2005 BMW MOTORRAD K 1200 LT Rider's Manual (in English)

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79
Starting – Riding – Parking
Warning lights
Coolant temperatureWarning light5 (red)
goes out when the engine is
started, above idle speed.
e Attention:
If the coolant temperature
warning light 5 comes on, stop
the engine and allow it to cool
down.
Check coolant level in the
expansion tank (
b55).
If the expansion tank is full, but
the warning light remains on,
or if coolant consumption is
excessive, consult a specialist
workshop, preferably an
authorised BMW motorcycle
dealer.
Battery charge currentWarning light 6 goes out above
idle speed.
e Attention:
If warning light 6 comes on
while the motorcycle is being
ridden:
consult a specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised BMW
motorcycle dealer.
65
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Starting – Riding – Parking
3
Riding, gear shifts
Engine speedChoose engine speeds in
accordance with the coolant
temperature reading, and do
not use maximum engine
speeds until the engine has
reached its regular operating
temperature.
When the revolution counter
needle enters the red zone on
the dial, the fuel supply is inter-
rupted in order to protect the
engine against overspeeding,
as you will notice because the
engine “stutters”.
d Warning:
Never run the engine with the
needle of the revolution coun-
ter in the red zone.
Load changes
d Warning:
Try not to open or close the
throttle abruptly, particularly
on wet or slippery roads.
Gear shifts
L Note:
Never slip the clutch exces-
sively when changing gear.
Vary your speed only by using
the throttle in a suitable gear,
not by slipping the clutch.
The digital cockpit display
shows which gear has been se-
lected (
b10).
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81
Starting – Riding – Parking
Riding, gear shifts
Moving away/upshifts: Pull the clutch lever in
 Press down on the gearshift lever (to select first gear) and
take your foot off the lever
 Smoothly reengage the clutch
 Increase engine speed
slightly as necessary
 Accelerate when the clutch is
fully engaged
 For upshifts into 2nd, 3rd, 4th
and 5th gears, proceed in the
same way, but lift the gear
lever with your foot
Downshifts:
 Close the throttle twistgrip
 Pull the clutch lever
 Select the next-lowest gear: Press the gearshift lever in the
direction opposite to that indi-
cated by the arrow
 Smoothly reengage the clutch
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Starting – Riding – Parking
3
Brake system - general
Wet brakesAfter the motorcycle has been
washed, ridden through water
or ridden in the rain, the brake
discs and pads may be wet (or
iced-over in winter), and may
not take effect immediately.
d Warning:
The brakes have to dry before
they start to bite.
Salt on brakesThe brakes may fail to take
effect immediately if the motor-
cycle was ridden on salt-cov-
ered roads and the brakes were
not applied for some time.
d Warning:
The layer of salt on the brake
discs and pads has to be
worn off before the brakes
start to bite.
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83
Starting – Riding – Parking
Brake system - general
Oil and grease on brakes
d Warning:
Brake discs and pads must be
free from oil or grease.
Dirt or mud on brakesWhen you ride on loose sur-
faces or muddy roads, the
brakes may fail to take effect
immediately because of dirt or
moisture on the discs or brake
pads.
d Warning:
The brakes must first be
applied until the discs and
pads are clean.
Dirt on the brakes increases
the rate of pad wear.
d Warning:
If the brake lever can be
moved right to the limit of its
travel, this indicates a me-
chanical or hydraulic fault.
The brake system is defec-
tive.
Immediately consult a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer.
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84
Starting – Riding – Parking
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Brake system - with BMW Integral ABS
Sensitive 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 lon-
gitudinal and lateral stabilising
forces are lost, and a fall can
result.
For this reason, the rider sel-
dom makes full use of available
braking performance in an
emergency. BMW Integral ABS is the latest-
generation BMW ABS develop-
ment: by preventing both
wheels from locking and opti-
mising braking-force distribu-
tion by means of the integral
function, it offers much
improved braking performance
(
b86). Full use is made of tech-
nical braking capacity to mini-
mise braking distances, even
when road conditions are poor.
When the motorcycle is ridden
in a straight line, the BMW Inte-
gral ABS is able to handle
emergency braking safely.
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Starting – Riding – Parking
Brake system - with BMW Integral ABS
Extra safety reservesBut remember: the potentially
shorter braking distances
which BMW Integral ABS per-
mits must not be used as an
excuse for careless riding. ABS
is primarily a means of ensuring
a safety margin in genuine
emergencies.
– You have to familiarise your-self with the new, electroni-
cally assisted braking. Try the
brakes several times when
you take your motorcycle out
for the first time. Find out for
yourself how the brakes feel
– Never ride without due care
and attention, or assume that
good fortune will protect you
from your own foolhardiness
– Keep within the permitted
speed limits – Take care when cornering.
When you apply the brakes on
a corner, the motorcycle's
weight and momentum take
over and even BMW Integral
ABS is unable to counteract
their effects.
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Starting – Riding – Parking
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Brake system - with BMW Integral ABS
Fully integral brakesThe integral brake function
interlinks the front and rear
brakes, so both wheels are
braked when you operate a
brake lever.
The electronic controller in the
BMW Integral ABS computes
the braking-force distribution
between front and rear wheels,
and applies the brakes accord-
ingly.
Braking-force distribution
depends on load and is recal-
culated every time the ABS
controller comes into action.
In a fully integral brake configu-
ration, the integral braking func-
tion is activated by either the
handbrake lever or the brake
pedal.
Brake boosterThe hydraulic pump in the BMW
Integral ABS actively boosts the
braking force acting on the
wheel when the brakes are
applied.
By boosting the braking force in
this way, the BMW Integral ABS
achieves higher braking effi-
ciency than standard brake
systems.
ABS - anti-lock brake sys-
tem
ABS prevents the wheels lock-
ing under heavy braking when
the motorcycle is travelling in a
straight line, thus contributing
significantly to road safety.
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