Page 4 of 88

i
2
Introduction
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
Left handlebar fitting ........... 10
Right handlebar fitting ......... 11
Hazard warning flashers ...... 12
Seat/helmet holder .............. 13
Seats ............................. 14-15
System case .................. 16-18Safety check
Checklist ............................. 19
Engine oil ....................... 20-21
Fuel ................................ 22-23
Handlebar levers ............ 24-25
Brake system -
general........................... 26-27
Brake system - without
BMW Integral ABS ......... 28-30
Brake system - with
BMW Integral ABS ......... 31-34
Clutch ................................. 35
Lights ............................. 36-39
Shock-absorber 
adjustment .......................... 40
Suspension
spring preload ..................... 41
Wheels ........................... 42-43
Accessories and loads ... 44-45
Contents
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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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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.
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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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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
66
Starting – Riding – Parking
Brake system - with BMW Integral ABSOE
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.
OE Optional extra
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 68). 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 Integral ABS is able to 
handle emergency braking 
safely.
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68
Starting – Riding – Parking
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 accord-
ingly.
The baking-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 servoThe 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 a higher  braking effi-
ciency than standard brake 
systems.
ABS - anti-lock brake 
systemOE
ABS prevents the wheels lock-
ing under heavy braking when 
the motorcycle is travelling in a 
straight line, thus contributing 
significantly to road safety.
OE Optional extra
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