2007 BMW MOTORRAD K 1200 GT wheel

DampingSettingDamping must be adapted to
suit spring preload. An increase
in spring preload requires firmer
damping, a reduction in spring
preload requires softer damping.Adjusting damping for
rear wheelMake sure the ground is level
and firm and place the motor-
cycle on its stand.
Adjust the rear shock absorber,
using the tool from the on-board toolkit to turn adjusting
screw
1.
If you want a harder damping
characteristic, use a screw-
driver to turn adjusting screw 1
in the direction indicated by the
H arrow.
If you want a softer damping
characteristic, use a screw-
driver to turn adjusting screw 1
in the direction indicated by the
S arrow. Basic setting of rear-sus-
pension damping charac-
teristic
Turn the adjusting screw as
far as it will go in the dir-
ection indicated by the H
arrow and then turn it back
one and a half turns in the
direction indicated by the S
arrow. (One-up 85 kg)
Electronic Suspension
Adjustment ESA
OE
SettingsElectronic Suspension Adjust-
ment ESA provides a convenient
way of adapting the motorcycle
to the load it carries and the sur-
face over which you intend riding.
469zOperation

ABS self-diagnosisBMW Motorrad Integral ABS per-
forms self-diagnosis to ensure
its operability. Self-diagnosis is
performed automatically when
you switch on the ignition. The
motorcycle has to move forward
at a speed above 5 km/h for the
wheel sensors to be tested.
Phase 1Test of the diagnosis-compat-
ible system components with
the motorcycle at a standstill. ABS warning light flashes.
Possible national variant of
the ABS warning light.
Phase 2 Test of the wheel sensors as
the motorcycle pulls away from
rest. ABS warning light flashes.
Possible national variant of
the ABS warning light.
ABS self-diagnosis
completed The ABS warning light goes
out.
If an indicator showing an ABS
fault appears when ABS self-dia-
gnosis completes:
You can continue to ride. Bear
in mind that neither the ABS
function nor the integral brak-
ing function is available.
Have the fault rectified as
quickly as possible by a
specialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.
ASC self-diagnosis
OE
BMW Motorrad ASC performs
self-diagnosis to ensure its op- erability. Self-diagnosis is per-
formed automatically when you
switch on the ignition. The en-
gine must be running and the
motorcycle must reach a speed
of at least 5 km/h in order for
ASC self-diagnosis to complete.
Phase 1
Test of the diagnosis-compat-
ible system components with
the motorcycle at a standstill. ASC warning light slow-
flashes.
Phase 2 Test of the diagnosis-compat-
ible system components while
the motorcycle is on the move. ASC warning light slow-
flashes.
ASC self-diagnosis
completed The ASC warning light goes
out.
582zRiding

BrakesHow can stopping
distance be minimised?Each time the brakes are applied,
a load distribution shift takes
place with the load shifting for-
ward from the rear to the front
wheel. The sharper the motor-
cycle 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 distance,
apply the front brakes rapidly and
keep on increasing the force you
apply to the brake lever. This
makes the best possible use
of the dynamic increase in load
at the front wheel. Remember
to pull the clutch at the same
time. In the "panic braking situ-
ations" that are trained so fre-
quently braking force is applied
as rapidly as possible and withthe rider's full force applied to
the brake levers; under these cir-
cumstances the dynamic shift
in load distribution cannot keep
pace with the increase in de-
celeration 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; this increases
stopping distance.
Descending mountain
passes
There is a danger of the
brakes fading if you use
only the rear brakes when des-
cending 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.
584zRiding

Brake system with
BMW Motorrad Integral
ABSPartially integral brakesYour motorcycle is equipped with
partially integral brakes. Both
front and rear brakes are applied
when you pull the handbrake
lever. The footbrake lever acts
only on the rear brake.
While the brakes are slowing the
motorcycle, the BMW Motorrad
Integral ABS adapts braking-force
distribution between front and
rear brakes to suit the load on
the motorcycle.The integral braking func-
tion 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 fric-
tion than a clean, dry asphalt sur-
face. The lower the coefficient
of friction, the longer the braking
distance.
If the rider increases braking
pressure to the extent that brak-
ing force exceeds the maxim-
um transferrable limit, the wheels
start to lock and the motorcycle
loses its directional stability; a fall
is imminent. Before this situation
can occur, ABS intervenes and
adapts braking pressure to the
maximum transferrable braking
force, so the wheels continue
to turn and directional stability
is maintained irrespective of the
condition of the road surface.
What are the effects of
surface irregularities?Humps and surface irregular-
ities can cause the wheels to
lose contact temporarily with the
road surface; if this happens the
braking force that can be trans-
mitted to the road can drop to
zero. If the brakes are applied
under these circumstances the
ABS has to reduce braking force
to ensure that directional sta-
bility is maintained when the
wheels regain contact with the
road surface. At this instant the
BMW Motorrad Integral ABS
must assume an extremely low
coefficient of friction, so that the
wheels will continue to rotate un-
der all imaginable circumstances,
because this is the precondition
for ensuring directional stability.
As soon as is registers the ac-
tual circumstances, the system
reacts instantly and adjusts brak-
690zEngineering details

ing force accordingly to achieve
optimum braking.What feedback does the
rider receive from the
BMW Motorrad Integral
ABS?If the ABS system has to reduce
braking force on account of the
circumstances described above,
vibration is perceptible through
the handbrake lever.
When the handbrake lever is
pulled, brake pressure is also
built 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 perceptible as
counter-pressure sooner than is
the case when the brake pedal is
depressed either before or at the
same time as the brake lever is
pulled.
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 in-
tervene until very late, if at all.
Under these circumstances the
rear wheel can lift off the ground,
and the outcome can be a high-
siding situation in which the mo-
torcycle 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 In-
tegral ABS ensures directional
stability on any surface. The sys-
tem is not optimised for special
requirements that apply under
extreme competitive 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 val-
ues for a lengthy period the ABS
function is deactivated for safety
reasons and an ABS fault mes-
sage is issued. Self-diagnos-
is has to complete before fault
messages can be issued.
In addition to problems with the
BMW Motorrad Integral ABS,
691zEngineering details

exceptional riding conditions can
lead to a fault message being
issued.
Exceptional riding
conditions:Heating up with the motorcycle
on the centre stand or an auxil-
iary stand, engine idling or with
a gear engaged.
Rear wheel locked by the en-
gine 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 ignition off and
on again.
What significance
devolves on regular
maintenance?
Invariably, a technical sys-
tem cannot perform beyond
the abilities dictated by its level
of maintenance.
In order to ensure that the BMW
Motorrad ABS is always main-
tained in optimum condition, it
is essential for you to comply
strictly with the specified inspec-
tion intervals.
Reserves for safetyThe potentially shorter braking
distances which BMW Motorrad
Integral ABS permits must not be
used as an excuse for careless
riding. ABS is primarily a means
of ensuring 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 Motorrad Integral ABS is
unable to counteract their effects.
Electronic engine
management with BMW
Motorrad ASC
OE
How does ASC work?The BMW Motorrad ASC com-
pares the speed of rotation of the
front wheel and the rear wheel.
The differential is used to com-
pute slip as a measure of the
reserves of stability available at
the rear wheel. If slip exceeds a
certain limit the electronic engine
management system intervenes,
adapting engine torque accord-
ingly.
692zEngineering details

What is the design
baseline for BMW
Motorrad ASC?BMW Motorrad ASC is designed
as an assistant system for the
rider and for use on public roads.
The extent to which the rider af-
fects ASC control can be consid-
erable (weight shifts when cor-
nering, items of luggage loose
on the motorcycle), especially
when style of riding takes rider
and machine close to the limits
imposed by physics. The system
is not optimised for special re-
quirements that apply under ex-
treme competitive situations off-
road or on the track. You have
the option of deactivating the
BMW Motorrad ASC system for
these circumstances.Even ASC is constrained by
the laws of physics. Invari-
ably, the rider bears responsibil-
ity for assessing road and traffic conditions and adopting his or
her style of riding accordingly.
Do not take risks that would neg-
ate the additional safety offered
by this system.
Special situationsIn accordance with the laws of
physics, the ability to accelerate
is restricted more and more as
the angle of heel increases. Con-
sequently, there can be a per-
ceptible lag in acceleration out of
very tight bends.
The speeds of the front and
rear wheels are compared as
one means of detecting the rear
wheel's incipient tendency to
spin or slip sideways. If the sys-
tem registers implausible values
for a lengthy period the ASC
function is deactivated for safety
reasons and an ASC fault mes-
sage is issued. Self-diagnos-
is has to complete before fault
messages can be issued.
The BMW Motorrad ASC can
shut down automatically under
the exceptional riding conditions
outlined below.
Exceptional riding
conditions:
Riding for a lengthy period with
the front wheel lifted off the
ground (wheelie) and ASC de-
activated.
Rear wheel rotating with the
motorcycle held stationary by
applying the front brake (burn-
out).
Heating up with the motorcycle
on the centre stand or an auxil-
iary stand, engine idling or with
a gear engaged.
Accelerating the motorcycle to
a speed in excess of 10 km/h
after switching the ignition off
and then on again reactivates the
ASC.
693zEngineering details

If the front wheel lifts clear of the
ground under severe accelera-
tion, the ASC reduces engine
torque until the front wheel re-
gains contact with the ground.
Under these circumstances,
BMW Motorrad recommends
rolling the throttle slightly closed
so as to restore stability with the
least possible delay.
When riding on a slippery sur-
face, never snap the throttle
twistgrip fully closed without
pulling the clutch at the same
time. Engine braking torque can
cause the rear wheel to lock, with
a corresponding loss of stability.
The BWM Motorrad ASC is un-
able to control a situation of this
nature.
Tyre pressure
monitoring RDC
OE
FunctionA sensor integrated into each
tyre measures the air temperat-
ure and the air pressure inside
the tyre and transmits this in-
formation to the control unit.
Each sensor has a centrifugal-
force tripswitch that does not
enable transmission of the meas-
ured 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 sig-
nals for approximately 15 minutes
after the motorcycle comes to a
stop.
The control unit can adminis-
trate four sensors, so two dif-
ferent sets of wheels with RDC
sensors can be alternated on the motorcycle. An error mes-
sage 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-
compensated; the reference tyre
temperature for these readings
is always 20 °C. The air lines
available to the public in petrol
stations and motorway service
areas almost invariably show
temperature-dependent tyre
pressures, so in most instances
these gauge readings will not
tally with the readings shown by
the multifunction display.
694zEngineering details