BMW R 1200 RT Installation and maintenance manual

BMW Motorrad
Rider’s Manual
R 1200 RT

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Introduction
Welcome to BMW
We congratulate you on your
choice of a motorcycle from
BMW and welcome you to the
community of BMW riders.
Familiarise yourself with your
new motorcycle so that you
can ride it safely and confi-
dently in all traffic situations.
Please read this Rider’s Man-
ual carefully before starting to
use your new BMW motorcy-
cle. It contains important infor-
mation on how to operate the
controls and how to make the
best possible use of all your
BMW’s technical features.
In addition, it contains infor-
mation on maintenance and
care to help you maintain your
motorcycle’s reliability and
safety, as well as its value.
If you have any questions con-
cerning your motorcycle, your
authorised BMW motorcycle
dealer will gladly provide
advice and assistance.
We hope you enjoy reading
this Rider’s Manual and wish
you many a pleasant, safe
journey on your BMW motor-
cycle.
Best wishes,
BMW Motorrad

Introduction
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Table of contents
Use the index (b159), to find
a certain topic quickly.
Welcome to BMW ........... 1
General information ......... 4
Overview ........................ 7
General view, left
side ................................. 9
General view, right
side ............................... 11
Underneath the seat ...... 13
Handlebar fitting,
left ................................. 14
Handlebar fitting,
right .............................. 15
Instrument cluster ......... 16
Headlight ....................... 17
Status indicators .......... 19
Multifunction display ...... 20
Warning and telltale
lights ............................. 21
Warning indicators ........ 21
ABS warnings ............. 27
Operation ..................... 33
Ignition switch and
steering lock ................. 34
Electronic immobiliser .. 36
Hazard warning
flashers ......................... 37
Odometer and
tripmeters ..................... 37
Clock ............................ 38
Display dimming ........... 39
On-board
computerOE .................. 39
Cruise controlOE ........... 42
Emergency off
switch (kill switch) ......... 45
Grip heatingOE .............. 45
Seat heatingOE ............. 46
Handlebar levers .......... 47
Lights ........................... 48
Turn indicators ............. 50
Stowage
compartment ................ 51
Front and rear seats ..... 52
Helmet holder ............... 54
Mirrors .......................... 55
Windscreen ................... 55
Spring preload .............. 55
Shock absorbers .......... 56
Wheels .......................... 57
Riding ........................... 59
Safety instructions ........ 60
Safety check ................. 62
First time out ................. 62
Before you start ............ 63
Starting ......................... 66
Riding ........................... 69
Running in .................... 69
Engine speed ................ 70
Shifting gear ................. 71
Placing motorcycle
on its side stand ........... 73
Removing motorcycle
from side stand ............. 75
Placing motorcycle on
centre stand ................. 77
Removing motorcycle
from centre stand ......... 79
Fuel ............................... 79
Brake system ................ 80

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Introduction
Accessories ................. 85
General instructions ..... 86
On-board sockets ........ 86
Luggage system ........... 89
Maintenance ................ 95
Toolkit .......................... 97
Engine oil ..................... 98
Brakes .......................... 99
Clutch ........................ 103
Wheels ....................... 103
Front-wheel stand ...... 111
Bulbs .......................... 112
Jump starting ............. 118
Battery ....................... 120
Splash guard .............. 123
Care ............................ 125
Cleaning and care .... 126
Laying up ................... 128
Restoring to use ......... 129
Technical data ............ 131
Threaded fasteners ..... 132
Tyre pressures .......... 134
Engine ........................ 135
Power transmission .... 136
Frame and
suspension ................. 137
Wheels and tyres ........ 139
Fuel and lubricants ..... 140
Electrical system ......... 143
Dimensions and
weights ....................... 145
Riding
specifications ............. 146
Service ........................ 147
BMW Motorrad
service ........................ 148
Confirmation of
maintenance work ...... 151
Confirmations of
service .......................... 155
Index ........................... 159

Introduction
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General information
About this Rider’s Manual
We have tried to make all the
information in this Rider’s
Manual easy to find. The
quickest access to a particular
topic or item is by consulting
the detailed alphabetical index
(b159).
Chapter 1 of this Rider’s Man-
ual will provide you with an ini-
tial overview of your
motorcycle. When the time
comes to sell your BMW,
please remember to hand over
this Rider’s Manual; it is an
important part of your
motorcycle.
Symbols and
abbreviations
Indicates warnings that
you must comply with for
reasons of your safety and the
safety of others, and to protect
your motorcycle against
damage.
Special information on
operating and inspecting
your motorcycle as well as
maintenance and adjustment
procedures.
cIndicates the end of an
item of information.
• Instruction.
» Result of an activity.
(b4) Reference to a page with
more detailed informa-
tion.
OE Optional extra
Your motorcycle was
assembled complete
with all the optional
extras you ordered.
OA Optional accessory
You can obtain optional
accessories through
your authorised BMW
motorcycle dealer;
optional accessories
have to be retrofitted to
the motorcycle.
EWS Electronic immobiliser
DWA Anti-theft alarm system
ABS Anti-lock braking system

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Introduction
Custom equipment
When you ordered your BMW
motorcycle, you chose various
items of custom equipment.
This Rider’s Manual describes
optional extras (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 BMW was supplied with
equipment not described in
this Rider’s Manual, you will
find these features described
in separate manuals.
Technical data
All dimensions, weights and
power ratings stated in the
Rider’s Manual are quoted to
the standards and comply with
the tolerance requirements of
the Deutsche Institut für Nor-
mung e. V. (DIN). Versions for
individual countries may differ.
Currency
The high safety and quality
standards of BMW motorcy-
cles are maintained by con-
stant development work on
designs, equipment and
accessories. Because of this,
your motorcycle may differ
from the information supplied
in the Rider's Manual. Nor can
errors and omissions be
entirely ruled out. We hope
you will appreciate that no
claims can be entertained on
the basis of the data, illustra-
tions or descriptions in this
manual.
BMW Service
Advanced technology requires
specially adapted methods of
maintenance and repair.
If maintenance and repair
work is performed inex-
pertly, it could result in conse-
quential damage and thus
constitute a safety risk. BMW
recommends that you have
the necessary work on your
motorcycle performed either
by an authorised BMW motor-
cycle dealer or by a workshop
that operates to BMW specifi-
cations and employs suitably
trained personnel.c

Introduction
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Your authorised BMW motor-
cycle dealer can provide infor-
mation on the specified
Service, Inspection and
Annual Inspection work
needed.
Have all maintenance and
repair work carried out con-
firmed in the "Service" chapter
(b148) in this manual.
Authorised BMW motorcycle
dealers are supplied with the
latest technical information
and have the necessary tech-
nical know-how.
Consequently, we recommend
that you contact your author-
ised BMW motorcycle dealer if
you have any questions
regarding your motorcycle.
Rider’s equipment
Do not ride without the correct
clothing. Always wear:
–helmet
– motorcycling jacket and
trousers
– gloves
–boots
This applies even to short jour-
neys, and to every season of
the year. Your authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer will
be glad to advise you on the
correct clothing for every
purpose.

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Overview
General view, left side ................... 9
General view, right side................ 11
Underneath the seat .................... 13
Handlebar fitting, left ................... 14
Handlebar fitting, right ................. 15
Instrument cluster ........................ 16
Headlight ....................................... 17
Overview

Overview
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