BMW MOTORRAD K 1200 R 2006 Rider's Manual (in English)

direction indicated by the
LOW arrow.One click corresponds
to a half turn of the knob.
The range of adjustment com-
prises 15 turns.
Spring preload, basic
setting
Turn the knob as far as
it will go in the direction
indicated by the LOW ar-
row and then turn it back
15 clicks in the direction
indicated by the HIGH ar-
row. (full load of fuel, with
rider 85 kg)
Shock absorbersShock-absorber settings
and spring preloadDamping must be adapted
to suit spring preload. An in-
crease in spring preload re-
quires firmer damping, a re-
duction in spring preload re-
quires softer damping.Adjusting rear shock
absorber
Your motorcycle's hand-
ling will suffer if you do
not match the spring-preload
and damping-characteristic
settings.
Adjust the damping
characteristic to suit spring
preload.
Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand. Adjust the rear shock ab-
sorber, using a screwdriver
to turn adjusting screw
1.
If you want a harder damp-
ing characteristic, use a
screwdriver to turn the ad-
justing screw in the direc-
459zOperation

tion indicated by the H ar-
row.
If you want a softer damping
characteristic, use a screw-
driver to turn the adjusting
screw in the direction in-
dicted by the S arrow.The adjusting screw can
be turned through three
and a half turns.
Rear suspension
damping, basic setting
Turn the adjusting screw
as far as it will go in the
direction 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 Ad-
justment ESA provides a con-
venient way of adapting the
motorcycle to different condi-
tions. Three spring preload
settings can be combined
with three damping charac-
teristics to fine-tune the mo-
torcycle's suspension to the
load it carries and the surface
over which you want to ride.
The damping characteristic is
shown in panel 1of the mul- tifunction display, and spring
preload in panel
2.
The odometer readings are
not shown while the ESA
readout is active.
Call up settingsSwitch on the ignition.
Press button 1.
The current setting is dis-
played.
The reading remains visible
for a few seconds before
disappearing automatically.
460zOperation

Adjust suspension
dampingSwitch on the ignition.You can adjust the
damping characteristic
while the motorcycle is on the
move.
Press button 1.
The current setting is dis-
played.
Press button 1once briefly.
The display field starts
at the current status and
cycles through the following
sequence:
COMF
Comfortable damping
characteristic
NORM
Normal damping
characteristic
SPORT
Sporty damping
characteristic
The setting shown on the
display is automatically
accepted as the damping
characteristic if you allow
a certain length of time
to pass without pressing
button 1. During the setting
procedure, the display
flashes.
Adjust spring preloadStart the engine.
You cannot adjust spring
preload while the motor-
cycle is on the move. Press button
1.
The current setting is dis-
played.
Press and hold down
button 1until the reading
changes.
The display field starts
at the current status and
cycles through the following
sequence:
One-up
One-up with luggage
461zOperation

Two-up (with luggage)
The setting shown on the
display is automatically
accepted as the spring
preload if you allow a
certain length of time to
pass without pressing
button 1. During the setting
procedure, the display
flashes.
TyresCheck the tyre pressures
Incorrect tyre pressures
impair the motorcycle's
handling characteristics and
can lead to accidents.
Always check that the tyre
pressures are correct.
At high road speeds, tyre
valves have a tendency
to open as a result of centrifu-
gal force.
In order to avoid a sudden loss of tyre pressure, fit a
metal valve cap with rubber
sealing ring to the rear tyre
and make sure that the cap is
screwed on firmly.
Incorrect tyre pressure
reduces the operating
life of the tyres.
Always check that the tyre
pressures are correct.
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.
462zOperation

Riding
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Running in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Parking your motorcycle . . . . . . . 69
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Tyre pressure control RDC
OE
.. 72
Brake system, general . . . . . . . . . 73
Brake system with BMW
Motorrad Integral ABS
OE
....... 74
563zRiding

Safety instructionsRider's equipmentDo not ride without the cor-
rect clothing. Always wear:Helmet
Motorcycling jacket and
trousers
Gloves
Boots
This applies even to short
journeys, and to every sea-
son of the year. Your author-
ised BMW Motorrad dealer
will be glad to advise you on
the correct clothing for every
purpose.SpeedIf you ride at high speed, al-
ways bear in mind that vari-
ous boundary conditions can
adversely affect the handling
of your motorcycle: 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 ad-
versely affect the motorcycle's
handling.
Do not exceed the permiss-
ible gross weight and be sure
to comply with the instruc-
tions on loading.
Alcohol and drugs
Even small amounts of
alcohol or drugs will ad-
versely affect your percep-
tion and your ability to as-
sess situations and make de-
cisions, and slow down your reflexes. Medication can ex-
acerbate these effects.
Do not ride your motorcycle
after consuming alcohol,
drugs and/or medication.
Risk of poisoningExhaust fumes contain car-
bon monoxide, which is col-
ourless 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
enclosed space.
564zRiding

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.
Catalytic converterIf misfiring causes unburned
fuel to enter the catalytic con-
verter, there is a danger of
overheating and damage.
For this reason, observe the
following points:
Do not run the fuel tank dry.
Do not attempt to start or
run the engine with a spark-
plug cap disconnected.
Stop the engine immediately
if it misfires.
Use only unleaded fuel.
Comply with all specified
maintenance intervals. Unburned fuel will des-
troy the catalytic con-
verter.
Note the points listed for
protection of the catalytic
converter.
Risk of fireTemperatures at the exhaust
are high.
Flammable materials
(e.g. hay, leaves, grass,
clothing and luggage, etc.)
could ignite if allowed to
come into contact with the
hot exhaust pipe.
Do not permit flammable ma-
terials to come into contact
with the hot exhaust system.
Cooling would be
inadequate if the engine
were allowed to idle for
a lengthy period with the
motorcycle at a standstill:
overheating would result. In extreme cases, the
motorcycle could catch fire.
Do not allow the engine to
idle unnecessarily. Ride away
immediately after starting the
engine.
Tampering with the
control unit of the
electronic engine-
management system
Tampering with the con-
trol unit of the electronic
engine-management system
can damage the motorcycle
and cause accidents.
Do not tamper with the
control unit of the electronic
engine-management
system.
Tampering with the con-
trol unit of the electronic
engine-management system
can result in mechanical loads
that the motorcycle's com-
565zRiding

ponents are not designed to
withstand. Damage caused in
this way is not covered by the
warranty.
Do not tamper with the
control unit of the electronic
engine-management
system.ChecklistUse the following checklist
to check important functions,
settings and wear limits be-
fore 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 refuel-
ling stop)
Brake-pad wear (every third
refuelling stop)
StartingSide standYou cannot start the motor-
cycle with the side stand ex-
tended 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 engaged. Do not pull
the clutch until 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.
Start the engineKill switch
1in run posi-
tion A.
Switch on the ignition.
Pre-ride check is
performed. ( 67)
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with OE BMW Motorrad
Integral ABS:Switch on the ignition.
Pre-ride check is
performed. ( 67)
ABS self-diagnosis is per-
formed. ( 68)
Press starter button 1.
If ambient temperatures
are very low, you might
find it necessary to open the
throttle slightly when starting
the engine. At ambient tem-
peratures below 0 °C, disen- gage the clutch after switch-
ing on the ignition.
The start attempt is
automatically interrupted
if battery voltage is too low.
Recharge the battery before
you start the engine, or use
jump leads and a donor
battery to start.
The engine starts.
Consult the troubleshooting
chart below if the engine
refuses to start. ( 128)
Pre-ride checkThe instrument cluster runs
a test of the 'General' warn-
ing light when the ignition
is switched on. The warn-
ing light shows first red and
then yellow, so that you can
check that it is in working or-
der. This pre-ride check is in-
dicated by the word
CHECK!
appearing in the display. The test is aborted if you start the
engine before it completes.
Phase 1
General warning light
lights up red.
The
CHECK!
reminder ap-
pears on the display.
Phase 2 General warning light
lights up yellow.
The
CHECK!
reminder ap-
pears on the display.
If the 'General' warning light is
not displayed:
Some malfunctions can-
not be indicated if the
'General' warning light cannot
be displayed.
Check that the 'General'
warning light comes on, and
that it lights up yellow and
then red.
567zRiding

Have the fault rectified as
quickly as possible by a
specialist workshop, prefer-
ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.ABS self-diagnosis
OE
BMW Motorrad Integral ABS
performs self-diagnosis to en-
sure its operability. Self-dia-
gnosis is performed automat-
ically when you switch on the
ignition. The motorcycle has
to move forward at a speed
above 5 km/h for the wheel
sensors to be tested.
Phase 1Test of the diagnosis-com-
patible system components
with the motorcycle at a
standstill. ABS warning light
flashes. Possible national variant
of the ABS warning light.
Phase 2 Test of the wheel sensors
as the motorcycle pulls
away from rest. ABS warning light
flashes.
Possible national variant
of the ABS warning light.
ABS self-diagnosis
completed The ABS warning light goes
out.
If an indicator showing an
ABS fault appears when ABS
self-diagnosis completes: You can continue to ride.
Bear in mind that neither
the ABS function nor the
integral braking function is
available. Have the fault rectified as
quickly as possible by a
specialist workshop, prefer-
ably an authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.
Running inThe first 1000 kmWhile running in the mo-
torcycle, vary the throttle
opening and engine-speed
range frequently.
Try to do most of your rid-
ing during this initial period
on twisting, fairly hilly roads,
avoiding high-speed main
roads and highways if pos-
sible.
Exceeding the specified
engine speeds while run-
ning in will lead to increased
engine wear.
Keep to the specified engine
speeds for running in.
568zRiding