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

Brakes . . . . . .................. 67
Handlebars . . ................. 67
Mirrors . . . . . . ................. 68
Spring preload . . ............. 68
Damping . . . . ................. 69
Electronic Suspension Ad-
justment ESA
OE
............. 69
Tyres . ........................ 72
Headlight . . . . ................. 72
Front and rear seats . . . . ...... 73
Helmet holder . . . ............. 76
5 Riding . . . . ................ 77
Safety instructions . . . . . ...... 78
Checklist . . . . ................. 80
Starting . . . . . . ................. 80
Running in . . ................. 83
Brakes . . . . . . ................. 84
Parking your motorcycle . . . . . 85
Refuelling . . . ................. 87 6 Engineering details . . . . . 89
Brake system with BMW Mo-
torrad Integral ABS . . . . .
...... 90
Electronic engine manage-
ment with BMW Motorrad
ASC
OE
....................... 92
Tyre pressure monitoring
RDC
OE
....................... 94
7 Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
General instructions . . . . ...... 98
Power socket . . . ............. 98
Luggage . . . . ................. 99
Case . ...................... 100
TopcaseOA
................. 102
8 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . 105
General instructions . . . . .... 106
Toolkit ...................... 106
Engine oil . . . ............... 107
Brake system, general . . .... 109
Brake pads . . ............... 109
Brake fluid . . . ............... 111
Clutch ...................... 113
Tyres . ...................... 113
Rims . ...................... 114
Wheels . . . . . . ............... 114 Front-wheel stand . . . . . .
.... 121
Bulbs . ...................... 123
Jump starting . . . ........... 131
Battery . . . . . . ............... 132
9 Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Care products . . . ........... 138
Washing motorcycle . . . . .... 138
Cleaning easily damaged
components . ............... 138
Paint care . . . ............... 139
Protective wax coating . .... 140
Laying up the motor-
cycle . ...................... 140
Restoring motorcycle to
use......................... 140
10 Technical data . . . . . . . 141
Troubleshooting chart . . .... 142
Threaded fasteners . . . . .... 143
Engine . . . . . . ............... 145
Fuel . . ...................... 146
Engine oil . . . ............... 146
Clutch ...................... 147
Transmission ............... 147
Rear-wheel drive ........... 148
Running gear ............... 148

General view, right side1Fuel filler neck ( 87)
2 Adjustable handlebars
( 67)
3 Brake-fluid reservoir, front
( 111)
4 Adjuster for headlight beam
throw (underneath the in-
strument cluster) ( 73)
5 Stowage compartment
( 66)
6 Vehicle identification num-
ber
213zGeneral views

Underneath the seat1Front-seat height adjust-
ment ( 62)
2 Oil dipstick ( 107),
Engine-oil filler neck
( 109)
3 Brake-fluid reservoir, rear
( 112)
4 Helmet holder ( 76)
5 Rider's Manual
6 Toolkit ( 106)
215zGeneral views

The adjuster is easier to
turn if you push the clutch
lever forward.
Smallest span.
Turn adjuster Ato position 3:
Largest span.
BrakesAdjusting 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. Turn adjuster
Ato position 1:
The adjuster is easier to
turn if you push the brake
lever forward.
Smallest span.
Turn adjuster Ato position 3:
Largest span.
HandlebarsAdjustable handlebarsHandlebars 1are height-ad-
justable. If you want to have the
handlebars adjusted consult a
specialist workshop, preferably an
authorised BMW Motorrad deal-
er.
467zOperation

ChecklistUse the following checklist to
check important functions, set-
tings 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)
StartingSide standYou 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.GearboxYou can start the engine when
the gearbox is in neutral or if you
pull the clutch with a gear en-
gaged. Do not pull the clutch un-
til 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.
Starting engine.Kill switch 1in run position A.
Switch on the ignition.
Pre-ride check is performed.
( 81)
ABS self-diagnosis is
performed. ( 82)
with OE ASC: Switch on the ignition.
Pre-ride check is performed.
( 81)
ABS self-diagnosis is
performed. ( 82)
580zRiding

Maintenance
Maintenance
General instructions ................ 106
Toolkit . . . .......................... 106
Engine oil .......................... 107
Brake system, general . . . .......... 109
Brake pads . . . ..................... 109
Brake fluid ......................... 111
Clutch . . . .......................... 113
Tyres .............................. 113
Rims ............................... 114
Wheels . . .......................... 114
Front-wheel stand . . ............... 121
Bulbs .............................. 123
Jump starting . ..................... 131
Battery . . . .......................... 132
8105zMaintenance

Visually inspect the brake pads
from the right to ascertain their
thickness.Brake-pad wear limit, rear
min 1 mm (Wear limit, fric-
tion pad only, without back-
ing plate)
Make sure that the brake
disc is not visible through
the bore in the inboard brake
pad. If the brake disc is visible:
Have the brake pads replaced
by a specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.
Brake fluidChecking 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.
Check the brake-fluid level at
regular intervals.
Make sure the ground is level
and firm and place the motor-
cycle on its centre stand.
Turn the handlebars once from
full left lock to full right lock
and then centre the handle-
bars. 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.
8111zMaintenance

Brake fluid level, front
DOT4 brake fluid
Do not permit the brake fluid
level to drop below the MIN
mark. (Brake-fluid reservoir
horizontal. Before reading
the level, swing the handle-
bars once from full left lock
to full right lock.)
If the brake fluid level drops be-
low the permitted level: Have the defect rectified as
quickly as possible by a spe- cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.
Checking 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 place the motor-
cycle 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.
8112zMaintenance

Brake fluid level, rear
DOT4 brake fluid
Do not permit the brake fluid
level to drop below the MIN
mark. (Brake-fluid reservoir
horizontal)
If the brake fluid level drops be-
low the permitted level: Have the defect rectified as
quickly as possible by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.
ClutchChecking clutch operationPull 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.TyresMeasuring tread depth of
tyres
Your motorcycle's handling
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 motor-
cycle on its stand.
Measure the tyre tread depth
in the main tread grooves with
wear marks.
Tyres have wear indicators
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 no longer com-
plies with the minimum legally
required tread depth:
Replace tyre or tyres, as applic-
able.
8113zMaintenance

agents, the surfaces can be dam-
aged.
Do not use cleaning agents that
contain alcohol, solvents or ab-
rasives to clean plastic parts.
Even fly-remover pads or clean-
ing pads with hard surfaces can
produce scratches.Soften stubborn dirt and
insects by covering the af-
fected areas with a wet cloth.WindscreenClean off dirt and insects with a
soft sponge and plenty of water.
Fuel and chemical solvents
attack the material of the
windscreen; the windscreen be-
comes opaque or dull.
Do not use cleaning agents.
ChromeUse plenty of water and BMW
shampoo to clean chrome, par-
ticularly if it has been exposed to
road salt. Use chrome polish for
additional treatment.RadiatorClean the radiator regularly to
prevent overheating of the en-
gine due to inadequate cooling.
For example, use a garden hose
with low water pressure.
Cooling fins can be bent
easily.
Take care not to bend the fins
when cleaning the radiator.RubberTreat rubber components with
water or BMW rubber-care
products.
Using silicone sprays for
the care of rubber seals can
cause damage. Do not use silicone sprays or
other care products that contain
silicon.
Paint careWashing the motorcycle regularly
will help counteract the long-term
effects of substances that dam-
age the paint, especially if your
motorcycle is ridden in areas
with high air pollution or natural
sources of dirt, for example tree
resin or pollen.
Remove particularly aggressive
substances immediately, how-
ever, as otherwise the paint can
be affected or become discol-
oured. Substances of this nature
include spilt fuel, oil, grease,
brake fluid and bird droppings.
We recommend BMW vehicle
polish or BMW paint cleaner for
this purpose.
Marks on the paintwork are par-
ticularly easy to see after the
motorcycle has been washed.
9139zCare