Brake switch defectiveGeneral warning light
lights up red.
There is a defect in
the brake system and
it could result in delayed
braking response and,
consequently, accidents.
Brake in good time as
delayed braking response can
be expected.
The brake switch is defective
or incorrectly adjusted. The
increase in pressure when the
lever is pulled or the pedal
depressed is the signal in-
dicating to the BMW Integral
ABS that the rider wants to
apply the brakes. There may
be an unusual response from
the brakes.
You can continue to ride.
Bear in mind, however, that
the brakes might respond in a manner to which you are
not accustomed.
Have the fault rectified as
soon as possible by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW Motor-
rad dealer.
Pull-away test not com-
pleted ABS warning light
flashes once per
second.
Without the assistance
of the ABS function, the
wheels could lock when the
brakes are applied hard, and
this could result in accidents.
Avoid hard braking if pos-
sible.
The ABS function is not avail-
able because the pull-away
test has not been completed.
You can continue to ride.
However, the ABS function is not available until the pull-
away test has completed.
If possible, do not use
emergency braking until
the pull-away test has been
completed.
Self-diagnosis not com-
pleted ABS warning light
flashes four times per
second.
Without the assistance
of the ABS function, the
wheels could lock when the
brakes are applied hard. You
have to apply considerably
more force to the brake
levers to brake without
servo-assisted brakes. The
changed braking response
can cause accidents.
Avoid hard braking if possible.
Apply brakes in good time as
increased effort is required.
332zStatus indicators
Residual braking function
activeGeneral warning light
lights up red.
ABS warning light
flashes four times per
second.
Without the assistance
of the ABS function, the
wheels could lock when the
brakes are applied hard. You
have to apply considerably
more force to the brake
levers to brake without
servo-assisted brakes. The
changed braking response
can cause accidents.
Avoid hard braking if possible.
Apply brakes in good time as
increased effort is required.
Only residual braking func-
tion is available in at least one
brake circuit.
You can continue to ride.
However, the ABS function and brake servo assistance
are not available.
Have the fault rectified as
soon as possible by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW Motor-
rad dealer.
Brake fluid level in wheel
brake circuit too low General warning light
flashes red once per
second.
ABS warning light
flashes once per
second.
The ABS wheel brake
circuit is a closed sys-
tem whose fluid level cannot
be determined at the brake
fluid reservoirs.
Very badly worn brake pads
can also trigger the "Brake
fluid too low" warning. Checking brake-pad thick-
ness, front brakes ( 96)
Checking brake pad thick-
ness, rear brakes ( 96)
Worn brake pads can
lengthen stopping dis-
tances by a significant margin
and consequently cause acci-
dents.
Apply the brakes in good
time.
Worn brake pads can
damage the brake discs.
Think well ahead and brake
carefully; avoid severe brak-
ing.
Have worn brake pads re-
placed as soon as possible
by a specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised
BMW Motorrad dealer.
If the brake pads are not
badly worn, the brake system
334zStatus indicators
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.
Bear in mind that ABS can-
not be relied on in all circum-
stances to prevent the rear
wheel from lifting clear of the
ground.
Residual braking func-
tionWhen the ignition is switched
off, during self-diagnosis,
or if the BMW Integral ABS
malfunctions, only a residual
braking function remains
available in the brake circuits
in question. The residual
braking function is the braking
power without the hydraulic
servo assistance of the BMW
Integral ABS. Under these
circumstances, therefore,
you must apply considerably
higher pressure to the brake
levers in question in order to
apply the brakes, and lever
travel is longer. When the
residual braking function
is active, the ABS function
is unavailable in the brake
system in question. When the
residual braking function is
active, the integral braking function is partially or entirely
unavailable.
Without the assistance
of the ABS function, the
wheels could lock when the
brakes are applied hard. You
have to apply considerably
more force to the brake
levers to brake without
servo-assisted brakes. The
changed braking response
can cause accidents.
Avoid hard braking if possible.
Apply brakes in good time as
increased effort is required.
Have the fault rectified as
soon as possible by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.
The brake-lever travel
needed to build up brak-
ing pressure can be consider-
ably longer when the system
is in residual braking function
mode, so BMW Motorrad re-
581zRiding
Paint careWashing the motorcycle
regularly will help counteract
the long-term effects of
substances that damage
the paint, especially if your
motorcycle is ridden in areas
with high air pollution or
natural sources of dirt, for
example tree resin or pollen.
Remove particularly
aggressive substances
immediately, however, as
otherwise the paint can
be affected or become
discoloured. Substances
of this nature include spilt
fuel, oil, grease, brake fluid
and bird droppings. We
recommend BMW vehicle
polish or BMW paint cleaner
for this purpose.
Marks on the paintwork are
particularly easy to see after
the motorcycle has been
washed. Remove stains ofthis kind immediately, using
cleaning-grade benzene or
petroleum spirit on a clean
cloth or ball of cotton wool.
We recommend that specks
of tar be removed with BMW
tar remover. Remember to
wax the parts treated in this
way.
Protective wax coat-
ingFor the protective wax coating
of paint, we recommend that
you use only BMW vehicle
wax or agents that contain
carnauba wax or synthetic
waxes.
It is time to rewax the paint-
work when water "puddles"
on the surface, instead of
forming beads.
Laying up the motor-
cycleClean the motorcycle.
Remove the battery.
Spray the brake and clutch
lever pivots and the main
and side stand pivots with a
suitable lubricant.
Coat bright metal and
chrome-plated parts with
an acid-free grease (e.g.
Vaseline).
Stand the motorcycle in a
dry room in such a way that
there is no load on either
wheel.
Before laying the vehicle
up out of use, have the
engine oil and the oil filter ele-
ment changed by a special-
ist workshop, preferably an
authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer. Combine work for lay-
ing up/restoring to use with a
BMW service or inspection.
8128zCare
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