World's First Replacement Electronic Suspension Package Comes from Ohlins

Labelled under the heading ‘Mechatronic’ (mechanical and electronic) Ohlins has created one of the world’s first production electronic suspension systems, found on the Ducati Multistrada. Now, Ohlins is offering BMW R1200GS riders with ESA the chance to upgrade their suspension without sacrificing its electronic adjustability.

The system is interacting directly with the bike’s ECU and existing user interface. The Ohlins system also has a semi-active function, automatically adjusting the bike’s damping in relation to its speed.

The R1200GS ESA replacement package consists of Ohlins EC front and rear shocks as well as an ECU that allows the entire system to plug directly into the BMW’s own user-interface. The Ohlins system allows the rider to choose between BMW’s multiple driving modes and damping levels, along with variousspring pre-load settings on the rear shock.

In Comfort mode, the Ohlins ECU monitors the bike’s speed and when it exceeds 80kph automatically alters the suspension’s damping to a firmer ‘Normal’ setting. When the speed exceeds 120kph the damping is further increased to ‘Sport’ mode, creating a more accurate ride. When the speeds decrease, the damping reverts back to its original settings through the intermediate ‘Normal’ mode.

The Ohlins BMW R1200GS ESA replacement system will be available in November 2011 with an expected price of approximately £2,500 plus VAT.

“No other motorcycle on the market has suspension that responds to the vehicle’s speed, this is yet another World first from Öhlins and a further demonstration as to why we are the premium brand in suspension and trusted by riders all over the globe,” stated Ola Lennstrom, Marketing Communications Manager at Ohlins Racing.