BMW R 1200 R 2011 Owner's Manual
Rider's Manual
R 1200 R, Classic
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 . . . . . . . . 14
Handlebar fitting, left . . . . . . . . 15
Handlebar fitting, right . . . . . . . 16
Instrument panel . . . . . . . .. . . . 17
3 Status indicators . . .. . . . 19
Multifunction display . . . . . .. . 20
Meaning of symbols. . .. . . . . . 21
Warning and telltale
lights . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . 22
Service-due indicator . . .. . . . . 23
Range . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 23
Ambient temperature. . . . . . . . 24
Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 24
Warnings . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Ignition switch and steering
lock . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Electronic immobiliser
EWS . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Clock . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . 40
Lights . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Turn indicators . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 42
Hazard warning flashers . . . . . 43
Emergency off switch (kill
switch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 44
Grip heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Automatic Stability Control
ASC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 45
Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . 46
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 46
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . 47
Spring preload . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 48
Damping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 49
Electronic Suspension Ad-
justment ESA . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . 50
Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 52
Headlight . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Seat . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
5 Riding .. .. . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . 55
Safety instructions . . . . .. . .. . 56
Checklist . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 58
Starting. . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . 59
Running in . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 62
Parking your motorcycle . . . . 63
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 64
Secure the motorcycle for
transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
6 Engineering details..... 67
Brake system with BMW
Motorrad Integral ABS . . . . . . 68
Electronic engine management with BMW Motorrad
ASC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 70
Tyre pressure monitoring
RDC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 72
7 Accessories . . . .. . . . .. . . . 75
General instructions . . . . . . . .. 76
Power sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 76
Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 77
Topcase. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
8 Maintenance . .. .. .. .. . .. 83
General instructions . . . . . . . .. 84
Toolkit. . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . 84
Engine oil . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Brake system . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 86
Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . 91
Rims and tyres . . . . . . . .. . .. . . 92
Wheels . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . 93
Front-wheel stand . . . . . . . . . 100
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 101
Headlight . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Jump starting . . . . .. . .. . . . . 109
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
9 Care .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . . .. 115
Care products . . .. . .. . . . . . . 116
Washing motorcycle. . . . . . . 116
Cleaning easily damaged
components . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 116
Paint care . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . 117
Protective wax coating . . . . 118
Laying up motorcycle . . . . . 118
Restoring motorcycle to
use . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 118
10 Technical data .. .. .. 119
troubleshooting chart . . . . . . 120
Threaded fasteners . . . . . . . 121
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 123
Fuel . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 124
Engine oil . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . 126
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 126
Rear-wheel drive . . . .. . . . . . 127
Running gear .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 129
Wheels and tyres. . . . . . . . .. 129
Electrics . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . 130
Frame . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Weights . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . 133
Riding specifications . . . . . . 134
11 Service . .. .. .. .. .. .. . . 135
BMW Motorrad service . . . . 136
BMW Motorrad service
quality . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
BMW Motorrad mobility
services - roadside assist-
ance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 136
BMW Motorrad service
network . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . 137
Maintenance work . . . . . . . . . 137
Confirmation of mainten-
ance work . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 138
Confirmation of service . . . . 143
12 Index . .. .. . .. . . .. . . . .. 145
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 an initial
6
overview of your motorcycle. All
maintenance and repair work on
the motorcycle is documented in
Chapter 11. 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 of the motorcycle.
z
General instructions
Abbreviations and symbols
Indicates warnings that you
must comply with for reasons of your safety and the safety
of others, and to protect 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
The motorcycles are assembled complete with
all the BMW optional extras originally 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
DWA
Anti-theft alarm (Diebstahlwarnanlage)
Anti-lock brake system
ABS
ASC Automatic Stability Con-
trol.
ESA Electronic Suspension
Adjustment
Electronic Suspension
Adjustment.
Tyre pressure monitoring
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
Deutsches 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 accessories.
Because of this, your motorcycle
may differ from the information
supplied in the Rider's Manual.
Nor can BMW Motorrad entirely
rule out errors and omissions.
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Handlebar fitting, left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Handlebar fitting, right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2
9
z
General views
2
10
z
General views
General view, left side
1 Clutch-fluid reservoir
( 91)
2 Fuel filler neck ( 64)
3 Power socket ( 76)
4 Adjuster for damping char-
acteristic ( 49)
5 Engine oil level indicator
( 85)
2
11
z
General views
2
12
z
General views
General view, right side
1 Seat lock ( 53)
2 Engine-oil filler neck
( 86)
3 Brake-fluid reservoir, front
( 89)
4 Vehicle Identification Num-
ber (VIN) (on steering-head
bearing)
2
13
z
General views
Underneath the seat
2
1 Battery ( 110)
2 Brake-fluid reservoir, rear
14
z
General views
( 90)
3 Rider's Manual
Toolkit
4 Table of tyre pressures
5 Payload table
6 Adjuster, spring preload
( 48)
Handlebar fitting, left
1 Operating the on-board
computer ( 40)
2 with Automatic Stability
Control (ASC)
Operating ASC ( 45)
3 with Electronic Suspen-
sion Adjustment (ESA)
Operating ESA ( 50)
4 Horn
5 Flashing turn indicators,
left ( 42)
Hazard warning flashers
( 43)
6 High-beam headlight and
headlight flasher ( 42)
OE
OE
2
15
z
General views
Handlebar fitting, right
2
1 Emergency off switch (kill
16
z
General views
switch) ( 44)
2 Starter button ( 59)
3 with heated handlebar
4 Cancel button, flashing
5 Flashing turn indicators,
OE
grips
Grip heating ( 44)
turn indicators ( 42)
Pushbutton, cancel hazard
warning flashers ( 43)
right ( 42)
Hazard warning flashers
( 43)
Instrument panel
1 Speedometer
2 Warning and telltale lights
( 22)
3 Rev. counter
4 Ambient-light brightness
sensor (for adapting the
brightness of the instrument lighting)
with anti-theft alarm
Anti-theft alarm telltale light
(see the instructions for
use for the anti-theft alarm)
5 Operation of the clock
( 39)
6 Multifunction display
( 20)
7 Control for the odometer
( 40)
OE
2
17
z
General views
2
18
z
General views
Status indicators
Multifunction display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Meaning of symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Warning and telltale lights . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Service-due indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Ambient temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3
19
z
Status indicators
Multifunction display
3
1 Trip meter ( 40)
2 Warning for engine elec-
20
z
Status indicators
tronics ( 29)
3 with tyre pressure monit-
oring (RDC)
Tyre pressures ( 24)
4 Clock ( 39)
5 Service due ( 23)
6 Top values area
7 with Electronic Suspen-
sion Adjustment (ESA)
ESA setting ( 50)
8 Symbols
explaining the readings
shown in the values area
( 21)
9 Coolant temperature
The horizontal bars indicate the level of the coolant
temperature.
10 Gear indicator
The gear engaged or N
for neutral appears on the
display.
OE
OE
11 Fuel level
The horizontal bars indicate the quantity of fuel left
in the tank. The top bar
is larger than the others
and the quantity of fuel it
represents is significantly
larger.
12 Bottom values area
13 Warning, in combination
with a text ( 25)
Meaning of symbols
Range in km ( 23)
with on-board computer
Average consumption in l/
100 km
Average speed in km/h
Current consumption in l/
100 km
Ambient temperature in °C
( 24)
OE
3
21
z
Status indicators
Warning and telltale
3
lights
22
1 Telltale light for left turn
indicators
2 General warning light, in
combination with warnings
in the display ( 25)
3 Telltale light for neutral
4 High-beam headlight tell-
tale light
5 Telltale light for right turn
indicators
6 with BMW Motorrad In-
tegral ABS
z
Status indicators
ABS warning light ( 31)
7 with Automatic Stability
Control (ASC)
ASC warning light ( 31)
8 Warning light for fuel down
to reserve ( 29)
9 Warning light for battery
charge current ( 30)
OE
OE
Service-due indicator
If the next service is due in less
than one month, the date for the
next service 1 is shown briefly
after the Pre-Ride Check completes. The month is shown as a
two-digit number and the year as
a four-digit number, with a colon
as separator, so in this example
the next service is due in March
2011.
If the motorcycle covers long distances in the course of the year,
under certain circumstances it
might be necessary to have it
serviced at a date in advance of
the forecast due date 2. If the
countdown distance to the odometer reading at which a service
will be due is less than 1000 km,
the distance is counted down in
steps of 100 km and is shown
briefly after the Pre-Ride Check
completes.
If service is overdue, the due
date or the odometer reading at
which service was due is accom-
panied by the 'General' warning
light showing yellow. The word
"Service" remains permanently
visible.
If the service-due indicator
appears more than a month
before the service date, the date
saved in the instrument cluster
must be adjusted. This situation
can occur if the battery was disconnected for a prolonged period
of time.
If you want to have the date set
consult a specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.
Range
The range readout indic-
ates how far you can ride
with the fuel remaining in the
tank. This distance is calculated
on the basis of fuel level and average consumption.
When refuelling after running on
reserve, make sure that you top
3
23
z
Status indicators
up the tank to a level above reserve, as otherwise the sensor
3
will not be able to register the
24
new level. If the sensor cannot
register the new level the range
readout cannot be updated.
When the motorcycle is propped
on its side stand the slight angle
of inclination means that the
sensor cannot register the fuel
level correctly. This is the reason
why the range is calculated only
when the side stand is in the retracted position.
z
Status indicators
The calculated range is only
an approximate reading.
Consequently, BMW Motorrad
recommends that you should not
try to use the full range before
refuelling.
without on-board computer
The range reading does not appear until the fuel is down to the
reserve level.
with on-board computer
The figure for average consumption used to calculate range is
not shown and might not be the
same as the average-consumption reading that appears on the
display.
Ambient temperature
with on-board computer
When the motorcycle is at
a standstill the heat of the
engine can falsify the ambienttemperature reading. If the effect
of the engine's heat becomes excessive, -- temporarily appears
on the display.
If ambient temperature drops below 3 °C the temperature display flashes to draw your atten-
OE
tion to the risk of black ice forming. The display automatically
switches from any other mode
to the temperature reading when
OE
OE
the temperature drops below this
threshold for the first time.
Tyre pressures
with tyre pressure monitoring
OE
(RDC)
The tyre-pressure readings are
based on a reference tyre temperature of 20 °C. The front
tyre pressure is on the left 1;
the reading on the right 2 is
the rear tyre pressure. -- -appears directly after the ignition is switched on, because
the sensors do not transmit tyre
pressures until the first time the
motorcycle accelerates to more
than 30 km/h.
If the warning triangle also
shows, the reading is a
warning. The critical tyre pressure 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.
The detailed description of BMW
Motorrad RDC starts on page
( 72).
Warnings
Mode of presentation
Warnings are indicated by the
corresponding warning lights.
Warnings that do not have warning lights of their own are indicated by 'General' warning light 1
showing in combination with a
text warning or a warning symbol
in the multifunction display. The
'General' warning light shows red
or yellow, depending on the urgency of the warning.
A reading in top values area 2
that constitutes a warning is ac-
companied by warning triangle 3.
These warnings alternate with
the odometer readings.
The status of the 'General' warning light matches the most urgent warning.
The possible warnings are listed
on the next pages.
3
25
z
Status indicators
Warnings, overview
3
Warning light Status indicators Meaning
26
Lights up yellow + "EWS" appears
on the display
Lights up Fuel down to reserve ( 29)
Electronic immobiliser active ( 29)
Lights up yellow Appears on the dis-
Lights up
Lights up yellow + "LAMP" ap-
z
Status indicators
Lights up yellow
Flashes
play
pears on the display
"x.x °C" flashes
dWA appears on
the display
Engine in emergency-operation mode
( 29)
Insufficient battery charge current
( 30)
Bulb defective ( 30)
Ice warning ( 30)
Anti-theft alarm battery flat ( 31)
ABS self-diagnosis not completed
( 31)
Warning light Status indicators Meaning
Lights up
Quick-flashes ASC intervention ( 31)
ABS fault ( 31)
3
27
Slow-flashes ASC self-diagnosis not completed
Lights up
Lights up
Lights up yellow
Flashes red
+ "x.x" flashes Tyre pressure close to limit of permitted
+ "x.x" flashes
+ "--" or "--
( 32)
ASC switched off ( 32)
ASC fault ( 32)
tolerance ( 32)
Tyre pressure outside permitted tolerance ( 33)
Signal transmission disrupted ( 33)
--" appears on
the display.
z
Status indicators
Warning light Status indicators Meaning
3
28
z
Status indicators
Lights up yellow + "--" or "--
--" appears on
the display.
Lights up yellow
+ "RdC" appears
on the display.
Sensor defective or system error
( 34)
Battery of tyre-pressure sensor weak
( 35)
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