BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

My experiences of trying out the ESA in different modes for differing riding situations are this.

Comfort for most undulating and rough surfaces is best for slow, medium speed even up to about 80% of its abilty, if you really go for it then normal is required to keep it under control.

If the road surface is generally good and not to undulating then normal is fine at any given speed.

Sport is way to unforgiving unless you are on a track with billiard smooth surfaces, sport on the road is a no for me.

Every time you go from comfort to normal you raise the ride height of the bike, even more so if you go to Sport mode.

For road riding i keep it in comfort and if really getting a serious wriggle on then flick it into normal, what you will find though if the road is pretty bumpy then normal will have you out of the seat and the bars shaking too much, so it comes down to reading the road and the speed you are travelling at whether to use comfort or normal, forget sport mode.

I have studied suspension a lot over the years due to my track work and setting up bikes for handling ( both comfort and fast work),the ESA makes it soooooooooo much easier for a rider that gets lost in the miriad of adjustments that can be made with suspension.

Unless you have an understanding it is very easy to get lost and confused with what does what on a bike.

Anyway, these are my own findings and thought you may be interested in how i use my RT. 

I have only ever noticed a difference in height when you change the load setting.  Wouldn't expect damping to change it.  There is very little difference in the height on dynamic ESA.

Height change on my bike is very prominent when changing the ESA settings, the ESA must change preload as well as damping, no other way for it to work, also when the bike is loaded it requires more preload, damping on its own will not work.

Non ESA bikes, you would increase preload if carrying more weight as you would with any bike really.

JUst found this on ESA

https://rideapart.com/articles/details-bmw-esa-ii-electronically-adjustable-suspension

Quite right, it changes both but you must be stationery to change the preload. Interesting article. Last paragraph I think is wrong. Front shock only has damping adjustment so can be changed on the move.

Generally I agree with the previous views on ESA but comfort on a quick bendy Road can get a bit wallowy,  I  often use normal but rarely sport.

Not sure about the front shock, but the second last paragraph confirms that the spring rate (preload) alters on the move when changing from comfort to normal etc., the only way the bike height can be raised is by the preload being increased.

A quick smooth road is better in normal mode, i don't have may smooth roads in my area so it is comfort for me most of the time.

Good thread this.

Comfort Normal and Sport are all damping settings, not preload which are Rider, Rider with luggage and 2 up with luggage. Its these settings that tend to alter the ride height.

My bike, my brother in laws 2015 GS, they both alter height when static, changing from comfort/normal/sport, surely they all do this?