
i3Introduction
Maintenance .................. 83
Toolkit ...........................  85
Engine oil ......................  86
Coolant .........................  88
Brakes ...........................  89
Clutch ...........................  93
Wheels ..........................  94
Front-wheel stand .......  103
Rear wheel stand ........  104
Bulbs ...........................  105
Jump starting ..............  111
Battery ........................  112
Splash guard ...............  116
Care .............................. 117
Cleaning and care   .....  118
Laying up ....................  120
Restoring to use ..........  121
Technical data ............. 123
Bolt connections .........  124
Tyre pressures   ..........  126
Engine .........................  127
Power transmission .....  128
Frame and 
suspension ..................  129Wheels and tyres .........  131
Fuel and lubricants ......  132
Electrical system..........  135
Dimensions and 
weights ........................  137
Riding specifications ...  138
Service .......................... 139
BMW Motorrad 
service ........................  140
Confirmation of 
maintenance work  ......  143
Confirmation of 
service ........................  147
Index ........................... 149 

Status indicators228
• Stop and check the thick-
ness of the brake pads (b 90-
 91).
• Have worn brake pads 
replaced as soon as possi-
ble by a specialist workshop, 
preferably an authorised 
BMW motorcycle dealer.
If the brake pad thickness is 
sufficient: 
• Check the following 
functions:
– Ignition off, brake pressure 
present at the brake levers.
– Brakes acting on both 
wheels.
– Brake system leaktight, no 
signs of brake fluid 
escaping.If the functions are not shown:
There is a defect in the 
brake system.
Do not continue to ride.c
If these functions are in order, 
you can continue riding. How-
ever, bear in mind that a loss 
of brake fluid that cannot be 
detected might be the cause 
of the warning. 
There is a fault in the 
brake system that can 
lead to decreased braking 
efficiency.
Brake carefully and safely. 
Avoid braking sharply.c
• Have the fault remedied as 
soon as possible by a spe-
cialist workshop, preferably 
an authorised BMW motor-
cycle dealer. General warning light 
flashes red 4 times per 
second.
ABS warning light flashes 
4 times per second.
There are two faults: 
– Only residual braking func-
tion
 (b 71) available in at 
least one brake circuit, indi-
cated by the general warning 
light lighting up and the ABS 
warning light flashing 4 times 
per second. 
– Fluid level in the BMW Inte-
gral ABS is too low, indi-
cated by the general and 
ABS warning lights flashing 
once per second.  
Please read the fault descrip-
tions listed later in this manual.  

Riding452
Safety checkPrior to every journeyUse the following checklist to 
check important functions, 
settings and wear limits before 
starting to ride. Checklist–Brakes (
b 93)
– Brake fluid level (
b 91)
– Clutch function (b 93)
– Clutch fluid level (b 93)
– Warning and telltale lights
(
b 18)
– Shock absorber setting 
(b 44, 46) and spring 
preload (
b 47)
–Rims (
b 94), tread depth 
(
b 94) and tyre pressure
(b 47)
– Load, gross weight (
b 137)
– Secure luggage systemAt regular intervals:
– Engine oil level (every time 
you refuel) (
b 86)
– Brake pads (every second/
third time you refuel) 
(
b 90, 91)
Making your first tripSafe handling of your 
motorcycleEach motorcycle has its 'own 
life' that you have to get used 
to:
– Acceleration capability
– Road holding
– Cornering characteristics
–Braking power
The engine also has to be 
run in during the first 1,000 km 
(b 58).You will find information on 
BMW Integral ABS from 
(
b 69) onwards.
BMW Integral ABS incor-
porates braking power 
assistance, so that braking 
power is significantly higher 
than with conventional brake 
systems. Especially when 
cornering, unintentionally hard 
braking can lead to dangerous 
situations.
Practice braking with 
BMW Integral ABS in safe 
situations.c 

Riding468
• Fill up the tank with fuel of 
the approved quality.
• Close the fuel tank cap with 
firm pressure.
• Remove the key and close 
the protective cap.Fuel quality
Leaded fuel destroys the 
catalytic converter.
Use only unleaded fuel.c
The engine is designed to run 
on:– Premium grade unleaded 
fuel (98 ROZ/RON, 88 MOZ/
MON)
Fill up preferably with this fuel 
to comply with the nominal 
values for performance and 
fuel consumption.
In addition, the following fuel 
quality can be used:
– Premium grade unleaded 
fuel (95 ROZ/RON, 85 MOZ/
MON)
Capacity– Usable fuel capacity: 
19 litres
– Of which reserve fuel:
approx. 4 litres
The volume of fuel dis-
play in the multifunction 
display only works when the 
ignition is switched on.c
Brake system GeneralDescending mountain 
passes
If the rear brake is used 
exclusively for braking 
when descending steep in-
clines, there is a risk of losing 
braking efficiency. Under ex-
treme conditions, the brakes 
could overheat and suffer se-
vere damage.
Use the front and rear brakes 
and the engine brake.c 

469Riding
Wet brakes 
After washing the motor-
cycle, after riding through 
water or when it is raining, the 
braking effect can be delayed 
due to damp brake discs and 
brake pads. 
Note that there will be an 
extended braking distance 
until the brakes have dried out 
or the act of braking itself dries 
them.c
Salt on brakes
The brakes may fail to 
take effect immediately if 
the motorcycle was ridden on 
salt-covered roads and the 
brakes were not applied for 
some time. 
Note that there will be an 
extended braking distance until the salt layer on the brake 
discs and brake pads is 
removed by braking.c
Oil or grease on the brake
Oil and grease deposits 
on brake discs and pads 
considerably reduce the 
braking effect. 
Especially after repair and 
maintenance work, make sure 
that the brake discs and brake 
pads are free of oil and 
grease.c
Dirt or mud on brakes
When riding on loose sur-
faces or muddy roads, 
the brakes may fail to take ef-
fect immediately because of 
dirt or moisture on the discs or 
brake pads. 
Note that there will be an extended braking distance 
until the brakes have been 
cleaned by braking.c
BMW Integral ABSSensitive 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 
longitudinal and lateral stabil-
ising forces are lost, and a fall 
can result. For this reason, the 
rider seldom makes full use of 
available braking performance 
in an emergency.
BMW Integral ABS provides 
improved braking deceleration 
by means of anti-lock braking 
for both wheels and braking 
force distribution by means of 
the integral braking function
(b 50, 69). Making full use of  

Riding470
the motorcycle’s technical 
braking capacity will minimise 
braking distances noticeably, 
even when road conditions are 
poor.When riding straight 
ahead, the BMW Integral ABS 
enables secure, optimised 
emergency braking which 
corresponds to the 
circumstances.
Reserves for safety
The potentially shorter braking 
distances which BMW Integral 
ABS permits must not be used 
as an excuse for careless rid-
ing. ABS is primarily a means 
of ensuring a safety margin in 
genuine emergencies. 
Take care when cornering. 
When you apply the brakes on 
a corner, the motorcycle’s 
weight and momentum take over and even BMW Integral 
ABS is unable to counteract 
their effects.
Integral braking
The integral braking function 
activates the front and rear 
brakes jointly, which means 
that both wheels are braked 
when one brake lever is 
pressed. The electronics in the 
BMW Integral ABS controls 
the braking force distribution 
between the front and rear 
brakes. Braking-force distribu-
tion depends on load and is 
recalculated every time the 
ABS controller comes into 
action. Partial integral braking
Your motorcycle is fitted with 
partial integral braking. In this 
partially integral brake configu-
ration, the integral braking 
function is activated only when 
you pull the handbrake lever. 
The footbrake lever acts only 
on the rear brake.
Braking power assistance
On braking, BMW Integral 
ABS boosts the brake force on 
the wheel by means of a 
hydraulic pump. By boosting 
the braking force in this way, 
BMW Integral ABS achieves 
higher braking efficiency than 
standard brake systems. 

471Riding
ABS anti-lock braking 
system
ABS prevents the wheels from 
locking on braking, making a 
major contribution to road 
safety.
Lifting up the rear wheel
With strong adhesion between 
the tyres and the road, the 
front wheel locks either very 
late or not at all when the 
brakes are applied hard. 
Accordingly, the ABS control 
only has to intervene very late 
or not at all. In this case, the 
rear wheel can lift up, which 
can lead to the motorcycle 
rolling over. Heavy braking can cause 
the rear wheel to rise. 
Bear in mind that the ABS 
control is unable to prevent 
the rear wheel from lifting up in 
every instance.c
Residual braking function
With the ignition switched off, 
during the self-diagnosis and 
in the event of a fault in the 
BMW Integral ABS, the brake 
circuits concerned only have 
the residual braking function. 
The residual braking function 
is the braking power without 
the hydraulic servo assistance 
of the BMW Integral ABS. 
Under these circumstances, 
therefore, you must apply con-
siderably higher pressure to 
the brake levers in question in 
order to apply the brakes, and 
lever travel is longer. When the residual braking function is 
active, the ABS function is 
unavailable in the brake sys-
tem in question. When the 
residual braking function is 
active, the integral braking 
function is partially or entirely 
unavailable.
Without the ABS func-
tion, the wheels may lock 
under braking; without braking 
power assistance, considera-
bly greater force is required to 
brake. 
Brake carefully and safely. 
Avoid braking sharply. Have 
the fault remedied as soon as 
possible by a specialist work-
shop, preferably an authorised 
BMW motorcycle dealer.c 

683Maintenance
Toolkit.............................................  85
Engine oil .......................................  86
Coolant ...........................................  88
Brakes ............................................  89
Clutch .............................................  93
Wheels ............................................  94
Front-wheel stand .......................  103
Rear wheel stand ........................  104
Bulbs.............................................  105
Jump starting...............................  111
Battery ..........................................  112
Splash guard................................  116