2006 BMW MOTORRAD K 1200 R Rider's Manual (in English)

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.
Check that the motorcycle
is standing firmly.
Lock the steering lock.
Remove the motorcycle
from centre stand
OA
Unlock the steering lock.
Place your left hand on the
left handlebar grip.
With your right hand, grip
the rear grab handle or the
rear frame.
Push the motorcycle for-
ward off the centre stand.
Check that the centre stand
has fully retracted.
Refuelling
Fuel is highly flammable.
A naked flame close to
the fuel tank can cause a fire
or explosion.
Do not smoke. Never bring
a naked flame near the fuel
tank.
Fuel expands when hot.
Fuel escaping from an
overfilled tank could make its
way onto the rear tyre. This
could cause a fall.
Do not fill the tank past the
bottom edge of the filler
neck.
Fuel attacks plastics,
which become dull or
unsightly.
Wipe off plastic parts immedi-
ately if they come into contact
with fuel. Leaded fuel will destroy
the catalytic converter.
Use only unleaded fuel.
Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand.
Open the protective cap.
Open the fuel tank cap with
the ignition key by turning it
counter-clockwise.
Refuel with fuel of the grade
stated below; do not fill the
tank past the bottom edge
of the filler neck.
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Recommended fuel
grade
98 ROZ/RON (Premium
plus unleaded)
95 ROZ/RON (Premium
unleaded (fuel grade,
usable with power- and
consumption-related re-
strictions)) Usable fuel capacity
19 l Reserve fuel
4l
Press the filler cap down
firmly to close.
Remove the key and close
the protective cap.
Tyre pressure control
RDC
OE
FunctionA sensor integrated into each
tyre measures the air tem-
perature and the air pressure
inside the tyre and transmits
this information to the control
unit.
Each sensor has a
centrifugal-force tripswitch
that does not enable
transmission of the measured
values until the motorcycle
has accelerated to about
30 km/h. The display shows--
for each tyre until the tyre-
pressure signal is received for
the first time. The sensors
continue to transmit the
measured-value signals for
approximately 15 minutes
after the motorcycle comes to
a stop. The control unit can
administrate four sensors, so
two different sets of wheels
with RDC sensors can be
alternated on the motorcycle.
An error message is issued
if wheels without sensors
are fitted to a motorcycle
equipped with an RDC control
unit.
Temperature
compensationThe tyre-pressure readings
shown by the multifunction
display are temperature-com-
pensated; the reference tyre
temperature for these read-
ings is always 20 °C. The air
lines available to the public in
petrol stations and motorway
service areas almost invari-
ably show temperature-de-
pendent tyre pressures, so in
most instances these gauge
readings will not tally with the
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readings shown by the multi-
function display.Tyre-pressure rangesThe RDC control unit differ-
entiates between three air-
pressure ranges, all of which
are parameterised for the mo-
torcycle:Air pressure within permit-
ted tolerance.
Air pressure close to limit of
permitted tolerance.
Air pressure outside permit-
ted tolerance.Brake system, generalDescending mountain
passes
There is a danger of the
brakes fading if you use
only the rear brakes when
descending mountain passes.
Under extreme conditions, the brakes could overheat and
suffer severe damage.
Use both front and rear
brakes, and make use of the
engine's braking effect as
well.
Wet brakes
After the motorcycle has
been washed, ridden
through water or ridden in
the rain, the brake discs and
pads might be wet and the
brakes might not take effect
immediately.
Apply the brakes in good time
until the brakes have dried
out.
Salt on brakes
The brakes may fail to
take effect immediately
if the motorcycle was ridden
on salt-covered roads and the
brakes were not applied for
some time. Apply the brakes in good
time until the salt layer on the
brake discs and brake pads
has been removed.
Oil or grease on brakes
Oil and grease on the
brake discs and pads
considerably diminish braking
efficiency.
Especially after repair and
maintenance work, make
sure that the brake discs and
brake pads are free of oil and
grease.
Dirt or mud on brakes
When riding on loose
surfaces or muddy
roads, the brakes may fail
to take effect immediately
because of dirt or moisture on
the discs or brake pads.
Apply brakes in good time
until the brakes have been
cleaned.
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Brake system with
BMW Motorrad
Integral ABS
OE
Partially integral brakesYour motorcycle is equipped
with partially integral brakes.
Both front and rear brakes
are applied when you pull the
handbrake lever. The foot-
brake lever acts only on the
rear brake.
When actively intervening
in the braking process, the
BMW Motorrad Integral ABS
adapts braking-force distri-
bution between front and rear
brakes to suit the load on the
motorcycle.The integral braking
function makes it
very difficult to spin the
rear wheel by opening
the throttle with the front
brake applied to keep the
motorcycle stationary (burn- out). Attempted burn-outs
can result in damage to the
rear brake and the clutch.
Do not attempt burn-outs.
How does ABS work?The amount of braking force
that can be transferred to
the road depends on factors
hat include the coefficient of
friction of the road surface.
Loose stones, ice and snow
or a wet road all have much
lower coefficients of friction
than a clean, dry asphalt sur-
face. The lower the coeffi-
cient of friction, the longer the
braking distance.
If the rider increases braking
pressure to the extent that
braking force exceeds the
maximum transferrable limit,
the wheels start to lock and
the motorcycle loses its dir-
ectional stability; a fall is im-
minent. Before this situation
can occur, ABS intervenes
and adapts braking pressure
to the maximum transferrable
braking force, so the wheels
continue to turn and direc-
tional stability is maintained
irrespective of the condition of
the road surface.
What are the effects of
surface irregularities?Humps and surface irregu-
larities can cause the wheels
to lose contact temporarily
with the road surface; if this
happens the braking force
that can be transmitted to
the road can drop to zero.
If the brakes are applied un-
der these circumstances the
ABS has to reduce braking
force to ensure that direc-
tional stability is maintained
when the wheels regain con-
tact with the road surface.
At this instant the BMW Mo-
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torrad Integral ABS must as-
sume an extremely low coef-
ficient of friction, so that the
wheels will continue to rotate
under all imaginable circum-
stances, because this is the
precondition for ensuring dir-
ectional stability. As soon as
is registers the actual circum-
stances, the system reacts
instantly and adjusts braking
force accordingly to achieve
optimum braking.What feedback does the
rider receive from the
BMW Motorrad Integral
ABS?If the ABS system has to re-
duce braking force on ac-
count of the circumstances
described above, vibration is
perceptible through the hand-
brake lever.
When the handbrake lever is
pulled, brake pressure is alsobuilt up at the rear wheel by
the integral function. If the
brake pedal is depressed
after the handbrake lever is
pulled, the brake pressure
built up beforehand is per-
ceptible as counter-pres-
sure sooner than is the case
when the brake pedal is de-
pressed either before or at
the same time as the brake
lever is pulled.
How can stopping
distance be minimised?Each time the brakes are
applied, a load distribution
shift takes place with the
load shifting forward from
the rear to the front wheel.
The sharper the motorcycle
decelerates, the more load
is shifted to the front wheel.
The higher the wheel load, the
more braking force can be
transmitted without the wheel
locking.
To optimise stopping dis-
tance, apply the front brakes
rapidly and keep on increas-
ing the force you apply to the
brake lever. This makes the
best possible use of the dy-
namic increase in load at the
front wheel. Remember to
pull the clutch at the same
time. In the "panic braking
situations" that are trained so
frequently braking force is ap-
plied as rapidly as possible
and with the rider's full force
applied to the brake levers;
under these circumstances
the dynamic shift in load dis-
tribution cannot keep pace
with the increase in decel-
eration and the tyres cannot
transmit the full braking force
to the surface of the road.
ABS has to intervene to keep
the front wheel from locking;
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this increases stopping dis-
tance.Rear wheel liftEven under severe braking,
a high level of tyre grip can
mean that the front wheel
does not lock up until very
late, if at all. Consequently,
ABS does not intervene until
very late, if at all. Under these
circumstances the rear wheel
can lift off the ground, and the
outcome can be a highsiding
situation in which the motor-
cycle can flip over.Severe braking can
cause the rear wheel to
lift off the ground.
When you brake, bear in mind
that ABS control cannot be
relied on in all circumstances
to prevent the rear wheel from
lifting clear of the ground.
What is the design
baseline for BMW
Motorrad Integral ABS?Within the limits imposed by
physics, the BMW Motorrad
Integral ABS ensures direc-
tional stability on any surface.
The system is not optimised
for special requirements that
apply under extreme compet-
itive situations off-road or on
the track.Special situationsThe speeds of the front and
rear wheels are compared
as one means of detecting a
wheel's incipient tendency to
lock. If the system registers
implausible values for a
lengthy period the ABS
function is deactivated for
safety reasons and an ABS
fault message is issued. Self-
diagnosis has to complete before fault messages can be
issued.
In addition to problems with
the BMW Motorrad Integ-
ral ABS, exceptional riding
conditions can lead to a fault
message being issued.
Exceptional riding
conditions:
Heating up with the motor-
cycle on the centre stand
or an auxiliary stand, en-
gine idling or with a gear
engaged.
Rear wheel locked by the
engine brake for a lengthy
period, for example while
descending off-road.
If a fault message is issued on
account of exceptional riding
conditions as outlined above,
you can reactivate the ABS
function by switching the igni-
tion off and on again.
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What significance
devolves on regular
maintenance?
Invariably, a technical
system cannot perform
beyond the abilities dictated
by its level of maintenance.
In order to ensure that the
BMW Motorrad Integral
ABS is always maintained
in optimum condition, it is
essential for you to comply
strictly with the specified
inspection intervals.
Reserves for safetyThe potentially shorter braking
distances which BMW Mo-
torrad Integral ABS permits
must not be used as an ex-
cuse for careless riding. ABS
is primarily a means of ensur-
ing a safety margin in genuine
emergencies. Take care when cornering.
When you apply the brakes
on a corner, the motorcycle's
weight and momentum take
over and even BMW Motor-
rad Integral ABS is unable to
counteract their effects.
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