Year by year rundown of LC changes and known issues?

Heres the deal !! took those pics off the internet since my 18 is getting a new wheel .... and I traded in the 14 !! Both had Premium packages with LED Lights Top picture is from BMW USA Web site so I DOUBT it has a headlight protector ... Both bikes were next to each other when traded them in THEY WERE DIFFERENT............

My 2014 GSW built in August 2013 has an oem steering damper. Alternator was superceded with a new part number in April 2014. My early 14 was not part of fork crimp recall. That started for bikes built after November 2013.

Shock recall with stop ride was only for the RT.

DAMHIK

Moved from a 2015gsa to a 2018gsa and the biggest difference to me is how quieter and smoother the engine is on the 2018.
The gearbox is smooth especially the quick-shift at slower speeds, although the 2015 bike wasn’t bad.
The TFT is great, no problems so far !.
The newer suspension is an improvement IMO over the previous years.

But if i didn’t get £3000+ off the 2018 I wouldn’t have changed.

My 14 had the light flywheel, my 18 has the heavier one.

That and the gearbox improvement are very noticeable.

I'm just saying that the one you posted was a halogen, and the other definitely had a headlight protector on it. It was this one:
This one: http://pirateslair.net/ZR1200GSHeadlightPro.htm

So my 2014 Alternator just crapped out - old design - and the new superseded model is on back order. So my riding season up here on the northern prairies is probably over as my bike gathers dust in the repair shop. This seems to be a common - and bloody expensive!- failure. No silent recall from the factory?

Not that common, and why none are available. Bummer for you though. How many miles?

Just to be clear, the upgrades came on the 2017 transition year bikes.
That would be ‘2017.5’. You can tell them apart by the side body panels.

Maybe early 14 did not have one. My late 14 gs had a damper

Some time after 2016, the exhaust cams were updated with a modified counter weight design on the decompression mechanism.
Here are details.

I recently purchased a 17 GSA. Is it safe to assume that it has the transmission updates? Feels fine to me, with no issues when going through the gears with or without shift assists pro.

ALL 2014 and newer bikes had the damper.

Yes. Ride it. Enjoy it.

jim sorry to disagree ..But Buddy and I both purchased our 14's mine a GSA his a GS in March of 14 ...My GSA had the damper His GS did not... put on a lot of miles together and commented on it more than once

Sounds like a VERY early 2014, basically the first of the GSA Wethead. That is literally the first I have ever heard of this.

MY 14 GSA LC ( THe First Year ) had the dampner as did All first year GSA's
My buddies 14 GS lc bought at the same time did NOT later 14 ones I believe did

My Dec '13 build GS has the oem damper and the problematic front forks. It has the lighter flywheel and the LED lights.

75,000 kms and 1 battery and 1 clutch micro switch. Lots of tyres

It's all about the build date - not the purchase date.

Yep, my 2014 model standard GS lc built in August of 2013 had the oem steering damper.

I wonder if your friend's 2014 GSw was really a carryover 2013?