BMW Motorrad R 18 Installation and maintenance manual

RIDER'S MANUAL (US
MODEL)
R 18
BMW
MOTORRAD
MAKE LIFE A RIDE

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

WELCOME TO BMW
We are pleased that you have chosen a BMW Motorrad vehicle and welcome you to the
family of BMW drivers. Familiarize yourself with your new vehicle so that you can ride safely
and confidently 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.
Documentation confirming performance of maintenance work is a precondition for generous
handling of claims.
If you should decide to sell your BMW one day, please remember to hand over these operat-
ing instructions as well. They are an important part of your vehicle.
Suggestions and criticism
Should you have any questions about your vehicle, your authorized BMW Motorrad retailer is
always happy to provide you with advice and assistance.
We wish you many miles of safe and enjoyable driving with your BMW
BMW Motorrad.

01 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS 2
Quick & easy reference 4
Abbreviations and symbols 4
Equipment 4
Technical data 4
Timeliness of the status of this
manual 5
Additional sources of information 5
Certificates and operating permits 5
Data memory 5
02 OVERVIEWS 10
General view, left side 12
General view, right side 13
Behind the right side trim panel 14
Multifunction switch, left 15
Multifunction switch, right 16
Instrument cluster 17
03 DISPLAYS 18
Indicator and warning lights 20
Multifunction display 21
Indicator lights 22
Service display 29
04 OPERATION 30
Steering lock 32
Ignition 32
Lights 35
Hazard warning flasher 36
Turn indicators 36
Multifunction display 38
Settings in the instrument cluster 40
Anti-theft alarm system (DWA) 44
Automatic Stability Control (ASC) 46
Riding mode 46
Speed control 47
Hill Start Control (Hill Start Con-
trol) 48
Reverser 49
Heated grips 50
Rider's seat 51
05 SETTING 54
Mirrors 56
Headlight 56
Clutch 57
Brakes 57
Turn indicators 58
Spring preload 58
06 RIDING 60
Safety Instructions 62
Regular check 63
Start 63
Breaking-in 65
Brakes 66
Shifting with shift paddle 67
Parking your motorcycle 67
Refueling 67
Securing motorcycle for trans-
portation 69
07 TECHNOLOGY IN DETAIL 72
General notes 74
Antilock Braking System (ABS) 74
Automatic Stability Control (ASC) 75
Riding mode 76
Dynamic engine brake control 77
Dynamic Brake Control 77
Hill Start Control (Hill Start Con-
trol) 78
Adaptive Light Control 78
08 MAINTENANCE 80
General notes 82
Onboard vehicle tool kit 82
Side panels 82
Fairing bracket 83
Front wheel stand 84
Rear-wheel stand 84
Engine oil 84
Brake system 85
Clutch 89
Tires 89
Rims 89
Wheels 90

Muffler 96
Light source 97
Jump-starting 97
Battery 98
Fuses 101
Diagnostic socket 102
09 ACCESSORIES 104
General notes 106
Onboard power sockets 106
Luggage 106
Optional accessories 107
10 CARE 108
Care products 110
Washing the vehicle 110
Cleaning sensitive motorcycle
parts 110
Care of paintwork 111
Paint preservation 111
Storing the motorcycle 111
Putting the motorcycle into op-
eration 112
11 TECHNICAL DATA 114
Troubleshooting chart 116
Screw connections 117
Fuel 118
Engine oil 118
Engine 118
Clutch 119
Transmission 119
Rear-wheel drive 119
Frame 119
Chassis 119
Brakes 120
Wheels and tires 120
Electrical system 121
Anti-theft alarm system 122
Dimensions 122
Weights 122
Performance data 123
12 SERVICE 124
Reporting safety defects 126
BMW Motorrad Service 127
BMW Motorrad Electronic
service history (eSH) 127
BMW Motorrad Mobility Ser-
vices 127
Maintenance work 127
Maintenance schedule 129
Maintenance confirmations 130
Service confirmations 144
APPENDIX 146
Certificate for electronic immo-
bilizer 147
Certificate for Keyless Ride 148
INDEX 150

GENERAL
INSTRUCTIONS
01

QUICK & EASY REFERENCE 4
ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS 4
EQUIPMENT 4
TECHNICAL DATA 4
TIMELINESS OF THE STATUS OF THIS MANUAL 5
ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION 5
CERTIFICATES AND OPERATING PERMITS 5
DATA MEMORY 5

4 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
QUICK & EASY REFERENCE
Chapter 2 of these operating instructions
will provide you with an initial overview of
your motorcycle. All maintenance and repair
procedures carried out on your motorcycle
will be documented in the chapter "Service".
Documentation of the maintenance work
performed is a prerequisite for generous
treatment of claims.
If you should decide to sell your BMW at
some point in the future, please remember
to hand over these operating instructions;
they are an important part of the motorcycle.
ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS
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 instructions and
precautionary measures. Non-compli-
ance can cause damage to the vehicle or
accessories and warranty claims may be de-
nied as a result.
NOTICE Special information on operat-
ing and inspecting your motorcycle as
well as maintenance and adjustment proce-
dures.
Instruction.
Result of an activity.
Reference to a page with more
detailed information.
Indicates the end of accessory
or equipment-dependent infor-
mation.
Tightening torque.
Technical data.
OE Optional equipment.
BMW Motorrad optional equip-
ment is already completely in-
stalled during motorcycle pro-
duction.
OA Optional accessories.
BMW Motorrad optional acces-
sories can be purchased and
retrofitted at your authorized
BMW Motorrad retailer.
ABS Anti-Lock Brake System.
ASC Automatic Stability Control.
DWA Anti-theft alarm.
EWS Electronic immobilizer.
EQUIPMENT
When you ordered your BMW Motorrad mo-
torcycle, 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 il-
lustrated in this manual on account of coun-
try-specific differences.
If your motorcycle features equipment that is
not described here, you can find these fea-
tures described in a separate manual.
TECHNICAL DATA
All dimensions, weights and performance
data contained in these operating instruc-
tions refer to the German Institute for Stan-
dardization i.e. DIN (Deutsches Institut für
Normung e. V.) and comply with their toler-
ance specifications.
The technical data and specifications in
these operating instructions serve as points
of reference. The vehicle-specific data
may vary, for instance due to the selected
optional equipment, national-market version
or country-specific measuring procedures.
Detailed values can be obtained from
the registration documents or requested

5
from your BMW Motorrad retailer or other
qualified service partner or specialist
workshop. The information on the vehicle
documents always takes precedence
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,
ongoing development efforts embracing
their design, equipment and accessories.
For this reason, some aspects of your
motorcycle may vary from the descriptions
in these operating instructions. In addition,
BMW Motorrad cannot guarantee the
total absence of errors. We hope you will
appreciate that no claims can be recognized
that are based on the data, illustrations or
descriptions 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 motor-
cycle, the operating and installation instruc-
tions for optional accessories and general
BMW Motorrad information related to the
technology or other features are available at
bmw-motorrad.com/manuals.
CERTIFICATES AND OPERATING PERMITS
The certificates for the vehicle and the of-
ficial 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 process data received from
vehicle sensors, self-generated data or data
exchanged between control units, for ex-
ample. Some control units are required for
safe vehicle operation or provide riding as-
sistance, such as driver assistance systems.
Control units also make comfort and info-
tainment functions possible.
Information about the stored or exchanged
data can be obtained from the vehicle man-
ufacturer, such as in the form of a separate
booklet.
Personal references
Every vehicle is marked with a unique vehi-
cle identification 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 rele-
vant 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 vehicle manufacturer or company that
collects or processes personal data.
Vehicle users have the right to obtain com-
prehensive information 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 information 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 vehicle.

6 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
The right to information also includes infor-
mation related to data transmitted to other
companies or locations.
The vehicle manufacturer's website contains
the appropriate privacy policy notices. The
privacy policy notices contain information on
the right to delete or correct data. The ve-
hicle manufacturer also provides the manu-
facturer contact information and the contact
information of the data security officer.
The vehicle owner can have a
BMW Motorrad retailer or other qualified
service partner or specialist workshop read
out 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 diagno-
sis (OBD).
Legal requirements for the disclosure of
data
The vehicle manufacture is required by the
law applicable in this context to provide au-
thorities with the data stored by the man-
ufacturer. Providing this data within the
scope required is on a case-by-case basis,
for instance to clarify a criminal offense.
Government agencies are authorized by the
law applicable in this context to read out the
data from the vehicle themselves in individ-
ual cases.
Operating data in the vehicle
Control units process data so that the vehi-
cle can run.
Examples of this include:
Status messages from the vehicle and
its individual components, such as wheel
RPM, wheel speed and deceleration
Environmental conditions, such as temper-
ature
The data is processed only in the vehicle it-
self and is usually temporary. The data is not
stored beyond the period in which the vehi-
cle is operating.
Electronic components such as control units
contain components for storing technical in-
formation. This may be information about
the vehicle's condition, component load,
events or faults stored temporarily or per-
manently.
This information generally documents the
condition of a component, module, system
or the surrounding area; for example:
Operating conditions of system compo-
nents, such as fill levels and tire pressure
Malfunctions and faults in key system
components, such as lights and brakes
Vehicle responses in specific riding sit-
uations, such as the activation of driving
stability control systems
Information about events causing damage
to the vehicle
The data is necessary for providing control
unit functions. In addition, it is used by the
vehicle manufacturer to detect and eliminate
malfunctions as well as to optimize vehicle
functions.
The majority of this data is temporary and
is processed only within the vehicle itself.
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 re-
pairs, servicing processes, warranty cases
and quality assurance measures, this tech-
nical information can be read out from the
vehicle together with the vehicle identifica-
tion number.
The information can be read out by a
BMW Motorrad retailer 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, processed and used
by the respective retailer network locations.
The data documents the vehicle's technical
states and helps with fault finding, compli-
ance with warranty obligations and quality
improvements.
The manufacturer also has product monitor-
ing obligations arising from product liability
law. The vehicle manufacturer requires tech-
nical data from the vehicle in order to fulfill
these obligations. The data from the vehicle
can also be used to verify customer warranty
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