Tractive Suspension ESA conversion for GS and GSA models 2005-2013

RallyRaidMitch

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Instructional video showing Tractive Suspension ESA conversion for GS and GSA models 2005-2013.

As part of the upcoming features we will be showing over the next few months to explain, and describe, the unique features of the Tractive Suspension ESA conversion that will be available to BMW owners in the UK & Ireland, here is a brief video from TracTive outlining the benefits of replacing the worn ESA system with their own brand of steel-bodied dampers.

These are 100% compatible with the BMW ESA functions, and are the only replacement damper on the market that can retain the ESA function, and enable the OEM EPA preload unit to be changed and fitted to the new damper, if it is still serviceable, without having to strip & rebuild the shock.

This means they can be fitted in the home workshop by any competent mechanic, or professional, with only a few basic tools, and no need for re-filling with oil or re-gassing.

Rally Raid Products are the UK sales distributor for this range of dampers for many older, and current BMW motorcycles, our service partner in the UK, Torque Racing, can arrange for work to be carried out on customers bikes in their workshop, or even change over the dampers & EPA units if they are supplied loose in the event the customer chooses to remove and re-fit the shocks themselves.

We feel this is a quick and cost-effective solution for owners of older GS & GSA models who may have dampers with leaking seals, seized ESA stepper motors, or seized EPA units.

They work with both WP & Showa dampers, and in the event of the OEM EPA unit being unuseable, then we can offer either a TracTive EPA unit, which is directly compatible with the BMW EPA controls, or a less expensive manual hydraulic preload adjuster, with remote knob.

VIDEO LINK

www.rally-raidproducts.co.uk
 
Mitch, welcome to the forum :thumb2

I have a feeling your suspension solutions may be popular ( I've got a 2010 GSA on its original ESA units at 71,000 miles :))

You are in the right place ( vendors section) but it may be worth becoming a subscriber to the site ;)

BTW your link does't work as it is shown :augie

https://www.rally-raidproducts.co.uk/
 
Thanks, I've corrected the link, and we are also the UK Sales & Service Centre for Touratech Suspension, and I will be getting my old 100,000 mile BMW R1150GS Adv back from Spain soon by inmate Gunner from Cork, and it has TT suspension fitted by us front & rear for our 2 summer shows, where it will be available for test rides to give GS owners the chance to feel what an improvement great suspension makes to an "old" bike.
The first show is the Touratech Travel event in Wicklow, Eire, at the end of August, then we will be at The Overland Event near Oxford the following weekend.
Come along for the bikes and Limoncello !!!!



TT Travel Event Link


UK Overland Event Link
 
I have a feeling your suspension solutions may be popular ( I've got a 2010 GSA on its original ESA units at 71,000 miles :))

That's quite comforting to know .
 
First Fitting

We had our first fitting of the new ESA Replacement damper system from TracTive Suspension this week.
Our customer had a 2008 R1200GSA with ESA & EPA and had over 120,000 miles from new, and the rear shock was leaking from the main shaft very badly, plus the front shock had lost a lot of damping. Although both front & rear EPA(electronic preload adjustment) units were operable, which was surprising for the mileage done, he decided to go without EPA on the front, to save cost, and put the saving to a new TracTive EPA for the rear, as the OEM EPA unit was well worn.
The shocks were Showa units, some BMW GS models are WP, and the Tractive system is 100% compatible with both.
The bike arrived at our suspension partner's workshop, Torque Racing, in Hertfordshire. Martin Wittering, owner, has much experience with road & off-road suspension, and is the only TracTive Suspension service centre approved in the UK.
First job was to remove the tank shrouds to access the connector plugs for the ESA & EPA. It was possible, but with some difficulty, to disconnect both plugs without moving the fuel tank back a couple of inches, but it would be better to do that to gain more room.
Once both plugs were disconnected, the OEM shock, with EPA motor & pump, were removed and the new TracTive damper fitted. Each new TracTive damper is supplied with a new, heavier spring, as all the GS range were under-sprung from new, plus the springs "soften" over time.
The ESA plug connector supplied with the new damper is OEM type, so it plugs straight in, and even though the EPA was disconnected, there would be no fault codes displayed with this model.
Some later models may need a "dummy plug" inserting if no EPA is re-fitted, in order to not have warnings displayed. These are available when specifying model & year.
The rear shock, complete with EPA unit, was removed quite quickly, once the silencer was taken off.
We then fitted the new damper, with TracTive's own EPA incorporated. This plugs straight into the OEM wiring connector, via a small electronic module that converts the BMW signal into one for the TracTive EPA. There are 2 different types of module, depending whether Showa or WP are fitted.
The ESA connector plug from the TracTive damper connects straight into the OEM plug, and there is room under the front seat to accomodate the small EPA module and wiring.
In all, it took around a day in the workshop to complete both ends of the bike, and is a marked improvement when ridden over the stock suspension.
This solution from Tractive Suspension gives owners a viable alternative to either having to buy a replacement OEM shock, complete with EPA, or another suspension suppliers solution of a damper only, in which case the owner loses the ESA damping function.
These kits will be available from stock soon from our webshop
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Workshop tools

A little bit of role reversal today in the workshop. We are making something for Tractive Suspension, instead of them supplying us with lots of high-quality shock absorbers............
It is a small batch of BMW ESA circlip removal tools to push down the ESA unit on the damper in order to access the wire circlip.
We are CNC turning the internal & external diameters, then milling the 4 cut-outs required and parting it off from the waste billet plug, so it is a finished part in one operation.
This is the type of work our CMZ TA15-Y lathe eats up, and having One CNC CAD/CAM software certainly makes Y axis milling a lot simpler to programme.

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are there tractive units available for an ESA R1200R?
 


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