BMW Motorrad Integral ABSE2
If the motorcycle is not to be 
ridden for several weeks, a 
trickle charger, which can be 
obtained from your BMW 
Motorrad dealer, should be 
connected or the battery 
disconnected and then 
recharged before starting 
riding again. 
During rider safety training, 
an unusual number of ABS-
controlled braking operations 
take place in rapid succession 
interspersed with periods of 
waiting and assessment in 
which the motorcycle is not 
being ridden. The battery is 
put under heavy load by the 
ABS control actions, but at 
the same time it is not being 
recharged as practically no 
riding is being done. 
In isolated cases, in this 
artificially created situation, braking operations in which 
the brake lever is operated 
with maximum force and 
extreme speed, in combina-
tion with declining on-board 
supply voltage, can bring the 
ABS up to its technical limits in 
which its control function is no 
longer fulfilled. 
Field observations carried out 
by BMW Motorrad indicate 
that a comparable situation 
has not arisen in traffic or even 
during training rides.
The following notes must 
be observed during safety 
training:
• check the warning and 
indicator lamps before any 
braking exercise
• ride the motorcycle over 
sufficient distance to charge 
the battery after a maximum 
of five braking exercises• switch off consumers such 
as seat and grip heating, 
radio, navigation system and 
accessories connected to 
the power sockets
• in pauses and discussions, 
switch off the ignition; if the 
engine is switched off with 
the emergency off switch, 
the lights and all electronic 
systems remain switched on 
and drain the battery
How can I achieve the 
shortest braking distance?
Dynamic load distribution 
between the front and rear 
wheels changes under 
braking. The heavier the 
brakes are applied, the more 
load is transferred to the front 
brake. The greater the load on 
the wheel, the more braking 
force can be transferred.Info_I_ABS_en_xx.fm  Seite 2  Dienstag, 19. Juli 2005  2:48 14 
E3BMW Motorrad Integral ABS
To achieve the shortest 
braking distance, it is neces-
sary to apply the front brake 
gradually and with increasing 
force. This makes best use of 
the dynamic increase in load 
on the front wheel. At the 
same time, the clutch should 
be disengaged. 
In emergency braking as it is 
often taught, in which the 
brake pressure is generated 
as quickly as possible and with 
all possible force, the dynamic 
load distribution cannot follow 
the increasing deceleration 
and the braking force cannot 
be completely transferred to 
the road. The ABS has to 
intervene to ensure that the 
front wheel does not lock up; 
this reduces the brake pres-
sure and the braking distance 
is extended.What happens if ABS control 
fails?
A fault in BMW Motorrad 
Integral ABS is indicated by a 
corresponding warning dis-
play in the instrument cluster.
If only ABS control fails, the 
Integral system and the brake 
servo action remain opera-
tional. If these systems also 
fail, the residual brake function 
is applied. In this case, the 
forces to be applied to the 
brake levers will be signifi-
cantly higher and the lever 
travel required will be longer. 
The residual brake function is 
a mechanical function and is 
always available in the event 
of the failure of the BMW 
Motorrad Integral ABS, 
whatever the battery condi-
tion. It meets all requirements 
of legislation around the world on the design of brakes for 
motor vehicles and allows the 
rider to brake the motorcycle. 
The following notes must be 
observed for riding with the 
residual braking function:
• set the brake lever to 
maximum travel
• always brake with both front 
and rear brakes
• where it is safe to do so, try 
out the brakes so that you 
can learn the brakes' 
response characteristics 
• be aware of the prevailing 
road conditions and adapt 
your braking force 
accordingly
• since this is an emergency-
run function, you should visit 
a specialist workshop, or 
better still a BMW Motorrad 
dealer, as quickly as 
possibleInfo_I_ABS_en_xx.fm  Seite 3  Dienstag, 19. Juli 2005  2:48 14