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

687Maintenance
The oil level must be located
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:
• Drain off the engine oil.
Too little or too much
engine oil can lead to
engine damage.
Ensure that the engine oil level
is correct.c
Too little engine oil can
result in the engine seiz-
ing and therefore lead to
accidents.
Ensure that the engine oil level
is correct.c
Topping up the engine oil• Remove the seat (
b 40)
.
• Clean the area around the
filler aperture.
• Unscrew cap of the engine
oil filler aperture 1.• Add engine oil up to the
central markA.
• Check the oil level.
• Repeat the filling and
checking procedure until the
engine oil level is located
between the MIN and
MAX marks.
• Screw on the cap of the
engine oil filler aperture.

Maintenance688
Draining off engine oil • Remove the seat (
b 40)
.
• Press the retainer of clear
hose 2 on the left and right
and pull upwards out of the
oil tank.
• Pull the clear hose down-
wards out of the frame and
drain off the oil into a suitable
container.
• Insert the clear hose in the
oil tank and lock into place.
• Check the oil level.
• Repeat the draining and
checking procedure until the
engine oil level is located
between the MIN and
MAX marks.
• Store or dispose of excess
engine oil in an environmen-
tally-responsible manner.
Coolant Checking the coolant
levelCheck the coolant level at
regular intervals.
1Display for coolant level
• Read off the coolant level
from the coolant display1.
2Maximum coolant level
3Minimum coolant level
The coolant level must be
located between the MIN and
MAX marks.
If the coolant is below the
MIN mark:
• Top up the coolant.

689Maintenance
Topping up the coolant • Unscrew cap of the coolant
filler aperture 1.
• Add coolant.
• Check the coolant level.
• Repeat the filling and check-
ing procedure until the cool-
ant level is located between
the MIN and MAX marks.
• Screw on the cap of the filler
aperture for coolant.
BrakesA properly functioning brake
system is a basic requirement
for the road safety of your
motorcycle.
Improperly performed
work jeopardises the
operating reliability of the
brake system.
Have all work on the brake
system performed by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably by
an authorised BMW motor-
cycle dealer.cChecking the functionDo not ride the motorcycle if
you have any doubts about the
safety of the brake system.
In this case:• Have the brake system
checked by a specialist
workshop, preferably an
authorised BMW motorcycle
dealer.
Vehicles without ABS
• Press the handbrake lever.
» A resistance point must be
noticeable.
• Press the footbrake lever.
» A resistance point must be
noticeable.
Vehicles with ABS
• Switch on the ignition.
•Wait for the ABS self-
diagnosis.
• Press the handbrake lever.
» A resistance point must be
noticeable.
» In the case of BMW Integral
ABS, the hydraulic pump
must be heard to run.
• Press the footbrake lever.

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

Maintenance692
1Rear brake-fluid reservoir
2MIN mark
• Hold the motorcycle verti-
cally or place it on the centre
stand
OA, ensuring that the
ground is firm and level.
• Straight ahead handlebar
position.
• Read off the brake fluid level
at the reservoir.Vehicles without ABS
In the event of brake pad
wear, the brake fluid level
in the brake-fluid reservoir
falls.c
The brake fluid level must not
fall below the MIN mark. If the
brake fluid level falls below the
MIN mark:
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.
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.Vehicles with ABS
In the event of brake pad
wear, the brake fluid level
remains constant.c
If the brake fluid level falls -
even above the MIN mark -
this indicates a defect in the
brake system. If the brake fluid
level falls:
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.
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.

693Maintenance
ClutchChecking the function• Press the clutch lever.
» A resistance point must be
noticeable.
Do not ride the motorcycle if
you have any doubts about the
safety of the clutch. In this
case:
• Have the clutch checked by
a specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer.Checking the clutch fluid
level
If the position of the
clutch fluid reservoir is
changed, air can enter the
clutch system. Do not twist either the
handlebar controls or the
handlebars.c
• Hold the motorcycle verti-
cally or place it on the centre
stand
OA, ensuring that the
ground is firm and level.
• Straight ahead handlebar
position.
• Read off the clutch fluid level
at the reservoir.
1Clutch fluid reservoir
2MIN markThe clutch fluid level must not
fall below the MIN mark. If the
fluid level falls below the
MIN mark, the clutch system
must be checked immediately.
If the clutch fluid level falls -
even above the MIN mark -
this indicates a defect in the
clutch system.
• Have the fault remedied as
soon as possible by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW motor-
cycle dealer.
The fluid level in the res-
ervoir falls as the clutch
wears.c
Unsuitable hydraulic flu-
ids could cause damage
to the clutch system.
No fluids may be filled.c

Maintenance694
The clutch system is filled
with a special hydraulic
fluid that does not require
changing.c
WheelsFor each tyre size, certain tyre
makes have been tested by
BMW Motorrad, classified as
safe for road traffic and
approved. If BMW Motorrad
has not approved the wheels
and tyres, it cannot assess
their suitability or provide 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 on
the Internet at www.bmw-
motorrad.com.
Checking the rims• Place the motorcycle on the
centre stand
OA or side
stand, ensuring that the
ground is firm and level.
• Perform a visual inspection
to check for defective points.
• Have damaged rims
checked and, if necessary,
replaced by a specialist
workshop, preferably an
authorised BMW motorcycle
dealer.
Checking the tyre tread
depth The minimum tyre tread depths
legally prescribed in each coun-
try apply.
The handling characteris-
tics of your motorcycle
can deteriorate even before the
legally prescribed minimum
tread depth has been reached. Have the tyres replaced before
this minimum tread depth is
reached.c
There is a wear indicating
mark on each tyre, inte-
grated in the main tread
grooves. If the tyre tread has
worn down to the level of the
marks, the tyre is completely
worn. The locations of the
marks are indicated on the
edge of the tyre, e.g. by the
letters TI, TWI or by an arrow.c
• Only measure the tyre tread
depth in the main tread
grooves with wear indicating
marks.