BMW R 1200RT Installation and maintenance manual

Rider's Manual (US Model)
R 1200 RT
BMW Motorrad
The Ultimate
Riding Machine

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

Welcome to BMW
Congratulations on choosing a
motorcycle from BMW Motorrad
and welcome to the community
of BMW motorcycle owners and
riders. Familiarize yourself with
your new motorcycle so that you
can ride it safely and confidently
in all highway traffic situations.
About this Rider's Manual
Please read this Rider's Manual
carefully before starting to use
your new BMW. It contains im-
portant information on how to
operate the controls and how to
get the most benefit from your
BMW's advanced technical fea-
tures.
In addition, it contains informa-
tion on maintenance and care to
help you maintain your vehicle's
reliability and safety, as well as its
value.
Suggestions and complaints
If you have any questions con-
cerning your motorcycle, your au-
thorized BMW Motorrad retailer
is always happy to provide advice
and assistance.
We wish you many miles of safe
and enjoyable riding on your
BMW
BMW Motorrad.
01 41 8 543 807
*01418543807*
*01418543807*
*01418543807*

Table of Contents
You can also consult the index at
the end of this Rider's Manual if
you want to find a particular topic
or item of information.
1 General instructions ... . 5
Overview..................... 6
Abbreviations and
symbols...................... 6
Equipment ................... 7
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Notice concerning current sta-
tus ........................... 7
2 Overviews ................ 9
General view, left side . . . . . . . 11
General view, right side . . . . . 13
Underneath seat . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Multifunction switch, left . . . . 15
Multifunction switch,
right......................... 17
Instrument cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3 Displays ................. 21
Warning and indicator
lamps ....................... 22
Multifunction display . . . . . . . . 24
Meaning of symbols . . . . . . . . . 25
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Ambient temperature. . . . . . . . 40
Cruising range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Oil level indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Service display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Tire inflation pressures . . . . . . 42
4 Operation................ 43
Steering and ignition
lock ......................... 45
Ignition ...................... 46
EWS Electronic immobi-
lizer ......................... 46
Multifunction display . . . . . . . . 47
Onboard computer . . . . . . . . . . 51
Trip odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Emergency on/off switch (kill
switch) ...................... 54
Headlight.................... 54
Lights ....................... 55
Daytime driving light . . . . . . . . 56
Turn indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Hazard warning flashers . . . . . 58
ASC......................... 59
Riding mode ................ 59
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Spring preload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Damping .................... 64
Electronic suspension ad-
justment..................... 65
Clutch....................... 66
Brakes ...................... 66
Start-off assistance . . . . . . . . . 67
Tires ........................ 68
Heating...................... 68
Adjusting the instrument
cluster....................... 70
Mirrors ...................... 71
Windshield .................. 71
Storage compartment . . . . . . . 72
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
DWA ........................ 76
Rider's seat ................. 79
Passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

5 Riding.................... 83
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . 84
Checklist .................... 85
Starting...................... 86
Breakingin.................. 88
Shifting gears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Brakes ...................... 90
Parking your motorcycle . . . . 91
Refueling.................... 92
Fastening motorcycle for
transport .................... 93
6 Technology in
detail..................... 95
Riding mode ................ 96
Gearshift assistant Pro . . . . . . 97
Hill Start Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
BMW Motorrad Integral
ABS......................... 98
BMW Motorrad ASC . . . . . . 101
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . 102
ESA....................... 104
7 Maintenance . .. .. .. .. . 105
General instructions . . . . . . . 106
Onboard tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Engine oil ................. 107
Brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Coolant.................... 112
Clutch..................... 114
Wheel rims and tires . . . . . . 114
Wheels.................... 114
Front wheel stand . . . . . . . . . 120
Bulbs...................... 122
Jump-start ................ 129
Battery .................... 130
Fuses ..................... 133
8 Accessories .. .. .. .. .. . 135
General instructions . . . . . . . 136
Onboard power
sockets.................... 136
Navigation system . . . . . . . . . 137
Case ...................... 140
Topcase................... 142
9 Care.................... 145
Care products . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Washing your vehicle. . . . . . 146
Cleaning sensitive vehicle
parts ...................... 146
Paint care ................. 147
Storing motorcycle . . . . . . . . 148
Protective wax coating . . . . 148
Returning motorcycle to
use........................ 148
10 Technical data . .. .. . 149
Troubleshooting chart . . . . . 150
Threaded fasteners . . . . . . . 151
Engine .................... 152
Fuel....................... 153
Engine oil ................. 153
Clutch..................... 154
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Rear-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . 155
Suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Brakes .................... 156
Wheels and tires . . . . . . . . . . 157
Electrical system . . . . . . . . . . 158
Frame..................... 159
Anti-theft alarm system . . . 160
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Weights ................... 161
Performance data . . . . . . . . . 162

11 Service ............... 163
Reporting safety
defects.................... 164
BMW Motorrad Service . . . 165
BMW Motorrad Mobility
Services................... 165
Maintenance proce-
dures...................... 165
Confirmation of mainte-
nance work................ 167
Confirmation of service . . . . 172
12 Appendix. .. .. .. .. .. .. 175
Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
RDC certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
13 Index ................. 181

General instructions
Overview ............................ 6
Abbreviations and symbols . . . . . . . . . . 6
Equipment........................... 7
Technicaldata....................... 7
Notice concerning current status . . . . 7
1
5
z General instructions

Overview
We have placed great importance
on good orientation when using
this Rider's Manual. You'll find
special topics most quickly by
using the extensive index at the
end of the manual. You can find
a first overview of your motorcy-
cle in Chapter 2. All maintenance
and repair work carried out on
your vehicle will be documented
in Chapter 11. Proof of the main-
tenance work performed is a pre-
requisite for generous treatment
of claims.
When the time comes to sell
your BMW, remember to hand
over this Rider's Manual; it is an
important part of the motorcycle.
Abbreviations and
symbols
Indicates warnings that
you must comply with for
reasons of your safety and the
safety of others, and to protect
your product against damage.
Special information on op-
erating and inspecting your
motorcycle as well as mainte-
nance and adjustment proce-
dures.
Indicates the end of an
item of information.
Instruction.
Result of an activity.
Reference to a page with
more detailed informa-
tion.
Indicates the end of ac-
cessory or equipment-
dependent information.
Tightening torque.
Technical data
OE Optional equipment
BMW Motorrad optional
extras are already com-
pletely installed during
motorcycle production.
OA Optional accessory
BMW optional acces-
sories can be purchased
and installed at your au-
thorized BMW Motorrad
retailer.
EWS Electronic immobilizer.
DWA Anti-theft alarm.
1
6
z General instructions

ABS Anti-Lock Brake System.
ASC Automatic Stability Con-
trol.
ESA Electronic suspension
adjustment.
TPC/
RDC
Tire Pressure Control
(TPC).
Equipment
When you ordered your BMW
motorcycle, you chose various
items of custom equipment. This
Rider's Manual describes optional
equipment (OE) offered by BMW
and selected optional accessories
(OA). It may also describe equip-
ment options that you have not
chosen. Please note, too, that
your motorcycle might not be ex-
actly as illustrated in this manual
on account of country-specific
differences.
If your motorcycle comes with
equipment not described here,
you can find the descriptions in a
separate manual.
Technical data
All dimensions, weights and out-
puts in the Rider's Manual relate
to the German DIN standards
and comply with their tolerance
specifications. Versions for indi-
vidual countries may differ.
Notice concerning
current status
The high safety and quality stan-
dards of BMW motorcycles are
maintained by constant develop-
ment work on design, equipment
and accessories. For this rea-
son, aspects of your motorcycle
may vary from the descriptions in
this Rider's Manual. In addition,
BMW Motorrad cannot guaran-
tee the total absence of errors.
Thus, no claims may be based
on the information, illustrations or
descriptions. 1
7
z General instructions

1
8
z General instructions

Overviews
General view, left side. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
General view, right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Underneathseat.................... 14
Multifunction switch, left . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Multifunction switch, right . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Instrument cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2
9
z Overviews

2
10
z Overviews

General view, left side
1Clutch fluid reservoir
( 114)
2Fuel filler opening ( 92)
3Seat lock ( 79)
4Rear seat heating control
(on rear seat) ( 69)
52nd power socket
6Left-hand stow compart-
ment ( 72)
7Payload table
Tire inflation pressure table
2
11
z Overviews

2
12
z Overviews

General view, right side
1Rider's Manual (US Model)
2Onboard power socket
( 136)
3Brake-fluid reservoir, front
( 110)
4with audio systemOE
Right-hand stow compart-
ment ( 72)
5Vehicle identification num-
ber (on steering head bear-
ing)
Type plate (on steering-
head bearing)
6Coolant level indicator (be-
hind side panel) ( 112)
7Engine oil filler ( 107)
8Rear brake fluid reser-
voir (behind side panel)
( 111)
2
13
z Overviews

Underneath seat
1Adjuster for the rider's seat
height ( 80)
2Standard tool kit ( 106)
3Tool for adjusting spring
load ( 63)
4Fuses ( 133)
2
14
z Overviews

Multifunction switch,
left
1High-beam headlight and
headlight flasher ( 55)
2with daytime driving
lightOE
Daytime driving light
( 56)
3with cruise controlOE
Cruise control ( 61)
4Hazard warning flashers
( 58)
5Windshield adjustment
( 71)
6with additional LED
headlightOA
Auxiliary headlight ( 55)
7Turn indicators ( 58)
8Horn
2
15
z Overviews

9Multi-Controller and MENU
button
Multifunction display
( 47)
ASC ( 59)
with dynamic ESAOE
D-ESA ( 65)
with audio systemOE
Audio system (see audio
system manual)
10 Selecting favorite menu
( 50).
2
16
z Overviews

Multifunction switch,
right
1with central lockingOE
Central locking ( 73)
2Riding mode ( 59)
3Emergency on/off switch
(kill switch) ( 54)
4Starting the engine
( 86)
2
17
z Overviews

Instrument cluster
1Speedometer
2Warning and indicator
lamps ( 22)
3with navigation systemOA
with preparation for navi-
gation systemOE
Navigation system
( 137)
4Ambient light sensor (for
brightness adjustment of
instrument lighting)
5Tachometer
6with navigation systemOA
with preparation for navi-
gation systemOE
Release for navigation slot
( 137)
7Multifunction display
( 24)
8Trip odometer ( 53)
The brightness of the warn-
ing lights and telltale lights,
the display and the instrument
needle and gauge lighting is
2
18
z Overviews