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2
Wheels
Warning:
Use only wheels and tyres
that BMW Motorrad has ap-
proved for your motorcycle.
For each size of tyre BMW
tests certain makes, and ap-
proves those that it certifies
as roadworthy.
If BMW Motorrad has not ap-
proved the wheels and tyres it
cannot assess their suitability
or provide any guarantee of
road safety.
You can obtain detailed infor-
mation from your authorised
B M W m o t o r c y c l e d e a l e r o r b y
visiting
www.bmw-motorrad.com on
the Internet
Checking wheel rims
Warning:
Have damaged wheel rims
checked and, if necessary,
replaced by a specialist work-
shop, preferably an author-
ised BMW motorcycle dealer.
Checking tyre tread
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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Safety check
2
Wheels
Checking tyre pressures
Warning:
Incorrect tyre pressures have
a considerable influence on
handling and on tyre life.
Adjust tyre pressures to suit
total weight. Never exceed ei-
ther the motorcycle's gross
weight or the individual wheel
load limits ( 51).
– When tyres are cold:
• Remove valve caps
• Check/correct tyre pressure Tyre pressures:
Front Rear
O n e - u p 2 . 5 b a r 2 . 9 b a r
(36.3 psi) (42 psi)
Two-up 2.5 bar 2.9 bar
(36.3 psi) (42 psi)
Two-up
with luggage 2.5 bar 2.9 bar (36.3 psi) (42 psi)
• Fully tighten valve caps
Fully tighten valve caps
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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Safety check
2
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 without con-
stituting a safety hazard. Even
approval by an official inspec-
tion authority or an official per-
mit (General Operating Permit)
cannot always provide this
guarantee. Tests conducted by
these instances cannot make
provision for all operating condi-
tions experienced by BMW mo-
torcycles and consequently,
they are not sufficient in some
circumstances.
Note:
BMW accessories and other
products approved by BMW
can be obtained from your
authorised BMW motorcycle
dealer.
Accessories and tyres
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Correct loading
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 bottom and toward the
inboard side
OAOptional accessory
• Max. load in each case (left and right): 10 kg
(approx. 22 lbs)
• Max. load on luggage rack and in tank-top rucksack
OA
5 kg (11 lbs) each
• Check that fasteners are cor-
rectly positioned and tight
Warning:
With system cases installed, it
is advisable not to exceed
130 km/h (80 mph).
Loading
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Accessories and loads
Attention:
Never exceed the motorcycle's
permissible gross weight limit of
500 kg (1,102 lbs). Do not
exceed the wheel load limits of
200 kg (441 lbs) at the front and
330 kg (728 lbs) at the rear.
Adjust the shock absorber and
rear spring settings to suit
gross weight (
45, 46).
The gross weight consists of:
– Motorcycle with full tank
–Rider
– Passenger
– Luggage
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Checking lights
Attention:
Check that all lights are opera-
tional at the start of each
journey.
Flashing turn indicatorsIf turn indicator repeater flashes
at twice the usual speed (
7):
defective indicator bulb.
Rear lightGeneral warning light ( 68)
ON:
Brake light or tail light defective.
If the rear light is defective the
brake light is dimmed and acts
as a rear light. When you apply
the brakes the brake light
shines at full brightness.
Note:
To change bulbs in parking
lights, headlight (low and high
beams), rear/brake lights, turn
indicators and the number-
plate light:
(
Maintenance Instructions,
Chapter 2)
Lights
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Adjusting headlight for
RHD/LHD traffic
If the motorcycle is ridden in a
country where the opposite rule
of the road applies, its asym-
metric low headlight beam will
tend to dazzle oncoming traffic.
To prevent this, mask over part
of the headlight glass (apply a
piece of adhesive tape cut to
the correct size and shape).
–A from LHD to
RHD traffic
– B from RHD to
LHD traffic
Adjusting headlight beam
throw
Note:
When the basic setting is cor-
rect, headlight beam throw is
regulated when spring preload
is adjusted to suit load. Have the headlight basic set-
ting adjusted by a specialist
workshop, preferably an
authorised BMW motorcycle
dealer.
Note:
Adjust beam height so that
oncoming traffic is not dazzled.
Make sure that the throw of the
light cone adequately illumi-
nates the road ahead of you.
Lights
BA
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Adjusting beam throw to
suit load by adjusting the
suspension strut
• Change the spring strut set-ting to suit the load
(
45-46)
– Spring preload has an effect
on headlight beam throw Only if the load carried on the
motorcycle is very high, the
headlight beam can also be
lowered by moving lever
2. This
shortens the beam throw.
Pivot lever 2 :
A = neutral position
B = high load
Note:
Use adjusting screw 1 only for
adjusting the basic setting of
the headlight.
Lights
2
B
A
1
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