I would go for a non ESA bike.....

[rclbaker]

Don,

I got the opinion over time that those who ride a lot of miles / kilometers a year (like me) don´t bother much about ESA.
In case one perceives (especially) a roadster as a toy, ESA often seems to be considered a nice, if expensive gadget.

Rob

[Bob Ain't Stoppin']

I'd be interested in comments from people with ESA on the long term aspects. Do the shocks hold up better than the standard OEM units do? Do you switch modes often, and does it make a significant difference?

It appears that the 2015 bikes are going to be pushing this feature more by grouping ESA with other options that most people might want.

[Woland]

I'd much rather spend the money on a set of Öhlins than on ESA, only scenario I would consider ESA is if I got it basically for free on a used bike.

And yes, I've ridden bikes with ESA and bikes with and without aftermarket shocks.

[deilenberger]

The ideal setup for me would be ESA combined with the modified (ESA) Hyperpro or Wilbers shocks. My buddy Klaus has done a lot of them now and has it down to a science (including having replacements for the failure prone ESA stepper motors that some models have.) Could combine that with lowering it 3/4" and I'd be a quite happy camper.

On the Europe trip I did find having the on-the-fly adjustable damping to be quite useful (normal on the Autobahn, firm in the Alps..) and I do actually change my pre-load rather frequently with varying loads on the current bike, which is a bit of a PITA to do requiring seat removal. I'll crank in more preload getting to a rally, then after unloading at the rally, have to remove the seat and crank it back out, then before leaving - crank it back in, and finally when I get home - crank it back out again.

On the current bike I never change the front preload since it's only adjustable with a spanner wrench, and is awkward to do, but I don't find it too significant since most of the additional loads are over the rear wheel.

That's sorta my thoughts if I could find a leftover 2014 bike with ESA..

[lcarlson]

I guess it depends on how you use the bike. I have ESA on my 2007 K12GT, but I never ride two up and seldom carry much stuff. As a result, I almost never change my settings.

[Steve H.]

+1 Icarlson!
ESA is convenient if you are changing your driving stile and or load tipe/distribution.Othervise you don't really need it.Just my 2 cents.

[arp]

To the extent I can compare my R1200RTW with D-ESA to my R1200R with Ohlins, I would say the D-ESA is very good. I do not feel any need for an upgrade and am glad I went with the D-ESA, although I don't know what the non D-ESA suspension is like. On the R1200RTW the Dynamic ESA is a $950 standalone option or bundled with the $1400 Touring package, so cheaper than an aftermarket Ohlins. The downside will be when it comes time to replace them, as the front strut is $1.5K and the rear strut is 2.5K. I rarely adjust the damping on my R1200R Ohlins and adjusting the rear preload is easy enough. However on the R1200RTW I've found the difference between damping modes noticeable and I've realised the ability to easily switch between modes is useful for comfort on longer rides. D-ESA (and previous ESA) adjusts rear spring rate as well as pre-load, which a manual adjuster can't do, but since I never ride with a pillion passenger I'm not sure I will ever experience the benefit of that and I would not mind a manual preload adjustment in the name of reduced complexity.

Based on (limited) test rides I've had on the camhead R1200RT, I would have ordered one without ESA and installed Ohlins. D-ESA and ESA are different animals.

[P_Jensen]

I have the ESA on my 14 R1200R, I have not changed the preload since I have only ridden it solo so far. After some break-in miles on the suspension, I have used the comf, norm, and sport settings and can fell the difference in the settings/ride. I went with the ESA because there are aftermarket replacement shocks available as well as people who can rebuild the factory units, which makes it possible to have the multiple ride settings without a huge bill later for factory replacements. The cost of the ESA was less than a set of good aftermarket shocks. The system on the 2015 is dynamic so it changes the shock dampening/rebound as you ride, not pre determined settings.