2003 BMW MOTORRAD F 650 GS warning

38
Safety check
2
Accessories and loads
d Warning:
BMW cannot examine or test
each product of outside origin
on the accessories and tyres
market to ensure that it can
be used on or in connection
with BMW motorcycles with-
out constituting a safety haz-
ard. Even approval by an
official inspection authority or
an official permit (General Op-
erating Permit) cannot always
provide this guarantee. Tests
conducted by these instanc-
es cannot make provision for
all operating conditions expe-
rienced 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 and toward the inboard
side
 Max. load in each case
OA (left
and right): 5 kg (approx.
11 lbs)
 Max. load in topcase
OA and in
tank-top rucksackOA 5kg
(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).
OAOptional accessory
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40
Safety check
2
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 wheel spokes
d Warning:
Before riding off, always
make sure that the spokes
are in perfect condition.
Always have damaged
spokes and irregular spoke
tension rectified immediately
by a specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer.
Wheels
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1
41
Safety check
2
Wheels
 Place the motorcycle on its main stand [Dakar: side
stand]
– Make sure the ground is level and firm.
 Tap spokes with a screw- driver and listen for the cor-
rect ringing sound
L Note:
If the note varies, spoke tension
is uneven (some spokes too
loose or too tight).
Checking tyre pressures
d Warning:
Incorrect tyre pressures have
a considerable influence on
handling and on tyre life.
Tyre pressures must be cho-
sen to suit the total weight on
the motorcycle. Never exceed
either the motorcycle’s gross
weight or the individual wheel
load limits (b39). Tyres cold:
 Unscrew and remove valve
cap
 Check/correct tyre pressure
Tyre pressures: front rear
One-up 1.9 bar 2.1 bar (27.56 psi) (30.46 psi)
Two-up and
luggage 2.1 bar 2.3 bar (30.46 psi) (33.36 psi)
 Firmly retighten the valve caps (b42)
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42
Safety check
2
Wheels
Securing valve caps
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 pre-
vent air from escaping sud-
denly.
Checking tyre tread depth
d Warning:
Comply with local legal re-
quirements concerning mini-
mum 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)
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1
43
Safety check
2
Checking coolant level
e Attention:
Always keep the coolant level
above the minimum mark.
Check coolant level only when
the engine is cold.
 Place motorcycle on main (centre) stand or hold it verti-
cal
 Check coolant at expansion tank:
MIN Minimum level
e Attention:
Never overfill the expansion
tank.  Top up the coolant if neces-
sary (
b Maintenance Instruc-
tions, Chapter 2)
L Note:
If the expansion tank is full and
the coolant temperature is high
(as indicated by red warning
light
j b 58) or coolant con-
sumption is excessive, consult
an authorised BMW motorcycle
dealer.
Coolant
MIN
MAX
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1
45
Safety check
2
1
Adjusting headlight beam
throw
L Note:
Headlight beam throw is kept
constant when spring preload is
adjusted to suit load.
For instructions on adjusting
spring-strut and shock-
absorber settings to suit load,
(
b 38, 39).
Consult a specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised BMW
motorcycle dealer, if you are
unsure whether the headlight
basic setting is correct.
Setting with motorcycle
heavily loaded:
d Warning:
Adjust the headlight such that
the beam does not dazzle on-
coming traffic, but the throw
of the light cone adequately
illuminates the road ahead of
you.
Only if the load carried on the
motorcycle is very high, the
headlight beam can be further
lowered by turning knurled
screw 1.
Lights
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3
46
Starting – Riding – Parking
First time out
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 (approx.
600 miles), the engine is not yet
fully run in.
d Warning:
The tyres need to cover a cer-
tain distance before they ac-
quire their full road grip
(b55).
If you ride at high speed, always
bear in mind that various
boundary conditions such as
the spring preload setting and
the shock absorber setting, an
unbalanced luggage load,
loose clothing, low tyre pres-
sure, poor tyre tread, and so on,
can affect the handling of your
motorcycle.
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3
47
Starting – Riding – Parking
First time out
Safe motorcycling doesn’t
depend on the motorcycle
alone.
Your own skill and common-
sense are needed too.
The key to genuine safety on
the road is a sensible balance
between the motorcycle’s tech-
nical features and the rider’s
skill, so that together they form
a single efficient unit.
Riding safely in traffic and off-
road calls for a sense of
responsibility to your passenger
and to other road users.d Warning:
Do not ride the motorcycle af-
ter drinking alcoholic bever-
ages. Even small amounts of
alcohol or drugs, particularly
if taken in conjunction with
medicines, will adversely af-
fect your perception and your
ability to assess situations
and make decisions, and also
slow down your reflexes.
Take to the road now by all
means, but think carefully about
everything you do.
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