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

Table of ContentsYou can also consult the in-
dex at the end of this Rider's
Manual if you want to find a
particular topic or item of in-
formation.
1 General instructions . . . 5
Overview . ................ 6
Abbreviations and
symbols . . . ............... 6
Equipment ............... 7
Technical data ........... 7
Currency . . ............... 7
2 General views . . . . . .... 9
General view, left side . . . 11
General view, right
side ..................... 13
Underneath the seat . . . . . 14
Handlebar fitting, left . . . . . 15
Handlebar fitting, right . . . 16
Instrument cluster . . . . . . . 17
Headlight . .............. 18 3 Status indicators . . . . . 19
Multifunction display . . . . . 20
Warning and telltale
lights . . . . .
.............. 20
ABS warning light . . . . . . . 20
Function indicators . . . . . . 20
Warnings, general . . . . . . . 21
Warnings issued by the
tyre pressure monitoring
system (RDC)
OE
......... 29
ABS warnings . .......... 33
4 Operation . . . .......... 37
Ignition switch and
steering lock . . .......... 38
Electronic immobiliser . . . 39
Hazard warning
flashers . . . .............. 40
Odometer and
tripmeters . .............. 41
Clock . . . . . .............. 42
Tyre pressure control
RDC
OE
.................. 44
On-board computer
OE
... 44 Emergency off switch (kill
switch) . . . .
.............. 48
Grip heating
OE
........... 48
Clutch . . . . .............. 49
Brakes . . . . .............. 49
Lights . . . . . .............. 50
Headlight . .............. 51
Turn indicators .......... 52
Seat . . . . . . .............. 53
Helmet holder . .......... 55
Luggage loops .......... 56
Mirrors . . . . .............. 56
Spring preload .......... 56
Shock absorbers . . . . . . . . 57
Electronic Suspension
Adjustment ESAOE
....... 59
Tyres . . . . . .............. 60
5 Riding . . .............. 63
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 . . . 74
6 Accessories .......... 79
General instructions . . . . . 80
Power socket . .......... 80
Luggage . . . . . . .......... 81
CaseOA
................. 81
Breakdown assistance
kit
OA
.................... 85
7 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . 87
General instructions . . . . . 88
Toolkit . ................. 88
Engine oil . . . . . .......... 89
Brake system, general . . . 91
Brake pads . . . . .......... 92
Brake fluid . . . . .......... 94
Clutch . ................. 96
Tyres . . ................. 97
Rims . . . ................. 97 Wheels .
................. 97
Front-wheel stand . ..... 105
Rear-wheel stand . . ..... 107
Bulbs . . ................ 108
Jump start . . . . ......... 118
Battery . ................ 119
8 Care . ................ 125
Care products . ......... 126
Washing motorcycle . . . . 126
Cleaning easily damaged
components . . . ......... 127
Paint care . . . . . ......... 128
Protective wax
coating ................ 128
Laying up the
motorcycle . . . . ......... 128
Restoring motorcycle to
use .................... 129
9 Technical data . . ..... 131
Troubleshooting
chart . . . ................ 132
Threaded fasteners ..... 133
Engine . ................ 134
Riding specifications . . . . 137
Clutch . ................ 137 Transmission . .
......... 137
Final drive . . . . . ......... 139
Running gear . . ......... 139
Brakes . ................ 140
Wheels and tyres . . ..... 140
Electrics . . . . . . ......... 141
Frame . . ................ 143
Dimensions . . . ......... 143
Weights ................ 144
10 Service . . . . ......... 145
BMW Motorrad
service . ................ 146
BMW Motorrad service
quality . ................ 146
BMW Motorrad Service
Card - On-the-spot
breakdown
assistance . . . . ......... 147
BMW Motorrad service
network ................ 147
Maintenance work . ..... 147
Maintenance
schedules . . . . . ......... 148
Confirmation of
maintenance work . ..... 149

Operation
Ignition switch and steering
lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Electronic immobiliser . . . . . . . . . 39
Hazard warning flashers . . . . . . . 40
Odometer and tripmeters . . . . . . 41
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Tyre pressure control RDC
OE
.. 44
On-board computer
OE
......... 44
Emergency off switch (kill
switch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Grip heating
OE
................ 48
Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Turn indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Helmet holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Luggage loops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Spring preload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Shock absorbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Electronic Suspension
Adjustment ESA
OE
............ 59
Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
437zOperation

2Heating off.
3 50 % heat output (one
dot visible).
4 100 % heat output (three
dots visible)ClutchAdjusting clutch lever
If the position of the
clutch fluid reservoir is
changed, air can enter the
clutch system.
Do not twist the handlebar
fitting or the handlebars. Attempting to adjust the
clutch lever while riding
the motorcycle can lead to
accidents.
Do not attempt to adjust the
clutch lever unless the motor-
cycle is at a standstill.
Turn adjusting screw 1
clockwise.
The adjusting screw is
indexed and is easier
to turn if you push the clutch
lever forward.
Distance between handle-
bar grip and clutch lever in-
creases. Turn adjusting screw
1
counter-clockwise.
Distance between handle-
bar grip and clutch lever de-
creases.
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 motor-
cycle is at a standstill.
449zOperation

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)
ABS self-diagnosis is per-
formed. ( 67)
566zRiding

Running-in speeds
<7000 min
-1
No full-load acceleration.
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 accidents at
extreme angles of heel.
Avoid extreme angles of
heel.Parking your
motorcyclePlace the motorcycle on
side stand
If the ground is soft or
uneven, there is no guar- antee that the motorcycle will
rest firmly on the stand.
Always check that the ground
under the stand is level and
firm.
Switch off the engine.
Pull the handbrake lever.
Hold the motorcycle upright
and balanced.
Use your left foot to extend
the side stand fully. The side stand is de-
signed to support only
the weight of the motorcycle.
Do not lean or sit on the mo-
torcycle with the side stand
extended.
Slowly lean the motorcycle
to the side until its weight
is taken by the stand and
dismount to the left. If the motorcycle is on
the side stand, the sur-
face of the ground will de-
termine whether it is better
569zRiding

readings will not tally with
the readings shown by the
multifunction display.Tyre-pressure rangesThe RDC control unit differ-
entiates between three air-
pressure ranges, all of which
are parameterised for the mo-
torcycle:Air pressure within permit-
ted tolerance.
Air pressure close to limit of
permitted tolerance.
Air pressure outside permit-
ted tolerance.Brake system, generalDescending mountain
passes
There is a danger of the
brakes fading if you use
only the rear brakes when
descending mountain passes.
Under extreme conditions, the brakes could overheat and
suffer severe damage.
Use both front and rear
brakes, and make use of the
engine's braking effect as
well.
Wet brakes
After the motorcycle has
been washed, ridden
through water or ridden in
the rain, the brake discs and
pads might be wet and the
brakes might not take effect
immediately.
Apply the brakes in good time
until the brakes have dried
out.
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. Apply the brakes in good
time until the salt layer on the
brake discs and brake pads
has been removed.
Oil or grease on brakes
Oil and grease on the
brake discs and pads
considerably diminish braking
efficiency.
Especially after repair and
maintenance work, make
sure that the brake discs and
brake pads are free of oil and
grease.
Dirt or mud on brakes
When riding on loose
surfaces or muddy
roads, the brakes may fail
to take effect immediately
because of dirt or moisture on
the discs or brake pads.
Apply brakes in good time
until the brakes have been
cleaned.
573zRiding

Brake system with
BMW Motorrad
Integral ABSPartially integral brakesYour motorcycle is equipped
with partially integral brakes.
Both front and rear brakes
are applied when you pull the
handbrake lever. The foot-
brake lever acts only on the
rear brake.
When actively intervening
in the braking process, the
BMW Motorrad Integral ABS
adapts braking-force distri-
bution between front and rear
brakes to suit the load on the
motorcycle.The integral braking
function makes it
very difficult to spin the
rear wheel by opening
the throttle with the front
brake applied to keep the
motorcycle stationary (burn- out). Attempted burn-outs
can result in damage to the
rear brake and the clutch.
Do not attempt burn-outs.
How does ABS work?The amount of braking force
that can be transferred to
the road depends on factors
hat include the coefficient of
friction of the road surface.
Loose stones, ice and snow
or a wet road all have much
lower coefficients of friction
than a clean, dry asphalt sur-
face. The lower the coeffi-
cient of friction, the longer the
braking distance.
If the rider increases braking
pressure to the extent that
braking force exceeds the
maximum transferrable limit,
the wheels start to lock and
the motorcycle loses its dir-
ectional stability; a fall is im-
minent. Before this situation
can occur, ABS intervenes
and adapts braking pressure
to the maximum transferrable
braking force, so the wheels
continue to turn and direc-
tional stability is maintained
irrespective of the condition of
the road surface.
What are the effects of
surface irregularities?Humps and surface irregu-
larities can cause the wheels
to lose contact temporarily
with the road surface; if this
happens the braking force
that can be transmitted to
the road can drop to zero.
If the brakes are applied un-
der these circumstances the
ABS has to reduce braking
force to ensure that direc-
tional stability is maintained
when the wheels regain con-
tact with the road surface.
At this instant the BMW Mo-
574zRiding

torrad Integral ABS must as-
sume an extremely low coef-
ficient of friction, so that the
wheels will continue to rotate
under all imaginable circum-
stances, because this is the
precondition for ensuring dir-
ectional stability. As soon as
is registers the actual circum-
stances, the system reacts
instantly and adjusts braking
force accordingly to achieve
optimum braking.What feedback does the
rider receive from the
BMW Motorrad Integral
ABS?If the ABS system has to re-
duce braking force on ac-
count of the circumstances
described above, vibration is
perceptible through the hand-
brake lever.
When the handbrake lever is
pulled, brake pressure is alsobuilt up at the rear wheel by
the integral function. If the
brake pedal is depressed
after the handbrake lever is
pulled, the brake pressure
built up beforehand is per-
ceptible as counter-pressure
sooner than is the case when
the brake pedal is depressed
either before or at the same
time as the brake lever is
pulled.
How can stopping
distance be minimised?Each time the brakes are
applied, a load distribution
shift takes place with the
load shifting forward from
the rear to the front wheel.
The sharper the motorcycle
decelerates, the more load
is shifted to the front wheel.
The higher the wheel load, the
more braking force can be
transmitted without the wheel
locking.
To optimise stopping dis-
tance, apply the front brakes
rapidly and keep on increas-
ing the force you apply to the
brake lever. This makes the
best possible use of the dy-
namic increase in load at the
front wheel. Remember to
pull the clutch at the same
time. In the "panic braking
situations" that are trained so
frequently braking force is ap-
plied as rapidly as possible
and with the rider's full force
applied to the brake levers;
under these circumstances
the dynamic shift in load dis-
tribution cannot keep pace
with the increase in decel-
eration and the tyres cannot
transmit the full braking force
to the surface of the road.
ABS has to intervene to keep
the front wheel from locking;
575zRiding

What significance
devolves on regular
maintenance?
Invariably, a technical
system cannot perform
beyond the abilities dictated
by its level of maintenance.
In order to ensure that the
BMW Motorrad Integral
ABS is always maintained
in optimum condition, it is
essential for you to comply
strictly with the specified
inspection intervals.
Reserves for safetyThe potentially shorter braking
distances which BMW Mo-
torrad Integral ABS permits
must not be used as an ex-
cuse for careless riding. ABS
is primarily a means of ensur-
ing a safety margin in genuine
emergencies. Take care when cornering.
When you apply the brakes
on a corner, the motorcycle's
weight and momentum take
over and even BMW Motor-
rad Integral ABS is unable to
counteract their effects.
577zRiding