‘Rebound adjuster needle seizes in the closed position’
Shocking R1200RT problem identified
The puddle of suspension fluid on the garage floor meant there was no doubt that the owner of this 2012 BMW R1200RT needed to get his £1200 rear
ESA shock looked at.
Lukas Tetich, 37, has been running T-Tech suspension in south London for five years and has seen plenty of units with the same problems, so he was sure what needed to be done.
He said: “Seals are usually the last thing to go. What brings that on is when the rebound adjuster needle buried inside the shock seizes in the closed position. The stepper motors can get water damage. You can press any button on the control unit, but it won’t make any difference. The bike has got a ton of rebound damping and it is really harsh to ride.”
But because it gets worse gradually over time, most owners ride around blissfully unaware that their bike has got the suspension finesse of a plank. Diagnostic scanners will not indicate a mechanical fault, if you haven’t got a shock dyno like Lukas, the only way to diagnose the problem is by compressing the suspension by hand at different ESA settings and seeing if you can spot any difference in response. If it takes a long time to recover and/or there’s no change at different settings and you aren’t keen on paying over a grand for a replacement, it needs repairing.
Fortunately, Lukas’s services start at only £145 and it’s about £180 in labour to get the shock out and back in. If you regularly check your suspension response on different settings, you’ll pick up the problem before your bike tries to spit you off like a rodeo rider.