The ESA on my R1250RS is better than I realized

[runnerhiker]

On my R1200RS I could feel the bike raise or lower when changing preload but the bike had to be running.

There is the operative word ... running. On my "old RS" the suspension changes height / stiffness when the bike is stopped and running. I typically do this while sitting on the bike, but I expect that it would be no different if it was on the sidestand and I was standing to the side fiddling with the controls.

Ron wasn't entirely clear ... sounds like his bike was ON but not running ...?

The engine was running. The setting cannot be changed if the engine is off and the ignition is on. The engine has to be running. The preload did not make any adjustment while on the side stand.

What I understand about the AUTO setting is that the suspension has a position sensor, it knows how much the suspension has sagged, and it will adjust the spring to get to the target sag, so no matter how much weight is on or taken off, the sag will be targeted to a software determined number. The owners manual description of MIN and MAX use says MIN for one rider and MAX for 2 people but it doesn't explain whether, or how, or if, it uses the sag sensor to make some automatic adjustment.

I don't have any gut feeling or guess to Lee's question about the rear suspension height when on the side stand. But I'll keep pulling up on the rear at a gas station: this 2020 1250 already tipped over on me once in less than a year of ownership; the 2016 1200 never did in 5 years of ownership. The bike is newer, the owner is 5 years older, it must be the owner's fault.