BMW R 1250 RT - Owner's Manual > Care

Care products

BMW Motorrad recommends that you use the cleaning and care products you can obtain from your authorised BMW Motorrad Retailer.

The substances in BMW Care Products have been tested in laboratories and in practice; they provide optimised care and protection for the materials used in your vehicle.

ATTENTION Use of unsuitable cleaning and care products

Damage to vehicle parts

• Do not use solvents such as cellulose thinners, cold cleaners, fuel or the like, and do not use cleaning products that contain alcohol.

ATTENTION Use of strongly acidic or strongly alkaline cleaning agents

Damage to vehicle parts

• Dilute in accordance with the dilution ratio stated on the packaging of the cleaning agent.
• Do not use strongly acidic or strongly alkaline cleaning agents.

Washing the vehicle

BMW Motorrad recommends that you use BMW insect remover to soften and wash off insects and stubborn dirt on painted parts prior to washing the vehicle.

To prevent stains, do not wash the vehicle immediately after it has been exposed to strong sunlight and do not wash it in the sun.

Make sure that the vehicle is washed frequently, especially during the winter months.

To remove road salt, clean the motorcycle with cold water immediately after every trip.

WARNING Wet brake discs and brake pads after vehicle wash, after riding through water and in rainy conditions

Diminished braking effect, risk of accident

• Apply the brakes in good time to allow the friction and heat to dry the brake discs and brake pads.

ATTENTION Effect of road salt intensified by warm water

Corrosion

• Use only cold water to wash off road salt.

ATTENTION Damage due to high water pressure from high pressure cleaners or steam cleaners

Corrosion or short circuit, damage to labels, seals, hydraulic brake system, electrical system and the motorcycle seat

• Exercise restraint when using a steam jet or high pressure cleaning equipment.

Cleaning easily damaged components

Plastics

ATTENTION Use of unsuitable cleaning agents

Damage to plastic surfaces

• Do not use cleaning agents that contain alcohol, solvents or abrasives.
• Do not use insect-remover pads or cleaning pads with hard, scouring surfaces.

Body panels

Clean trim panel components with water and BMW Motorrad solvent cleaner.

Plastic windscreens and headlight lenses

Remove dirt and insects with a soft sponge and generous amounts of water.

NOTICE Soften stubborn dirt and insects by covering the affected areas with a wet cloth.

Clean with water and sponge only.

Do not use any chemical cleaning agents.

Chrome

Carefully clean chrome sections with a generous amount of water and motorcycle cleaner from the care series BMW Motorrad Care Products. This applies especially where road salt has been in use.

For an additional treatment, use BMW Motorrad metal polish.

Radiator

Clean the radiator regularly to prevent overheating of the engine due to inadequate cooling.

For example, use a garden hose with low water pressure.

ATTENTION Bending of radiator fins

Damage to radiator fins

• Take care not to bend the radiator fins when cleaning.

Rubber components

Treat rubber components with water or BMW rubber-care products.

ATTENTION Application of silicone sprays to rubber seals

Damage to the rubber seals

• Do not use silicone sprays or care products that contain silicon.

Care of paintwork

The long-term effects of materials that are damaging to paint can be prevented by regular vehicle washes, particularly if your vehicle is ridden in areas susceptible to high levels of air pollution or natural contamination, for example tree resin or pollen.

Particularly aggressive materials, however, should be removed immediately, otherwise changes to or discolouration of the paint can result. These include, for example, spilled fuel, oil, grease, brake fluid or bird excrement.

For this, we recommend BMW Motorrad solvent cleaner followed by BMW Motorrad gloss polish for preservation.

Contamination of the paint surface can be seen particularly clearly after a vehicle wash.

These areas should be cleaned immediately using benzine or spirit, applied with a clean cloth or cotton pad. BMW Motorrad recommends that tar spots be removed using BMW tar remover. The paint should then be preserved in these areas.

Vehicle preservation

If water no longer rolls off the paint, the paint must be preserved.

For paint preservation, BMW Motorrad recommends the use of BMW Motorrad gloss polish or agents containing carnauba wax or synthetic wax.

Laying up the motorcycle

• Clean the motorcycle.
• Fill the motorcycle's fuel tank with fuel.
• Removing battery.
• Spray the brake and clutch lever pivots and the main and side stand pivots with a suitable lubricant.
• Coat bright metal and chrome-plated parts with an acid-free grease (e.g. Vaseline).
• Stand the motorcycle in a dry room in such a way that there is no load on either wheel (preferably using the front-wheel and rear-wheel stands from BMW Motorrad).

Restoring motorcycle to use

• Remove the protective wax coating.
• Clean the motorcycle.
• Installing battery.
• Comply with checklist

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