Page 4 of 92

i
Introduction
12
2
12
i
General information and
controls
General view, left side ........... 4
General view, right side ......... 5
Cockpit ................................. 6
Telltale and warning lights ..... 7
Ignition switch and
steering lock ...................... 8-9
Handlebar fittings ........... 10-11
Hazard warning flashers ...... 12
Dualseat cover ............... 13-14
Dualseat ......................... 15-16
System case .................. 17-19 Safety check
Checklist ........................ 20-21
Engine oil ...................... 22-23
Fuel ................................ 24-25
Handlebar levers ............ 26-27
Brake system - general.... 28-29
Brake system - without
BMW Integral ABS ......... 30-32
Brake system - with
BMW Integral ABS ......... 33-36
Clutch ................................ 37
Lights ............................ 38-39
Shock absorbers ........... 40-41
Suspension spring
preload ............................... 42
Wheels ........................... 43-44
Accessories and
loads ............................. 45-46
Contents
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2
21
Safety check
Checklist
For this reason, check the
details in the following Chapters
before you start the journey:
–Fuel level
– Positions of the handlebar-lever fittings
– Brake fluid level
– Clutch fluid level
–Brakes
– Warning lights and telltale lights
–Lights
– Front/rear shock absorber setting and spring preload
– Condition of wheels and tyres, tread depth and tyre
pressures
– Load, gross weight – Check at regular intervals as
described in the following
sections
(each time you stop for refuel-
ling):
– Engine oil level (every second or third time
you stop for refuelling):
– Brake pads
If you encounter any problems
or difficulties, it is always best to
contact your authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.
He will provide the necessary
advice and assistance.
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Page 45 of 92
2
43
Safety check
Wheels
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 treads
d Warning:
Comply with statutory legal
requirements concerning
minimum 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)
Screw valve caps on
tightly
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 esca-
ping suddenly.
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Page 46 of 92
2
44
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
either the motorcycle's gross
weight or the individual wheel
load limits (b 46). –Tyres cold:
• Remove valve caps
• Check/correct tyre pressure
Tyre pressures:
Front Rear
One-up 2.2 bar 2.5 bar (31.3 psi) (35.5 psi)
Two-up 2.5 bar 2.7 bar (35.5 psi) (38.4 psi)
Two-up with
luggage 2.5 bar 2.9 bar (35.5 psi) (41.2 psi)
• Screwing on valve caps
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2
46
Safety check
2
Correct loading
d Warning:
Overloading can impair
handling.
• Make sure that the weight is uniformly distributed between
right and left
• Pack heavy items at the bottom
• Max. load in each case
OA
(left and right): 10 kg
(approx. 22 lbs)
• Max. load in tank-top ruck- sack
OA: 5 kg (approx. 11 lbs)
• Check that fastenings are correctly positioned and tight
d Warning:
With cases installed, it is ad-
visable not to exceed
130 km/h (80 mph).
e Attention:
Do not exceed the gross weight
limit of 450 kg (992 lbs).
Do not exceed the wheel load
limits of 180 kg (397 lbs) at the
front and 260 kg (573 lbs) at the
rear.
Adjust the front/rear shock
absorbers, the rear suspension
spring and tyre pressures to
suit the gross weight of the
motorcycle (
b 40-44).
The gross weight consists of:
– Motorcycle wi th full tank
–Rider
–Passenger
– Luggage
OA Optional accessories
Accessories and loads
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Page 70 of 92
68
Starting – Riding – Parking
3
Brake system - with BMW Integral ABSOE
Sensitive electronic
control
It takes skill and sensitive control of
the brakes to pull up safely on a motor-
cycle. 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 seldom makes
full use of available braking perform-
ance in an emergency.
OEOptional extra
BMW Integral ABS is the latest-gener-
ation BMW ABS development: by
preventing both wheels from locking
and optimising braking-force distribu-
tion by means of the integral function,
it offers much improved braking per-
formance (
b 70). Full use is made of
technical braking capacity to minimise
braking distances, even when road
conditions are poor.
When the motorcycle is ridden in a
straight line, the BMW Integral ABS is
able to handle emergency braking
safely.
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70
Starting – Riding – Parking
3
Brake system - with BMW Integral ABSOE
Partially integral brakesThe 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.
The baking-force distribution depends
on load and is recalculated every time
the ABS controller comes into action.
In this partially integral brake configu-
ration, the integral braking function is
activated only when you pull the hand-
brake lever. The footbrake lever acts
only on the rear brake.
Brake servoThe hydraulic pump in the BMW Inte-
gral ABS actively boosts the braking
force acting on the wheel when the
brakes are applied.
By boosting the brak ing force in this
way, the BMW Integral ABS achieves
a higher braking efficiency than stand-
ard brake systems.
ABS - anti-lock brake
system
ABS prevents th e wheels locking
under heavy braking when the motor-
cycle is travelling in a straight line,
thus contributing sign ificantly to road
safety.
OEOptional extra
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74
Starting – Riding – Parking
3
d Warning:
If the BMW Integral ABS fails
in both brake circuits, a RESI-
DUAL BRAKING FUNCTION
only is available. (b 71)
d Warning:
If the RESIDUAL BRAKING
FUNCTION is active (
b 71),
maintain a defensive riding
style and proceed immediate-
ly to a specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised BMW
motorcycle dealer.
OEOptional extra
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
machine if the brakes are ap-
plied too hard and the front
wheel locks or the rear wheel
lifts clear of the ground as a
result of a high level of front
tyre adhesion. Do not ride the
motorcycle if you have any
doubts about the safety of the
brake system.
Brake system - with BMW Integral ABSOE
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