brake pads BMW MOTORRAD K 1200 S 2004 Rider's Manual (in English)

227Status indicators
Without the ABS func-
tion, the wheels could
lock under braking.
Brake carefully and safely.
Avoid braking sharply.c
• Have the fault remedied as
soon as possible by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW motor-
cycle dealer.
General warning light
lights up red.
ABS warning light flashes
4 times per second.
Only residual braking function
(
b 71)
still available in at least
one brake circuit.
You can continue to ride.
However, bear in mind that
neither the ABS function nor
the braking power assistance
is available.Without the ABS func-
tion, the wheels could
lock under braking; without
braking power assistance,
considerably greater force is
required to brake.
Brake carefully and safely.
Avoid braking sharply.c
• Have the fault remedied as
soon as possible by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW motor-
cycle dealer.
General warning light
flashes red once per
second.
ABS warning light flashes
once per second.
Fluid level in BMW Integral
ABS too low.This means the fluid level
for a wheel brake circuit
cannot be read from the
brake-fluid reservoirs.c
Among other things, the trig-
ger for this warning indicator
can be extremely worn brake
pads.
Worn brake pads can
considerably lengthen
the braking distance.
Brake carefully and safely.
Avoid braking sharply.c
Worn brake pads can
damage the brake discs.
Brake carefully and safely.
Avoid braking sharply.c

Status indicators228
• Stop and check the thick-
ness of the brake pads (b 90-
91).
• Have worn brake pads
replaced as soon as possi-
ble by a specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer.
If the brake pad thickness is
sufficient:
• Check the following
functions:
– Ignition off, brake pressure
present at the brake levers.
– Brakes acting on both
wheels.
– Brake system leaktight, no
signs of brake fluid
escaping.If the functions are not shown:
There is a defect in the
brake system.
Do not continue to ride.c
If these functions are in order,
you can continue riding. How-
ever, bear in mind that a loss
of brake fluid that cannot be
detected might be the cause
of the warning.
There is a fault in the
brake system that can
lead to decreased braking
efficiency.
Brake carefully and safely.
Avoid braking sharply.c
• Have the fault remedied as
soon as possible by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW motor-
cycle dealer. General warning light
flashes red 4 times per
second.
ABS warning light flashes
4 times per second.
There are two faults:
– Only residual braking func-
tion
(b 71) available in at
least one brake circuit, indi-
cated by the general warning
light lighting up and the ABS
warning light flashing 4 times
per second.
– Fluid level in the BMW Inte-
gral ABS is too low, indi-
cated by the general and
ABS warning lights flashing
once per second.
Please read the fault descrip-
tions listed later in this manual.

Riding452
Safety checkPrior to every journeyUse the following checklist to
check important functions,
settings and wear limits before
starting to ride. Checklist–Brakes (
b 93)
– Brake fluid level (
b 91)
– Clutch function (b 93)
– Clutch fluid level (b 93)
– Warning and telltale lights
(
b 18)
– Shock absorber setting
(b 44, 46) and spring
preload (
b 47)
–Rims (
b 94), tread depth
(
b 94) and tyre pressure
(b 47)
– Load, gross weight (
b 137)
– Secure luggage systemAt regular intervals:
– Engine oil level (every time
you refuel) (
b 86)
– Brake pads (every second/
third time you refuel)
(
b 90, 91)
Making your first tripSafe handling of your
motorcycleEach motorcycle has its 'own
life' that you have to get used
to:
– Acceleration capability
– Road holding
– Cornering characteristics
–Braking power
The engine also has to be
run in during the first 1,000 km
(b 58).You will find information on
BMW Integral ABS from
(
b 69) onwards.
BMW Integral ABS incor-
porates braking power
assistance, so that braking
power is significantly higher
than with conventional brake
systems. Especially when
cornering, unintentionally hard
braking can lead to dangerous
situations.
Practice braking with
BMW Integral ABS in safe
situations.c

Riding458
RidingABS starting-off testThe ABS warning light is
shown in one of the following
three variants depending on
the country:
ABS warning light flashes
once per second.
After starting off, the BMW
Integral ABS checks the ABS
sensors. The ABS warning
light then goes out and the
BMW Integral ABS is active.
Running in• During the running-in period,
ride in frequently changing
load and engine speed
ranges.
• Choose hilly routes with a
large number of corners, but
avoid motorways where
possible.
Exceeding the running-in
speeds increases engine
wear.
Adhere to the guide values
described below.cUp to 1,000 km distance
ridden• Engine speed max.
7,000 rpm.
• No full-load acceleration.
• At full load, avoid low engine
speeds. • After 500 – 1,200 km be
sure to have the first
inspection carried out.
Brake padsNew brake pads must "bed
down" and therefore do not
achieve their optimum friction
levels during the first 500 km.
The reduction in braking effi-
ciency can be compensated
for by exerting greater pres-
sure on the brake lever.
New brake pads can
considerably lengthen
the braking distance.
Brake carefully and safely.
Avoid braking sharply.c

469Riding
Wet brakes
After washing the motor-
cycle, after riding through
water or when it is raining, the
braking effect can be delayed
due to damp brake discs and
brake pads.
Note that there will be an
extended braking distance
until the brakes have dried out
or the act of braking itself dries
them.c
Salt on brakes
The brakes may fail to
take effect immediately if
the motorcycle was ridden on
salt-covered roads and the
brakes were not applied for
some time.
Note that there will be an
extended braking distance until the salt layer on the brake
discs and brake pads is
removed by braking.c
Oil or grease on the brake
Oil and grease deposits
on brake discs and pads
considerably reduce the
braking effect.
Especially after repair and
maintenance work, make sure
that the brake discs and brake
pads are free of oil and
grease.c
Dirt or mud on brakes
When riding on loose sur-
faces or muddy roads,
the brakes may fail to take ef-
fect immediately because of
dirt or moisture on the discs or
brake pads.
Note that there will be an extended braking distance
until the brakes have been
cleaned by braking.c
BMW Integral ABSSensitive 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
longitudinal and lateral stabil-
ising forces are lost, and a fall
can result. For this reason, the
rider seldom makes full use of
available braking performance
in an emergency.
BMW Integral ABS provides
improved braking deceleration
by means of anti-lock braking
for both wheels and braking
force distribution by means of
the integral braking function
(b 50, 69). Making full use of

Maintenance690
» A resistance point must be
noticeable.
» In the case of BMW Integral
ABS, the hydraulic pump
must be heard to run.Brake pads
Falling short of the mini-
mum pad thickness leads
to reduced braking power and
under certain circumstances
to brake damage.
In order to ensure the operat-
ing reliability of the brake sys-
tem, make sure that the mini-
mum thickness is exceeded.c
Checking the brake pad
thickness at the front• Place the motorcycle on the
centre stand
OA or side
stand, ensuring that the
ground is firm and level.
• Perform a visual inspection
of the brake pad thickness
on the left and right.The brake pads must have a
clearly visible wear indicating
mark 1. If the wear indicating
mark is no longer clearly
visible:
• Have the brake pads
replaced by a specialist
workshop, preferably by an
authorised BMW motorcycle
dealer.

691Maintenance
Checking the brake pad
thickness at the rear• Place the motorcycle on the
centre stand
OA or side
stand, ensuring that the
ground is firm and level.
• Perform a visual inspection
of the brake pad thickness
from the right.The brake disc must not be
visible through bore hole 1 of
the inner brake block. If the
brake disc is visible:
• Have the brake pads
replaced, preferably by an
authorised BMW motorcycle
dealer.
Checking the brake fluid
level
If the position of the
brake-fluid reservoir is
changed, air can enter the
brake system.
Do not twist either the handle-
bar controls or the handle-
bars.c
1Front brake-fluid reservoir
2MIN mark

Maintenance696
• Press the brake calipers3
apart slightly using rotary
motionsA against the brake
discs4.
When removed, the
brake pads can be
pressed together to such a
degree that they do not make
contact with the brake disc on
fitting.
Do not operate the handbrake
lever when the brake calipers
are removed.c
• Mask off areas of the rim
that could be scratched on
removal of the brake
calipers.
• Pull the brake calipers back-
wards and outwards from
the brake discs. If the motorcycle is on the
centre stand
OA: If the
front of the motorcycle is
raised too far, the centre stand
rises from the ground and the
motorcycle can fall over
sideways.
Make sure that the centre
stand remains on the ground
when the front is raised.c
• Lift the motorcycle using the
BMW Motorrad front wheel
stand (
b 103) until the front
wheel rotates freely.• Remove the right-hand axle
clamping screw 5.
• Remove the quick-release
axle 6, holding the wheel as
you do so.
Loosening or removing
the left-hand axle clamp-
ing screw can lead to a failure
of the ABS sensor.
Do not loosen or remove the
left- hand axle clamping
screw.c

Maintenance698
• Raise the front wheel, fit
quick-release axle 6 and
tighten to the appropriate
tightening torque.
• Tighten right-hand axle
clamping screw 5 to the
appropriate tightening
torque.
• Remove the front wheel
stand.
• Fit the brake calipers onto
the brake discs.• Fit mounting bolts 2 of the
brake calipers on the left and
right and use the appropriate
tightening torque.
The ABS sensor cable
could be abraded if it
comes into contact with the
brake disc.
Ensure that the ABS sensor
cable is routed tightly.c• Fit the mudguard and tighten
the mounting bolts1 to the
appropriate tightening
torque.
• Remove the masking from
the rim.
To apply the brake pads to the
brake discs, the front brake
must be operated a number of
times.

699Maintenance
Without BMW Integral ABS:
• Press the handbrake lever
firmly a number of times until
the resistance point is
noticeable.
With BMW Integral ABS:
• Switch on the ignition.
• Wait for the self-diagnosis
(b 54)
.
• Press the handbrake lever
firmly a number of times until
the resistance point is
noticeable.
B rake pads that are not fully
applied to the brake discs
lead to delays in the braking ef-
fect. Before beginning a journey,
check that the braking effect
kicks in without any delay.c
Removing the rear wheel
You will find an overview
of the types of screw
used on (
b 124).c
Motorcycle without centre
stand
OA
:
To ensure a secure stance of
the motorcycle during the
following work:
• Place the motorcycle on the
BMW Motorrad rear wheel
stand (b 104).
• The rest of the procedure is
the same as for motorcycles
with centre stands.Motorcycles with centre
stands
OA
:
• Place the motorcycle on the
centre stand
OA.
• Remove bolt1 from silencer
cover 2.
• Pull off the cover towards the
rear.