Page 4 of 96

2
Introduction
i
General information and
controls
General view, left side ........... 4
General view, right side ......... 5
Cockpit ................................. 6
Telltale and warning
lights .................................. 7-8
Hazard warning flashers ........ 9
Ignition switch and steering
lock ................................ 10-11
Left handlebar fitting ........... 12
Right handlebar fitting ......... 13
Cruise control ................ 14-17
Adjusting footrest
plate ............................... 18-19
Seat ............................... 20-21
Adjusting windscreen .......... 22
System case .................. 23-25Safety check
Checklist ........................ 26-27
Engine oil ....................... 28-29
Fuel ................................ 30-31
Handlebar levers ............ 32-33
Brake system
- general ........................ 34-35
Brake system - with
BMW Integral ABS ......... 36-39
Coolant level .................. 40-41
Clutch ................................. 42
Spring preload .................... 43
Shock-absorber
adjustment .......................... 44
Wheels ........................... 45-46
Accessories and tyres......... 47
Loads............................. 48-49
Lights ............................. 50-53
Contents
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22
27
Safety check
2
For this reason, check the
details in the following sections
before you start the journey:
– Fuel level
– Positions of the handlebar levers
–Brakes
–Brake fluid level
– Clutch fluid level
– Coolant level
– Shock-absorber setting and spring preload
– Wheel rim and tyre condition, tread depth and tyre
pressures
– Load, gross weight
–Lights
– Warning lights and indicator lights with ignition switched
on – Check regularly (every time
you stop for fuel), on the basis
of the following section:
– Engine oil level (every sec- ond/third stop for fuel):
– Brake pads
If you encounter any problems
or difficulties, it is always best to
contact your authorised BMW
motorcycle dealer.
He will provide the necessary
advice and assistance.
Checklist
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Page 47 of 96

22
45
Safety check
2
Wheels
d Warning:
Use only wheels and tyres
that BMW Motorrad has ap-
proved for your motorcycle.
For each size of tyre BMW
tests certain makes, and ap-
proves those that it certifies
as roadworthy.
If BMW Motorrad has not ap-
proved the wheels and tyres it
cannot assess their suitability
or provide any guarantee of
road safety.
You can obtain detailed infor-
mation from your authorised
B M W m o t o r c y c l e d e a l e r o r b y
visiting
www.bmw-motorrad.com on
the Internet
Checking wheel rims
d Warning:
Have damaged wheel rims
checked and, if necessary,
replaced by a specialist work-
shop, preferably an author-
ised BMW motorcycle dealer.
Checking tyre tread
d Warning:
Comply with local legal re-
quirements concerning mini-
mum tread depth. Worn tyres
can impair handling.
Measure tread depth at the centre of the tyre tread
BMW's minimum tread depth
recommendation:
Front ................. 2 mm (0.08 in)
Rear .................. 3 mm (0.12 in)
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46
Safety check
2
Wheels
Checking tyre pressures
d Warning:
Incorrect tyre pressures have
a considerable influence on
handling and on tyre life.
Adjust tyre pressures to suit
total weight. Never exceed ei-
ther the motorcycle’s gross
weight or the individual wheel
load limits (b 49).
– When tyres are cold:
Remove valve caps
Check/correct tyre pressure Tyre pressures:
Front Rear
O n e - u p 2 . 5 b a r 2 . 9 b a r
(36.3 psi) (42 psi)
Two-up 2.5 bar 2.9 bar
(36.3 psi) (42 psi)
Two-up
with luggage 2.5 bar 2.9 bar (36.3 psi) (42 psi)
Fully tighten valve caps
Fully tighten valve caps
d Warning:
At high road speeds, tyre
valves have a tendency to
open as a result of centrifugal
force.
Use only metal valve caps
with rubber seals.
Valve caps that are screwed
on well prevent air from es-
caping suddenly.
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22
49
Safety check
2
Accessories and loads
e Attention:
Never exceed the motorcycle’s
permissible gross weight limit of
500 kg (1,102 lbs). Do not
exceed the wheel load limits of
200 kg (441 lbs) at the front and
330 kg (728 lbs) at the rear.
Adjust the shock absorber and
rear spring settings to suit
gross weight (
b 43, 44).
The gross weight consists of:
– Motorcycle with full tank
–Rider
– Passenger
– Luggage
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72
Starting – Riding – Parking
3
Brake system - with BMW Integral ABS
Sensitive electronic
control
It takes skill and sensitive con-
trol of the brakes to pull up
safely on a motorcycle. If the
front wheel brake locks and the
wheel skids, the necessary lon-
gitudinal and lateral stabilising
forces are lost, and a fall can
result.
For this reason, the rider sel-
dom makes full use of available
braking performance in an
emergency. BMW Integral ABS is the latest-
generation BMW ABS develop-
ment: by preventing both
wheels from locking and opti-
mising braking-force distribu-
tion by means of the integral
function, it offers much
improved braking performance
(
b 74). Full use is made of tech-
nical braking capacity to mini-
mise braking distances, even
when road conditions are poor.
When the motorcycle is ridden
in a straight line, the BMW Inte-
gral ABS is able to handle
emergency braking safely.
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74
Starting – Riding – Parking
3
Brake system - with BMW Integral ABS
Partially integral brakes The integral brake function
interlinks the front and rear
brakes, so both wheels are
braked when you operate the
brake lever.
The electronic controller in the
BMW Integral ABS computes
the braking-force distribution
between front and rear wheels,
and applies the brakes
accordingly.
Braking-force distribution
depends on load and is recal-
culated every time the ABS
controller comes into action.
In this partially integral brake
configuration, the integral brak-
ing function is activated only
when you pull the handbrake
lever. The footbrake lever acts
only on the rear brake.
Brake boosterThe hydraulic pump in the BMW
Integral ABS actively boosts the
braking force acting on the
wheel when the brakes are
applied.
By boosting the braking force in
this way, the BMW Integral ABS
achieves higher braking effi-
ciency than standard brake
systems.
ABS - anti-lock brake
system
ABS prevents the wheels lock-
ing under heavy braking when
the motorcycle is travelling in a
straight line, thus contributing
significantly to road safety.
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78
Starting – Riding – Parking
3
d Warning:
If the BMW Integral ABS fails
in both brake circuits, a RE-
SIDUAL BRAKING FUNCTION
only is available (b 75).
d Warning:
If the RESIDUAL BRAKING
FUNCTION (
b 75) is active,
maintain a defensive riding
style and proceed immediate-
ly to a specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised BMW
motorcycle dealer.
*n depending on national-market
specification
d Warning:
If there is a fault in the ABS
system, the reserves of safety
normally afforded by ABS are
not available until the defect
has been put right.
There is a risk of dropping the
motorcycle if the brakes are
applied too hard and the
wheels lock or the rear wheel
lifts clear of the ground as a
r e su l t o f a h i g h le v e l o f t yr e ad -
hesion. Have the defect recti-
fied immediately by a
specialist workshop, prefera-
bly an authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer.
1*2
Brake system - with
BMW Integral ABS
10k41bkg2.book Seite 78 Donnerstag, 24. Juli 2003 9:17 09