[nosna85]

Ok... I bought my k1200rs this summer and have put maybe 6500 miles on it... The bike has about 42,000 total. On my way home last night from a 1200 mile trip my cruise started to intermittently cut out. I could sometimes get it to start working if i shut the cruise off for a minute or so... Other times i had to shut the bike off so it would . Now this morning i had to drive across town and my ABs and triangle warning light started to do a dance back and forth while driving. Shut the bike off and it went away for a mile or so...then same thing. Stopped for an hour, when i started, worked fine no problem for ten miles. Stopforped to put a piece if mail in a blue box, shut the bike off...this time when i started going it flashed only the brake warning light and i had no servo assist ie no brakes at all. I shut it off, back on, drive a mile home no problem. K checked the brake fluid level, its at the min. Mark... I also thought i heard my back brake squeek a bit... Thoughts if its a battery issue in part with a need for rear pads as well?? Thank you fur any help.

 

[H96669]

Quite a few problems....! May not all be related but maybe yes. Keep on reading, I'll try.

Start with the brake pads, you don't want to wear them down to metal that rear rotor is very expensive. Then worn pads may have lowered the fluid level in the reservoir causing the light dance.

The other one at the "mail box"....you may have held the brakes when you switched on the ignition.....self test not completed, no servos/ABS,only residual braking. It is in the rider's manual under "Braking" and the significance of the lights is also there. Should also be on a sticker under the seat.But the self test...may also not complete if the fluid is low.

Anyway....The proper procedure is "turn on the ignition before you touch/hold the brakes" otherwise at least one light will dance.



Battery well....very possible if it has the BMW OEM, mine sure failed early. Take yours out, charge it WITH THE APPROPRIATE CHARGER and have it loadtested or.....buy an Odissey PC680.And make sure there are TWO ground wires connected to that battery.

Cruise....may just be the throttle cables adjustment. Google BMW K1200RS cruise control diagnostics, should take you to an excellent video from Sailor on how to diagnose them.And that could bring you to the relation of the brake switches with the Cruise and just possibly your dancing lights. I don't have my link here....but hang on if you can't find it, he'll be here.

 

[sailor]

Ok... I bought my k1200rs this summer and have put maybe 6500 miles on it... The bike has about 42,000 total. On my way home last night from a 1200 mile trip my cruise started to intermittently cut out. I could sometimes get it to start working if i shut the cruise off for a minute or so... Other times i had to shut the bike off so it would . Now this morning i had to drive across town and my ABs and triangle warning light started to do a dance back and forth while driving. Shut the bike off and it went away for a mile or so...then same thing. Stopped for an hour, when i started, worked fine no problem for ten miles. Stopforped to put a piece if mail in a blue box, shut the bike off...this time when i started going it flashed only the brake warning light and i had no servo assist ie no brakes at all. I shut it off, back on, drive a mile home no problem. K checked the brake fluid level, its at the min. Mark... I also thought i heard my back brake squeek a bit... Thoughts if its a battery issue in part with a need for rear pads as well?? Thank you fur any help.

You have already received good info about the rapid brake pad wear for the REAR that may cause the fluid to go low. NOT as much a problem for the FRONT as the pads will last a long time (thus the fluid level will go down slowly).

With your 2002 model equipped with IABS (Integral-ABS), the fluid level at the handlebar will NOT go down with brake pad wear. Normally the only fluid level to check is the 2 sections reservoir on the right, below seat, attached to black tube sub-frame. This reservoir is monitored by the IABS system - it contains 2 small float sensors. If the fluid at the handlebar goes down, you have a serious hose or master-cylinder seal leak.

This container is split in 2 sections, more inside is the FRONT, more outside is the REAR, as documented in the attached picture. If you are in doubt, look for a small black hose, starting from bottom of the container, that goes down to the REAR brake master-cylinder - that is your clue which is the rear.

Black plastic cap are a bit fragile - they rotate while the attached hose will stay fixed. Need a 19 mm wrench. Do not overthighten when you replace Caps as you will damage the thin flat rubber gasket that goes between cap and container.

ONLY FILL WITH DOT-4 between MAX and MIN. The best, if you can, is to fill according to brake pads wear for matching side (front or rear). MAX level is used only when pads are brand new - maximum brake pad thickness will push the caliper piston inward and bring the level up. As the pads wear, the level goes down a bit.

If you still have a problem after fluid check, a diagnostic is possible if you watch carefully the speed for both warnings light (slow or fast flashing - or OFF):
1) After Ignition ON (do NOT touch the brakes)
2) About 5 to 7 sec after ignition ON (ABS self check completed)
3) After you start moving above 5 mph (ABS wheel sensor check completed)

 

[nosna85]

I checked the reservoirs it looks like the back one is the culprit... it looks like it's right at that minimum level.... the front is half way between minimum max. when on the center stand in neutral when I spin the back tire I hear slight grinding.... I will go ahead and order rear brake pads.... at the shop they were about 69 dollars, where do you guys recommend buying pads??

I also have some other maintenance to do any thoughts or feedback would be great:

1.) my bike is due for an oil change I already purchased the filter but what do you recommend for oil? the bike currently has amsoil fully synthetic, what are your thoughts on the other brands of oil like castrol motor oil which is available in my area... I did see a good tutorial online for a how to...

2.) A few weeks ago on a trip the throttle return cable broke at the attachment point...i went Ahead and ordered both new cables, throttle and return,...is that a hard fix?

3.) I am also a survivor of the quick connect gas line failure..... I replaced the broken one with a straight connect... Any real problems with going this route for ten dollars vs 80 for metal replacements? How often does the Tank really need to come off?

I'm not trying to sound cheap but this bike has been expensive fit the 6500 miles/2 months ive owned it....i mean New metzler tires the week i bought it....both headlights went, the throttle return cable, my cruise is funky, my brakes need replaced, hopefully not more, my fuel connect went, my heated grips get hot, then stop, kinda work then don't and now an.oil change... Still hands down most fun/enjoyable bike i have ridden, and i have been excited to get to know the bike better by doing this maintenance.....but is this bind usually this...."needy"

 

[H96669]

Replacing them cables...that can be fun. Take pics,don't change the routing, and figure out some kind of hook tool to get the barrel off the pulley and then to grab it from behind/over and then hook it. Phew...! Hemostats or bent needle nose pliers will help.

Cruise probably funky because of the cable adjustments, mine is/was....Push cable had too much slack, I hope...not tested yet, freshly fixed. Doesn't matter to me , I don't use it much but I do like my stuff to work as it should.If you haven't replaced the push cable yet...well no wonder the cruise is funky.There may be a reason it broke if at the handle, could be full of crap in there, mine was to the point of the throttle sticking, I sure was glad the Push cable was there for a day or so until I cleaned & lubed all that. :wtf:

Straight connects, I don't have a problem with mine, drain tank and disconnect at the fuel pump flange, not the connectors they are probably seized there anyway. Once a year or so....no problems.Someday, maybe....!

Oil.....as long as it meets the specs. I may just have my own little blend in there now, just to finish some containers and adjust the viscosity. No problems.... :teeth

Brake pads, you may like the Carbone Lorraine (NON HH) from Beemer Boneyard, I do....no problems.

Other maintenance parts but for the Boneyard, also Google EuroMotoelectrics. :clap:

 

[voxmagna]

If yours is a later K12, they did away with the separate speed sensor in the rear drive and used the rear ABS sensor ring. Both Cruise and ABS will need good speed sensor pulses.

when on the center stand in neutral when I spin the back tire I hear slight grinding

Check your rear drive bearing for play. Then measure the sensor to sensor ring clearances front and rear with a feeler gauge at 4 X 90 degrees with some load weight on the wheels and without. May be time to get a Clymer repair manual.



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[H96669]

Vox mentioned the RD bearing. :yeow: Pretty well the only spare I carry, a bearing & seal.Well not usually carry but just packed it yesterday as I am heading out for a couple weeks well away from any dealer. Packed the little puller also but.....already practiced "replacements" so I can get myself back on the road if needed.

YES....check the play at the wheel and also the play at the pivot bearings and possibly also the swingarm bearings. They pretty well all involve the same wheel shaking, just have to look for play at different spots.

Not much in the Clymer for the I-ABS servos, some stuff but you need the BMW Service manual for them. Also missing some info but between the twos and the forums, anything can be sorted out.

Service manual is there, cheap,fast download and well indexed. Don't be too tempted by the free copies floating around, or even some of the "not free" ones, they may be the older version of the manual without the all important I-ABS stuff.

http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/6351286-01-05-bmw-k1200rs-k1200-rs-motorcycle-service

 

[crowinthehouse]

For your cruise, a simple thing is check the switch for your rear brake pedal. I had to adjust mine a bit because the switch was barely being activated by the pedal. I would inadvertently touch the pedal (not enought to activate the brakes, but enough to change the switch position) and it would shut off the cruise. Thought I had a bigger prob at first but decided to check the simple stuff first. If the switch is dirty, the return spring for the brake a little soft or you (like me and my big foot) were just barely touching the pedal. Even a stiff bump in the road could do it if the spring is weak and switch barely contacting. :teeth

 

[nosna85]

Thanks guys! I started with the oil change as I had all the parts on hand....For the first time, a few hicups (mostly the my amsoil oil filter required a different size filter wrench) a few trips to autozone and I got it figured out. My bike says it takes 3.75 qts, but I could only get in a little more then 3.5 and after a drive and cool down its still 75% up the window...Is this ok? It said I should shoot for 50%...

Filled the brake fluid...no more pesky light blinking brake lights... The brake pads are ordered and should be here mid week. Will I need any special tools for these calipers? Is it hard to get the calipers to depress in order to get the new pads on?

I think I will do the throttle cables and the fuel connects at a later date. Honestly the throttle cable doesn't bother me (it takes way less effort to turn it w/o) so until I feel like ripping apart the entire bike...Seems like a fun winter project..

 

[flyingkiwi]

The pistons should press back with minimal pressure from your thumbs, and no special tools needed although a torque wrench is invaluable for correct torque of the caliper bolts. They are steel bolts into an alloy casting so don't need to be too tight. Before you press the pistons back give them a thorough clean with soapy water and a toothbrush. Do not use brakecleen as it is not good on the rubber. Strange, I know, but that's the way it is. Before you push the pistons back check the fluid level in the two reservoirs above the swing arm on the R/H side as mentioned in an earlier post. When you depress the pistons the fluid will rise so it pays to have a couple of cheap syringes handy to pull the old fluid off.

 

[H96669]

Richard is right on avoiding brake cleaner there to clean the pistons, may get on the seals, make them swell and then you may just get some binding. Strange Eh...but not so.Works if dried quick with compressed air but why take the chance.Most brake cleaners may even damage the plastic sheating on our electricals,had to repair some of them on my bike, so now I use dedicated non-flammable electrical cleaners or brake cleaners that also double as electrical cleaners and are marked as such.

Not home now so can't post pics of dirty brake caliper pistons,but something to watch for, you do not want to push that dirt back toward the seals in the calipers. there has been a few instances of riders finding that out the hard way after replacing the pads and finding out their brakes were binding. Easy enough to pull the dust seal of the rear caliper and give all that a good cleaning.I go as far as lubing the back of them dust seals with the appropriate lubes to help keep moisture and dirt out. Appropriate lubes...NO sillycones.

What works well to clean the parts, and is recommended in the shop manuals is Methyl Hydrate (Methanol...Wood Alcool..) Just about any hardware store should have that.

Now...where is that other 0.25 L of oil???? Probably was still up in the oil cooler or down in the oil filter. Takes a long time to drain either one.Also quite a lot of residual oil left inside the engine, that I know after taking most of the covers off.No worries.....but I, never measure anything. 30+ years of measuring stuff at work, makes you complacent after a while or........good at estimating weights & measures. :teeth

Maybe I should have.....my window is 90% full and I have been on the road for a few days, again no worries, that's only a cup or so more between the 50% and......up there!

There is a thermostat for the oil cooler, don't remember at which temp it opens but it sure takes a long time for the oil to even circulate in it. If only warming up the bike at idle, I put my hand on the lines until they are hot, may take 2-3 cycles of even just the coolant fans to come on before the oil is hot.When the oil cooler lines are hot I know it is time to drain the oil.

Now you have both oil filter sockets....as far as I know there are only two of them in them filter sizes.I think I now that I must have cut open 12 or so different filters in them sizes to look at their qualities or........ lack thereof.You'll be just fine.

I wouldn't ignore that OEM quick disconnect.....you already had problems with one of them, I don't think you want to ride with a fire hazard on your new bike. :yeow:

BTW....I said earlier that I readjusted my throttle cables, mostly the push cable. Cruise engages a lot better and much less surge (Acceleration) when I engage it,so yes I am now sure that cable is there for a reason,it being to hold the throttle mechanism steady as the cruise sets.There is also an adjustment on the cruise cable itself but I never had cause to adjust that one.And if I remember well, the "Push" cable is much easier to install then the "Pull" one,it doesn't have to loop around the pulley.There is also an important safety feature to having the push cable there,and one I sure used once and already mentioned.

Good luck!

 

[cobbler]

If you have servo powered integrated ABS system, most likely it is the servo unit. It happened to me last year and with Pierre's (H96669) help I was able to diagnose and have it rebuilt. Everything I say from here on if from my personal experience. The cruise is controlled somewhat controlled through the brake servo, along with the speedometer. If the cruise is intermittent, your brake fault lights up and you lose some power brakes, mine were the rear brakes, then suspect the servo. If you have a dealer handy, have them hook it up to their diagnostic computer and it will tell you where the fault lies. But like I said, only it's integrated power ABS. I believe it's designation is ABSII. We'll help you through it if it is. It will cost a few bucks and some sweat but not too bad. Good luck and keep us posted.