a suspension maestro - I'd buy off the shelf Ohlins shocks, install them on the bike and then go out riding with Tony who was almost identical to me weight-wise.  I have a zero judgement skills in this respect - I know when shocks are properly adjusted but no great ability to get there.  Tony on the other hand would ride my bike for 10 minutes and come back with "two clicks on this, three clicks on that", rinse and repeat, and a couple of hours later it was about as perfect as you can get.


Ordering from Ted (and I suppose others but I have no experience of them) after completing his questionnaire and probably clarifying with a couple of minutes conversation has worked well for me.  From Ted, I understand that he is increasing the spring rate, and setting up the valving to suit the order.


I'm grounded for a couple of days, as I damaged one of the clamps for the airbox boots, and I'm waiting for a replacement to show up.  If I'd used the right tool I probably wouldn't have had that issue...

[Jack_the_Lad]

Hi J-T-L, keep us posted as to what you think of the shock changes. I know when you pay a lot of money for something you may feel obliged to say it's good, but please try to be honest!
For me, it shouldn't take much to improve the stock items as they are pretty poor in terms of suppleness on choppy surfaces.

Just a little bit later than intended but here goes:

The very short version is: "Yes, a definite and noticeable improvement.  With caveats."

I'm not a good writer when it comes to describing how shocks feel, but I'll do my best.

They are immediately more compliant, more supple, and the bike feels more planted.  The handling feels better but I want to qualify that by saying that I've only written a relatively short distance (~60 miles).  I did notice when I made the same changes on a GSA that the shocks had a short break-in period which was a bit of a surprise, but given that they felt a little different it may have been me that needed the break-in.

For this to be a worthwhile investment, I think you'll have to be scrupulously honest when you state your battle-dressed weight, and give the guy working on your shocks all possible information to get it right.  Also, be scrupulously honest about how you intend to ride. If you are actually not going to be very aggressive, don't say you are - there's no point in setting the bike up for maximum sport capability if that isn't how you're going to ride.  This reminds me of something someone said about BMW magnificent sports car marketing: they are persuading you that you are buying what you think you want, when you are really buying what you actually want.

More cruelly, many think they want true sports, but what they really want is sporting pretensions.  The subtext of that is that we really want comfort rather than sport otherwise we be on some wildly aggressive Ducati or Kawasaki or whatever.

is it worth the money?  That's up to you, but read on after considering the obvious question as to how much money you want to spend on things like this.

To me, it was worth the money, but not to the degree that I would consider it a total game changer for the bike although that might change with time.  I don't quite understand why, but despite having it now for a couple of years, I have failed to fall in love with the RT.  On the one hand, it is quite possibly one of the best A to B machines I've ever owned - and that's now been quite few, two and four wheels - but the bike never hit that emotional spot driven by the ever-elusive character of a bike. 

Although supremely efficient as it does virtually everything very well, I don't look back over my shoulder at it as I leave the garage.  So the changes made the bike better, but didn't make it more fun, more desirable.  This was an effort and an expense intended to confirm whether the bike is a very long-term keeper why not.  The jury is still out, and probably will be until COVID-19 settles down and I can head off for a few days riding.

If you are a dyed-in-the-wool RT man to the core, I'd say this is an excellent upgrade for you.  And to be fair, if I lived in a place where the riding generally was more interesting, I'd probably be a lot more enthused.

The slightly longer short version: If you really love your RT, this is a worthwhile upgrade.  If you're kind of on the fence, you'll still be on the fence but with a better handling, more comfortable bike;)

Hopefully this will make some sense to someone.  Fire away if you have any questions...

[bandytales]

Just a little bit later than intended but here goes:.

Thanks for that write up. I think in many areas you hit the nail on the head.


As an aside, for the comment you made about the bike not grabbing you emotionally (that looking back at it as you walk away). I know what you mean. My 1150RT made me look back, and even on the odd occasion, I went back to the bike...and took it back out again for another ride. The Wethead 1200RT is growing on me (but VERY slowly). I am now into year 3 of ownership and it is just starting to have an emotional link. The previous 1200's didn't in ANY way.