
Table of ContentsYou can also consult the index at
the end of this Rider's Manual if
you want to find a particular topic
or item of information.
1 General instructions . . . . . 5
Overview ...................... 6
Abbreviations and symbols . . . . 6
Air Damping System.......... 6
Equipment . . . . . ............... 7
Technical data . ............... 7
Currency ...................... 7
2 General views . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
General view, left side . . . . . . . . 11
General view, right side . . . . . . 13
Underneath the seat......... 14
Handlebar fitting, left......... 15
Handlebar fitting, right . . . . . . . . 16
Instrument cluster . . .......... 17
Headlight ..................... 18
3 Status indicators . . . . . . . 19
Status indicators............. 20
Standard warnings . .......... 20
ABS warnings
OE
............. 234 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Ignition switch and steering
lock . . . . . ..................... 28
Multifunction display......... 28
Lights . . . ..................... 31
Turn indicators . .............. 32
Emergency off switch (kill
switch) . . ..................... 32
BMW Motorrad ABS
OE
...... 33
Mirrors . . ..................... 33
Pneumatic pump............. 34
Air pressure in the Air Damp-
ing System . . . . . .............. 34
Damping ..................... 38
Tyres . . . . ..................... 40
Headlight ..................... 41
Seat . . . . . ..................... 41
5 Riding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Safety instructions . .......... 44
Checklist ..................... 46
Starting . . ..................... 46
Running in . . . . . .............. 48
Riding off-road . .............. 49
Brakes . . ..................... 50Parking your motorcycle . . . . . 51
Refuelling.................... 52
6 Engineering details . . . . . 55
Brake system with BMW Mo-
torrad ABS
OE
................ 56
7 Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
General instructions .......... 60
Power socketOE.............. 60
Luggage ..................... 61
8 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Notes........................ 64
Toolkit........................ 64
Engine oil.................... 65
Brake system . . .............. 67
Brake pads . . . . . .............. 68
Brake fluid.................... 69
Coolant . . ..................... 71
Clutch . . . ..................... 72
Tyres . . . . ..................... 73
Rims ......................... 73
Chain . . . . ..................... 73
Wheels . . ..................... 75

Warnings, overview
Meaning
Lights up Fuel down to reserve ( 22)
Lights up
Insufficient engine oil pressure ( 22)
Lights up
Coolant temperature too high ( 22)
321zStatus indicators

Fuel down to reserve
Warning light for fuel down
to reserve lights up.
Lack of fuel can result in
the engine misfiring and
cutting out unexpectedly. Mis-
firing can damage the catalytic
converter; a hazardous situation
can result if the engine cuts out
unexpectedly.
Do not run the fuel tank dry.
Possible cause: The fuel tank
contains no more than the re-
serve quantity of fuel.
Reserve fuel
2l
Refuelling ( 52)Insufficient engine oil
pressure
Warning light for oil pres-
sure shows.
The oil pressure in the lube-oil
system is too low. Stop immedi-
ately and switch off the engine if
the warning light shows.
The insufficient oil pres-
sure warning does not fulfil
the function of an oil gauge. The
only way of checking whether
the oil level is correct is to check
with the oil dipstick.
Possible cause: Engine-oil level
too low.
Check the engine oil level
( 65)
If the oil level is too low:
Top up the engine oil ( 67)
If the engine oil level is correct:
Riding when engine-oil
pressure is low can result
in engine damage.Do not continue your journey.
Have the fault rectified as
quickly as possible by a
specialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.
Coolant temperature too high
Warning light for coolant
temperature shows.
Continuing to ride when the
engine is overheated could
result in engine damage.
You must comply with the in-
structions below.
Possible cause: Coolant level too
low.
Check the coolant level ( 71)
If the coolant level is too low:
Topping up coolant ( 72)
Possible cause: Radiator fan de-
fective.
322zStatus indicators

ChecklistUse the following checklist to
check important functions, set-
tings and wear limits before you
ride off.
Brakes
Brake-fluid levels, front and rear
Clutch
Clutch fluid level
Damping-characteristic adjust-
ment and air pressure in the Air
Damping System
Tyre-tread depth and tyre
pressures
Cases correctly installed and
luggage secured
At regular intervals:
Engine oil level (every refuelling
stop)
Brake-pad wear (every third
refuelling stop)
Tension and lubrication of the
drive chain
StartingSide standYou cannot start the motorcycle
with the side stand extended and
a gear engaged. The engine will
switch itself off if you start it with
the gearbox in neutral and then
engage 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 en-
gaged.
Starting engine.Kill switch in operating position
(run).
Gearbox lubrication is en-
sured only when the engine
is running. Inadequate lubrica-
tion can result in damage to the
gearbox.
Do not allow the motorcycle to
roll for a lengthy period of time or
push it a long distance with the
engine switched off.
Switch on the ignition.
Pre-ride check is performed.
( 47)
546zRiding

agents, the surfaces can be dam-
aged.
Do not use cleaning agents that
contain alcohol, solvents or ab-
rasives to clean plastic parts.
Even fly-remover pads or clean-
ing pads with hard surfaces can
produce scratches.
Soften stubborn dirt and
insects by covering the af-
fected areas with a wet cloth.ChromeUse plenty of water and BMW
shampoo to clean chrome, par-
ticularly if it has been exposed to
road salt. Use chrome polish for
additional treatment.RadiatorClean the radiator regularly to
prevent overheating of the en-
gine due to inadequate cooling.
For example, use a garden hose
with low water pressure.Cooling fins can be bent
easily.
Take care not to bend the fins
when cleaning the radiator.
RubberTreat rubber components with
water or BMW rubber-care
products.
Using silicone sprays for
the care of rubber seals can
cause damage.
Do not use silicone sprays or
other care products that contain
silicon.Paint careWashing the motorcycle regularly
will help counteract the long-term
effects of substances that dam-
age the paint, especially if your
motorcycle is ridden in areas
with high air pollution or natural
sources of dirt, for example tree
resin or pollen.Remove particularly aggressive
substances immediately, how-
ever, as otherwise the paint can
be affected or become discol-
oured. Substances of this nature
include spilt fuel, oil, grease,
brake fluid and bird droppings.
We recommend BMW vehicle
polish or BMW paint cleaner for
this purpose.
Marks on the paintwork are par-
ticularly easy to see after the
motorcycle has been washed.
Remove stains of this kind im-
mediately, using cleaning-grade
benzene or petroleum spirit on a
clean cloth or ball of cotton wool.
BMW Motorrad recommends
BMW tar remover for removing
specks of tar. Remember to wax
the parts treated in this way.
9105zCare

Protective wax coatingBMW Motorrad recommends
applying only BMW car wax or
products containing carnauba
wax or synthetic wax.
It is time to rewax the paint-
work when water "puddles" on
the surface, instead of forming
beads.Laying up motorcycleClean the motorcycle.
Remove the battery.
Spray the brake and clutch
lever pivots, the side stand
pivots and the centre stand
pivots (if the motorcycle is fit-
ted with a centre stand) with a
suitable lubricant.
Coat bright metal and chrome-
plated parts with an acid-free
grease (e.g. Vaseline).
Stand the motorcycle in a dry
room in such a way that there
is no load on either wheel.Before laying the vehicle
up out of use, have the en-
gine oil and the oil filter element
changed by a specialist work-
shop, preferably an authorised
BMW Motorrad dealer. Com-
bine work for laying up/restoring
to use with a BMW service or
inspection.
Restoring motorcycle
to useRemove the protective wax
coating.
Clean the motorcycle.
Install a charged battery.
Before starting: work through
the checklist.
Before removing the auxiliary
stand, check the air pressure in
the Air Damping System and
adjust if necessary.
9106zCare

Coolant temperature
Warning, 22
D
Damping
Adjusting, 11, 13
Dimensions, 119
Display, 28
Overview, 20
Selecting readings, 17, 28
E
Electrics
Technical data, 117
Emergency off switch (kill
switch), 16, 32
Engine
Starting, 16, 46
Technical data, 110
Engine oil
Checking level, 65
Filler neck, 14
Oil dipstick, 14
Technical data, 111
Topping up, 67Engine oil pressure
Warning, 22
Equipment, 7
F
Frame
Technical data, 118
Front-wheel stand, 82
Fuel
Filler neck, 13
Refuelling, 52
Technical data, 4, 111
Warning, 22
Fuses, 14, 84
ABS, 85
G
General views
Display, 20
Headlight, 18
Instrument cluster, 17
Left handlebar fitting, 15
Left side, 11
Right handlebar fitting, 16
Right side, 13
Status indicators, 20Telltale lights, 20
Underneath the seat, 14
Warnings, 20
H
Handlebar fitting, left
Overview, 15
Handlebar fitting, right
Overview, 16
Headlight
Beam throw, 41
Driving on right/driving on
left, 41
General views, 18
Replacing low-beam headlight
bulb, 86
Replacing side-light bulb, 89
Headlight flasher, 15, 31
High-beam headlight, 18
Switch, 15
Telltale light, 20
Horn, 15
I
Idle
Telltale light, 20
12132zIndex

Status indicators
Overview, 20
Steering lock, 27
Locking, 28
T
Technical data
Battery, 117
Brakes, 114
Bulbs, 118
Clutch, 112
Dimensions, 119
Electrics, 117
Engine, 110
Engine oil, 111
Frame, 118
Fuel, 4, 111
Rear-wheel drive, 113
Running gear, 113
Spark plugs, 117
Standards, 7
Transmission, 112
Tyres, 115
Weights, 119
Wheels, 115Telltale lights, 17
Overview, 20
Toolkit, 14, 64
Torques, 109
Transmission
Technical data, 112
Troubleshooting chart, 108
Turn indicators
Operate, 15, 32
Replacing bulb, 90
Telltale light, 20
Tyres
BMW recommendations, 75,
115
Checking tread depth, 73
Checking tyre pressures, 40
Running in, 49
Technical data, 115
W
Warnings
Overview, 20
Warnings, overview, 21, 24
Weights, 119Wheels
Checking rims, 73
Removing and installing front
wheel, 75
Removing and installing rear
wheel, 78
Technical data, 115, 116
12134zIndex