BMW R 1200 RT 1st Edition (US) 2009 Owner's manual
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Welcome to BMW
We congratulate you on your
choice of a motorcycle from
BMW and welcome you to the
community of BMW riders.
Familiarize 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 any questions concerning your motorcycle, your authorized BMW Motorrad retailer
is always happy to provide advice
and assistance.
We wish you many miles of safe
and enjoyable riding
BMW Motorrad.
Table of Contents
You can also use the index at the
end of this Rider's Manual to find
a specific topic.
1 General instructions .... 5
Overview . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Abbreviations and
symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Currentness of this manu-
al . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2 Overviews . .. ............. 9
General view, left side . . . . . . . 11
General view, right side . . . . . 13
Left handlebar fitting . . . . . . . . 14
Handlebar fitting, right . . . . . . . 16
Underneath seat . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Instrument cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3 Status indicators . .. .... 23
Standard displays . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Displays with onboard com-
puter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Displays with Tire Pressure
Control TPC/RDC . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Displays with heated handle-
bar grips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Displays with seat heater . . . . 26
Indicator light of cruise-con-
trol system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Standard warning indica-
tors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Warning indicators of on-
board computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
ABS warning indicators . . . . . 34
ASC warning indicators . . . . . 37
TPC/RDC warning indica-
tors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Anti-theft alarm warning indi-
cators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
4 Operation .. .. ............ 47
Ignition switch and steering
lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Electronic immobilizer
EWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Odometer and
tripmeters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Multifunction display . . . . . . . . 52
Onboard computer . . . . . . . . . . 52
Tire Pressure Control TPC/
RDC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Turn indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Hazard warning flashers . . . . . 57
Emergency ON/OFF
switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Heated handlebar grips . . . . . 58
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Automatic Stability Control
ASC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Seat height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Windshield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Storage compartment . . . . . . . 65
Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Spring preload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Damping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Electronic suspension ad-
justment ESA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Front and rear seats. . . . . . . . . 72
Helmet holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
5 Riding .................... 75
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . 76
Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Starting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Running in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Parking your motorcycle . . . . 83
Refueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Securing motorcycle for
transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
6 Technology in
detail .. ................... 87
Brake system with BMW
Motorrad Integral ABS . . . . . . 88
Engine management with
BMW Motorrad ASC . . . . . . . . 90
Tire Pressure Control TPC/
RDC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Electronic Suspension Ad-
justment ESA II . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
7 Accessories . ............ 95
General instructions . . . . . . . . . 96
Onboard sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Topcase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
8 Maintenance . ......... 103
General instructions . . . . . . . 104
Onboard toolkit. . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Brake fluid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Front wheel stand . . . . . . . . . 119
Lamps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Fairings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
9 Care .................... 133
Care products . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Washing your motorcy-
cle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Cleaning sensitive motorcy-
cle parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Paint care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Protective wax coating .. . . 136
Storing motorcycle . . . . . . . . 136
Returning motorcycle to
use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
10 Technical data . .. ... 137
Troubleshooting chart . . . . . 138
Threaded fasteners . . . . . . . 139
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Rear-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . 144
Running gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Wheels and tires . . . . . . . . . . 146
Electrical system . . . . . . . . . . 148
Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Riding specifications . . . . . . 151
11 Service ............... 153
Reporting safety
defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
BMW Motorrad Service . . . 155
BMW Motorrad Service
Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
BMW Motorrad Mobility
Services - onsite break-
down service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
BMW Motorrad Service
Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Maintenance work. . . . . . . . . 156
Confirmation of mainte-
nance work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Confirmation of service . . . . 162
General instructions
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Abbreviations and symbols . . . . . . . . . . 6
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Currentness of this manual . . . . . . . . . . 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 carried out on your motorcycle will
be documented in Chapter 11.
Proof of the maintenance work
performed is a prerequisite for
generous treatment of 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.
Abbreviations and
z
General instructions
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.
Special information on op-
erating and inspecting your
motorcycle as well as maintenance and adjustment procedures.
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 accessory or equipmentdependent information.
Tightening torque.
Technical data.
OE Optional equipment
The motorcycles are assembled complete with
all the BMW optional extras originally ordered.
OA Optional accessories
BMW optional accessories can be purchased
and installed at your authorized BMW Motorrad
retailer.
Electronic immobilizer.
EWS
DWA
Anti-theft alarm.
ABS Anti-Lock Brake System.
ASC Automatic Stability Con-
trol.
ESA Electronic Suspension
Adjustment
Electronic suspension
adjustment.
RDC Tire Pressure Control
(TPC).
Equipment
When you ordered your BMW
motorcycle, you chose various
items of custom equipment. This
Rider's Manual describes optional
equipment (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 is equipped with
options or accessories not described in this Rider's Manual,
then this equipment is described
in separate operating instructions.
Technical data
All dimensions, weights and outputs in the Rider's Manual refer
to the Deutsches Institut für Normung e. V. (DIN) and comply with
its tolerance regulations. Versions for individual countries may
differ.
Currentness of this manual
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. In addition,
BMW Motorrad cannot guarantee
the total absence of errors. 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
Overviews
General view, left side. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
General view, right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Left handlebar fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Handlebar fitting, right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Underneath seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Instrument cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2
9
z
Overviews
2
10
z
Overviews
General view, left side
1 Headlight range adjust-
ment ( 71)
2 Brake-fluid reservoir, front
( 109)
3 Onboard socket (OE/OA)
( 96)
4 Adjustment of rear damp-
ing ( 67)
5 Adjustable shift lever
( 66)
6 Engine oil level indicator
( 105)
7 Onboard socket ( 96)
8 Vehicle Identification
Number (on steering-head
bearing)
2
11
z
Overviews
2
12
z
Overviews
General view, right side
1 Seat lock ( 72)
2 with seat heating
Operation of passenger
seat heating (under passenger seat) ( 60)
3 Tank rucksack mount
4 Fuel filler opening ( 83)
5 Clutch fluid reservoir
6 Electrically adjustable wind-
shield ( 62)
7 Storage compartment
( 65)
8 Engine oil fill location
( 106)
OE
2
13
z
Overviews
Left handlebar fitting
2
1 Operation of audio system
14
z
Overviews
(OE, see separate operating instructions)
2 High-beam headlight and
headlight flasher ( 57)
3 with cruise-control sys-
4 Hazard warning flashers
5 Windshield operation
6 Operating turn indicators
7 Horn
8 with Electronic Suspen-
9 with Automatic Stability
OE
tem
Cruise control operation
( 63)
( 57)
( 62)
( 57)
sion Adjustment (ESA
OE
II)
Operating ESA ( 68)
Control (ASC)
Operating ASC ( 61)
OE
10 Operating odometer
( 50)
with onboard comput-
OE
er
Operating onboard computer ( 52)
2
15
z
Overviews
Handlebar fitting, right
2
1 with heated handlebar
16
2 with seat heating
3 Emergency ON/OFF
4 Starter button ( 78)
z
Overviews
OE
grips
Heated hand grip operation
( 58)
Driver's seat heater operation ( 59)
switch ( 58)
OE
2
17
z
Overviews
2
18
z
Overviews
Underneath seat
1 Driver's seat height adjust-
ment ( 62)
2 Battery ( 129)
3 Brake-fluid reservoir, rear
( 110)
4 Rider's Manual
5 Onboard toolkit
6 Helmet holder ( 74)
7 Payload table
8 Tire inflation pressure table
9 Adjuster for spring preload,
rear ( 66)
2
19
z
Overviews
Instrument cluster
2
1 Speedometer
2 Indicator lights ( 24)
20
3 Multifunction display
( 24)
4 Tachometer
5 Anti-theft alarm indicator
light (OE, see separate
anti-theft alarm operating
instructions)
6 Operating clock ( 50)
z
Overviews
Adjusting dimming
( 52).
7 Operating odometer
( 50)
8 Ambient brightness sensor
(for brightness adjustment
of instrument lighting)
Headlight
1 High-beam headlight
2 Parking lights
3 Low-beam headlight
2
21
z
Overviews
2
22
z
Overviews
Status indicators
Standard displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Displays with onboard computer . . . . 25
Displays with Tire Pressure Control
TPC/RDC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Displays with heated handlebar
grips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Displays with seat heater . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Indicator light of cruise-control sys-
tem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Standard warning indicators . . . . . . . . 27
Warning indicators of onboard com-
puter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
ABS warning indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
ASC warning indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
TPC/RDC warning indicators. . . . . . . . 39
Anti-theft alarm warning
indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
3
23
z
Status indicators
Standard displays
3
Multifunction display
24
1 Fuel capacity ( 24)
2 Gear indicator ( 24)
3 Engine temperature
z
Status indicators
( 24)
4 Clock ( 50)
5 Odometer
6 Trip meter ( 50)
Indicator lights
1 Flashing turn indicators,
left
2 High-beam headlight
3 Idling
4 Flashing turn indicators,
right
Fuel capacity
The vertical bar under the
gas pump symbol indicates
the remaining fuel quantity.
When the fuel in the tank is
topped up the gauge briefly
shows the original level, before
the reading is updated.
Gear indicator
The gear engaged or N for neutral appears on the display.
If no gear is engaged, the
'neutral' indicator light also
lights up.
Engine temperature
The vertical bar under the
temperature symbol shows
the engine temperature level.
Service display
If the time remaining until the
next service lies within a month,
the service date 1 is briefly displayed following the pre-ride
check. In this example the display means "March 2010".
If the motorcycle is driven long
distances annually, it is possible
that earlier service is required. If
the odometer reading for the earlier service lies within 621 miles
(1000 km), the remaining miles
(kilometers) 2 are counted down
in 62-mile (100-km) steps and
briefly displayed following the
pre-ride check.
If the service interval has been
exceeded, the general warning
light also lights up yellow in addition to the date or mileage dis-
play. The Service lettering is displayed continuously.
If the service display
appears more than a month
before the service date, the
stored date must be adjusted
in the instrument cluster. This
situation can occur if the battery
has been disconnected for a
longer time.
Consult a certified workshop,
preferably an authorized BMW
Motorrad retailer, for setting of
the date.
Displays with onboard computer
with onboard computer
OE
1 Onboard computer display
area ( 52)
2 The tripmeters are shown
alternately with the odometer.
Displays with Tire Pressure Control TPC/ RDC
with Tire Pressure Control
(TPC/RDC)
OE
3
25
z
Status indicators
3
26
1 Display of tire inflation
pressures ( 56)
The tire inflation pressures
are shown temperaturecompensated (see the chapter
"Technology in Detail").
z
Status indicators
Displays with heated handlebar grips
with heated handlebar grips
1 Depiction of selected heat-
ing level ( 58)
Displays with seat heater
with seat heating
OE
OE
1 Depiction of selected heat-
ing levels ( 59)
Indicator light of cruisecontrol system
with cruise-control system
OE
1 Indicator light of cruise-
control system ( 63)
Standard warning indicators
Display
Warnings are indicated with the
general warning light 1 in combination with one of the warning
symbols 2. The 'General' warning light shows red or yellow, depending on the urgency of the
warning.
If several warnings are active,
all corresponding warning lights
and warning symbols are displayed. The general warning light
is shown in accordance with the
most urgent warning.
The possible warnings are listed
on the next page.
3
27
z
Status indicators
Overview of warning indicators
3
Indicator lights Displays Meaning
28
Lights up yellow
Lights up yellow Flashes Fuel down to reserve ( 29)
EWS ! appears on
the display
Electronic immobilizer is active ( 29)
Lights up yellow Is indicated Engine in emergency-operation mode
Flashes red Is indicated
Lights up red Is indicated
z
Status indicators
Lights up yellow Is indicated
Lights up yellow Is indicated
Is indicated
( 29)
Engine oil pressure insufficient ( 30)
Battery charge current insufficient
( 30)
Rear bulb defective ( 30)
Front bulb defective ( 31)
Bulbs defective ( 31)
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