2004 BMW MOTORRAD K 1200 R Rider's Manual (in English)

695Maintenance
Make sure that the brake disc
is not visible through bore 1 in
the inboard brake block. If the
brake disc is visible:
Have the brake pads replaced, preferably by an
authorised BMW motorcycle
dealer.Checking brake fluid
level
A low fluid level in the
brake reservoir can allow
air to penetrate the brake sys-
tem. This causes a serious reduction in braking efficiency.
Avoid severe braking, if
possible.
c
1 Front brake-fluid reservoir
2MIN mark

1Rear brake-fluid reservoir
2MIN mark
Hold the motorcycle upright or place it on the centre
stand, after making sure the
ground is level and firm.
Make sure the handlebars are in the straight-ahead
position.
Read off the brake fluid level at the reservoir.
Motorcycle without ABS The brake fluid level in
the reservoir drops as the
brake pads wear.c
Do not permit the brake fluid
level to drop below the MIN
mark. If the brake fluid level
drops below the MIN mark:

Maintenance696
If there is too little brake
fluid in the brake-fluid
reservoir, air can enter the
brake system. This causes a
serious reduction in braking
efficiency.
Think well ahead and brake
carefully; avoid severe
braking. c
Under normal operating condi-
tions the brake fluid level can-
not drop below the MIN mark.
• Check the brake pads.
• Check the brake system for
leaks.
• Have the fault rectified as
soon as possible by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer. Vehicles with ABS
OE
The brake fluid level re-
mains constant despite
wear of the brake pads. c
Any drop in brake-fluid level,
even if the level remains above
the MIN mark, is indicative of a
fault in the brake system.If the
brake fluid level falls:
• Have the fault rectified as soon as possible by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer.
ClutchChecking operation• Pull the clutch lever.
» The pressure point must be clearly perceptible.
Do not ride the motorcycle if
you have any doubts about the
dependability of the clutch. In
this case:
• Have the clutch checked by a specialist workshop, pref-
erably an authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer.

697Maintenance
Checking clutch-fluid
level
Changing the position of
the clutch-fluid reservoir
can allow air to penetrate the
clutch system.
Do not turn either the handle-
bar fitting on the handlebars,
or the handlebars in their
mounts. c
• Make sure the ground is level and firm and either hole
the motorcycle upright or
place it on the centre
standOE.
• Make sure the handlebars are in the straight-ahead
position.
• Read off the clutch fluid level
at the reservoir. 1
Clutch fluid reservoir
2MIN mark
Do not permit the clutch-fluid
level to drop below the
MIN mark. Have the clutch
system checked immediately if
the fluid level drops below the
MIN mark.
• Have the fault rectified as soon as possible by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer. The level of fluid in the
reservoir rises as the
clutch wears. c
Unsuitable hydraulic flu-
ids could cause damage
to the clutch system.
Do not attempt to top up the
system with fluids of any
kind. c
The clutch system is filled
with a special hydraulic
fluid that does not have to be
changed. c

Maintenance698
WheelsFor each size of tyre BMW
Motorrad tests certain makes,
and approves those that it cer-
tifies as roadworthy. If BMW
Motorrad has not approved
the wheels and tyres, it cannot
assess their suitability or pro-
vide any guarantee of road
safety. Use only wheels and
tyres approved by BMW
Motorrad for your type of
motorcycle.
You can obtain detailed infor-
mation from your authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer or by
visiting
www.bmw-motorrad.com on
the Internet.
Checking rims• Make sure the ground is level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its centre
stand
OE or side stand.
• Visually inspect the rims for defects.
• Have damaged rims checked and, if necessary,
replaced by a specialist
workshop, preferably an
authorised BMW motorcycle
dealer.
Checking tyre tread
depth Do not allow the tyres to wear
past the minimum depth per-
mitted by law in the country of
use. Your motorcycle's han-
dling and grip can be im-
paired 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. c
Tyres have wear indica-
tors integrated into the
main tread grooves. If the tyre
tread has worn down to the
level of the marks, the tyre is
completely worn. The loca-
tions of the marks are indicat-
ed on the edge of the tyre, e.g.
by the letters TI, TWI or by an
arrow. c
• Measure the tyre tread depth only in the main tread
grooves with wear indicating
marks.

699Maintenance
Removing front wheel
The types of threaded
fastener used are listed
on (b
128 ).c
There is a risk of damag-
ing parts of the front
brakes, particularly the
BMW Integral ABS, in the
course of the procedure de-
scribed below.
Take care not to damage the
brake system, in particular the
ABS sensor with cable and the
ABS sensor ring. c Place the motorcycle on the
centre stand
OE or a suitable
auxiliary stand.
It is advisable to use the
BMW rear wheel stand
for this purpose. c
Remove screws 1 on the left
and right.
Remove the wheel-guide cover.
Remove securing screws 2
of the left and right brake cal-
ipers. Force brake calipers
3
slightly apart by rocking
them back and forth A
against brake discs 4.
Once the calipers have
been removed, there is a
risk of the brake pads being
pressed together to the extent
that they cannot be slipped
back over the brake disc on
reassembly.
Do not operate the handbrake
lever when the brake calipers
have been removed. c

Maintenance6100
• Mask off the parts of the wheel rim that could be
scratched in the process of
removing the brake calipers.
• Pull the brake calipers back
and out until clear of the
brake discs.
Motorcycle on centre
stand
OE: if the motorcy-
cle is raised too far at the front
the centre stand will lift clear of
the ground and the motorcycle
could topple to one side.
When you raise the motorcy-
cle, make sure that the centre
stand remains on the
ground. c • Raise the motorcycle with
the BMW Motorrad front
wheel stand (
b
107) until
the front wheel can rotate
freely. • Slacken right axle clamping
screw 5.
• Remove quick-release axle 6, while supporting the
wheel.
The left axle clamping
screw locates the thread-
ed bush in the front suspen-
sion. If the threaded bush is
not correctly aligned the gap
between the ABS sensor ring
and the ABS sensor will not be
correct and this can cause the
ABS to malfunction or allow
the ABS sensor to be
damaged.
In order to ensure that the
threaded bush remains cor-
rectly aligned, do not slacken
or remove the left axle camp-
ing screw. c

6101
Maintenance
BMW Motorrad provides
an adapter for removing
the quick-release axle. This
adapter can be combined with
any commercially available w/f
22 open-end or ring spanner.
The BMW special tool number
is 36 3 690 and the adapter is
available from your authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer. c
• Lower the front wheel to the ground in the front suspen-
sion. • Roll the front wheel forward
to remove.
Installing front wheel
The types of screw used
are listed, complete with
tightening torques, on
(
b
128). c
Threaded fasteners not
tightened to the specified
torque can work loose or their
threads can suffer damage. Al-
ways have the security of the
fasteners checked by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably an
authorised BMW motorcycle
dealer. c
There is a risk of damag-
ing parts of the front
brake, particularly the
BMW Integral ABS, in the
course of the procedure
described below. Take care not to damage the
brake system, in particular the
ABS sensor with cable and the
ABS sensor ring.
c
The front wheel must be
installed right way round
to rotate in the correct direc-
tion. Note the direction-of-ro-
tation arrows on the tyre and
the wheel rim. c
• Roll the front wheel into the front wheel guide.

Maintenance6102
• Raise the front wheel, install quick-release axle 6 and
tighten to 50 Nm.
• Tighten right axle clamping
screw 5 to 19 Nm.
• Remove the front wheel
stand.
• Slip the brake calipers onto the brake discs. • Install securing screws
2 for
the left and right brake cali-
pers and tighten to 30 Nm.
The cable of the ABS
sensor could chafe
through if it comes into con-
tact with the brake disc.
Route the ABS sensor cable
well clear of the brake disc. c• Install the wheel-guide cover
and hand-tighten securing
screws 1.
• Remove the adhesive tape
from the wheel rim.
The front brakes have to be
operated a few times to bed
the brake pads against the
brake discs.