BMW MOTORRAD K 1200 GT 2004 Rider's Manual (in English)

3
69
Starting – Riding – Parking
Coolant temperatureWarning light5 (red)
goes out when the engine is
started, above idle speed.
 Attention:
If the coolant temperature warn-
ing light 5 comes on, stop the
engine and allow it to cool down.
Check coolant level in the expan-
sion tank (

42).
If the expansion tank is full, but
the warning light remains on, or if
coolant consumption is exces-
sive, consult a specialist work-
shop, preferably an authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer.
Battery charge currentWarning light 6 goes out above
idle speed.
 Attention:
If warning light 6 comes on dur-
ing the journey:
Seek the advice of a specialist
workshop, preferably an author-
ised BMW motorcycle dealer.
Warning lights
65
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Starting – Riding – Parking
3
Engine speedChoose engine speeds in
accordance with the coolant
temperature reading (

6), and
do not use maximum engine
speeds unless the engine has
reached its regular operating
temperature.
In the red zone of the rev. coun-
ter the fuel supply is interrupted
in order to protect the engine,
so that misfiring occurs.

Note:
The governor cuts in at
9,400 rpm.
Load changes
 Warning:
Try not to open or close the
throttle abruptly, particularly
on wet or slippery roads.
Gearshifts

Note:
Never slip the clutch exces-
sively when changing gear.
Vary your speed only by using
the throttle in a suitable gear,
not by slipping the clutch.
The digital cockpit display
shows which gear has been
selected (

7).
Riding, gear shifts
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71
Starting – Riding – Parking
Riding, gear shifts
Moving away/shifting up:• Pull the clutch lever in
• Press down on the gearshift lever (to select first gear) and
take your foot off the lever
• Smoothly re-engage the
clutch
• Increase engine speed slightly as necessary
• Accelerate when the clutch is fully engaged
• For upshifts into 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th gears, pull the
front of the gear lever up
Shifting down:• Close the throttle (twistgrip)
• Pull the clutch lever in
• Select the next-lowest gear:
(opposite direction to arrow)
• Smoothly re-engage the
clutch
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Starting – Riding – Parking
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Brake system - general
Wet bra kesAfter the motorcycle has been
washed, ridden through water
or ridden in the rain, the brake
discs and pads may be wet (or
iced-over in winter), and may
not take effect immediately.
 Warning:
The brakes should always be
applied first to dry them.
Salt on brakesThe full braking effect can be
delayed if the motorcycle is rid-
den on salt-covered roads and
the brakes are not applied for
some time.
 Warning:
The layer of salt on the brake
discs and pads must first be
worn away.
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73
Starting – Riding – Parking
Brake system - general
Oil and grease on brakes
 Warning:
Brake discs and pads must be
free from oil or grease.
Dirt or mud on brakesWhen riding on loose surfaces
or muddy roads, the brakes
may fail to take effect immedi-
ately because of dirt or mois-
ture on the discs or brake pads.
 Warning:
The brakes must first be
applied until the discs and
pads are clean.
Dirt on the brakes increases
the rate of pad wear.
 Warning:
If the brake lever can be moved
right to the limit of its travel, this
indicates a mechanical or hy-
draulic fault. The brake system
is defective.
Immediately consult a special-
ist workshop, preferably an au-
thorised BMW motorcycle
dealer.
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Starting – Riding – Parking
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Brake system - with BMW Integral ABS
Sensitive electronic
control
It takes skill and sensitive con-
trol of the brakes to pull up
safely on a motorcycle. If the
front wheel brake locks and the
wheel skids, the necessary lon-
gitudinal and lateral stabilising
forces are lost, and a fall can
result.
For this reason, the rider sel-
dom makes full use of available
braking performance in an
emergency. BMW Integral ABS is the latest-
generation BMW ABS develop-
ment: by preventing both
wheels from locking and opti-
mising braking-force distribu-
tion by means of the integral
function, it offers much
improved braking performance
(

76). Full use is made of tech-
nical braking capacity to mini-
mise braking distances, even
when road conditions are poor.
When the motorcycle is ridden
in a straight line, the BMW Inte-
gral ABS is able to handle
emergency braking safely.
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75
Starting – Riding – Parking
Brake system - with BMW Integral ABS
Extra safety reservesBut remember: the potentially
shorter braking distances
which BMW Integral ABS per-
mits must not be used as an
excuse for careless riding. ABS
is primarily a means of ensuring
a safety margin in genuine
emergencies.
– You have to familiarise your-self with the new, electroni-
cally assisted braking. Try the
brakes several times when
you take your motorcycle out
for the first time. Find out for
yourself how the brakes feel
– Never ride without due care
and attention, or assume that
good fortune will protect you
from your own foolhardiness
– Keep within the permitted
speed limits – Take care when cornering.
When you apply the brakes on
a corner, the motorcycle's
weight and momentum take
over and even BMW Integral
ABS is unable to counteract
their effects.
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Starting – Riding – Parking
3
Brake system - with BMW Integral ABS
Partially integral brakes The integral brake function
interlinks the front and rear
brakes, so both wheels are
braked when you operate the
brake lever.
The electronic controller in the
BMW Integral ABS computes
the braking-force distribution
between front and rear wheels,
and applies the brakes
accordingly.
Braking-force distribution
depends on load and is recal-
culated every time the ABS
controller comes into action.
In this partially integral brake
configuration, the integral brak-
ing function is activated only
when you pull the handbrake
lever. The footbrake lever acts
only on the rear brake.
Brake boosterThe hydraulic pump in the BMW
Integral ABS actively boosts the
braking force acting on the
wheel when the brakes are
applied.
By boosting the braking force in
this way, the BMW Integral ABS
achieves higher braking effi-
ciency than standard brake
systems.
ABS - anti-lock brake
system
ABS prevents the wheels lock-
ing under heavy braking when
the motorcycle is travelling in a
straight line, thus contributing
significantly to road safety.
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77
Starting – Riding – Parking
Brake system - with BMW Integral ABS
RESIDUAL BRAKING
FUNCTION
If the BMW Integral ABS develops
a fault, a RESIDUAL BRAKING
FUNCTION only is available in the
brake circuits in question.
The RESIDUAL BRAKING FUNC-
TION is the braking efficiency
without the hydraulic servo assist-
ance of the BMW Integral ABS.
Under these circumstances,
therefore, you must apply CON-
SIDERABLY higher pressure to
the brake levers in question in
order to apply the brakes, and
lever travel is longer.
When the RESIDUAL BRAKING
FUNCTION is active, the ABS
function is unavailable in the
brake system in question.
When the RESIDUAL BRAKING
FUNCTION is active, the integral
braking function is partially or
entirely unavailable.
 Warning:
When the RESIDUAL BRAKING
FUNCTION is active, maintain a
defensive riding style and pro-
ceed immediately to the near-
est specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised BMW
motorcycle dealer.

Note:
When the RESIDUAL BRAKING
FUNCTION for the front brake is
active, it is advisable to set ad-
juster A (

35) of the handbrake
lever to position 4.
The RESIDUAL BRAKING
FUNCTION is active under the
following circumstances:
– Ignition off
– Before and during self- diagnosis (

78)
– Fault in the BMW Integral ABS (

81)

Note:
When the RESIDUAL BRAKING
FUNCTION is active for both
brake circuits, the noise of the
pump is no longer audible when
you operate the brake levers.
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Starting – Riding – Parking
3
Self-diagnosis with pull-
away test
The BMW Integral ABS performs
self-diagnosis and a pull-away
test to ensure its operability.
Self-diagnosis is performed auto-
matically when you switch on the
ignition.
 Warning:
Self-diagnosis is not performed
unless both brake levers are in
their fully released positions.
Only the RESIDUAL BRAKING
FUNCTION is available until
self-diagnosis is completed
(
77).
*n depending on national-market
specification
• Release the brake levers, if necessary
• Switch on the ignition
Initially:
– ABS warning light 1:
Flashes at 4 Hz
– General warning light 2:
ON

Self-diagnosis is in
progress
Then:
– ABS warning light 1:
Flashes at 1 Hz
– General warning light 2:
OFF

Self-diagnosis successfully
completed
Brake system - with BMW Integral ABS
1*2
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