Page 57 of 165
and damping-characteristic
settings.
Adjust the damping char-
acteristic to suit spring pre-
load.Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand.
Adjust the rear shock ab-
sorber, using a screwdriver
to turn adjusting screw 1. If you want a harder damp-
ing characteristic, use a
screwdriver to turn the ad-
justing screw
1in the direc-
tion indicated by the H ar-
row.
If you want a softer damping
characteristic, use a screw-
driver to turn the adjusting
screw 1in the direction in-
dicted by the S arrow.
The adjusting screw can
be turned through three
and a half turns.
Rear suspension, basic set-
ting One-up, rider weighing 85
kg
Turn the adjusting screw
as far as it will go in the dir-
ection indicated by the H
arrow and then turn it back
one and a half turns in the
direction indicated by the S
arrow.
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Electronic Suspension
Adjustment ESA
OE
SettingsElectronic Suspension Ad-
justment ESA provides a con-
venient way of adapting the
motorcycle to different condi-
tions. Three spring preload
settings can be combined
with three damping charac-
teristics to fine-tune the mo-
torcycle's suspension to the
load it carries and the surface
over which you want to ride.
The damping characteristic is
shown in panel1of the mul- tifunction display, and spring
preload in panel
2.
The Tripmaster readings are
not shown while the ESA
readout is active.
Calling up settingsSwitch on the ignition.
Press button 1.
The current setting appears
on the display.
The reading remains visible
for a few seconds before
disappearing automatically.
Adjusting suspension
dampingSwitch on the ignition.
Press button 1.
The current setting appears
on the display.
Press button 1once briefly.
The display field starts
at the current status and
cycles through the following
sequence:COMF
Comfortable damping
characteristic
NORM
Normal damping
characteristic
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SPORT
Sporty damping
characteristic
The setting shown on the
display is automatically
accepted as the damping
characteristic if you allow
a certain length of time
to pass without pressing
button 1. The reading
flashes while adjustment is
in progress.
Adjusting spring preloadStart the engine.
Press button 1. The current setting appears
on the display.
Press button
1once,
without releasing it
immediately.
You cannot adjust spring
preload while the motor-
cycle is on the move.
The display field starts
at the current status and
cycles through the following
sequence:
One-up
One-up with luggage
Two-up (with luggage)
The setting shown on the
display is automatically
accepted as the spring
preload if you allow a
certain length of time to
pass without pressing button
1. The reading
flashes while adjustment is
in progress.
TyresChecking tyre pressures
Incorrect tyre pressure
adversely affects the
handling characteristics of
the motorcycle and can lead
to accidents.
Always check that the tyre
pressures are correct.
At high road speeds,
tyre valves have a tend-
ency to open as a result of
centrifugal force.
In order to avoid a sudden
loss of tyre pressure, fit a
metal valve cap with rubber
sealing ring to the rear tyre
and make sure that the cap is
screwed on firmly.
457zOperation
Page 60 of 165
Incorrect tyre pressure
reduces the operating
life of the tyres.
Always check that the tyre
pressures are correct.
Check that tyre pressures
are correct as per the data
below.
Front wheel, tyre pressure
2.5 bar (When cold)
Rear wheel, tyre pressure
2.9 bar (When cold)
If tyre pressure is too low: Correct the tyre pressures.
458zOperation
Page 61 of 165
Riding
Safety instructions............. 60
Checklist . . .................... 62
Starting . . . .................... 62
Pulling away . . . ............... 65
Running in .................... 65
Parking your motorcycle . . . .... 69
Refuelling . .................... 76
Brake system, general ......... 77
Brake system with BMW Integral
ABS .......................... 77
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Safety instructionsRider's equipmentDo not ride without the cor-
rect clothing. Always wear:Helmet
Motorcycling jacket and
trousers
Gloves
Boots
This applies even to short
journeys, and to every sea-
son of the year. Your author-
ised BMW Motorrad dealer
will be glad to advise you on
the correct clothing for every
purpose.SpeedIf you ride at high speed, al-
ways bear in mind that vari-
ous boundary conditions can
adversely affect the handling
of your motorcycle: Settings of the spring-strut
and shock-absorber system
Imbalanced load
Loose clothing
Insufficient tyre pressure
Poor tyre tread
Etc.
Correct loading
Overloading and
imbalanced loads
can adversely affect the
motorcycle's handling.
Do not exceed the permiss-
ible gross weight and be sure
to comply with the instruc-
tions on loading.
Alcohol and drugs
Even small amounts of
alcohol or drugs will ad-
versely affect your percep-
tion and your ability to as-
sess situations and make de-
cisions, and slow down your reflexes. Medication can ex-
acerbate these effects.
Do not ride your motorcycle
after consuming alcohol,
drugs and/or medication.
Risk of poisoningExhaust fumes contain car-
bon monoxide, which is col-
ourless and odourless but
highly toxic.
Inhaling the exhaust
fumes therefore
represents a health hazard
and can even cause loss
of consciousness with fatal
consequences.
Do not inhale exhaust fumes.
Do not run the engine in an
enclosed space.
560zRiding
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High voltage
Touching live parts of
the ignition system with
the engine running can cause
electric shock.
Do not touch parts of the igni-
tion system when the engine
is running.
Catalytic converterIf misfiring causes unburned
fuel to enter the catalytic con-
verter, there is a danger of
overheating and damage.
For this reason, observe the
following points:
Do not run the fuel tank dry.
Do not attempt to start or
run the engine with a spark-
plug cap disconnected.
Stop the engine immediately
if it misfires.
Use only unleaded fuel.
Comply with all specified
maintenance intervals. Unburned fuel will des-
troy the catalytic con-
verter.
Note the points listed for pro-
tection of the catalytic con-
verter.
Risk of fireTemperatures at the exhaust
are high.
Flammable materials
(e.g. hay, leaves, grass,
clothing and luggage, etc.)
could ignite if allowed to
come into contact with the
hot exhaust pipe.
Do not permit flammable ma-
terials to come into contact
with the hot exhaust system.
Cooling would be
inadequate if the engine
were allowed to idle for
a lengthy period with the
motorcycle at a standstill:
overheating would result. In extreme cases, the
motorcycle could catch fire.
Do not allow the engine to
idle unnecessarily. Ride away
immediately after starting the
engine.
Tampering with the con-
trol unit of the electronic
engine-management sys-
tem
Tampering with the con-
trol unit of the electronic
engine-management system
can damage the motorcycle
and cause accidents.
Do not tamper with the
control unit of the electronic
engine-management
system.
Tampering with the con-
trol unit of the electron-
ic engine-management sys-
tem can result in mechanical
loads that the motorcycle's
561zRiding
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components are not designed
to withstand. Damage caused
in this way is not covered by
the warranty.
Do not tamper with the
control unit of the electronic
engine-management
system.ChecklistUse the following checklist
to check important functions,
settings and wear limits be-
fore you ride off.Brakes
Brake-fluid levels, front and
rear
Clutch
Clutch fluid level
Shock absorber setting and
spring preload
Tyre-tread depth and tyre
pressures Cases correctly installed
and luggage secured
At regular intervals: Engine oil level (every refuel-
ling stop)
Brake-pad wear (every third
refuelling stop)
StartingSide standYou cannot start the motor-
cycle with the side stand ex-
tended and a gear engaged.
The engine will switch itself
off if you start it with the gear-
box in neutral and then en-
gage a gear before retracting
the side stand.GearboxYou can start the engine
when the gearbox is in neutral
or if you pull the clutch with a
gear engaged. Switch on the
ignition before you pull the clutch. When the gearbox is
in neutral, the green neutral
telltale light is on and the gear
indicator in the multifunction
display shows 0.
Starting the engine
If you switch on the ig-
nition while the brakes
are applied, then start the
engine and ride off immedi-
ately, the BMW Integral ABS
remains in residual braking
function mode. Self-diagnosis
is performed as soon as the
brake levers are in their fully
released positions for the first
time. Until this completes the
ABS function is not available;
the same applies to power
assistance for the brakes.
When you start the engine,
wait for the ABS to complete
its self-diagnosis.
Switch on the ignition.
562zRiding