Page 4 of 104

i
2
Introduction
12
General information and 
controls
General view, left side
R 1150 GS ............................ 4
General view, right side
R 1150 GS ............................ 5
General view, left side
R 1150 GS Adventure ........... 6
General view, right side
R 1150 GS Adventure ........... 7
Cockpit ................................. 8
Telltale and warning lights ..... 9
Ignition switch and steering 
lock ................................ 10-11
Hazard warning lights .......... 12
Power socket ...................... 13
Left handlebar fitting ........... 14
Right handlebar fitting ......... 15
Dualseat R 1150 GS  ..... 16-18
Seat 
R 1150 GS Adventure .... 19-20
System case .................. 21-23
Aluminium case .............. 24-26
Adjusting the windscreen .... 27Safety check
Checklist ........................ 28-29
Engine oil ....................... 30-31
Fuel ................................ 32-33
Handlebar levers ............ 34-35
Brake system - general .. 36-37
Brake system - without 
BMW Integral ABS ......... 38-40
Brake system - with 
BMW Integral ABS ......... 41-44
Clutch ................................. 45
Lights ............................. 46-49
Suspension spring 
preload .......................... 50-51
Shock absorber .................. 52
Wheels ........................... 53-55
Accessories and tyres......... 56
Accessories and loads ... 56-57
Contents
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        Page 6 of 104
11
4
General information and controls
391256784
1011
R 1150 GS1Suspension strut,
adjustment, front (
b50)
2 Oil level sight glass, 
engine (
b31)
3 Engine oil filler (
b31)
4 Reservoir for clutch fluid 
(
b45)
5 Power socket, 12 VOA
Provision for connecting 
additional equipment – max. 
load 5 A
OAOptional accessories
6Suspension strut,
adjustment, rear (
b51)
7 Lifting handle
8 Suspension strut, adjusting 
shock absorber (
b52)
9 Dualseat lock (
b 16-18)
10 Primary spark plug, left 
11 Secondary spark plug, left 
( ) Figure in bracketsbpage number for 
description
General view, left side
10ge01g6.fm  Seite 4  Montag, 7. Juni 2004  10:11 10 
     
        
        Page 52 of 104
2
50
Safety check
1
S
H
d Warning:
Before riding off, always set 
spring preload to suit total 
weight.
For off-road riding, increase 
spring preload at front and 
rear by a suitable amount.
Adjusting front spring 
preload
 Place motorcycle on centre  stand
– Make sure the ground is level and firm
 Use hook wrench and exten- sion (wheel-stud wrench) to 
adjust preload of spring  1:
Stage 1 – road ( S)
Stage 3 – loose surfaces 
(stone chippings etc.)
Stage 5 – off-road ( H)
Suspension spring preload
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        Page 53 of 104
2
51
Safety check
H
L
1
d Warning:
Before riding off, always set 
spring preload to suit total 
weight.
For off-road riding, increase 
spring preload at front and 
rear by a suitable amount.
For safety reasons, never at-
tempt to alter spring preload 
while the motorcycle is being 
ridden. Always halt the motor-
cycle before adjusting.
Adjusting rear spring 
preload 
“LOW” setting (solo):
Turn knob 1 as far as it will go 
in  “LOW”  direction ( L) as indi-
cated by arrow
“HIGH” setting (for off-road 
use, or two-up with luggage)
Turn knob 1 as far as it will go 
in  “HIGH”  direction ( H) as 
indicated by arrow
Suspension spring preload
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        Page 59 of 104
2
57
Safety check
Correct loading
d Warning:
Overloading can impair the 
stability of your motorcycle.
 Make sure that the weight is 
uniformly distributed between 
right and left
 Pack heavy items at the bot- tom of the cases
 Left and right cases
OA 
max. 10 kg (22 lbs) per case
 Luggage rack and tank-top 
rucksack
OA max. 5 kg (11 lbs) 
each
 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 460 kg (992 lb).
Do not exceed the wheel load 
limits of 180 kg (300 lbs) at the 
front and 300 kg (728 lbs) at the 
rear.
Reset the suspension spring 
preload and the shock absorb-
ers to match the gross weight 
(
b 50- 52, 54)
The gross weight consists of:
– Motorcycle with full tank
–Rider
– Passenger
– Luggage
OAOptional accessories
Accessories and loads
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