Page 21 of 88

2
19
2
Safety check
Checklist
Use the safety checklist – 
before every journey
Please perform the safety 
check accurately. If your motor-
cycle needs any routine mainte-
nance, you can then attend to it 
before the journey starts
(
b Maintenance Instructions), 
or, for example have it carried 
out by your authorised BMW 
motorcycle dealer.
This is to ensure that your 
motorcycle corresponds with 
road-vehicle use and safety 
laws. 
Your vehicle must be in perfect 
technical order: this is a basic 
prerequisite for your safety and 
the safety of other road users.
For this reason, check the 
details in the following sections 
before you start the journey: 
– Engine oil level
–Fuel level
– Positions of the handlebar- lever fittings
– Brake fluid level 
– Clutch fluid level 
–Brakes – Warning lights and telltale 
lights
–Lights
– 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 40 of 88
22
38
Safety check
1
Lights
L Note:
Use adjusting screw 1 only for 
adjusting the basic setting of 
the headlight.
Headlight
basic setting
L Note:
Do not prop the motorcycle on 
the centre or side stand. • Check tyre pressures and 
correct if necessary
• Set the spring-strut adjuster  to the position for one-up rid-
ing
–Make sure lever  2 is horizontal 
(neutral position)
• Position the motorcycle on a  level surface 10 metres 
(33 feet) (headlight) from a 
light-coloured wall, and with 
the rider's weight (approx. 
85 kg/187 lbs) on the seat
2
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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
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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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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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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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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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33
50
Starting – Riding – Parking
Placing motorcycle on 
side stand
d Warning:
For safety reasons, never sit 
on the motorcycle with the 
side stand extended.
e Caution:
Stop the engine before using 
the side stand.
Make sure the surface under 
the stand is firm. 
On a gradient, the motorcycle 
should always face uphill; se-
lect 1st gear. • Switch off the ignition
• Keep both feet on the ground 
• Hold the left handlebar grip 
with your left hand
• Keep your right hand on the  right handlebar grip and the 
handbrake lever
• Hold the motorcycle upright  and balanced
• U s e  y o u r  l e f t  f o o t  a t  t h e  e x t e n - sion pin to extend the side 
stand fully (arrow)
• Slowly lean the motorcycle to 
the side until its weight is 
taken by the stand and dis-
mount from the motorcycle 
• Turn the handleba rs to full left 
lock 
• Check that the motorcycle 
is firmly supported
Side stand
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