Page 41 of 88
2
39
2
Safety check
Lights
• Measure the distance H from
the ground to the centre of
the headlight
• Transfer this height H to the
wall and draw a cross on the
wall at this point
• Draw a second cross (x = 15 cm/5.9 in) lower
• Switch on the low-beam headlight
• Turn adjusting screw 1 to
align the headlight in such a
way that the light-dark cutoff
starts in the middle of the bot-
tom cross and rises to the
right to the height of the upper
cross, before dropping again. • Adjusting screw
1:
– Turn screw counter-clock- wise: higher
– Turn screw clockwise: lower
L Note:
Have the headlight basic setting
checked by a specialist work-
shop, preferably an authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer.
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Page 42 of 88
22
40
Safety check
1
2
Shock-absorber adjustment
d Warning:
Before the journey starts, ad-
just the front shock absorber
to suit road surface conditions
and intended riding style. Ad-
just the rear shock absorber to
suit the gross weight and load
on the motorcycle.
• Hold the motorcycle upright or lift it on to the main stand
OE
• Adjust the front/rear shock
absorbers with a screwdriver Basic setting
(solo):
• Turn adjusting screw 1 or 2 in
direction indicated by arrow H
(clockwise) as far as it will go
• Turn adjusting screw 1 or 2
two turns in the direction indi-
cated by arrow S (counter-
clockwise)
Hard setting “H”:
• Fully tighten adjusting screw 1
or 2
Soft setting “S”:
• Fully back off adjusting screw 1 or 2
OE Optional extra
10r28FUNbkg1.book Seite 40 Dienstag, 24. Januar 2006 9:31 09
Page 43 of 88
2
41
2
Safety check
1
Suspension spring preload
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.
OE Optional extra
Adjusting suspension
spring preload
• Hold the motorcycle upright or lift it on to the main standOE
• Adjust spring preload at handwheel 1
Basic setting, solo:
• Turn knob 1 as far as it will go
counter-clockwise as indi-
cated by the “ LOW” arrow
• Turn knob 1 one mark clock-
wise as indicated by the
“ HIGH ” arrow
Setting for two-up and
luggage:
• Turn handwheel 1 fully to the
right as indicated by the
“HIGH” arrow
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22
42
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)
Screwing 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 es-
caping suddenly.
10r28FUNbkg1.book Seite 42 Dienstag, 24. Januar 2006 9:31 09
Page 45 of 88
2
43
2
Safety check
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 45). –Tyres cold:
• Remove valve caps
• Check/correct tyre pressure
Tyre pressures:
Front Rear
Solo 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)
• Fully tighten on valve caps
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Page 46 of 88
22
44
Safety check
Accessories and loads
d Warning:
BMW cannot examine or test
every product of outside
origin to ensure that it does
not represent a safety risk if
used on or in connection with
your BMW motorcycle. Even
approval by an official inspec-
tion authority or an official
permit (General Operating
Permit) cannot always pro-
vide this guarantee. Tests
conducted by these
instances cannot make
provision for all operating
conditions experienced by
BMW motorcycles and
consequently, they are not
sufficient in some circum-
stances.
L Note:
BMW accessories and other
products approved by BMW
can be obtained from your
BMW motorcycle dealer.
Correct loading
d Warning:
Overloading can impair the
handling of your motorcycle.
• Make sure that the weight is uniformly distributed between
right and left
• Pack heavy items at the bot-
tom
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Page 47 of 88
2
45
2
Safety check
Accessories and loads
• Max. load in each caseOA (left
and right): 10 kg (approx.
22 lbs)
• Max. load on luggage carrier
and in tank-top rucksack
OA:
5 kg (approx. 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).
OA Optional accessories
e Caution:
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 300 kg (573 lbs) at the
rear.
Reset the suspension spring
preload and the shock absorb-
ers to match the total weight
(
b 40, 41, 43).
The total weight consists of:
– Motorcycle with full tank
–Rider
–Passenger
– Luggage
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Page 48 of 88
33
46
Starting – Riding – Parking
Handling your motorcycle
safely
Each motorcycle has a charac-
ter all its own. It is time now for
you to familiarise yourself with
the way your own motorcycle
behaves:
– Acceleration
– Roadholding
–Cornering
–Braking …
These are all things you need to
become familiar with.
Please remember too that if the
motorcycle has not yet covered
1,000 kilometres (600 miles),
the engine is not yet fully run in.
e Attention:
BMW Integral ABSOE incorpo-
rates a brake booster, so brak-
ing efficiency is significantly
higher than with conventional
brake systems.
d Warning:
The tyres need to cover a cer-
tain distance
before they acquire their full
road grip (b 55).
When riding at high speed,
always bear in mind that various
boundary conditions such as:
settings of the spring and
shock-absorber system, unbal-
anced loading, loose clothing,
low tyre pressures, worn tyres,
etc.,
can affect the handling of your
motorcycle.
OEOptional extra
Your first journey
10r28FUNbkg1.book Seite 46 Dienstag, 24. Januar 2006 9:31 09
