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BMW R1200GSA

Hexhead20072008
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BMW R1200GSA Hexhead — 2007
Image: Autoevolution — BMW Motorrad Press Kit

Vitals

Wet weight
256 kg
Seat height
890 / 910 mm
Fuel capacity
33 L
Real world range
500600 km
Front tyre
110/80 R19 M/C 59V TL
Rear tyre
150/70 R17 M/C 69V TL
Tyre pressures
2.2 / 2.5 bar solo
Payload capacity
219 kg
TerrainTarmacGravel — easyGravel — technicalSand

Field repair

Fuse box
No conventional plug-in fuse box; circuits are electronically protected via the CAN-bus system. Auxiliary headlight fuse and a small connector with 7.5A/10A fuses are accessible under the seat.
OBD port
Diagnostic connector (round 10-pin) located under the rear portion of the seat · BMW proprietary via K+DCAN cable (EDIABAS/INPA) or GS-911
Battery access
Under the seat, forward area near the tank; AGM battery (EXT 14 BS)

Final drive gear oil change and spline lubrication

  1. 01Warm the engine/final drive by riding for several minutes so oil drains fully and evenly
  2. 02Remove rear spray guard (Torx T30 bit)
  3. 03Remove the final drive fill/level bolt (Torx T40)
  4. 04Remove the drain plug and drain old gear oil completely, checking for metal flakes or gritty residue as a wear indicator
  5. 05Grease the driveshaft and final drive splines with moly-based grease (BMW specifies Optimoly TA; alternatives used by owners include Honda Moly 77, Loctite Moly Paste, or Ted Porter's TS-5)
  6. 06Refill with 180 ml of 75W-90 GL-5 gear oil via the fill hole, measured precisely with a marked squeeze bottle or syringe
  7. 07Reinstall fill/level bolt and torque per spec; reinstall drain plug with new copper crush washer
  8. 08Reinstall rear spray guard

Data sheet

Dimensions & weights

Wet weight
256 kg
Seat height
890 / 910 mm
Wheelbase
1511 mm
Suspension travel
190 / 200 mm
Payload capacity
219 kg

Engine & drivetrain

Engine
1170 cc · Boxer twin
Cooling
Air/oil cooled
Output
105 hp · 115 Nm
Transmission
6-speed
Final drive
Shaft
Fuelling
Electronic fuel injection

Fuel & range

Fuel capacity
33 L
Real world range
500600 km

Electronics & rider aids

Ride modes
None
Cruise control
No
Traction control
No
ABS
Yes · fully defeatable
Heated grips
No
Heated seat
No

Service intervals

Service interval
10,000 km
Valve check
10,000 km

Protection

Bash plate
None
Radiator guard
No
Oil cooler guard
No
Hand guards
Yes

Consumables & service specs

Every value carries its source.

Tyres

Front
110/80 R19 M/C 59V TLBMW OM R1200GSA 2007 · official
Rear
150/70 R17 M/C 69V TLBMW OM R1200GSA 2007 · official

Tyre pressures

Front — solo
2.2 barOne-up, tyre coldBMW OM R1200GSA 2007 · official
Rear — solo
2.5 barOne-up, tyre coldBMW OM R1200GSA 2007 · official
Front — loaded
2.5 barTwo-up and/or with luggage, tyre coldBMW OM R1200GSA 2007 · official
Rear — loaded
2.9 barTwo-up and/or with luggage, tyre coldBMW OM R1200GSA 2007 · official

Engine oil

Viscosity
SAE 20W-50BMW Motorrad recommends not using synthetic oil during first 10,000 km; API SF or higher, ACEA A2 or higherBMW OM R1200GSA 2007 · official
Capacity
4.0 lMax, with filter change; top-up difference between MIN/MAX is max 0.5 lBMW OM R1200GSA 2007 · official

Brakes

Fluid type
DOT4BMW OM R1200GSA 2007 · official

Forks

Oil viscosity
SAE 10W hydraulic fork oilFrom official BMW repair manual data (6th edition, 03/2011) reproduced via third-party technical spec compilation; not independently confirmed in the rider's manual text extractedctoonari.fi tech data
Oil capacity
650 mlPer fork leg; sourced from BMW repair manual data reproduced via third-party technical compilationctoonari.fi tech data

Final drive

Shaft oil grade
Shaft drive with bevel gears, 20 teeth; final drive ratio 31/11 = 2.82:1 (Gen 1, BMW p/n 33 11 8 530 076; Gen 2 vented p/n 33 11 8 521 838); GSA 2006-07 produced Mar. 2005 to Sept. 2007Final drive ratio and part numbers differ from later 08-09 GSA (22 teeth, 32/11 = 2.91:1)ADVrider final drive guide
Shaft oil capacity
180 ml180 ml for oil change (200 ml initial filling). BMW originally specified 220 ml refill on early hexhead, later reduced to 180 ml for bikes up to 2009 model year per ADVrider technical guide and BMW repair manual dataADVrider final drive capacity thread

Spark plugs

Type
Bosch YR5LDE or NGK DCPR 8 EKCBoth primary and secondary plug positions use the same type (per-cylinder single spark plug plus a secondary knock-related plug per BMS-K twin-spark-per-cylinder setup as listed in the manual)BMW OM R1200GSA 2007 · official
Gap
0.8 mm±0.1 mm when new; 1 mm wear limitBMW OM R1200GSA 2007 · official
Quantity
42 cylinders x primary + secondary spark plug per cylinder (BMS-K dual-plug head)BMW OM R1200GSA 2008 · official

Battery

Type
AGM (Absorptive Glass Mat), BMW EXT 14 BS, 12V 14AhBMW OM R1200GSA 2007 · official

Fuel

Minimum octane
91 RON (regular unleaded, usable with power/consumption restrictions); 95 RON recommended RONBMW OM R1200GSA 2007 · official

What breaks first and where.

01

Fuel strip (film-type fuel level sender) failure

ModerateCommon

The film-type fuel level sender ("fuel strip") in the fuel tank can degrade and give inaccurate or erratic fuel level readings, including sudden drops to empty or failure to register fuel level correctly. BMW Motorrad USA issued a customer notification extending the limited warranty on this component to 12 years without mileage limitation for MY2005-2013 R and K series motorcycles.

Symptoms

  • Erratic or incorrect fuel gauge reading
  • Fuel warning light triggers prematurely or not at all
  • Gauge stuck at full or empty

Field repairableNo — Requires fuel strip replacement and recalibration via BMW diagnostic tool (GS-911 or dealer equipment); not a roadside-repairable fault

NHTSA/BMW fuel strip warranty bulletin · official
02

Integral ABS servo pump motor brush wear/failure

SeriousOccasional

The BMW Motorrad Integral ABS hydraulic servo pump used on 2007-2008 hexhead GS/GSA models (before the non-servo Gen2 ABS introduced later) can suffer pump motor brush wear or sticking, causing ABS fault codes (e.g. 24048/24049 'Power Supply to Pump motor faulty') and loss of servo-assisted braking.

Symptoms

  • ABS/brake failure warning light
  • Reduced or lost servo brake assist
  • Grinding or failing pump motor noise
  • ABS fault codes 24048/24049 on diagnostic scan

Field repairableYes — Some owners have disassembled the pump motor to clean/free stuck brushes; others perform a full 'servo-ectomy' bypass converting the system to conventional non-integral hydraulic brakes. Both are community-documented workarounds, not BMW-sanctioned repairs.

ADVrider ABS pump failure thread
03

Driveshaft/final drive water intrusion and spline wear

ModerateOccasional

Water can accumulate inside the swingarm/driveshaft area on hexhead GS models, contributing to rust and accelerated wear of the driveshaft and final drive splines. BMW acknowledged this issue in 2022 across GS models from 2004 onward and recommends drilling a drain hole plus periodic driveshaft inspection.

Symptoms

  • Surface or severe rust on driveshaft
  • Binding or notchy movement at shaft knuckle
  • Grinding noise, especially at low speed turning right
  • Play in final drive when rocking rear wheel
  • Metal flakes in final drive gear oil

Field repairableYes — Owners can drill a small drain hole in the swingarm boot area to prevent water accumulation; full spline/bearing wear requires final drive or driveshaft replacement

Wikipedia BMW R1200GS