BMW Motorrad R 1250 GS 2020 Installation and maintenance manual

RIDER'S MANUAL
R 1250 GS
BMW
MOTORRAD
MAKE LIFE A RIDE

Vehicle data
Model
Vehicle identification number
Color number
First registration
License plate
Retailer data
Contact in Service
Ms./Mr.
Phone number
Retailer's address/Phone (company stamp)

YOUR BMW.
We are pleased that you have chosen a BMW Motorrad vehicle
and welcome you to the family of BMW riders. Familiarize your-
self with your new vehicle so that you can ride safely and confi-
dently in all traffic situations.
About these operating instructions
Read these operating instructions before starting your new BMW.
It contains important notes about operating the vehicle that will
enable you to make full use of the technical assets of your BMW.
You will also obtain preventive maintenance and care instructions,
which are beneficial to operating and road safety and help retain
the value of your vehicle as much as possible.
If you should decide to sell your BMW one day, please remember
to hand over these operating instructions as well. They are an
important part of your vehicle.
We wish you many miles of safe and enjoyable riding with your
BMW
BMW Motorrad.

01 GENERAL INSTRUC-
TIONS 2
Overview 4
Abbreviations and sym-
bols 4
Equipment 5
Technical data 5
Timeliness of the status
of this manual 6
Additional sources of
information 6
Certificates and operat-
ing permits 6
Data memory 6
02 OVERVIEWS 12
Overall view, left side 14
Overall view, right side 15
Underneath the seat 16
Multifunction switch,
left 17
Multifunction switch,
right 18
Instrument cluster 19
03 DISPLAYS 20
Indicator and warning
lights 22
TFT display in
Pure Ride view 23
TFT display in the
View menu 24
Indicator lights 25
04 OPERATION 52
Ignition switch/steer-
ing lock 54
Ignition with Key-
less Ride 56
Emergency-off switch 60
Lights 60
Hazard warning lights 62
Turn indicators 62
Traction control (DTC) 63
Electronic chassis and
suspension adjustment
(D-ESA) 64
Riding mode 67
PRO riding mode 70
Adaptive cruise control 71
Hill Start Control 74
Anti-theft alarm sys-
tem (DWA) 77
Tire pressure control
(RDC) 80
Heating 80
05 TFT DISPLAY 82
General notes 84
Principle 85
Pure Ride view 91
General settings 92
Bluetooth 94
My vehicle 97
Navigation 100
Media 102
Phone 102
Display software ver-
sion 103

Displaying license in-
formation 103
06 SETTING 104
Mirrors 106
Headlight 107
Windshield 108
Clutch 108
Gearshift lever 109
Brake 109
Footrests 111
Handlebars 112
Seats 113
Spring preload 116
Damping 117
07 RIDING 118
Safety instructions 120
Observe checklist 123
Always before riding
off 123
At every third refuel-
ing stop 123
Starting 124
Breaking in 126
Off-road use 127
Shifting gears 129
Brakes 130
Parking your motor-
cycle 132
Refueling 133
Securing motorcycle
for transportation 138
08 TECHNOLOGY IN
DETAIL 140
General notes 142
Anti-lock braking sys-
tem (ABS) 142
Traction control
(DTC) 145
Dynamic engine
brake control (MSR) 147
Dynamic ESA 148
Riding mode 149
Dynamic Brake Con-
trol 153
Tire pressure control
(RDC) 154
Gear Shift Assistant 155
Hill Start Control 157
ShiftCam 158
Adaptive headlights 159
09 MAINTENANCE 160
General notes 162
Onboard vehicle tool
kit 163
Service tool set 163
Front-wheel stand 163
Engine oil 165
Brake system 166
Clutch 171
Coolant 171
Tires 173
Wheel rims and tires 174
Wheels 175
Air filter 181
Light sources 184
Jump-starting 184

Battery 185
Fuses 190
Diagnostic socket 191
10 ACCESSORIES 194
General notes 196
Onboard power sock-
ets 196
USB charging socket 197
Cases 198
Topcase 201
Navigation system 207
11 CARE 214
Care products 216
Washing your motor-
cycle 216
Cleaning sensitive
motorcycle parts 217
Care of paintwork 218
Paint preservation 219
Store motorcycle 219
Putting the motorcy-
cle into operation 219
12 TECHNICAL DATA 220
Troubleshooting chart 222
Threaded fasteners 224
Fuel 227
Engine oil 228
Engine 228
Clutch 229
Transmission 229
Rear-wheel drive 230
Frame 230
Suspension 231
Brakes 232
Wheels and tires 233
Electrical system 234
Anti-theft alarm sys-
tem 235
Dimensions 236
Weights 239
Performance data 239
13 SERVICE 240
Reporting safety de-
fects 242
BMW Motorrad
Service 243
BMW Motorrad Elec-
tronic service history
(eSH) 243
BMW Motorrad Mo-
bility Services 244
Maintenance proce-
dures 244
BMW Service 244
Maintenance sched-
ule 246
Maintenance confir-
mations 247
Service confirmations 261

APPENDIX 264
Certificate for elec-
tronic immobilizer 265
Certificate for Key-
less Ride 267
Certificate for tire
pressure control 271
Certificate for TFT
instrument cluster 272
INDEX 276

GENERAL IN-
STRUCTIONS
01

OVERVIEW 4
ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS 4
EQUIPMENT 5
TECHNICAL DATA 5
TIMELINESS OF THE STATUS OF THIS MANUAL 6
ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION 6
CERTIFICATES AND OPERATING PERMITS 6
DATA MEMORY 6

4 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
OVERVIEW
This Rider's Manual has been
designed to provide quick and
efficient orientation. The quick-
est way for you to find infor-
mation on specific topics is to
consult the comprehensive in-
dex at the back of the manual.
If you would like to start with
a quick overview of your mo-
torcycle, this information has
been provided in chapter 2. All
maintenance and repair work
carried out on your motorcycle
will be documented in Chapter
12. Documentation confirm-
ing performance of scheduled
maintenance is a precondition
for generous handling of out-
of-warranty claims and good-
will warranty treatment.
When the time comes to sell
your BMW, remember to hand
over this Rider's Manual; it is an
important part of the motorcy-
cle.
ABBREVIATIONS AND SYM-
BOLS
CAUTION Hazard with
low risk. Failure to avoid
this hazard can result in minor
or moderate injury.
WARNING Hazard with
moderate risk. Failure to
avoid this hazard can result in
death or serious injury.
DANGER Hazard with
high risk. Failure to avoid
this hazard results in death or
serious injury.
ATTENTION Special in-
structions and precaution-
ary measures. Non-compliance
can cause damage to the vehi-
cle or accessories and warranty
claims may be denied as a re-
sult.
NOTICE Special informa-
tion on operating and in-
specting your motorcycle as
well as maintenance and ad-
justment procedures.
Instruction.
Result of an activity.
Reference to a page
with more detailed
information.
Indicates the end of
accessory or equip-
ment-dependent infor-
mation.
Tightening torque.

5
Technical data.
NV National-market ver-
sion.
OE Optional equipment.
BMW Motorrad op-
tional equipment is
already completely in-
stalled during motor-
cycle production.
OA Optional accessories.
BMW Motorrad
optional accessories
can be purchased
and retrofitted at
your authorized
BMW Motorrad
retailer.
ABS Anti-Lock Brake Sys-
tem.
D-ESA Electronic chassis and
suspension adjust-
ment.
DTC Dynamic Traction Con-
trol
DWA Anti-theft alarm.
EWS Electronic immobilizer.
MSR Engine drag torque
control.
TPC Tire Pressure Control
(TPC).
EQUIPMENT
When you ordered your
BMW Motorrad motorcycle,
you chose various items of
custom equipment. These
operating instructions describe
optional equipment (OE)
offered by BMW and selected
optional accessories (OA). This
explains why the manual may
also contain descriptions of
equipment which you have not
ordered. Please note, too, that
your motorcycle might not be
exactly as illustrated in this
manual on account of country-
specific differences.
If your motorcycle features
equipment that is not de-
scribed here, you can find
these features described in a
separate manual.
TECHNICAL DATA
All dimensions, weights and
performance data contained
in these operating instructions
refer to the German Institute
for Standardization i.e. DIN
(Deutsches Institut für Nor-
mung e. V.) and comply with
their tolerance specifications.
The technical data and spec-
ifications in these operating
instructions serve as points of
reference. The vehicle-specific

6 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
data may vary, for instance due
to the selected optional equip-
ment, national-market version
or country-specific measuring
procedures. Detailed values can
be obtained from the registra-
tion documents or requested
from your BMW Motorrad re-
tailer or other qualified service
partner or specialist workshop.
The information on the vehicle
documents always takes prece-
dence over the information in
these operating instructions.
TIMELINESS OF THE STATUS
OF THIS MANUAL
The high safety and quality
level of BMW motorcycles are
ensured by consistent, ongo-
ing development efforts em-
bracing their design, equip-
ment and accessories. For this
reason, some aspects of your
motorcycle may vary from the
descriptions in these operat-
ing instructions. In addition,
BMW Motorrad cannot guaran-
tee the total absence of errors.
We hope you will appreciate
that no claims can be recog-
nized that are based on the
data, illustrations or descrip-
tions in this manual.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF
INFORMATION
BMW Motorrad retailer
Your BMW Motorrad retailer is
always happy to answer any of
your questions.
Internet
The Operating Instructions for
your motorcycle, the operating
and installation instructions for
optional accessories and gen-
eral BMW Motorrad informa-
tion related to the technology
or other features are available
at bmw-motorrad.com/manu-
als.
CERTIFICATES AND OPERAT-
ING PERMITS
The certificates for the vehi-
cle and the official operating
permits for possible acces-
sories are available at bmw-
motorrad.com/certification.
DATA MEMORY
General information
Control units are installed in
the vehicle. Control units pro-
cess data received from vehicle
sensors, self-generated data or
data exchanged between con-
trol units, for example. Some
control units are required for
safe vehicle operation or pro-

7
vide riding assistance, such as
driver assistance systems. Con-
trol units also make comfort
and infotainment functions pos-
sible.
Information about the stored
or exchanged data can be ob-
tained from the vehicle manu-
facturer, such as in the form of
a separate booklet.
Personal references
Every vehicle is marked with
a unique vehicle identifica-
tion number. Depending on
the country, the vehicle owner
can be identified using the
vehicle identification number
and license plate and with the
help of the relevant authorities.
There are also other ways to
trace data obtained from the
vehicle back to the driver or
vehicle owner, such as via the
ConnectedDrive Account that
was used.
Data privacy laws
In accordance with applicable
data privacy laws, vehicle users
have certain rights over the ve-
hicle manufacturer or company
that collects or processes per-
sonal data.
Vehicle users have the right to
obtain comprehensive informa-
tion without charge from the
locations that store the vehicle
user's personal data.
These locations may be:
The vehicle manufacturer
Qualified service partners
Specialist workshops
Service providers
Vehicle users may request in-
formation about the type of
personal data that is stored, the
purpose for which the data will
be used and the source of the
data. This information can only
be obtained by a registered
owner or a person with written
proof authorizing use of the ve-
hicle.
The right to information also
includes information related
to data transmitted to other
companies or locations.
The vehicle manufacturer's
website contains the appro-
priate privacy policy notices.
The privacy policy notices con-
tain information on the right
to delete or correct data. The
vehicle manufacturer also pro-
vides the manufacturer contact
information and the contact in-
formation of the data security
officer.
The vehicle owner can have
a BMW Motorrad retailer or
other qualified service partner
or specialist workshop read out

8 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
the data stored in the vehicle
for a fee if required.
The vehicle data is read out via
the vehicle's legally mandated
socket for onboard diagnosis
(OBD).
Legal requirements for the
disclosure of data
The vehicle manufacture is re-
quired by the law applicable in
this context to provide authori-
ties with the data stored by the
manufacturer. Providing this
data within the scope required
is on a case-by-case basis, for
instance to clarify a criminal of-
fense.
Government agencies are au-
thorized by the law applicable
in this context to read out the
data from the vehicle them-
selves in individual cases.
Operating data in the vehicle
Control units process data so
that the vehicle can run.
Examples of this include:
Status messages from the ve-
hicle and its individual com-
ponents, such as wheel RPM,
wheel speed and deceleration
Environmental conditions,
such as temperature
The data is processed only in
the vehicle itself and is usu-
ally temporary. The data is not
stored beyond the period in
which the vehicle is operating.
Electronic components such
as control units contain com-
ponents for storing technical
information. This may be infor-
mation about the vehicle's con-
dition, component load, events
or faults stored temporarily or
permanently.
This information generally doc-
uments the condition of a com-
ponent, module, system or the
surrounding area; for example:
Operating conditions of sys-
tem components, such as fill
levels and tire pressure
Malfunctions and faults in key
system components, such as
lights and brakes
Vehicle responses in specific
riding situations, such as the
activation of driving stability
control systems
Information about events
causing damage to the vehicle
The data is necessary for pro-
viding control unit functions. In
addition, it is used by the vehi-
cle manufacturer to detect and
eliminate malfunctions as well
as to optimize vehicle func-
tions.
The majority of this data is
temporary and is processed
only within the vehicle itself.

9
Only a small amount of event-
driven data is stored in the
event data recorder and fault
memory.
When a vehicle is serviced,
such as for repairs, servicing
processes, warranty cases and
quality assurance measures,
this technical information can
be read out from the vehicle
together with the vehicle iden-
tification number.
The information can be read
out by a BMW Motorrad re-
tailer or other qualified service
partner or specialist workshop.
The vehicle's legally mandated
socket for onboard diagnosis
(OBD) is used to read out the
data.
The data is collected, pro-
cessed and used by the
respective retailer network
locations. The data documents
the vehicle's technical states
and helps with fault finding,
compliance with warranty
obligations and quality
improvements.
The manufacturer also has
product monitoring obligations
arising from product liability
law. The vehicle manufacturer
requires technical data from
the vehicle in order to fulfill
these obligations. The data
from the vehicle can also be
used to verify customer war-
ranty and guarantee claims.
The fault memory and event
data recorder in the vehicle can
be reset by a BMW Motorrad
retailer or other qualified
service partner or specialist
workshop as part of a repair or
servicing.
Data input and data transfer
in the vehicle
General information
Depending on the equipment,
comfort settings and individual-
ized settings in the vehicle can
be saved and changed or reset
at any time.
Examples of this include:
Windshield position settings
Chassis and suspension ad-
justment settings
It is possible to introduce data
into the vehicle entertainment
and communication system via
a smartphone, for instance.
Depending on the individual
equipment, this includes:
Multimedia data, such as mu-
sic for playback
Address book data for use in
conjunction with a commu-
nication system or integrated
navigation system
Entered navigation destina-
tions

10 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Data about the use of Inter-
net services. This data can
be stored locally in the ve-
hicle or is on a device con-
nected to the vehicle, such
as a smartphone, USB stick
or MP3 player. If this data is
saved in the vehicle, it can be
deleted at any time.
This data is transmitted to third
parties only upon personal re-
quest as part of the use of on-
line services. The data trans-
mitted depends on the selected
settings when using the ser-
vices.
Integrating mobile end de-
vices
Depending on the equipment,
mobile end devices connected
to the vehicle, such as smart-
phones, are controlled using
the vehicle's operating ele-
ments.
This enables audio and visual
output from mobile end de-
vices through the multimedia
system. At the same time, cer-
tain information is transmitted
to the mobile end device. This
includes for instance position
data and other general vehicle
data, depending on the type of
integration, and makes it pos-
sible to optimize the use of se-
lected apps, such as those for
navigation or audio playback.
The way the data is processed
further is determined by the
provider of the particular app
used. The range of possible
settings depends on the par-
ticular app and the operating
system of the mobile end de-
vice.
Services
General information
If the vehicle has a mobile
phone connection, this
connection makes it possible
to exchange data between
the vehicle and other systems.
The mobile phone connection
is made possible through
the vehicle's transmitter and
receiver or via personally
integrated mobile end devices
such as smartphones. Online
functions, as they are called, are
used over this mobile phone
connection. These include on-
line services and apps provided
by the vehicle manufacturer or
other providers.
Vehicle manufacturer services
In the case of the vehicle man-
ufacturer's online services, the
particular functions are de-
scribed at the appropriate lo-
cation, such as in the operating
instructions or on manufactur-

11
er's website. The relevant legal
information on data privacy is
also provided there. Personal
data may be used in order to
provide online services. The
data is exchanged over a se-
cure connection, i.e. with the
vehicle manufacturer's IT sys-
tems which are intended for
this purpose.
Any collection, processing and
use of personal data that goes
beyond the provision of ser-
vices take place only as per-
mitted by law, on the basis of
a contractual agreement or as
a result of consent. It is also
possible to have the entire data
connection activated or deacti-
vated. This is not the case for
legally prescribed functions.
Services of other providers
When using the online services
of other providers, these ser-
vices are subject to the respon-
sibility and the data protection
and usage conditions of the re-
spective provider. The vehicle
manufacturer has no control
over the content exchanged
via these services. Informa-
tion about the type, scope and
purpose of collecting and us-
ing personal data as part of
third-party services can be
obtained from the particular
service provider.

OVERVIEWS
02

OVERALL VIEW, LEFT SIDE 14
OVERALL VIEW, RIGHT SIDE 15
UNDERNEATH THE SEAT 16
MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH, LEFT 17
MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH, RIGHT 18
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER 19

14 OVERVIEWS
OVERALL VIEW, LEFT SIDE
1Fuel filler opening
( 134)
212V socket
3Seat lock ( 113)
4Adjuster for rear damp-
ing (at the bottom on the
spring strut) ( 117)
5Tire pressure table (behind
the side trim panel)