BMW K 1200 R 3rd 2006 Owner's manual

Rider's Manual

K 1200 R

BMW Motorrad

The Ultimate Riding

Machine

Motorcycle data/dealership details

Motorcycle data

Model

Vehicle identification number

Colour code

Date of first registration

Registration number

Dealership details

Person to contact in Service depart­ment

Ms/Mr

Phone number

Dealership address/phone number
(company stamp)

Welcome to BMW

We congratulate you on your
choice of a motorcycle from
BMW and welcome you to the
community of BMW riders.
Familiarise yourself with your
new motorcycle so that you
can ride it safely and confid­ently in all traffic situations.
Please read this Rider's
Manual carefully before
starting to use your new
BMW motorcycle. It contains
important information on
how to operate the controls
and how to make the best
possible use of all your
BMW's technical features.
In addition, it contains inform­ation on maintenance and
care to help you maintain your
motorcycle's reliability and
safety, as well as its value.
If you have questions con­cerning your motorcycle, your

authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer will gladly provide ad­vice and assistance.

We hope that you will enjoy
riding your BMW and that all
your journeys will be pleasant
and safe.

BMW Motorrad.

Table of Contents

You can also consult the in­dex at the end of this Rider's
Manual if you want to find a
particular topic or item of in­formation.

1 General instructions . . . 5

Overview . . ............... 6

Abbreviations and

symbols . . ................ 6

Equipment ............... 7

Technical data ........... 7

Currency .. ............... 7

2 General views . . . . . .... 9

General view, left side . . . 11
General view, right

side..................... 13

Underneath the seat . . . . . 15

Handlebar fitting, left . . . . . 16

Handlebar fitting, right . . . 17

Instrument cluster . . .. . . . 18

Headlight . .............. 19

3 Status indicators . . . . . 21

Multifunction display . . . . . 22

Warning and telltale

lights . . . . . .............. 22

ABS warning light

OE

..... 22

Function indicators . . . . . . 22

Warnings, general . . . . . . . 23

Warnings issued by the
tyre pressure monitoring
system (RDC)
ABS warnings

OE

......... 31

OE

......... 35

4 Operation . . . .......... 39

Ignition switch and

steering lock . . .......... 40

Electronic immobiliser

(EWS) . . . .. .............. 41

Hazard warning

flashers . . . .............. 42

Odometer and

tripmeters . .............. 43

Clock . . . . . .............. 44

Tyre pressure control

OE

RDC

.................. 46

OE

On-board computer

... 46
Emergency off switch (kill

switch) . . . . .............. 50

Grip heating

OE

........... 50

Clutch . . . . .............. 51

Brakes . . . . .............. 51

Lights . . . . . .............. 52

Headlight . .............. 53

Turn indicators .......... 53

Seat . . . . . . .............. 54

Helmet holder . .......... 56

Luggage loops .......... 57

Mirrors . . . . .............. 57

Spring preload .......... 58

Shock absorbers . . . . . . . . 59

Electronic Suspension
Adjustment ESA

OE

....... 60

Tyres . . . . . .............. 62

5 Riding . . .............. 63

Safety instructions . . . . . . . 64

Checklist . . .............. 66

Starting . . . .............. 66

Running in .............. 68

Parking your

motorcycle . . .. .......... 69

Refuelling . . . . . .......... 71

Tyre pressure control

OE

RDC

.................. 72

Brake system, general . .. 73
Brake system with BMW
Motorrad Integral

OE

ABS

.................. 74

6 Accessories .......... 79

General instructions . . . . . 80

Power socket . .......... 80

Luggage . . . . . . .......... 81

OA

Case

................. 81

7 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . 85

General instructions . . . . . 86

Toolkit . ................. 86

Engine oil . . . . . .......... 87

Brake system, general . .. 89

Brake pads. . . . .......... 90

Brake fluid . .. . .......... 91

Clutch . ................. 94

Tyres . . ................. 95

Rims . .. ................. 95

Wheels. ................. 95

Front-wheel stand . ..... 104

Rear-wheel stand . . ..... 105

Bulbs . . ................ 107

Jump start . . . . ......... 114

Battery . ................ 115

8 Care . ................ 121

Care products . ......... 122

Washing motorcycle . . . . 122

Cleaning easily damaged

components. . . ......... 123

Paint care . . .. . ......... 124

Protective wax

coating ................ 124

Laying up the

motorcycle . . .. ......... 124

Restoring motorcycle to

use .................... 125

9 Technical data . . ..... 127

Troubleshooting

chart . . . ................ 128

Threaded fasteners ..... 129

Engine . ................ 130

Riding specifications . . . . 133

Clutch . ................ 133

Transmission . . ......... 133

Final drive . . . . . ......... 135

Running gear . . ......... 135

Brakes . ................ 136

Wheels and tyres . . ..... 136

Electrics . . . . . . ......... 137

Frame. . ................ 139

Dimensions . . . ......... 139

Weights ................ 140

10 Service . . . . ......... 141

BMW Motorrad

service . ................ 142

BMW Motorrad service

quality . ................ 142

BMW Motorrad Service
Card - On-the-spot
breakdown

assistance . . . . ......... 143

BMW Motorrad service

network ................ 143

Maintenance work . ..... 143

Maintenance

schedules . . . . . ......... 144

Confirmation of

maintenance work . ..... 145

Confirmation of

service . . . . ............. 150

General instructions

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Abbreviations and symbols . . . . . . 6

Equipment . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Technical data . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Currency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1

5

z

General instructions

Overview

1

Chapter 2 of this Rider's
Manual will provide you with

6

an initial overview of your
motorcycle. All maintenance
and servicing work on the
motorcycle is documented in
Chapter 10. This record of
the maintenance work you
have had performed on your
motorcycle is a precondition
for generous treatment of
goodwill claims.
When the time comes to sell
your BMW, please remem­ber to hand over this Rider's
Manual; it is an important part

z

General instructions

of the motorcycle.

Abbreviations and symbols

Indicates warnings that

you must comply with for
reasons of your safety and the
safety of others, and to pro-

tect your motorcycle against
damage.

Specific instructions on

how to operate, control,
adjust or look after items of
equipment on the motorcycle.

Indicates the end of an
item of information.

Instruction.

Result of an activity.

Reference to a page
with more detailed in­formation.

Indicates the end of
a passage relating to
specific accessories or
items of equipment.

Tightening torque.

Item of technical data.

OE Optional extra

Your motorcycle was
assembled complete
with all the BMW
optional extras you
ordered.

OA Optional accessory

You can obtain option­al accessories through
your authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer; op­tional accessories
have to be retrofitted
to the motorcycle.

Electronic immobiliser

EWS

(Elektronische Weg­fahrsicherung).

ESA Electronic Suspension

Adjustment
Electronic Suspension
Adjustment.

DWA

Anti-theft alarm (Diebs­tahlwarnanlage)

Anti-lock brake system

ABS

Tyre pressure control

RDC

(ReifenDruck-Control)

Equipment

When you ordered your BMW
motorcycle, you chose vari­ous items of custom equip­ment. This Rider's Manual
describes optional extras (OE)
offered by BMW and selec­ted optional accessories (OA).
This explains why the manual
may also contain descriptions
of equipment which you have
not ordered. Please note, too,
that your motorcycle might

not be exactly as illustrated
in this manual on account of
country-specific differences.
If your BMW was supplied
with equipment not described
in this Rider's Manual, you will
find these features described
in separate manuals.

Technical data

All dimensions, weights and
power ratings stated in the
Rider's Manual are quoted
to the standards and comply
with the tolerance require­ments of the Deutsche Institut
für Normung e.V. (DIN). Ver­sions for individual countries
may differ.

Currency

The high safety and quality
standards of BMW motor­cycles are maintained by con­stant development work on
designs, equipment and ac-

cessories. Because of this,
your motorcycle may differ
from the information supplied
in the Rider's Manual. Nor
can errors and omissions be
entirely ruled out. We hope
you will appreciate that no
claims can be entertained on
the basis of the data, illustra­tions or descriptions in this
manual.

1

7

z

General instructions

1

8

z

General instructions

General views

General view, left side . . . . . . . . . 11

General view, right side . . . . . . . . 13

Underneath the seat . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Handlebar fitting, left . . . . . . . . . . 16

Handlebar fitting, right . . . . . . . . . 17

Instrument cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

2

9

z

General views

2

10

z

General views

General view, left side

1 Clutch-fluid reservoir

( 94)

2 Adjuster, spring preload,

rear ( 58)

3 Seat lock, beneath rear

light ( 54)

4 Adjuster, rear shock ab-

sorber ( 59)

5 Power socket ( 80)

2

11

z

General views

2

12

z

General views

General view, right side

1 Indicator for engine oil

level ( 87)

2 Filler neck, fuel ( 71)
3 Battery compartment

( 118)

4 Brake-fluid reservoir,

front ( 91)

5 Type plate
6 Vehicle identification

number

7 Brake-fluid reservoir, rear

( 93)

2

13

z

General views

2

14

z

General views

Underneath the seat

1 Filler neck, engine oil

( 88)

2 Toolkit ( 86)
3 Helmet holder ( 56)

2

15

z

General views

Handlebar fitting, left

2

1 INFO button for odomet-

16

z

er ( 43), INFO button
for on-board computer
( 46)

2 Pushbutton, ESA

( 60)

3 Pushbutton, horn
4 Pushbutton, left flashing

turn indicators ( 53),
Pushbutton, hazard
warning flashers ( 42)

5 Switch, high-beam head-

light and headlight flash-

General views

er ( 52)

OE

OE

Handlebar fitting, right

1 Emergency off switch (kill

switch) ( 50)

2 Pushbutton, starter

( 66)

3 Grip heating switch

( 50)

4 Pushbutton, right flashing

turn indicators ( 54),
Pushbutton, hazard
warning flashers ( 42)

5 Cancel button, flashing

turn indicators ( 54),
Pushbutton, cancel
hazard warning flashers
( 43)

OE

2

17

z

General views

Instrument cluster

2

1 Speedometer
2 Rev. counter

18

3 Warning and telltale

lights ( 22)

4 Multifunction display

( 22)

5 Telltale light, anti-theft

alarm (OE) and sensor for
instrument lighting

6 Control, odometer

( 43)

z

General views

The instrument-cluster
lighting has automatic

day and night switchover.

Headlight

1 High-beam headlights
2 Low-beam headlight
3 Parking light

2

19

z

General views

2

20

z

General views

Status indicators

Multifunction display. . . . . . . . . . . 22

Warning and telltale lights . . . . . . 22

ABS warning light

Function indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Warnings, general . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Warnings issued by the tyre
pressure monitoring system

OE

(RDC)

ABS warnings

....................... 31

OE

........... 22

OE

............... 35

3

21

z

Status indicators

Multifunction display

3

22

1 Clock ( 44), Panel for

RDC status indicators
( 46), Panel for oil-level
information

2 Panel for warnings

z

Status indicators

( 23)

3 Panel for the on-board

computer's status indic-

OE

ators

4 Gear indicator ( 22)
5 Coolant temperature

readout ( 23)

6 Panel for ESA status in-

dicators

( 46)

OE

OE

( 49)

( 60)

7 Odometer reading

( 43)

8 Fuel gauge ( 22)

Warning and telltale lights

OE

1 Telltale light, left turn in-

dicator

2 Telltale light, high-beam

headlight

3 Warning light, general
4 Telltale light, neutral
5 Warning light, ABS (OE)
6 Telltale light, right turn

indicator

ABS warning light

The way in which the ABS
warning light indicates status
can differ in some countries.

Possible national variant.

OE

Function indicators

Fuel capacity

The horizontal bars be-

low the fuel-pump sym­bol indicate the remaining
quantity of fuel.

Gear

Shows which gear is en-

gaged.
If no gear is engaged, the
gear indicator shows N and
the 'neutral' telltale light also
lights up.

Coolant temperature

The horizontal bars

below the temperature
symbol indicate the coolant
temperature.

Warnings, general

Mode of presentation

General warnings are dis­played by means of warn­ing lights or by messages
and symbols in the multifunc­tion display. In some cases,
they are accompanied by the
'General' warning light show­ing red or yellow. If two or
more warnings occur at the
same time, all the appropri­ate telltale lights and warning
symbols appear. Warnings in
plain-text form alternate.

3

23

z

Status indicators

Warnings, overview

3

Mode of presentation Meaning

24

z

Status indicators

Lights up yellow The EWS! warn-

Lights up yellow The

Lights up red Temperature

Lights up yellow Appears on the

Flashes red Appears on the

ing appears on
the display.

FUEL!

warning flashes.

reading flashes

display

display

Shows accom­panied by the

CHECK OIL

warning

Lights up red Appears on the

Lights up yellow The

display

LAMPR!

warning appears
on the display.

Electronic immobiliser active ( 26)

Fuel down to reserve ( 26)

Coolant temperature too high
( 26)

Engine electronics ( 27)

Insufficient engine oil pressure
( 27)

Engine-oil level too low ( 28)

Insufficient battery charge current
( 28)

Rear light bulb defective ( 29)

Mode of presentation Meaning

The LAMPF!
warning appears
on the display.

Lights up yellow The

warning appears
on the display.

Appears on the
display

The
warning appears
on the display.

Lights up yellow The

ing appears on
the display.

LAMPS!

DWALO!

DWA! warn-

Front light bulb defective ( 29)

Bulbs defective ( 29)

Ice warning ( 30)

Battery of anti-theft alarm (OE) weak
( 30)

Anti-theft alarm battery flat (OE)
( 30)

3

25

z

Status indicators

Electronic immobiliser
active

3

26

z

Status indicators

General warning light
lights up yellow.

The

EWS! warning appears

on the display.
The key being used is not au­thorised for starting, or com­munication between key and
engine electronics is disrup­ted.

Remove all other vehicle
keys from the same ring as
the ignition key.
Use the reserve key.
Have the defective key re­placed, preferably by an
authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.

Fuel down to reserve

General warning light
lights up yellow.

The

FUEL! warning flashes.

Lack of fuel can result

in the engine misfiring
and cutting out unexpectedly.
Misfiring can damage the
catalytic converter; a hazard­ous situation can result if the
engine cuts out unexpectedly.
Do not run the fuel tank dry.

The estimated residual

range appears on the
display.

The fuel tank contains no
more than the reserve quant­ity of fuel.

Reserve fuel

4l

Refuelling ( 71)

Coolant temperature too
high

General warning light
lights up red.

The temperature reading
flashes.

Continuing to ride when

the engine is overheated
could result in engine dam­age.
You must comply with the in­structions below.

The coolant temperature is
too high.

If possible, ride in the part­load range to cool down the
engine.
In traffic jams, switch off the
engine, but leave the igni­tion switched on so that the
radiator fan continues to op­erate.
If the coolant temperature
is frequently too high, have

the fault rectified as soon
as possible by a special­ist workshop, preferably an
authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.

Engine electronics

General warning light
lights up yellow.

Engine electronics sym­bol appears on the dis-

play.

The engine is running

in emergency operating
mode. Engine power might
be reduced and this can
cause hazardous situations,
particularly if you attempt to
overtake other road users.
Engine power level might be
lower than normal: adapt your
style of riding accordingly.

The engine electronics control
unit has diagnosed a fault. In
exceptional cases, the engine
stops and refuses to start.
Otherwise, the engine runs in
emergency operating mode.

You can continue to ride,
but bear in mind that the
usual engine power might
not be available.
Have the fault rectified as
quickly as possible by a
specialist workshop, prefer­ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.

Insufficient engine oil
pressure

General warning light
flashes red.

Engine oil pressure sym­bol appears on the dis-

play.

The oil pressure in the lube­oil system is too low. Stop

immediately and switch off
the engine if the warning light
shows.

The insufficient oil

pressure warning does
not fulfil the function of an
oil gauge. The only way of
checking whether the oil level
is correct is to check the oil
level indicator.

A low oil level is one reason
why a warning indicating in­sufficient oil pressure is is­sued.

Checking engine oil level
( 87)

If the oil level is too low:

Top up the engine oil ( 88)

If the warning indicating in­sufficient engine oil level is
issued and a check indicates
that the engine oil level is cor­rect:

3

27

z

Status indicators

Other engine problems

3

28

z

Status indicators

besides a low oil level
can cause the insufficient en­gine oil pressure warning to
be issued. Continuing to ride
in these cases can cause en­gine damage.
If this warning is issued even
though the engine oil level is
correct: do not continue to
ride.

Do not continue your jour­ney.
Have the fault rectified as
quickly as possible by a
specialist workshop, prefer­ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.

Engine-oil level too low

Symbol for oil level

shows, accompanied by
the

CHECK OIL warning.

The electronic oil-level sensor
has registered an excessively
low oil level.

Checking the oil sight glass is
the only way of ascertaining
the exact engine-oil level. The
next time you stop for fuel:

Checking engine oil level
( 87)

If the oil level is too low:

Top up the engine oil ( 88)

The oil sensor might be
defective if the "Check oil
level" message appears even
though a check of the oil sight
glass shows that the oil level
is correct.

Seek the advice of a spe­cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW Motor­rad dealer.

Insufficient battery charge
current

General warning light
lights up red.

Battery charge current
symbol is displayed.

A discharged battery can

cause the engine to die
suddenly, and this could res­ult in a dangerous situation in
traffic.
Have faults rectified as soon
as possible.

If the battery is not char-

ging, continuing to ride
can cause it to discharge
completely, in which case it
will suffer irreparable damage.
If possible, do not continue
your journey.

Battery is not being charged.

You can continue to
ride until the battery is
discharged. Bear in mind,
however, that the engine
could cut out suddenly
and that the battery could
discharge until completely
flat, in which case it might

have suffered irreparable
damage.
Have the fault rectified as
quickly as possible by a
specialist workshop, prefer­ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.

Rear light bulb defective

General warning light
lights up yellow.

The

LAMPR! warning ap-

pears on the display.

A defective bulb places

your safety at risk be­cause it is easier for other
users to oversee you and
your motorcycle.
Replace defective bulbs as
soon as possible; always
carry a complete set of spare
bulbs if possible.

Rear light or brake light bulb
defective.

Replacing brake light and
rear light bulb ( 111)

Front light bulb defective

The

LAMPF! warning ap-

pears on the display.

A defective bulb places

your safety at risk be­cause it is easier for other
users to oversee you and
your motorcycle.
Replace defective bulbs as
soon as possible; always
carry a complete set of spare
bulbs if possible.

Low-beam headlight, high­beam headlight, side-light or
turn-indicator bulb defective.

Replacing low-beam and
high-beam headlight bulb
( 107)
Replacing parking-light bulb
( 109)

Replacing turn indicator
bulbs, front and rear
( 113)

Bulbs defective

General warning light
lights up yellow.

The

LAMPS! warning ap-

pears on the display.

A defective bulb places

your safety at risk be­cause it is easier for other
users to oversee you and
your motorcycle.
Replace defective bulbs as
soon as possible; always
carry a complete set of spare
bulbs if possible.

A combination of the bulb de­fects described above has
occurred.

See the fault descriptions
above.

3

29

z

Status indicators

Ice warning

3

30

z

Status indicators

Ice warning symbol ap­pears on the display.

The air temperature measured
at the motorcycle is lower
than 3 °C.

The ice warning does

not mean that there is
no risk of black ice forming
at measured temperatures
above 3 °C.
Always take extra care and
think well ahead when tem­peratures are low; remember
that the danger of black ice
is particularly high on bridges
and where the road is in the
shade.

Ride carefully and think well
ahead.

Battery of anti-theft alarm
(OE) weak

The

DWALO! warning ap-

pears on the display.

This error message

appears only briefly
after the pre-ride check
completes.

The integral battery in the
anti-theft alarm has lost a sig­nificant proportion of its ori­ginal capacity. There is no
assurance of how long the
anti-theft alarm can remain
operational if the motorcycle's
battery is disconnected.

Seek the advice of a spe­cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW Motor­rad dealer.

Anti-theft alarm battery flat
(OE)

General warning light

lights up yellow.

The

DWA! warning appears

on the display.

The integral battery in the
anti-theft alarm has lost its
entire original capacity. There
is no assurance that the anti­theft alarm will be operational
if the motorcycle's battery is
disconnected.

Seek the advice of a spe­cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW Motor­rad dealer.

Warnings issued by the tyre pressure monitoring system (RDC)

Display mode for RDC
warnings

The tyre pressure for the front
wheel 1 and the tyre pres­sure for the rear wheel 2 ap­pear in the panel for the clock
or the on-board computer,
accompanied by the letters

OE

RDC. The critical tyre pres-

sure flashes.

If the critical value is close to
the limit of the permissible tol­erance range, the reading is
accompanied by the 'Gen­eral' warning light showing
yellow. If the tyre pressure re­gistered by the sensor is out­side the permissible tolerance
range, the 'General' warning
light flashes red.

3

31

z

Status indicators

Warnings, overview

3

Mode of presentation Meaning

32

Lights up yellow The critical tyre

pressure flashes

Flashes red The critical tyre

pressure flashes

-- or -- -- ap-

pears on the dis­play.

Lights up yellow

Lights up yellow Indicated by the

z

Status indicators

Indicated by
or -- --

letters

RDC! ap-

pearing on the
display.

--

Tyre pressure close to limit of per­mitted tolerance ( 33)

Tyre pressure outside permitted tol­erance ( 33)

Signal transmission disrupted
( 34)

Sensor defective or system error
( 34)

Tyre-pressure sensor battery weak
( 35)

Tyre pressure close to limit
of permitted tolerance

General warning light
lights up yellow.

The critical tyre pressure
flashes.

Measured tyre pressure is
close to the limit of permitted
tolerance.

Correct the tyre pressure as
stated on the inside cover of
the Rider's Manual.

The tyre-pressures listed

on the inside cover are
temperature-compensated;
the reference tyre temperat­ure for these readings is al­ways 20 °C. The procedure
for correctly tyre pressures
when the tyres are not at this
reference temperature is as
follows:
Calculate the difference
between the specified value
stated in the Rider's Manual

and the reading shown by the
RDC system. Use the public
air line at a petrol station or
motorway service area to
adjust the tyre pressure by
this amount.

Tyre pressure outside
permitted tolerance

General warning light
flashes red.

The critical tyre pressure
flashes.

Measured tyre pressure is
outside permitted tolerance.

Check the tyre for damage
and to ascertain wheth­er the motorcycle can be
ridden with the tyre in its

present condition.
If the motorcycle can be rid­den with the tyre in its present
condition:

Incorrect tyre pressures

impair the motorcycle's
handling characteristics.
If tyre pressure is incorrect it
is essential to adapt your style
of riding accordingly.

Correct the tyre pressure at
the earliest possible oppor­tunity.
Have the tyre checked for
damage by a specialist
workshop, preferably an
authorised BMW Motorrad

dealer.
If you are unsure whether the
motorcycle can be ridden with
the tyre in its present condi­tion:

Do not continue your jour-

ney.

Notify the breakdown ser-

vice.

Have the tyre checked for

damage by a specialist

workshop, preferably an

3

33

z

Status indicators

authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.

3

34

Signal transmission
disrupted

-- or -- -- appears on the

display.
The motorcycle has not
yet accelerated past the
threshold of approximately
30 km/h. The RDC sensors
do not start transmitting
signals until the motorcycle
reaches a speed above this
threshold ( 72).

Increase speed above this

z

Status indicators

threshold observe the RDC
readings. Assume that a
permanent fault has not oc­curred unless the 'General'
warning light comes on to
accompany the symptoms.
Under these circumstances:
Have the fault rectified by a
specialist workshop, prefer-

ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.

Wireless communication with
the RDC sensors has been
disrupted. Possible causes
include radio-communication
systems operating in the vi­cinity and interfering with the
link between the RDC control
unit and the sensors.

Move to another location
and observe the RDC read­ings. Assume that a per­manent fault has not oc­curred unless the 'General'
warning light comes on to
accompany the symptoms.
Under these circumstances:
Have the fault rectified by a
specialist workshop, prefer­ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.

Sensor defective or system

error

General warning light
lights up yellow.

Indicated by

.

--

Motorcycle is fitted with

tyres not equipped with RDC

sensors.

Fit wheels and tyres
equipped with RDC
sensors.

One or two RDC sensors

have failed.

Have the fault rectified by a
specialist workshop, prefer­ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.

A system error has occurred.

Have the fault rectified by a
specialist workshop, prefer­ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.

-- or --

Tyre-pressure sensor
battery weak

General warning light
lights up yellow.

Indicated by the letters

RDC! appearing on the

display.

This error message

appears only briefly
after the pre-ride check
completes.

The integral battery in the
tyre-pressure sensor has lost
a significant proportion of its
original capacity. There is no
assurance of how long the
tyre pressure control system
can remain operational.

Seek the advice of a spe­cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW Motor­rad dealer.

ABS warnings

Mode of presentation

ABS warnings are indic-

ated by the ABS warning
light. The warning light can
show continuously or flash.
The way in which the ABS
warning light indicates status
can differ in some countries.

Possible national variant.

OE

3

35

z

Status indicators

Warnings, overview

3

Mode of presentation Meaning

36

z

Status indicators

Flashes

Lights up

Self-diagnosis not completed
( 37)

ABS fault ( 37)

Self-diagnosis not
completed

ABS warning light
flashes.

The ABS function is not avail­able, because self-diagnosis
did not complete. The mo­torcycle has to move forward
a few metres for the wheel
sensors to be tested.

Pull away slowly. Bear in
mind that the ABS function
is not available until self­diagnosis has completed.

ABS fault

ABS warning light ON.

The ABS control unit has de­tected a fault. The ABS func­tion is not available.

You can continue to ride.
Bear in mind that the ABS
function is not available.
Bear in mind the more de-

tailed information on situ­ations that can lead to an
ABS fault ( 76).
Have the fault rectified as
quickly as possible by a
specialist workshop, prefer­ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.

3

37

z

Status indicators

3

38

z

Status indicators

Operation

Ignition switch and steering

lock . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Electronic immobiliser (EWS) . . . 41

Hazard warning flashers . . . . . . . 42

Odometer and tripmeters . . . . . . 43

Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Tyre pressure control RDC

On-board computer

OE

OE

......... 46

.. 46

Emergency off switch (kill

switch) .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Grip heating

OE

................ 50

Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 51

Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 52

Headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Turn indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Helmet holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Luggage loops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Spring preload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Shock absorbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Electronic Suspension
Adjustment ESA

OE

............ 60

Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

4

39

z

Operation

Ignition switch and

4

steering lock

40

Keys

You receive one master key
and one spare key. Please
consult the information on
the electronic immobiliser
(EWS) if a key is lost or mis­laid ( 41).

Ignition switch and steer-

z

Operation

ing lock, tank filler cap
lock and seat lock are all op­erated with the same key. If
you wish you can arrange to
have the cases available as
optional accessories fitted
with locks that can be opened
with this key as well.

Switch on the ignition

Turn the key to position 1.
Side lights and all function
circuits switched on.
Engine can be started.
Pre-ride check is
performed. ( 67)

with OE BMW Motorrad
Integral ABS:

Turn the key to position 1.
ABS self-diagnosis is
performed in addition to
the checks outlined above.
( 68)

Switch off the ignition

Turn the key to position 2.
Lights switched off.
Handlebars not locked.
Key can be removed.
Electrically powered ac­cessories remain opera­tional for a limited period
of time.
The battery can be
recharged via the on-board
socket.

Lock the handlebars

If the motorcycle is on

the side stand, the sur­face of the ground will de­termine whether it is better
to turn the handlebars to the
left or right. However, the mo­torcycle is more stable on a
level surface with the handle­bars turned to the left than
with the handlebars turned to
the right.
On level ground, always turn
the handlebars to the left to
set the steering lock.

Turn the handlebars to the
full left or right lock position.
Turn the key to position 3,
while moving the handlebars
slightly.
Ignition, lights and all func­tion circuits switched off.
Handlebars locked.
Key can be removed.

Electronic immobiliser (EWS)

Protection against theft

The electronic immobiliser
helps protect your BMW mo­torcycle from theft, and this
enhanced security is at your
disposal without any need for
you to set parameters or ac­tivate additional systems. The
engine of a motorcycle fitted
with this electronic immobil­iser can be started only with
the keys that belong to the
vehicle. You can also have

your authorised BMW Mo­torrad dealer bar individual
keys, for example if a partic­ular key goes missing. The
engine cannot be started with
a key that has been barred.

In-key electronics

An electronic component is
integrated into each of your
keys. The motorcycle's elec­tronics exchange certain con­tinuously changing signals
with the electronics in the
key; these signals are spe­cific to your motorcycle and
they are transmitted via the
ring aerial in the ignition lock.
The ignition is not enabled for
starting until the key has been
recognised as "authorised" for
your motorcycle.

A spare key attached

to the same ring as the
ignition key used to start the
engine could "irritate" the

4

41

z

Operation

electronics, in which case the
enabling signal for starting is

4

not issued. The

42

appears in the multifunction
display.
Always keep the spare key
separately from the ignition
key.

EWS warning

Replacement and extra
keys

You can obtain replacement/

z

Operation

extra keys only through an
authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer. The keys are part of
an integrated security sys­tem, so the dealer is under
an obligation to check the le­gitimacy of all applications
for replacement/extra keys.
If you want to have a lost key
barred, you have to bring with
you all the other keys that
belong to the motorcycle. A
key that has been barred can

subsequently be cleared and
reactivated for use.

Hazard warning flashers

Switch on the hazard
warning flashers

Switch on the ignition.

Simultaneously press but­ton 1 for left turn indicators
and button 2 for right turn
indicators.

The hazard warning

flashers place a strain
on the battery. Do not use
the hazard warning flashers
for longer than absolutely
necessary.

If you press a turn-in-

dicator button with the
ignition switched on, the turn­indicator function is activated
instead of the hazard warning
flashers, and remains active
until you release the button.
The hazard warning flashers
recommence flashing as soon
as the button is released.

Hazard warning flashers in
operation.
Left/right turn indicator tell­tale lights flash.
Switch off the ignition.
The hazard warning flashers
continue to operate.
Left/right turn indicator tell­tale lights off.

Switch off the hazard
warning flashers

Odometer and tripmeters

Operating odometer

reappears on the multifunc­tion display.

4

43

Press cancel button 1.
Hazard warning flashers
switched off.

If the motorcycle is not
equipped with on-board
computer and RDC, you
have the alternative of using
INFO button 1 to operate the
odometer as described here.

Selecting readings

Switch on the ignition.

When you switch on the

ignition, the odometer
reading shown when the igni­tion was switched off always

Press button 1 once briefly.

The odometer's display field
starts with the current value

z

Operation

and cycles through the follow­ing sequence:

4

Total distance covered

44

Tripmeter 1 (Trip I)
Tripmeter 2 (Trip II)

Resetting tripmeter

Switch on the ignition.
Select the desired tripmeter.

Residual range

ded to the fuel already in the
tank.

The residual range is

only an approximate
reading. Consequently, BMW
Motorrad recommends that
you should not try to use the
full residual range before
refuelling.

z

Operation

Press and hold down
button 1 until the reading
changes.
The tripmeter is reset to
zero.

The residual-range readout 1
indicates how far you can ride
with the fuel remaining in the
tank. On a motorcycle not
equipped with an on-board
computer, this reading is not
displayed until fuel level has
dropped to reserve. This dis­tance is calculated on the
basis of fuel level and average
consumption.
When you refuel, the increase
in fuel level is not registered
unless several litres are ad-

Clock

Set the clock

Attempting to set the

clock while riding the
motorcycle can lead to ac­cidents.
Set the clock only when the
motorcycle is stationary.

Switch on the ignition.

with OE On-board computer:

4

45

Repeatedly press INFO but­ton 1 until the total distance
covered reading appears on
the display.

Repeatedly press INFO but­ton 1 until the clock appears
on the display.

Press and hold down the
INFO button until the read­ing changes.
Hours reading 2 starts to
flash.
Press the INFO button.
The hour increments by one
each time you press the
button.
Press and hold down the
INFO button until the read­ing changes.
Minutes reading 3 starts to
flash.
Press the INFO button.

z

Operation

The minute increments by
one each time you press the

4

button.

46

Press and hold down the
INFO button until the read­ing changes.
The reading stops flashing.
The time is now set.

Tyre pressure control

OE

RDC

Viewing tyre-pressure

z

Operation

readings

Switch on the ignition.

Repeatedly press INFO but­ton 1 until the tyre pres­sures appear in the display.

The tyre-pressure readings
alternate with the clock. The
front tyre pressure is on the
left; the reading on the right is

the rear tyre pressure. If your
motorcycle is fitted with an
on-board computer, the tyre
pressures are displayed as an
additional set of readings by
the on-board computer.

On-board computer

OE

Selecting readings

Switch on the ignition.

Press INFO button 1 once
at each step.

The on-board computer's dis­play field starts with the cur­rent value and cycles through
the following sequence:

Ambient temperature
Average speed
Average consumption
Range
Oil level
Tyre pressures (OE)

Ambient temperature

Ambient-temperature dis­play 1 is active only when
the engine is running; at other
times the display shows

An ice warning appears

if the ambient-temper­ature reading drops below
3 °C. The display automat­ically switches from any oth­er mode to the temperature
reading when the temperature
drops below this threshold
for the first time. The reading
flashes until you select some
other display mode.

---.

Calculating average
speed

Average speed 1 is calculated
on basis of the time elapsed
since the last RESET. Times
during which the engine was
stopped are excluded from
the calculation.

4

47

z

Operation

Resetting average speed

4

48

Repeatedly press INFO
button 1 until the average

z

Operation

speed appears in the
display.
Press and hold down the
INFO button until the read­ing changes ("RESET").
The display shows
"--- km/h".

Calculating average
consumption

Average consumption 1 is
calculated by dividing the dis­tance covered since the last
RESET by the corresponding
amount of fuel used.

Reset average
consumption

Repeatedly press INFO but­ton 1 until the average fuel
consumption appears in the
display.
Press and hold down the
INFO button until the read­ing changes ("RESET").
The display shows
"--.- l/100 km".

Range

The description of the
residual-range function
( 44) also covers the
residual-range readout.
You can also view range 1
before the fuel level drops to
reserve. A special average­consumption figure is used to
calculate range; this figure is
not necessarily the same as
the value you can call up for
viewing on the display.

The calculated range
is only an approximate

reading. Consequently, BMW

Motorrad recommends that
you should not try to use the
full range before refuelling.

Oil level

Oil-level indicator 1 gives you
an indication of the engine oil
level.

The preconditions for the oil
level check are as follows:

Engine idling (for at least 10
seconds).
Engine at operating temper­ature.

Side stand retracted.

The readings mean:

OK: Oil level is correct.

CHECK: Check the oil level.

---: Oil level cannot be

measured (conditions as
stated above not satisfied).

The most recently measured
level is displayed for 5
seconds when you next
switch on the ignition.

The oil sensor might be

defective if the "Check
oil level" message reappears
even though the oil level in
the oil sight glass is correct.
In this case, consult your
authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.

4

49

z

Operation

Emergency off switch

4

(kill switch)

50

z

Operation

1 Emergency off switch (kill

switch).

Operating the kill switch

when riding can cause
the rear wheel to lock and
thus cause a fall.
Do not operate the kill switch
when riding.

The emergency off switch is a
kill switch for switching off the
engine quickly and easily.

A Normal operating posi-

tion (run)

B Engine switched off.

You cannot start the
engine unless the kill

switch is in the run position.

Grip heating

1 Grip heating switch

The handlebar grips have
two-stage heating. Grip
heating can be activated only
when the engine is running.

The increase in power

consumption caused by
the grip heating can drain the
battery if you are riding at low
engine speeds. If the charge
level is low, grip heating is
switched off to ensure the
battery's starting capability.

OE

2 Heating off.
3 50 % heat output (one

dot visible).

4 100 % heat output (three

dots visible)

Clutch

Adjusting the clutch
lever

If the position of the

clutch fluid reservoir is
changed, air can enter the
clutch system.
Do not twist the handlebar
fitting or the handlebars.

Attempting to adjust the

clutch lever while riding
the motorcycle can lead to
accidents.
Do not attempt to adjust the
clutch lever unless the motor­cycle is at a standstill.

Turn adjusting screw 1
clockwise.

The adjusting screw is

indexed and is easier
to turn if you push the clutch
lever forward.

Span between handlebar
grip and clutch lever in­creases.

Turn adjusting screw 1
counter-clockwise.
Span between handlebar
grip and clutch lever de­creases.

Brakes

Adjusting the handbrake
lever

Changing the position of

the brake-fluid reservoir
can allow air to penetrate the
brake system.
Do not twist the handlebar
fitting or the handlebars.

Attempting to adjust the

brake lever while riding
the motorcycle can lead to
accidents.
Do not attempt to adjust the
brake lever unless the motor­cycle is at a standstill.

4

51

z

Operation

4

52

Turn adjusting screw 1
clockwise.

z

Operation

The adjusting screw is

indexed and is easier
to turn if you push the hand­brake lever forward.

Span between handlebar
grip and handbrake lever
increases.
Turn adjusting screw 1
counter-clockwise.
Span between handlebar
grip and handlebar lever de­creases.

Lights

Switching on the side
lights

The side lights switch on
automatically when the
ignition is switched on.

The side lights place a

strain on the battery.
Do not switch the ignition
on for longer than absolutely
necessary.

Switching on the low­beam headlight

The low-beam headlight
switches on automatically
when you start the engine.

When the engine is not

running you can switch
on the lights by switching on
the ignition and either switch­ing on the high-beam head­light or operating the head­light flasher.

Switch on the high-beam
headlight

Press the top part of
switch 1 for the high-beam
headlight.
High-beam headlight
switched on.
Move switch 1 for the high­beam headlight to the
centre position.
High-beam headlight
switched off.
Press the bottom part of
switch 1 for the high-beam
headlight.

The high-beam headlight
is switched on until you re­lease the button (headlight
flasher).

Switching on parking
lights

Switch off the ignition.

You can switch on the

parking lights only imme­diately after switching off the
ignition.

Press and hold down
switch 1 for the left turn

indicators until the parking
lights are ON.

Switching off parking
lights

Switch the ignition on and
then off again.
Parking lights switched off.

Headlight

Adjusting headlight for
driving on left/driving on
right

Commercially available

adhesive tape will dam­age the plastic lens of the
light.
Consult a specialist work­shop, preferably an author­ised BMW Motorrad dealer, in
order to avoid damaging the
plastic lens of the light.

If the motorcycle is ridden in
a country where the oppos­ite rule of the road applies, its

asymmetric low-beam head­light will tend to dazzle on­coming traffic.
Have the headlight set
accordingly by a specialist
workshop, preferably an
authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.

Turn indicators

Switching on left flashing
turn indicators

Switch on the ignition.

Press left-hand turn indicat­or button 1.

4

53

z

Operation

The turn indicators are

4

54

z

Operation

cancelled automatically
after you have ridden for ap­proximately 10 seconds, or
covered a distance of about
200 m.

Left-hand turn indicators
switched on.
Telltale light for left-hand
turn indicators flashes.

Switch on the right
flashing turn indicators

Switch on the ignition.

Press right-hand turn indic­ator button 2.

The turn indicators are

cancelled automatically
after you have ridden for ap­proximately 10 seconds, or
covered a distance of about
200 m.

Right-hand turn indicators
switched on.
Telltale light for right-hand
turn indicator flashes.

Cancel the turn
indicators

Press cancel button 3.
Flashing turn indicators
switched off.
Turn indicator telltale light is
off.

Seat

Removing the seat

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand.

Installing the seat

4

55

Turn the key counter-clock­wise in the seat lock.

Press the seat down at the
same time.

Lift the rear of the seat.

The seat can be dam-

aged at the edges if it is
placed on a rough surface.
Lay the seat upholstered side
down on a smooth, clean sur­face, such as the fuel tank.

Release the key and pull the
seat back out of its holder.

If too much pressure is

applied in the forward
direction, there is a danger
that the motorcycle will be
pushed off its stand.
Always make sure that the
motorcycle is stable and
firmly supported.

Push the seat forward into
holders 1.

z

Operation

4

56

Push down firmly on the
seat, applying pressure to
the point above the latch.

z

Operation

The seat engages with an
audible click.

Helmet holder

Helmet holder
underneath seat

Helmet holder 1 is underneath
the seat.
A motorcycle helmet with chin
strap can be attached to the
helmet holder. If cases are
fitted or if the chin strap is
too short, a steel cable can
be used to secure the motor­cycle helmet.

Using helmet holder

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand.
Removing the seat ( 54)

The helmet catch can

scratch the panelling.
Make sure the lock is out of
the way when you hook the
helmet into position.

On the right-hand side

of the motorcycle, the
helmet could be damaged by
heat from the end silencer.
Attach the helmet on the left-

hand side of the motorcycle
only.

Use the wire rope available
as an optional extra to se­cure the helmet to helmet
holder 1.

Luggage loops

Luggage loops
underneath seat

Loops 1 for attaching luggage
straps are located on the un­derside of the seat.

Using luggage loops

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand.
Removing the seat ( 54)
Turn the seat upside down.

Pull loops 1 out of hold­ers 2.
You can hook luggage
straps into the loops.

Mirrors

Adjust the mirrors

Move the mirror to the de­sired position by pressing it
lightly close to the edge.

4

57

z

Operation

Adjusting mirror arm

4

58

Push the protective cap up
over the threaded fastener

z

Operation

on the mirror arm.
Slacken union nut 1.
Turn the mirror arm to the
appropriate position.
Retighten the union nut.

Mirror to clamping
piece

18 Nm

Pull the protective cap over
the threaded fastener.

Spring preload

Spring preload and
weight

It is essential to set spring
preload to suit the load
carried by the motorcycle.
Increase spring preload when
the motorcycle is heavily
loaded and reduce spring
preload accordingly when the
motorcycle is lightly loaded.

Adjusting spring preload
for rear wheel

Your motorcycle's hand-

ling will suffer if you do
not match the spring-preload
and damping-characteristic
settings.
Adjust the damping
characteristic to suit spring
preload.

Adjusting spring preload

while the motorcycle is
being ridden can lead to acci­dents.
Do not attempt to adjust
spring preload unless the
motorcycle is at a standstill.

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand.

If you want to increase
spring preload, turn knob 1
in the direction indicated by
the HIGH arrow.
If you want to reduce spring
preload, turn knob 1 in the

direction indicated by the
LOW arrow.

One click corresponds

to a half turn of the knob.
The range of adjustment com­prises 15 turns.

Spring preload, basic
setting

Turn the knob as far as
it will go in the direction
indicated by the LOW ar­row and then turn it back
15 clicks in the direction
indicated by the HIGH ar­row. (full load of fuel, with
rider 85 kg)

Shock absorbers

Shock-absorber settings
and spring preload

Damping must be adapted
to suit spring preload. An in­crease in spring preload re­quires firmer damping, a re­duction in spring preload re­quires softer damping.

Adjusting rear shock
absorber

Your motorcycle's hand-

ling will suffer if you do
not match the spring-preload
and damping-characteristic
settings.
Adjust the damping
characteristic to suit spring
preload.

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand.

Adjust the rear shock ab­sorber, using a screwdriver
to turn adjusting screw 1.

If you want a harder damp­ing characteristic, use a
screwdriver to turn the ad­justing screw in the direc-

4

59

z

Operation

tion indicated by the H ar­row.

4

If you want a softer damping

60

characteristic, use a screw­driver to turn the adjusting
screw in the direction in­dicted by the S arrow.

The adjusting screw can
be turned through three

and a half turns.

Electronic Suspension
Adjustment ESA

Settings

OE

tifunction display, and spring
preload in panel 2.
The odometer readings are
not shown while the ESA
readout is active.

Call up settings

Switch on the ignition.

z

Operation

Turn the adjusting screw
as far as it will go in the
direction indicated by the
H arrow and then turn it
back one and a half turns
in the direction indicated
by the S arrow. (One-up
85 kg)

Rear suspension
damping, basic setting

Electronic Suspension Ad­justment ESA provides a con­venient way of adapting the
motorcycle to different condi­tions. Three spring preload
settings can be combined
with three damping charac­teristics to fine-tune the mo­torcycle's suspension to the
load it carries and the surface
over which you want to ride.
The damping characteristic is
shown in panel 1 of the mul-

Press button 1.
The current setting is dis­played.
The reading remains visible
for a few seconds before
disappearing automatically.

Adjust suspension
damping

Switch on the ignition.

You can adjust the

damping characteristic
while the motorcycle is on the
move.

Press button 1.
The current setting is dis­played.
Press button 1 once briefly.

The display field starts
at the current status and
cycles through the following
sequence:

COMF Comfortable damping

characteristic

NORM Normal damping

characteristic

SPORT Sporty damping

characteristic

The setting shown on the
display is automatically
accepted as the damping
characteristic if you allow
a certain length of time
to pass without pressing
button 1. During the setting
procedure, the display
flashes.

Adjust spring preload

Start the engine.

You cannot adjust spring
preload while the motor-

cycle is on the move.

Press button 1.
The current setting is dis­played.
Press and hold down
button 1 until the reading

changes.
The display field starts
at the current status and
cycles through the following
sequence:

One-up

One-up with luggage

4

61

z

Operation

Two-up (with luggage)

4

The setting shown on the

62

display is automatically
accepted as the spring
preload if you allow a
certain length of time to
pass without pressing
button 1. During the setting
procedure, the display
flashes.

z

Operation

Tyres

Check the tyre pressures

Incorrect tyre pressures

impair the motorcycle's
handling characteristics and
can lead to accidents.
Always check that the tyre
pressures are correct.

At high road speeds, tyre

valves have a tendency
to open as a result of centrifu­gal force.
In order to avoid a sudden

loss of tyre pressure, fit a
metal valve cap with rubber
sealing ring to the rear tyre
and make sure that the cap is
screwed on firmly.

Incorrect tyre pressure

reduces the operating
life of the tyres.
Always check that the tyre
pressures are correct.

Check that tyre pressures
are correct as per the data
below.

Tyre pressure, front

2.5 bar (One-up, tyre
cold)

2.5 bar (Two-up and/or
with luggage, tyre cold)

Tyre pressure, rear

2.9 bar (One-up, tyre
cold)

2.9 bar (Two-up and/or
with luggage, tyre cold)

If tyre pressure is too low:

Correct the tyre pressures.

Riding

Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Running in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Parking your motorcycle . . . . . . . 69

Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Tyre pressure control RDC

Brake system, general . . . . . . . . . 73

Brake system with BMW
Motorrad Integral ABS

OE

OE

....... 74

.. 72

5

63

z

Riding

Safety instructions

5

Rider's equipment

64

Do not ride without the cor­rect clothing. Always wear:

Helmet
Motorcycling jacket and
trousers
Gloves
Boots

z

Riding

This applies even to short
journeys, and to every sea­son of the year. Your author­ised BMW Motorrad dealer
will be glad to advise you on
the correct clothing for every
purpose.

Speed

If you ride at high speed, al­ways bear in mind that vari­ous boundary conditions can
adversely affect the handling
of your motorcycle:

Settings of the spring-strut
and shock-absorber system
Imbalanced load
Loose clothing
Insufficient tyre pressure
Poor tyre tread
Etc.

Correct loading

Overloading and imbal-

anced loads can ad­versely affect the motorcycle's
handling.
Do not exceed the permiss­ible gross weight and be sure
to comply with the instruc­tions on loading.

Alcohol and drugs

Even small amounts of

alcohol or drugs will ad­versely affect your percep­tion and your ability to as­sess situations and make de­cisions, and slow down your

reflexes. Medication can ex­acerbate these effects.
Do not ride your motorcycle
after consuming alcohol,
drugs and/or medication.

Risk of poisoning

Exhaust fumes contain car­bon monoxide, which is col­ourless and odourless but
highly toxic.

Inhaling the exhaust

fumes therefore
represents a health hazard
and can even cause loss
of consciousness with fatal
consequences.
Do not inhale exhaust fumes.
Do not run the engine in an
enclosed space.

High voltage

Touching live parts of

the ignition system with
the engine running can cause
electric shock.
Do not touch parts of the igni­tion system when the engine
is running.

Catalytic converter

If misfiring causes unburned
fuel to enter the catalytic con­verter, there is a danger of
overheating and damage.
For this reason, observe the
following points:

Do not run the fuel tank dry.
Do not attempt to start or
run the engine with a spark­plug cap disconnected.
Stop the engine immediately
if it misfires.
Use only unleaded fuel.
Comply with all specified
maintenance intervals.

Unburned fuel will des-

troy the catalytic con­verter.
Note the points listed for
protection of the catalytic
converter.

Risk of fire

Temperatures at the exhaust
are high.

Flammable materials

(e.g. hay, leaves, grass,
clothing and luggage, etc.)
could ignite if allowed to
come into contact with the
hot exhaust pipe.
Do not permit flammable ma­terials to come into contact
with the hot exhaust system.

Cooling would be

inadequate if the engine
were allowed to idle for
a lengthy period with the
motorcycle at a standstill:
overheating would result.

In extreme cases, the
motorcycle could catch fire.
Do not allow the engine to
idle unnecessarily. Ride away
immediately after starting the
engine.

Tampering with the
control unit of the
electronic engine­management system

Tampering with the con-

trol unit of the electronic
engine-management system
can damage the motorcycle
and cause accidents.
Do not tamper with the
control unit of the electronic
engine-management
system.

Tampering with the con-

trol unit of the electronic
engine-management system
can result in mechanical loads
that the motorcycle's com-

5

65

z

Riding

ponents are not designed to
withstand. Damage caused in

5

this way is not covered by the

66

warranty.
Do not tamper with the
control unit of the electronic
engine-management
system.

Checklist

z

Riding

Use the following checklist
to check important functions,
settings and wear limits be­fore you ride off.

Brakes
Brake-fluid levels, front and
rear
Clutch
Clutch fluid level
Shock absorber setting and
spring preload
Tyre-tread depth and tyre
pressures

Cases correctly installed
and luggage secured

At regular intervals:

Engine oil level (every refuel­ling stop)
Brake-pad wear (every third
refuelling stop)

Starting

Side stand

You cannot start the motor­cycle with the side stand ex­tended and a gear engaged.
The engine will switch itself off
if you start it with the gearbox
in neutral and then engage a
gear before retracting the side
stand.

Gearbox

You can start the engine
when the gearbox is in neutral
or if you pull the clutch with
a gear engaged. Do not pull
the clutch until after you have

switched on the ignition, as
otherwise the engine will
refuse to start. When the
gearbox is in neutral, the
green neutral telltale light is
on and the gear indicator
in the multifunction display
shows N.

Start the engine

Kill switch 1 in run posi­tion A.
Switch on the ignition.
Pre-ride check is
performed. ( 67)

with OE BMW Motorrad
Integral ABS:

Switch on the ignition.
Pre-ride check is
performed. ( 67)
ABS self-diagnosis is per­formed. ( 68)

Press starter button 1.

If ambient temperatures

are very low, you might
find it necessary to open the
throttle slightly when starting
the engine. At ambient tem­peratures below 0 °C, disen-

gage the clutch after switch­ing on the ignition.

The start attempt is

automatically interrupted
if battery voltage is too low.
Recharge the battery before
you start the engine, or use
jump leads and a donor
battery to start.

The engine starts.
Consult the troubleshooting
chart below if the engine
refuses to start. ( 128)

Pre-ride check

The instrument cluster runs
a test of the 'General' warn­ing light when the ignition
is switched on. The warn­ing light shows first red and
then yellow, so that you can
check that it is in working or­der. This pre-ride check is in­dicated by the word
appearing in the display. The

CHECK!

test is aborted if you start the
engine before it completes.

Phase 1

General warning light
lights up red.

The

CHECK! reminder ap-

pears on the display.

Phase 2

General warning light
lights up yellow.

The

CHECK! reminder ap-

pears on the display.
If the 'General' warning light is
not displayed:

Some malfunctions can-

not be indicated if the
'General' warning light cannot
be displayed.
Check that the 'General'
warning light comes on, and
that it lights up yellow and
then red.

5

67

z

Riding

Have the fault rectified as
quickly as possible by a

5

specialist workshop, prefer-

68

ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.

ABS self-diagnosis

BMW Motorrad Integral ABS
performs self-diagnosis to en­sure its operability. Self-dia­gnosis is performed automat-

z

Riding

ically when you switch on the
ignition. The motorcycle has
to move forward at a speed
above 5 km/h for the wheel
sensors to be tested.

Phase 1

Test of the diagnosis-com­patible system components
with the motorcycle at a
standstill.

ABS warning light
flashes.

OE

Possible national variant
of the ABS warning light.

Phase 2

Test of the wheel sensors
as the motorcycle pulls
away from rest.

ABS warning light
flashes.

Possible national variant
of the ABS warning light.

ABS self-diagnosis
completed

The ABS warning light goes

out.
If an indicator showing an
ABS fault appears when ABS
self-diagnosis completes:

You can continue to ride.

Bear in mind that neither

the ABS function nor the

integral braking function is

available.

Have the fault rectified as
quickly as possible by a
specialist workshop, prefer­ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.

Running in

The first 1000 km

While running in the mo­torcycle, vary the throttle
opening and engine-speed
range frequently.
Try to do most of your rid­ing during this initial period
on twisting, fairly hilly roads,
avoiding high-speed main
roads and highways if pos­sible.

Exceeding the specified

engine speeds while run­ning in will lead to increased
engine wear.
Keep to the specified engine
speeds for running in.

Do not exceed the rpm lim­its recommended for run­ning in.

Running-in speeds

<7000 min

No full-load acceleration.
Avoid low engine speeds at
full load.
Do not omit the first inspec­tion after 500 - 1200 km.

-1

Brake pads

New brake pads must "bed
down" and therefore do not
achieve their optimum friction
levels during the first 500 km.
You can compensate for this
initial reduction in braking ef­ficiency by exerting greater
pressure on the levers.

New brake pads can ex­tend stopping distance

by a significant margin.

Apply the brakes in good
time.

Tyres

New tyres have a smooth
surface. This must be
roughened by riding in a
restrained manner at various
heel angles until the tyres
are run in. This running in
procedure is essential if the
tyres are to achieve maximum
grip.

Tyres do not have their

full grip when new and
there is a risk of accidents at
extreme angles of heel.
Avoid extreme angles of
heel.

Parking your motorcycle

Place the motorcycle on
side stand

If the ground is soft or

uneven, there is no guar­antee that the motorcycle will
rest firmly on the stand.
Always check that the ground
under the stand is level and
firm.

Switch off the engine.
Pull the handbrake lever.
Hold the motorcycle upright
and balanced.
Use your left foot to extend
the side stand fully.

The side stand is de-

signed to support only
the weight of the motorcycle.
Do not lean or sit on the mo­torcycle with the side stand
extended.

5

69

z

Riding

Slowly lean the motorcycle
to the side until its weight

5

is taken by the stand and

70

dismount to the left.

If the motorcycle is on

the side stand, the sur­face of the ground will de­termine whether it is better
to turn the handlebars to the
left or right. However, the mo-

z

Riding

torcycle is more stable on a
level surface with the handle­bars turned to the left than
with the handlebars turned to
the right.
On level ground, always turn
the handlebars to the left to
set the steering lock.

Turn the handlebars to full
left or right lock.
Check that the motorcycle
is standing firmly.

On a gradient, the mo-

torcycle should always
face uphill; select 1st gear.

Lock the steering lock.

Remove the motorcycle
from side stand

Unlock the steering lock.
From the left, grip the
handlebars with both hands.
Pull the handbrake lever.
Swing your right leg over
the seat and lift the motor­cycle to the upright position.
Hold the motorcycle upright
and balanced.

An extended side stand

can catch on the ground
when the motorcycle is mov­ing and lead to a fall.
Retract the side stand before
moving the motorcycle.

Sit on the motorcycle and
use your left foot to retract
the side stand.

Place the motorcycle on
centre stand

If the ground is soft or

uneven, there is no guar­antee that the motorcycle will
rest firmly on the stand.
Always check that the ground
under the stand is level and
firm.

Switch off the engine.
Dismount and keep your left
hand on the left handlebar
grip.
With your right hand, grip
the rear grab handle or the
rear frame.
Place your right foot on the
pin of the centre stand, and
press the stand down un­til its curved feet touch the
ground.
Place your full body weight
on the centre stand and at
the same time pull the mo­torcycle to the rear.

OA

Excessive movements

could cause the centre
stand to retract, and the mo­torcycle would topple in con­sequence.
Do not lean or sit on the mo­torcycle with the centre stand
extended.

Check that the motorcycle
is standing firmly.
Lock the steering lock.

Remove the motorcycle
from centre stand

Unlock the steering lock.
Place your left hand on the
left handlebar grip.
With your right hand, grip
the rear grab handle or the
rear frame.
Push the motorcycle for­ward off the centre stand.
Check that the centre stand
has fully retracted.

OA

Refuelling

Fuel is highly flammable.

A naked flame close to
the fuel tank can cause a fire
or explosion.
Do not smoke. Never bring
a naked flame near the fuel
tank.

Fuel expands when hot.

Fuel escaping from an
overfilled tank could make its
way onto the rear tyre. This
could cause a fall.
Do not fill the tank past the
bottom edge of the filler
neck.

Fuel attacks plastics,

which become dull or
unsightly.
Wipe off plastic parts immedi­ately if they come into contact
with fuel.

Leaded fuel will destroy
the catalytic converter.

Use only unleaded fuel.

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand.

Open the protective cap.
Open the fuel tank cap with
the ignition key by turning it
counter-clockwise.
Refuel with fuel of the grade
stated below; do not fill the
tank past the bottom edge
of the filler neck.

5

71

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Riding

5

72

z

Riding

Recommended fuel
grade

98 ROZ/RON (Premium
plus unleaded)

95 ROZ/RON (Premium
unleaded (fuel grade,
usable with power- and
consumption-related re­strictions))

Usable fuel capacity

19 l

Reserve fuel

4l

Press the filler cap down
firmly to close.
Remove the key and close
the protective cap.

Tyre pressure control

OE

RDC

Function

A sensor integrated into each
tyre measures the air tem­perature and the air pressure
inside the tyre and transmits
this information to the control
unit.
Each sensor has a
centrifugal-force tripswitch
that does not enable
transmission of the measured
values until the motorcycle
has accelerated to about
30 km/h. The display shows

-- for each tyre until the tyre-

pressure signal is received for
the first time. The sensors
continue to transmit the
measured-value signals for
approximately 15 minutes
after the motorcycle comes to
a stop.

The control unit can
administrate four sensors, so
two different sets of wheels
with RDC sensors can be
alternated on the motorcycle.
An error message is issued
if wheels without sensors
are fitted to a motorcycle
equipped with an RDC control
unit.

Temperature
compensation

The tyre-pressure readings
shown by the multifunction
display are temperature-com­pensated; the reference tyre
temperature for these read­ings is always 20 °C. The air
lines available to the public in
petrol stations and motorway
service areas almost invari­ably show temperature-de­pendent tyre pressures, so in
most instances these gauge
readings will not tally with the

readings shown by the multi­function display.

Tyre-pressure ranges

The RDC control unit differ­entiates between three air­pressure ranges, all of which
are parameterised for the mo­torcycle:

Air pressure within permit­ted tolerance.
Air pressure close to limit of
permitted tolerance.
Air pressure outside permit­ted tolerance.

Brake system, general

Descending mountain
passes

There is a danger of the

brakes fading if you use
only the rear brakes when
descending mountain passes.
Under extreme conditions, the

brakes could overheat and
suffer severe damage.
Use both front and rear
brakes, and make use of the
engine's braking effect as
well.

Wet brakes

After the motorcycle has

been washed, ridden
through water or ridden in
the rain, the brake discs and
pads might be wet and the
brakes might not take effect
immediately.
Apply the brakes in good time
until the brakes have dried
out.

Salt on brakes

The brakes may fail to

take effect immediately
if the motorcycle was ridden
on salt-covered roads and the
brakes were not applied for
some time.

Apply the brakes in good
time until the salt layer on the
brake discs and brake pads
has been removed.

Oil or grease on brakes

Oil and grease on the

brake discs and pads
considerably diminish braking
efficiency.
Especially after repair and
maintenance work, make
sure that the brake discs and
brake pads are free of oil and
grease.

Dirt or mud on brakes

When riding on loose

surfaces or muddy
roads, the brakes may fail
to take effect immediately
because of dirt or moisture on
the discs or brake pads.
Apply brakes in good time
until the brakes have been
cleaned.

5

73

z

Riding

Brake system with

5

BMW Motorrad
Integral ABS

74

Partially integral brakes

Your motorcycle is equipped
with partially integral brakes.
Both front and rear brakes
are applied when you pull the
handbrake lever. The foot-

z

Riding

brake lever acts only on the
rear brake.
When actively intervening
in the braking process, the
BMW Motorrad Integral ABS
adapts braking-force distri­bution between front and rear
brakes to suit the load on the
motorcycle.

The integral braking

function makes it
very difficult to spin the
rear wheel by opening
the throttle with the front
brake applied to keep the
motorcycle stationary (burn-

OE

out). Attempted burn-outs
can result in damage to the
rear brake and the clutch.
Do not attempt burn-outs.

How does ABS work?

The amount of braking force
that can be transferred to
the road depends on factors
hat include the coefficient of
friction of the road surface.
Loose stones, ice and snow
or a wet road all have much
lower coefficients of friction
than a clean, dry asphalt sur­face. The lower the coeffi­cient of friction, the longer the
braking distance.
If the rider increases braking
pressure to the extent that
braking force exceeds the
maximum transferrable limit,
the wheels start to lock and
the motorcycle loses its dir­ectional stability; a fall is im­minent. Before this situation

can occur, ABS intervenes
and adapts braking pressure
to the maximum transferrable
braking force, so the wheels
continue to turn and direc­tional stability is maintained
irrespective of the condition of
the road surface.

What are the effects of
surface irregularities?

Humps and surface irregu­larities can cause the wheels
to lose contact temporarily
with the road surface; if this
happens the braking force
that can be transmitted to
the road can drop to zero.
If the brakes are applied un­der these circumstances the
ABS has to reduce braking
force to ensure that direc­tional stability is maintained
when the wheels regain con­tact with the road surface.
At this instant the BMW Mo-

torrad Integral ABS must as­sume an extremely low coef­ficient of friction, so that the
wheels will continue to rotate
under all imaginable circum­stances, because this is the
precondition for ensuring dir­ectional stability. As soon as
is registers the actual circum­stances, the system reacts
instantly and adjusts braking
force accordingly to achieve
optimum braking.

What feedback does the
rider receive from the
BMW Motorrad Integral
ABS?

If the ABS system has to re­duce braking force on ac­count of the circumstances
described above, vibration is
perceptible through the hand­brake lever.
When the handbrake lever is
pulled, brake pressure is also

built up at the rear wheel by
the integral function. If the
brake pedal is depressed
after the handbrake lever is
pulled, the brake pressure
built up beforehand is per­ceptible as counter-pres­sure sooner than is the case
when the brake pedal is de­pressed either before or at
the same time as the brake
lever is pulled.

How can stopping
distance be minimised?

Each time the brakes are
applied, a load distribution
shift takes place with the
load shifting forward from
the rear to the front wheel.
The sharper the motorcycle
decelerates, the more load
is shifted to the front wheel.
The higher the wheel load, the
more braking force can be

transmitted without the wheel
locking.
To optimise stopping dis­tance, apply the front brakes
rapidly and keep on increas­ing the force you apply to the
brake lever. This makes the
best possible use of the dy­namic increase in load at the
front wheel. Remember to
pull the clutch at the same
time. In the "panic braking
situations" that are trained so
frequently braking force is ap­plied as rapidly as possible
and with the rider's full force
applied to the brake levers;
under these circumstances
the dynamic shift in load dis­tribution cannot keep pace
with the increase in decel­eration and the tyres cannot
transmit the full braking force
to the surface of the road.
ABS has to intervene to keep
the front wheel from locking;

5

75

z

Riding

this increases stopping dis­tance.

5

76

Rear wheel lift

Even under severe braking,
a high level of tyre grip can
mean that the front wheel
does not lock up until very
late, if at all. Consequently,
ABS does not intervene until
very late, if at all. Under these

z

Riding

circumstances the rear wheel
can lift off the ground, and the
outcome can be a highsiding
situation in which the motor­cycle can flip over.

Severe braking can

cause the rear wheel to
lift off the ground.
When you brake, bear in mind
that ABS control cannot be
relied on in all circumstances
to prevent the rear wheel from
lifting clear of the ground.

What is the design
baseline for BMW
Motorrad Integral ABS?

Within the limits imposed by
physics, the BMW Motorrad
Integral ABS ensures direc­tional stability on any surface.
The system is not optimised
for special requirements that
apply under extreme compet­itive situations off-road or on
the track.

Special situations

The speeds of the front and
rear wheels are compared
as one means of detecting a
wheel's incipient tendency to
lock. If the system registers
implausible values for a
lengthy period the ABS
function is deactivated for
safety reasons and an ABS
fault message is issued. Self­diagnosis has to complete

before fault messages can be
issued.
In addition to problems with
the BMW Motorrad Integ­ral ABS, exceptional riding
conditions can lead to a fault
message being issued.

Exceptional riding
conditions:

Heating up with the motor­cycle on the centre stand
or an auxiliary stand, en­gine idling or with a gear
engaged.
Rear wheel locked by the
engine brake for a lengthy
period, for example while
descending off-road.

If a fault message is issued on
account of exceptional riding
conditions as outlined above,
you can reactivate the ABS
function by switching the igni­tion off and on again.

What significance
devolves on regular
maintenance?

Invariably, a technical

system cannot perform
beyond the abilities dictated
by its level of maintenance.
In order to ensure that the
BMW Motorrad Integral
ABS is always maintained
in optimum condition, it is
essential for you to comply
strictly with the specified
inspection intervals.

Reserves for safety

The potentially shorter braking
distances which BMW Mo­torrad Integral ABS permits
must not be used as an ex­cuse for careless riding. ABS
is primarily a means of ensur­ing a safety margin in genuine
emergencies.

Take care when cornering.
When you apply the brakes
on a corner, the motorcycle's
weight and momentum take
over and even BMW Motor­rad Integral ABS is unable to
counteract their effects.

5

77

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5

78

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Riding

Accessories

General instructions . . . . . .. . . . . 80

Power socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

OA

Case

....................... 81

6

79

z

Accessories

General instructions

6

BMW Motorrad recommends
the use of parts and ac-

80

cessories for your motorcycle
that are approved by BMW for
this purpose.
Genuine BMW parts and ac­cessories and other products
which BMW has approved
can be obtained from your
authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer, together with expert
advice on their installation

z

Accessories

and use.
These parts and products
have been tested by BMW for
safety, function and suitability.
BMW accepts product liability
for them.
Conversely, BMW is unable
to accept any liability whatso­ever for parts and accessor­ies which it has not approved.

BMW Motorrad cannot

assess each non-BMW
product to determine whether
it can be used on or in con­nection with BMW motor­cycles without constituting
a safety hazard. Country­specific official authorisa­tion does not suffice as as­surance. Tests conducted
by these instances cannot
make provision for all operat­ing conditions experienced by
BMW motorcycles and, con­sequently, they are not suffi­cient in some circumstances.
Use only parts and accessor­ies approved by BMW for
your motorcycle.

Whenever you are planning
modifications, comply with all
the legal requirements. Make
sure that the motorcycle does
not infringe national road­vehicle construction and use
regulations.

Power socket

Ratings

The supply to standard sock­et 1 and the extra socket (OA)
is cut off automatically if bat­tery voltage is low or the load
exceeds the maximum for the
two sockets.

Operating electrical
accessories

You can start using electrical
accessories only when the ig­nition is switched on. The ac­cessory remains operational
if the ignition is subsequently

switched off. In order to en­sure that the drain on the on­board power supply system is
minimised, the supply to the
power socket is cut off ap­proximately 15 minutes after
the ignition is switched off,
and it is also temporarily in­terrupted during the start pro­cedure.

Cable routing

The cables from the power
socket to the auxiliary device
must be routed in such a way
that they:

Do not impede the rider
Do not restrict or obstruct
the steering angle and
handling characteristics
Cannot be trapped

Incorrectly routed cables

can impede the rider.
Route the cables as
described above.

Luggage

Correct loading

Overloading and imbal-

anced loads can ad­versely affect the motorcycle's
handling.
Do not exceed the permiss­ible gross weight and be sure
to comply with the instruc­tions on loading.

The maximum speed recom­mended for riding with loaded
cases is 180 km/h.

Set spring preload, damping
characteristic and tyre pres­sures to suit total weight.
Ensure that the case
volumes on the left and right
are equal.
Make sure that the weight
is uniformly distributed
between right and left.

Pack heavy items at the
bottom and toward the in­board side.
Max. load in each case (left
and right): 8 kg.
Max. load in tank rucksack
5 kg.

OA

Case

Release levers

Each case has two levers,
one on each side of the lock.
The grey lever marked OPEN
is for opening and closing the
case.
The black lever marked RE­LEASE is for removing and
attaching the case.

6

81

z

Accessories

Opening cases

6

82

Turn the lock barrel in the

OPEN direction.

z

Accessories

Pull the grey release lever
(OPEN) up.
Lock straps 1 open.

Pull the grey release lever
(OPEN) up again.
Pull case lid 2 out of the re­tainer.

Close the case

Press catches 1 of the case
lid into retainers 2.
The catches engage with an
audible click.
Press catches 3 on the lock
straps into retainers 2.
The catches engage with an
audible click.
Check that the catches are
locked securely into place.

Adjust the case volume

Close the case lid.

Turn the lock strap
buckles 1 of the lock straps
out.
Pull the lock straps up and
out.
This expands the case to
maximum volume.

Removing case

6

83

Close the lock straps.
Press the lock straps
against the case body.
The case volume adapts to
the contents.

Turn the lock barrel in the
RELEASE direction.
Pull the black release lever
(RELEASE) up.

Pull the case out of the top
holder.
Lift the case out of the bot­tom holder.

z

Accessories

Install the case

6

84

Turn the lock barrel in the
RELEASE direction.

z

Accessories

Pull the black release lever
(RELEASE) up.
Press the case into top
holder 3.
Push the black release lever
(RELEASE) down.
The case is locked into
place.
Lock the case.
Check that it is correctly en­gaged.

Secure attachment

tom bracket on the case can
be moved up or down for this
purpose.

Adapt the case

Open the case.

Remove screws 1.
Adjust the height of the
holder.
Tighten screws 1.

Hook the case into bottom
holder 2.

If a case wobbles or is difficult
to fit, it has to be adapted to
the gap between the upper
and lower mounting. The bot-

Maintenance

General instructions . . . . . .. . . . . 86

Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Brake system, general . . . . . . . . . 89

Brake pads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Front-wheel stand . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Rear-wheel stand . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Jump start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

7

85

z

Maintenance

General instructions

7

The 'Maintenance' chapter
describes work involving the

86

replacement of wear parts
that can be performed with
minimum effort.
Special tightening torques are
listed as applicable.
If you are interested in inform­ation on more extensive work,
we recommend the repair
manual on CD-ROM which
applies to your particular mo­torcycle. You can obtain a

z

Maintenance

copy from your authorised
BMW Motorrad dealer.

Some of the work calls for
special tools and a thorough
knowledge of motorcycles.
If you are in doubt consult a
specialist workshop, prefer­ably your authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.

Toolkit

Standard on-board
toolkit

1 Screwdriver with
reversible blade

Removing and installing turn
indicator glass
Disconnecting leads from
battery terminals

2 Torx wrench, T25

Removing and installing
body panels
Removing and installing bat­tery retainer

3 Screwdriver, small

Removing and installing turn
indicator glass

On-board toolkit service
kit

Your authorised BMW Mo­torrad dealer can provide the
on-board toolkit service kit
that you will need if you are
considering undertaking more
extensive work.
You will find information
on undertaking work of
this nature in the Repair
Manual on the CD-ROM
also obtainable from your
authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.

1 extending tool holder

Adapters to accommodate
all tools

2 1/4" bits

5x Torx bits
2x cross-head bits
1x plain screwdriver bit

3 3/8" adapter for socket­head screws, w/f 22

Removing and installing
front wheel

4 Electric torch

LED bulb

5 Set of spanners

3x open-ended spanners,
various sizes

6 Bit adapter

Adapter for 1/4" bits
9x12 mm and 3/8" swivel
adapters

Engine oil

Checking engine oil level

The engine can seize if

the oil level is low, and
this can lead to accidents.
Always make sure that the oil
level is correct.

Oil can collect in the

sump if the motorcycle
is out of use for an extended
period of time; this oil has to
be pumped into the oil tank
before the level is read. The
engine oil must be at oper­ating temperature to do this.
Checking the oil level with the

engine cold or after no more
than a short ride will lead to
misinterpretation; this in turn,
means that the engine will be
operated with the incorrect
quantity of oil.
In order to ensure that the en­gine oil level is read correctly,
check the oil level only after a
lengthy trip.

The oil level varies with

the temperature of the
oil. The higher the temperat­ure the higher the oil level in
the oil tank. Check the engine
oil level immediately after a
lengthy journey.

Make sure the engine is at
operating temperature and
hold the motorcycle upright.

with OA Centre stand:

Check that the engine is
at operating temperature,
make sure the ground is
level and firm and place

7

87

z

Maintenance

the motorcycle on its centre
stand.

7

88

Allow the engine to idle for
one minute.
Switch off the ignition.

z

Maintenance

Check the oil level in oil­level indicator 1.

Engine oil, specified
level

Between MIN and MAX
marks

If the oil level is below the
MIN mark:

Top up the engine oil.

If the oil level is above the
MAX mark:

Drain off the engine oil.

Top up the engine oil

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand.
Removing the seat ( 54)

Damage to the engine

can result if it is oper­ated without enough oil, but
the same also applies if the oil
level is too high.
Always make sure that the oil
level is correct.

Wipe the area around the
filler neck clean.

Remove oil filler cap 1 by
turning it counter-clockwise.
Top up the engine oil to the
specified level.
Install cap of oil filler neck 1
and turn it clockwise to
close.
Installing the seat ( 55)

Draining engine oil

Removing the seat ( 54)

Squeeze the retainer of
transparent tube 2 together
on left and right and pull the
tube up and out of the oil
tank.
Pull the transparent tube
down out of the frame and
drain the engine oil into a
suitable container until the
level is to specification.
Insert the transparent tube
into the oil tank and engage
the retainer.
Store or dispose of the ex­cess engine oil in an envir­onmentally compatible man­ner.

Installing the seat ( 55)

Brake system, general

Reliability

A fully functional brake sys­tem is a basic requirement for
the road safety of your motor­cycle.
Do not ride the motorcycle if
you have any doubts about
the dependability of the brake
system.
Under these circumstances
have the brake system
checked by a specialist
workshop, preferably an
authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.

Incorrect working prac-

tices endanger the reli­ability of the brakes.
Have all work on the brake
system performed by a spe­cialist workshop, preferably

7

89

z

Maintenance

an authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.

7

90

Check operation of the
brakes

Pull the handbrake lever.
The pressure point must be
clearly perceptible.
Press the footbrake lever.
The pressure point must be
clearly perceptible.

Brake pads

z

Maintenance

Checking brake-pad
thickness, front brakes

Brake pads worn past

the minimum permissible
thickness can cause a reduc­tion in braking efficiency and
under certain circumstances
they can cause damage to
the brake system.
In order to ensure the de­pendability of the brake sys­tem, do not permit the brake

pads to wear past the minim­um permissible thickness.

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand.

Visually inspect the left and
right brake pads to ascer­tain their thickness.

Brake-pad thickness,
front

The wear indicators on
the brake pads must be
clearly visible.

If the wear indicating mark is
no longer clearly visible:

Have the brake pads re­placed by a specialist work­shop, preferably an author­ised BMW Motorrad dealer.

Checking brake pad
thickness, rear brakes

Brake pads worn past

the minimum permissible
thickness can cause a reduc­tion in braking efficiency and
under certain circumstances
they can cause damage to
the brake system.
In order to ensure the de­pendability of the brake sys­tem, do not permit the brake
pads to wear past the minim­um permissible thickness.

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand.

Visually inspect the brake
pads from the right to as­certain their thickness.

Rear brake pads, ma­terial thickness

Wear limit

Rear brake pads, ma­terial thickness

1 mm (Friction pad only,
without backing plate)

Make sure that the brake
disc is not visible through
the bore in the inboard
brake block.

If the brake disc is visible:

Have the brake pads re­placed by a specialist work­shop, preferably an author­ised BMW Motorrad dealer.

Brake fluid

Check the brake-fluid
level, front brakes

A low fluid level in the

brake reservoir can al­low air to penetrate the brake
system. This significantly re­duces braking efficiency.

7

91

z

Maintenance

Check the brake-fluid level at
regular intervals.

7

Make sure the ground is

92

level and firm and hold the
motorcycle upright.
Move the handlebars to the
straight-ahead position.

with OA Centre stand:

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place
the motorcycle on its centre
stand.
Move the handlebars to the

z

Maintenance

straight-ahead position.

Check the brake fluid level
in front reservoir 1.

The brake fluid level in

the brake fluid reser­voir drops as the brake pads
wear.

Brake fluid level, front

DOT4 brake fluid
Do not permit the brake

fluid level to drop below
the MIN mark. (Brake­fluid reservoir horizontal)

If the brake fluid level drops
below the permitted level:

Have the defect rectified
as quickly as possible by a
specialist workshop, prefer­ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.

Check the brake-fluid
level, rear brakes

A low fluid level in the

brake reservoir can al­low air to penetrate the brake
system. This significantly re­duces braking efficiency.
Check the brake-fluid level at
regular intervals.

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and hold the
motorcycle upright.

with OA Centre stand:

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place
the motorcycle on its centre
stand.

Check the brake fluid level
in brake fluid reservoir 1.

The brake fluid level in

the brake fluid reser­voir drops as the brake pads
wear.

Brake fluid level, rear

DOT4 brake fluid
Do not permit the brake

fluid level to drop below
the MIN mark. (Brake­fluid reservoir horizontal)

If the brake fluid level drops
below the permitted level:

Have the defect rectified
as quickly as possible by a
specialist workshop, prefer­ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.

7

93

z

Maintenance

Clutch

7

Checking clutch

94

operation

Pull the clutch lever.
The pressure point must be

clearly perceptible.
If the pressure point is not
clearly perceptible:

Have the clutch checked

by a specialist workshop,

preferably an authorised

BMW Motorrad dealer.

z

Maintenance

Check the clutch fluid
level

Make sure the ground is

level and firm and hold the

motorcycle upright.

Move the handlebars to the

straight-ahead position.
with OA Centre stand:

Make sure the ground is

level and firm and place

the motorcycle on its centre
stand.
Move the handlebars to the
straight-ahead position.

Check the clutch fluid level
in clutch fluid reservoir 1.

Wear of the clutch

causes the fluid level in
the clutch fluid reservoir to
rise.

Clutch fluid level

Do not permit the clutch
fluid level to drop.

If the fluid level drops:

Unsuitable hydraulic flu-

ids could cause damage
to the clutch system.
Do not attempt to top up
the system with fluids of any
kind.

Have the defect rectified
as quickly as possible by a
specialist workshop, prefer-

ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.

The clutch system is

filled with a special hy­draulic fluid that does not
have to be changed.

Tyres

Check the tyre tread
depth

Your motorcycle's hand-

ling and grip can be im­paired even before the tyres
wear to the minimum tyre
tread depth permitted by law.
Have the tyres changed in
good time before they wear
to the minimum permissible
tread depth.

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand.

Measure the tyre tread
depth in the main tread
grooves with wear marks.

Tyres have wear indic-

ators integrated into the
main tread grooves. The tyre
is worn out when the tyre
tread has worn down to the
level of the marks. The loca­tions of the marks are indic­ated on the edge of the tyre,
e.g. by the letters TI, TWI or
by an arrow.

If the tyre tread is worn to
minimum:

Replace tyre or tyres, as ap­plicable.

Rims

Checking rims

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand.

Visually inspect the rims for
defects.
Have damaged rims
checked and, if necessary,
replaced by a specialist
workshop, preferably an
authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.

Wheels

Approved wheels and
tyres

For each size of tyre BMW
Motorrad tests certain makes,
and approves those that it
certifies as roadworthy. If
BMW Motorrad has not ap­proved the wheels and tyres,
it cannot assess their suitab­ility or provide any guarantee
of road safety.
Use only wheels and tyres ap­proved by BMW Motorrad for
your type of motorcycle.

7

95

z

Maintenance

You can obtain detailed in­formation from your author-

7

ised BMW Motorrad dealer or

96

on the Internet at www.bmw­motorrad.com.

RDC label

z

Maintenance

damage to the RDC sensors.
Be sure to notify the author­ised BMW Motorrad dealer or
specialist workshop that the
wheel is fitted with an RDC
sensor.

OE

Incorrect tyre-removal
procedures can result in

If the motorcycle is equipped
with RDC, each wheel rim
bears an adhesive label indic­ating the position of the RDC
sensor. When changing the
tyre, take care not to damage
the RDC sensor. Be sure to
draw the attention of the au­thorised BMW Motorrad deal­er or specialist workshop to
the fact that the wheel is fitted
with an RDC sensor.

Remove the front wheel

Place the motorcycle on an
auxiliary stand; BMW Motor­rad recommends the BMW
Motorrad rear-wheel stand.
Fit the rear-wheel stand
( 106)

with OA Centre stand:

Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place
the motorcycle on its centre
stand.

Remove screws 1 on left
and right.
Remove covers 2 on left
and right.

Once the calipers have

been removed, there is
a risk of the brake pads be­ing pressed together to the
extent that they cannot be
slipped back over the brake
disc on reassembly.
Do not operate the handbrake
lever when the brake calipers
have been removed.

Remove securing screws 3
of the brake calipers on left
and right.

Force the brake pads
slightly apart by rocking
brake calipers 4 back
and forth A against brake
discs 5.
Mask off the parts of the
wheel rim that could be
scratched in the process of
removing the brake calipers.
Carefully pull the brake cal­ipers back and out until
clear of the brake discs.

with OE BMW Motorrad
Integral ABS:

When removing the left
brake caliper, take care not

to damage the ABS sensor
cable.

Raise the front of the mo­torcycle until the front wheel
can rotate freely. BMW Mo­torrad recommends the
BMW Motorrad front wheel
stand for lifting the motor­cycle.
Fitting the front wheel stand
( 104)

Remove right-hand axle
clamping screw 6.

7

97

z

Maintenance

with OE BMW Motorrad
Integral ABS:

7

98

z

Maintenance

The left axle clamping

screw locates the
threaded bush in the front
suspension. If the threaded
bush is not correctly aligned
the gap between the ABS
sensor ring and the ABS
sensor will not be correct and
this can cause the ABS to
malfunction or allow the ABS
sensor to be damaged.
In order to ensure that the
threaded bush remains cor­rectly aligned, do not slacken
or remove the left axle camp­ing screw.

Remove right-hand axle
clamping screw 6.

Remove quick-release
axle 7, holding the wheel as
you do so.

Lower the front wheel to the
ground between the front
forks.
Roll the front wheel forward

to remove.
with OE BMW Motorrad
Integral ABS:

Take care not to damage

the ABS sensor when
rolling out the front wheel.
Note the ABS sensor when
rolling out the front wheel.

Roll the front wheel forward
to remove.

Installing front wheel

ABS malfunctions on ac-

count of incorrect speed
signal.
Segmentation differs between
individual types of sensor
ring; it is very important to en­sure that the correct sensor
ring is installed. Install only
the sensor ring that matches

the motorcycle's construction
status.

Threaded fasteners not

tightened to the spe­cified torque can work loose
or their threads can suffer
damage.
Always have the security of
the fasteners checked by a
specialist workshop, prefer­ably an authorised BMW Mo­torrad dealer.

The front wheel must be

installed right way round
to rotate in the correct direc­tion.
Note the direction-of-rotation
arrows on the tyre or the
wheel rim.

Roll the front wheel into
position between the front
forks.