Parking your
motorcycle . . . ........... 69
Refuelling . . . . . .......... 71
Tyre pressure control
RDC
OE
.................. 72
Brake system, general . . . 73
Brake system with BMW
Motorrad Integral
ABS
OE
.................. 74
6 Accessories .......... 79
General instructions . . . . . 80
Power socket . .......... 80
Luggage . . . . . . .......... 81
CaseOA
................. 81
7 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . 85
General instructions . . . . . 86
Toolkit . ................. 86
Engine oil . . . . . .......... 87
Brake system, general . . . 89
Brake pads . . . . .......... 90
Brake fluid . . . . .......... 91
Clutch . ................. 94
Tyres . . ................. 95
Rims . . . ................. 95
Wheels . ................. 95 Front-wheel stand .
..... 104
Rear-wheel stand . . ..... 105
Bulbs . . ................ 107
Jump start . . . . ......... 114
Battery . ................ 115
8 Care . ................ 121
Care products . ......... 122
Washing motorcycle . . . . 122
Cleaning easily damaged
components . . . ......... 123
Paint care . . . . . ......... 124
Protective wax
coating ................ 124
Laying up the
motorcycle . . . . ......... 124
Restoring motorcycle to
use .................... 125
9 Technical data . . ..... 127
Troubleshooting
chart . . . ................ 128
Threaded fasteners ..... 129
Engine . ................ 130
Riding specifications . . . . 133
Clutch . ................ 133
Transmission . . ......... 133 Final drive . . . . .
......... 135
Running gear . . ......... 135
Brakes . ................ 136
Wheels and tyres . . ..... 136
Electrics . . . . . . ......... 137
Frame . . ................ 139
Dimensions . . . ......... 139
Weights ................ 140
10 Service . . . . ......... 141
BMW Motorrad
service . ................ 142
BMW Motorrad service
quality . ................ 142
BMW Motorrad Service
Card - On-the-spot
breakdown
assistance . . . . ......... 143
BMW Motorrad service
network ................ 143
Maintenance work . ..... 143
Maintenance
schedules . . . . . ......... 144
Confirmation of
maintenance work . ..... 145
ESA Electronic SuspensionAdjustment
Electronic Suspension
Adjustment.
DWA Anti-theft alarm (Diebs-
tahlwarnanlage)
ABS Anti-lock brake system
RDC Tyre pressure control
(ReifenDruck-Control)EquipmentWhen you ordered your BMW
motorcycle, you chose vari-
ous items of custom equip-
ment. This Rider's Manual
describes optional extras (OE)
offered by BMW and selec-
ted optional accessories (OA).
This explains why the manual
may also contain descriptions
of equipment which you have
not ordered. Please note, too,
that your motorcycle might not be exactly as illustrated
in this manual on account of
country-specific differences.
If your BMW was supplied
with equipment not described
in this Rider's Manual, you will
find these features described
in separate manuals.
Technical dataAll dimensions, weights and
power ratings stated in the
Rider's Manual are quoted
to the standards and comply
with the tolerance require-
ments of the Deutsche Institut
für Normung e.V. (DIN). Ver-
sions for individual countries
may differ.CurrencyThe high safety and quality
standards of BMW motor-
cycles are maintained by con-
stant development work on
designs, equipment and ac-cessories. Because of this,
your motorcycle may differ
from the information supplied
in the Rider's Manual. Nor
can errors and omissions be
entirely ruled out. We hope
you will appreciate that no
claims can be entertained on
the basis of the data, illustra-
tions or descriptions in this
manual.
17zGeneral instructions
Adjusting mirror armPush the protective cap up
over the threaded fastener
on the mirror arm.
Slacken union nut1.
Turn the mirror arm to the
appropriate position.
Retighten the union nut.
Mirror to clamping
piece
18 Nm
Pull the protective cap over
the threaded fastener.
Spring preloadSpring preload and
weightIt is essential to set spring
preload to suit the load
carried by the motorcycle.
Increase spring preload when
the motorcycle is heavily
loaded and reduce spring
preload accordingly when the
motorcycle is lightly loaded.Adjusting spring preload
for rear wheel
Your motorcycle's hand-
ling will suffer if you do
not match the spring-preload
and damping-characteristic
settings.
Adjust the damping
characteristic to suit spring
preload. Adjusting spring preload
while the motorcycle is
being ridden can lead to acci-
dents.
Do not attempt to adjust
spring preload unless the
motorcycle is at a standstill.
Make sure the ground is
level and firm and place the
motorcycle on its stand.
If you want to increase
spring preload, turn knob 1
in the direction indicated by
the HIGH arrow.
If you want to reduce spring
preload, turn knob 1in the
458zOperation
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 imbal-
anced loads can ad-
versely 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.
564zRiding
Do not exceed the rpm lim-
its recommended for run-
ning in.Running-in speeds
<7000 min
-1
No full-load acceleration.
Avoid low engine speeds at
full load.
Do not omit the first inspec-
tion after 500 - 1200 km.Brake padsNew brake pads must "bed
down" and therefore do not
achieve their optimum friction
levels during the first 500 km.
You can compensate for this
initial reduction in braking ef-
ficiency by exerting greater
pressure on the levers. New brake pads can ex-
tend stopping distance
by a significant margin. Apply the brakes in good
time.
TyresNew tyres have a smooth
surface. This must be
roughened by riding in a
restrained manner at various
heel angles until the tyres
are run in. This running in
procedure is essential if the
tyres are to achieve maximum
grip.
Tyres do not have their
full grip when new and
there is a risk of accidents at
extreme angles of heel.
Avoid extreme angles of
heel.
Parking your
motorcyclePlace the motorcycle on
side stand
If the ground is soft or
uneven, there is no guar-
antee that the motorcycle will
rest firmly on the stand.
Always check that the ground
under the stand is level and
firm.
Switch off the engine.
Pull the handbrake lever.
Hold the motorcycle upright
and balanced.
Use your left foot to extend
the side stand fully. The side stand is de-
signed to support only
the weight of the motorcycle.
Do not lean or sit on the mo-
torcycle with the side stand
extended.
569zRiding
Slowly lean the motorcycle
to the side until its weight
is taken by the stand and
dismount to the left.If the motorcycle is on
the side stand, the sur-
face of the ground will de-
termine whether it is better
to turn the handlebars to the
left or right. However, the mo-
torcycle is more stable on a
level surface with the handle-
bars turned to the left than
with the handlebars turned to
the right.
On level ground, always turn
the handlebars to the left to
set the steering lock.
Turn the handlebars to full
left or right lock.
Check that the motorcycle
is standing firmly. On a gradient, the mo-
torcycle should always
face uphill; select 1st gear. Lock the steering lock.
Remove the motorcycle
from side standUnlock the steering lock.
From the left, grip the
handlebars with both hands.
Pull the handbrake lever.
Swing your right leg over
the seat and lift the motor-
cycle to the upright position.
Hold the motorcycle upright
and balanced.
An extended side stand
can catch on the ground
when the motorcycle is mov-
ing and lead to a fall.
Retract the side stand before
moving the motorcycle.
Sit on the motorcycle and
use your left foot to retract
the side stand.
Place the motorcycle on
centre stand
OA
If the ground is soft or
uneven, there is no guar-
antee that the motorcycle will
rest firmly on the stand.
Always check that the ground
under the stand is level and
firm.
Switch off the engine.
Dismount and keep your left
hand on the left handlebar
grip.
With your right hand, grip
the rear grab handle or the
rear frame.
Place your right foot on the
pin of the centre stand, and
press the stand down un-
til its curved feet touch the
ground.
Place your full body weight
on the centre stand and at
the same time pull the mo-
torcycle to the rear.
570zRiding
What significance
devolves on regular
maintenance?
Invariably, a technical
system cannot perform
beyond the abilities dictated
by its level of maintenance.
In order to ensure that the
BMW Motorrad Integral
ABS is always maintained
in optimum condition, it is
essential for you to comply
strictly with the specified
inspection intervals.
Reserves for safetyThe potentially shorter braking
distances which BMW Mo-
torrad Integral ABS permits
must not be used as an ex-
cuse for careless riding. ABS
is primarily a means of ensur-
ing 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 Motor-
rad Integral ABS is unable to
counteract their effects.
577zRiding
switched off. In order to en-
sure that the drain on the on-
board power supply system is
minimised, the supply to the
power socket is cut off ap-
proximately 15 minutes after
the ignition is switched off,
and it is also temporarily in-
terrupted during the start pro-
cedure.Cable routingThe cables from the power
socket to the auxiliary device
must be routed in such a way
that they:Do not impede the rider
Do not restrict or obstruct
the steering angle and
handling characteristics
Cannot be trapped
Incorrectly routed cables
can impede the rider.
Route the cables as
described above.
LuggageCorrect loading
Overloading and imbal-
anced loads can ad-
versely affect the motorcycle's
handling.
Do not exceed the permiss-
ible gross weight and be sure
to comply with the instruc-
tions on loading.
The maximum speed recom-
mended for riding with loaded
cases is 180 km/h.
Set spring preload, damping
characteristic and tyre pres-
sures to suit total weight.
Ensure that the case
volumes on the left and right
are equal.
Make sure that the weight
is uniformly distributed
between right and left. Pack heavy items at the
bottom and toward the in-
board side.
Max. load in each case (left
and right): 8 kg.
Max. load in tank rucksack
5 kg.
Case
OA
Release leversEach case has two levers,
one on each side of the lock.
The grey lever marked OPEN
is for opening and closing the
case.
The black lever marked RE-
LEASE is for removing and
attaching the case.
681zAccessories