BMW ESA Shock Rebuild – Firefox Racing

Just wanted to say massive thank you to RavenstoneGSA  for a nice write up on the removal and refit of his BMW ESA Shock. All of our shock rebuilds come with a 12 month guarantee. The full thread can be found adventurebikerider.com

 

“Hi All,

I asked for a bit of advice recently regarding replacement / rebuild for the rear shock on my 2009 BMW R1200GSA. A new one costs £1300 so I was pretty keen to find and alternative. Big thanks to Rob, (Bimota) for passing on the details of Firefox Racing in Keighley. They charge £199 for a rebuild with original parts and despite it taking a bit longer than expected, (they were a man down,) It arrived yesterday and was fitted this morning.
The refit was pretty simple so I thought it might be worth describing what I did. I’ve added a few pictures so if you’re in the same boat you can give it a go.

Before you start, preferably the day before, give any stubborn nuts and bolts a quick spray. I found that my exhaust clamp bolt was a bit rusty.

1. Strap your main stand to your front wheel, it stops the stand collapsing if you get a bit too enthusiastic with your spanners. (Yes it can happen!)

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2. Take off the seat, rear wheel, pannier rack if you have one and the end can to reach the bottom bolt. You’ll need a torx T50 and a 15mm spanner. Unplug both cables carefully.

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3. When the bolts are out you might need a bit of leverage to free the bottom end, I used a big tyre lever.

4. Wrap your shock in bubble wrap, stick it in a box and get online. I went for Parcel Force UK, £13 and the driver brings the labels. If you’ve never used a courier its easy and very cheap considering the item weight.

5. About 12 days later the rebuilt shock arrived at home. It typically takes Firefox 3 – 4 days to rebuild but don’t forget the travel time too.

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6. Refit is the opposite of removal but check the alignment of the top / bottom mounting holes. Mine were slightly off but there is a a grub screw at the top end that allows a bit of a twist if needed.

7. Plug both cables back in, they’re shaped and will only fit one way.

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8. This is a good time for a cup of tea!

9. Refit your end can, pannier rack and rear wheel.

10. Job done!

When you’ve stripped down its a good opportunity to clean a few hard to reach areas and give your end can a really good all over clean. A big thank you to Firefox who offer a very professional and friendly service. They respond quickly to any enquiries and seem a really nice bunch of lads. You can contact them via the following website.

firefoxracing.co.uk
01535 606200
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