BMW MOTORRAD K 1200 R 2008 Rider's Manual (in English)

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.
Front wheel, tyre pressure
2.5 bar (When cold)
Rear wheel, tyre pressure
2.9 bar (When cold)
If tyre pressure is too low: Correct the tyre pressures.
459zOperation

460zOperation

Riding
Safety instructions............. 62
Checklist . . .................... 64
Starting . . . .................... 64
Pulling away with BMW Integral
ABS
OE
........................ 67
Running in .................... 67
Parking your motorcycle . . . .... 71
Refuelling . .................... 78
Brake system, general ......... 79
Brake system with BMW Integral
ABS
OE
........................ 79
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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
imbalanced loads
can adversely 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.
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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 pro-
tection of the catalytic con-
verter.
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 con-
trol unit of the electronic
engine-management sys-
tem
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 electron-
ic engine-management sys-
tem can result in mechanical
loads that the motorcycle's
563zRiding

components 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 gear-
box in neutral and then en-
gage 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. Switch on the
ignition before you pull the clutch. When the gearbox is
in neutral, the green neutral
telltale light is on and the gear
indicator in the multifunction
display shows 0.
Starting the engineKill switch
1in run posi-
tion A.
Switch on the ignition.
Pre-ride check is
performed. ( 65)
564zRiding

with OE BMW Motorrad Integ-
ral ABS:If you switch on the ig-
nition while the brakes
are applied, then start the
engine and ride off immedi-
ately, the BMW Integral ABS
remains in residual braking
function mode. Self-diagnosis
is performed as soon as the
brake levers are in their fully
released positions for the first
time. Until this completes the
ABS function is not available;
the same applies to power
assistance for the brakes.
When you start the engine,
wait for the ABS to complete
its self-diagnosis.
Switch on the ignition.
Pre-ride check is
performed. ( 65)
ABS self-diagnosis is per-
formed. ( 66) 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. ( 132)
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 yellow
and then red, so that you can
check that it is in working or-
der. This pre-ride check is in-
dicated by the word
CHECK!
In the display. The test is
aborted if you start the engine
before it completes.
Phase 1
General warning light
lights up yellow.CHECK!
indicator appears
on the display.
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Phase 2General warning light
lights up red.CHECK!
indicator appears
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.
Have the fault rectified as
soon as possible by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW Motor-
rad dealer.
ABS warning lights
OE
There are two country-
dependent versions of the
ABS warning light:
Country-dependent ver-
sion 1.
Country-dependent ver-
sion 2.
The description below is
based on country-dependent
version 1.ABS self-diagnosis
OE
BMW Integral ABS performs
self-diagnosis and a
pull-away test to ensure its
operability. Self-diagnosis
is performed automatically
when you switch on the
ignition. Self-diagnosis is
not performed unless both
brake levers are in their fully
released positions. Phase 1
Self-diagnosis is in progress.
General warning light
lights up red.
ABS warning light
flashes four times per
second.
Phase 2
Self-diagnosis is complete.
ABS warning light
flashes once per
second.
If self-diagnosis did not com-
plete:
Release the brake levers as
soon as possible.
If an error message appears
when self-diagnosis com-
pletes: See the section entitled
"Status indicators" for in-
formation on how to inter-
pret these messages.
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The ABS warning light
does not go out until the
pull-away test completes.
Pulling away with
BMW Integral ABS
OE
Starting on gradientsSelect a gear.
Release the clutch lever and
both brake levers.
Switch on the ignition.
Wait for ABS self-diagnosis
to complete.
Apply the brakes and disen-
gage the clutch.
Start the engine.ABS warning lightsThere are two country-
dependent versions of the
ABS warning light:
Country-dependent ver-
sion 1. Country-dependent ver-
sion 2.
The description below is
based on country-dependent
version 1.
ABS pull-away testWhen you pull away, the
BMW Integral ABS checks the
ABS sensors. ABS warning light
flashes once per
second.
The ABS warning light goes
out when the pull-away test
completes.
If an error message appears
when the pull-away test com-
pletes: See the section entitled
"Status indicators" for in-
formation on how to inter-
pret these messages.
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.
Do not exceed the rpm lim-
its recommended for run-
ning in.
Running-in speeds
7000 min
-1
No full-load acceleration.
567zRiding

Avoid low engine speeds at
full load.
Do not omit the first inspec-
tion after 500 - 1200 km.Brake padsNew brake pads must "bed
down" and therefore do not
achieve their optimum friction
levels during the first 500 km.
You can compensate for this
initial reduction in braking ef-
ficiency by exerting greater
pressure on the levers.New brake pads can ex-
tend stopping distance
by a significant margin.
Apply the brakes in good
time.TyresNew tyres have a smooth
surface. This must be
roughened by riding in a
restrained manner at various
heel angles until the tyres are run in. This running in
procedure is essential if the
tyres are to achieve maximum
grip.
Tyres do not have their
full grip when new and
there is a risk of accident at
extreme angles of heel.
Avoid extreme angles of
heel.
568zRiding