2004 BMW MOTORRAD K 1200 R check engine

467Riding
Placing motorcycle on
its side stand
The motorcycle cannot
stand securely on uneven
ground.
Always check that the ground
under the stand is level and
firm. c
When sitting on the motor-
cycle:
• Switch off the engine.
• Pull the handbrake lever.
• Hold the motorcycle upright and balanced.
• Use your left foot to extend the side stand fully (arrow).
• Slowly lean the motorcycle to the side until its weight is
taken by the stand and dis-
mount to the left. • Turn the handlebars to full
left or right lock.
• Check that the motorcycle is standing firmly.
If the motorcycle is on the
side stand, the surface of
the ground determines wheth-
er it is better to turn the han-
dlebars to the left or right.
However, the motorcycle is
more stable on a level surface
with the handlebars turned to
the left than with the handle-
bars turned to the right.
On level ground, always turn
the handlebars to the left and
lock them in this position.c 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. c
On a gradient, the motor-
cycle should always face
uphill; select 1st gear. c

471Riding
Placing motorcycle on
its centre stand
OE
The motorcycle cannot
stand securely on poor
ground.
Always check that the ground
under the stand is level and
firm. c
• Switch off the engine.
• Dismount and keep your left hand on the left handlebar
grip.
• With your right hand, grip the rear grab handle or the rear
frame.
• Place your right foot on the
pin of the centre stand, and
press the stand down until
its curved feet touch the
ground. • Place the full weight of your
body on the centre stand,
while pulling the motorcycle
to the rear (arrow).
• Check that the motorcycle is
standing firmly.
Excessive movements
could cause the centre
stand to retract, and the mo-
torcycle would topple in con-
sequence.
Do not lean or sit on the mo-
torcycle with the centre stand
extended. c

473Riding
Pushing motorcycle off
centre stand
OE
Brake servo assistance is
not available when the ig-
nition is off; the motorcycle
can start to roll.
Particularly when the motorcy-
cle is parked on a gradient,
switch on the ignition and wait
for the ABS to complete its
self-diagnosis (b
59). c
• Unlock the ignition lock, switch on the ignition.
• Wait for ABS self-diagnosis
to complete.
• Place your left hand on the
left handlebar grip.
• Grip the rear grab handle with your right hand.
• Push the motorcycle forward off the centre stand. • Check that the centre stand
has fully retracted.
Fuel
Fuel is flammable and
explosive.
Do not smoke. Never bring a
naked flame near the fuel
tank. c
Fuel expands under the
influence of high temper-
atures and exposure to
sunlight.
Do not fill the tank past the
bottom edge of the filler
neck. c
Fuel can damage plastic
parts.
Do not permit fuel to come into
contact with body panels. c
Fuel grade
Leaded fuel will destroy
the catalytic converter.
Use only unleaded fuel. c
The engine is designed to run
on:
– Super Plus (premium) unleaded (98 RON)
Use fuel of this grade by pref-
erence, in order to achieve
rated performance and fuel
consumption.
You can also run the engine on
fuel of the following grade:
– Super unleaded (95 RON)

689Maintenance
ToolkitThe toolkit is on the underside
of the seat.
You can obtain a more exten-
sive, additional set of tools
from your authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer.
Contents of the basic toolkit:1 Screwdriver with reversible
blade
2 Torx wrench, T25
3 Screwdriver, small Contents of supplementary
toolkit
OA:
1 Screwdriver blade
2 Socket wrench, w/f 17
3 Spark plug socket spanner
4 Open-ended spanner,
w/f 17
5 TORX® wrenches, T40,
T45, T50
Engine oilChecking the engine
oil levelCheck the oil level at regular
intervals.
The oil level depends on
the oil temperature. The
higher the temperature the
higher the oil level in the oil
tank.
Check the engine oil level
immediately after a lengthy
journey. c
The oil that drains into the
sump while the motorcy-
cle is not in use has to be
pumped back into the oil tank
before you read the oil level.
The engine oil must be at op-
erating temperature. Checking
the oil level with the engine
cold or after no more than a

Maintenance690
short ride will lead to misinter-
pretation; this, in turn, means
that the engine will be operat-
ed with the incorrect quantity
of oil.
In order to ensure that the en-
gine oil level is read correctly,
check the oil level only after a
lengthy trip.c
• Make sure the engine is at operating temperature and
hold the motorcycle upright
or place it on the centre
stand, after ensuring that the
ground is level and firm.
• Allow the engine to idle for
one minute.
• Switch off the ignition.
• Read off the oil level. 1
Indicator for engine-oil
level
• Check the oil level in oil-level indicator 1. 2
Maximum engine oil level
3 Minimum engine oil level
The oil level must be between
the MIN and MAX marks. The
difference is approx. 0.5 litres.

If the oil level is below the
MIN mark:
• Top up the engine oil.
If the oil level is above the
MAX mark:
• Correct the level by draining off some of the engine oil.
Damage to the engine
can result if it is operated
without enough oil, but the
same also applies if the oil lev-
el is too high. Always make
sure that the oil level is
correct. c

691Maintenance
The engine can seize if
the oil level is low, and
this can lead to accidents.
Always make sure that the oil
level is correct. c
Topping up the engine oil Remove the seat (
b
44).
Wipe the area around the filler neck clean.
Remove the cap from engine
oil filler neck 1. Top up with fresh oil until the
level is at midway mark A.
Check the oil level.
Repeat the filling and check- ing procedure until the
engine oil level is between
the MIN and MAX marks.
Reinstall the cap in the filler neck.
Draining off engine oil Remove the seat (
b
44).
Squeeze the retainer of transparent hose 2 on the
left and right and pull it up
out of the oil tank.
Pull the transparent hose
down out of the frame and
drain off the oil into a suitable
container.
Insert the transparent hose into the oil tank and secure
it.
Check the oil level.
Repeat the draining and
checking procedure until the
engine oil level is between
the MIN and MAX marks.
Store the excess engine oil
or dispose of it in an
environmentally responsible
manner.

Maintenance692
Coolant Checking coolant levelCheck the coolant level at reg-
ular intervals. 1 Display for coolant level
Check the coolant level in
coolant indicator 1.
2 Maximum coolant level
3 Minimum coolant level
The coolant level must be
between the MIN and
MAX marks.
If the coolant level is below the
MIN mark:
Top up the coolant.
Topping up coolant
Do not open the cooling
system while the engine
is hot, otherwise you may
scald yourself on the resultant
coolant steam. c
Remove the cap from cool- ant filler neck 1.
Add coolant.
Check the coolant level.
Repeat the filling and check-
ing procedure until the cool-
ant level is between the MIN
and MAX marks.

7125
Care
• Coat bright metal/chrome-plated parts with an acid-
free grease (e.g. Vaseline).
• Place the motorcycle in a dry room on the centre stand
OA
or rear wheel stand.
• Raise the engine with the
front wheel stand in such a
way that both wheels are
clear of the ground.
Before laying the vehicle
up, have the engine oil
and the oil filter element
changed by a specialist work-
shop, preferably your author-
ised BMW motorcycle dealer.
Combine work for laying up/
restoring to use with a mainte-
nance service or inspection. c
Restoring to use• Remove the protective wax
coating.
• Clean the motorcycle
(b
122).
• Install a charged battery (
b
119).
• Perform the safety checks (
b
56).
• Check the brakes (
b
93).
• Check the tyre pressures (
b
51).