BMW MOTORRAD K 1200 GT 2007 Rider's Manual (in English)

DampingSettingDamping must be adapted to
suit spring preload. An increase
in spring preload requires firmer
damping, a reduction in spring
preload requires softer damping.Adjusting damping for
rear wheelMake sure the ground is level
and firm and place the motor-
cycle on its stand.
Adjust the rear shock absorber,
using the tool from the on-board toolkit to turn adjusting
screw
1.
If you want a harder damping
characteristic, use a screw-
driver to turn adjusting screw 1
in the direction indicated by the
H arrow.
If you want a softer damping
characteristic, use a screw-
driver to turn adjusting screw 1
in the direction indicated by the
S arrow. Basic setting of rear-sus-
pension damping charac-
teristic
Turn the adjusting screw as
far as it will go in the dir-
ection 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)
Electronic Suspension
Adjustment ESA
OE
SettingsElectronic Suspension Adjust-
ment ESA provides a convenient
way of adapting the motorcycle
to the load it carries and the sur-
face over which you intend riding.
469zOperation

The damping characteristic is
shown in panel1of the multi-
function display, and spring pre-
load in panel 2. The clock is not
shown while the ESA readout is
active. Three spring preload set-
tings can each be combined with
three damping characteristics to
fine-tune the motorcycle's sus-
pension.Adjuster, spring preloadThe ESA control unit is protected
by an overload cutout designed
to stop the spring-preload ad-
justment process if current con-
sumption reaches an unaccept- ably high level. Please note that
a combination of low ambient
temperature and a high payload
tends to increase the possibility
of elevated current consumption,
and under these circumstances
adjustment might be interrupted
by the overload cutout.
If the motorcycle is to be used
for two-up riding and ambient
temperature is below 0 °C, BMW
Motorrad recommends adjusting
the suspension to the setting for
two-up riding and allowing ad-
justment to complete before your
passenger mounts the motor-
cycle. Similarly, BMW Motorrad
recommends relieving the weight
on the motorcycle when you are
going to adjust over a long range
of travel (adjusting from "one-up"
to "two-up with luggage").
The ESA indicator continues to
flash until adjustment completes.
If adjustment is interrupted the
process resumes as soon as
current consumption drops be-
low the defined threshold, for
example when the above-men-
tioned measures are adopted.
Calling up settingsSwitch on the ignition.
Press button
1.
The current setting is
displayed.
The reading remains visible for
a few seconds before disap-
pearing automatically.
470zOperation

Adjusting suspension
dampingSwitch on the ignition.You can adjust the damp-
ing characteristic while the
motorcycle is on the move.
Press button 1.
The current setting is
displayed.
Press button 1once at each
step.
The display field starts at the
current status and cycles through
the following sequence:
COMF
Comfortable damping
characteristic
NORM
Normal damping char-
acteristic
SPORT
Sporty damping char-
acteristic
The setting shown on the dis-
play is automatically accepted
as the damping characteristic
if you allow a certain length of
time to pass without pressing
button 1.
Adjusting spring preloadStart 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
Two-up (with luggage)
471zOperation

The setting shown on the dis-
play is automatically accepted
as the spring preload if you al-
low a certain length of time to
pass without pressing button1.
The reading flashes while ad-
justment is in progress.TyresChecking tyre pressureMake sure the ground is level
and firm and place the motor-
cycle on its stand.
Incorrect tyre pressures im-
pair the motorcycle's hand-
ling characteristics and increase
the rate of tyre wear.
Always check that the tyre pres-
sures are correct.
At high road speeds, tyre
valves have a tendency to
open as a result of centrifugal
force.
Fit metal valve caps with rubber seals and screw them on firmly
to prevent sudden deflation.
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.
HeadlightAdjusting headlight for
driving on left/driving on
rightIf the motorcycle is ridden in a
country where the opposite rule
of the road applies, its asymmet-
ric low-beam headlight will tend
to dazzle oncoming traffic.
Have the headlight set accord-
ingly by a specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.
Commercially available ad-
hesive 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.
472zOperation

Headlight beam throw and
spring preloadHeadlight beam throw is gener-
ally kept constant when spring
preload is adjusted to suit load.
Spring preload adjustment might
not suffice only if the motorcycle
is very heavily loaded. Under
these circumstances, headlight
beam throw has to be adjusted
to suit the weight carried by the
motorcycle.Consult a specialist work-
shop, preferably an au-
thorised BMW Motorrad deal-
er, if you are unsure whether
the headlight basic setting is
correct.
Headlight beam-throw
adjustment1 Headlight beam-throw ad-
justment
Spring preload adjustment might
not suffice if the motorcycle is
very heavily loaded. Moving
the pivot lever adjusts headlight
beam throw so as not to dazzle
oncoming traffic. A
Neutral position
B Position for heavy load
Front and rear seatsRemoving rear seatMake sure the ground is level
and firm and place the motor-
cycle on its stand.
473zOperation

Turn key1counter-clockwise
in the seat lock.
Lift the seat at the rear and
release the key. with OE Seat heating:
Disconnect plug 2by squeez-
ing locking tabs 3together at
top and bottom.
Pull the seat to the rear to re-
lease it from its holders.
Place the seat, upholstered
side down, on a clean surface.
Removing front seatRemove the rear seat ( 73) Lift the rear of the front seat.
with OE Seat heating:
Disconnect plug 2by squeez-
ing locking tabs 3together at
top and bottom.
474zOperation

Lift the seat up to remove.
Place the seat, upholstered
side down, on a clean surface.Installing front seatwith OE Seat heating:Connect plug 2. If too much pressure is ap-
plied in the forward direc-
tion, 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 front seat forward
into the seat height adjuster.
Make sure that the seat is cor-
rectly located.
Install the rear seat ( 75)
Installing rear seatInstall the front seat ( 75)
with OE Seat heating:
Connect plug 2.
475zOperation

If too much pressure is ap-
plied in the forward direc-
tion, there is a danger that the
motorcycle will be pushed off its
stand.
Always make sure that the
motorcycle is stable and firmly
supported.
Slide the rear seat underneath
the front seat and push it down
firmly at the rear.
The seat engages with an aud-
ible click.
Helmet holderSecuring helmet to
motorcycleRemove the rear seat ( 73)
Use the wire rope available as
an optional accessory to secure
the helmet to helmet holder 1. The helmet catch can
scratch the panelling.
Make sure the lock is out of the
way when you hook the helmet
into position.
Secure one end of the wire
rope, pass the wire rope
through the helmet and slip the
other end over holder 1.
Install the rear seat ( 75)
476zOperation

Riding
Riding
Safety instructions . .................. 78
Checklist . ............................ 80
Starting . . ............................ 80
Running in ........................... 83
Brakes . . . ............................ 84
Parking your motorcycle . ............ 85
Refuelling ............................ 87
577zRiding

Safety instructionsRider's equipmentDo not ride without the correct
clothing. Always wear:Helmet
Motorcycling jacket and
trousers
Gloves
Boots
This applies even to short jour-
neys, and to every season of the
year. Your authorised BMW Mo-
torrad dealer will be glad to ad-
vise you on the correct clothing
for every purpose.SpeedIf you ride at high speed, always
bear in mind that various bound-
ary conditions can adversely af-
fect the handling of your motor-
cycle: 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 ad-
versely affect your perception
and your ability to assess situ-
ations and make decisions, and
slow down your reflexes. Med-
ication can exacerbate these ef-
fects. Do not ride your motorcycle after
consuming alcohol, drugs and/or
medication.
Risk of poisoningExhaust 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 en-
closed space.High voltage
Touching live parts of the
ignition system with the
engine running can cause electric
shock.
Do not touch parts of the igni-
tion system when the engine is
running.
578zRiding