2007 BMW MOTORRAD G 650 XCHALLENGE suspension

OverviewChapter 2 of this Rider's Manu-
al will provide you with an initial
overview of your motorcycle. All
maintenance and repair work on
the motorcycle is documented in
Chapter 11. This record of the
maintenance work you have had
performed on your motorcycle is
a precondition for generous treat-
ment of goodwill claims.
When the time comes to sell
your BMW, please remember
to hand over this Rider's Manu-
al; it is an important part of the
motorcycle.Abbreviations and
symbols
Indicates warnings that you
must comply with for reas-
ons of your safety and the safety
of others, and to protect your
motorcycle against damage.Specific instructions on
how to operate, control, ad-
just or look after items of equip-
ment on the motorcycle.
Indicates the end of an
item of information.
Instruction.
Result of an activity.
Reference to a page with
more detailed informa-
tion.
Indicates the end of a
passage relating to spe-
cific accessories or items
of equipment.
Tightening torque.
Item of technical data.OE Optional extra
The motorcycles are as-
sembled complete with
all the BMW optional ex-
tras originally ordered.
OA Optional accessory
You can obtain option-
al accessories through
your authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer; optional
accessories have to be
retrofitted to the motor-
cycle.
ABSAnti-lock brake system
Air Damping SystemThis motorcycle has an air-filled
rear suspension system. This Air
Damping System, as it is known,
does not work in the same way
as a conventional steel-spring
shock-absorber system. The de-
tailed description of this system
starts on page ( 34).
16zGeneral instructions

General view, left side1Adjuster for damping char-
acteristic, front suspen-
sion (compression stage)
( 39)
2Air Damping System
( 34)
3Power socket
OE
( 60)
4Adjuster for damping char-
acteristic, rear suspension
( 40)
5Fore-and-aft tilt indicator
( 35)
6Coolant-level indicator
( 71)
211zGeneral views

General view, right side1Seat lock ( 41)
2Fuel filler neck ( 52)
3Brake-fluid reservoir, front
( 69)
4Adjuster for damping char-
acteristic, front suspension
(rebound stage) ( 38)
5ABS fuses, behind the side
panel ( 85)
6Brake-fluid reservoir, rear
( 70)
213zGeneral views

Adjusting mirror armSlacken nut1.
Turn the mirror arm to the ap-
propriate position.
Tighten the nut to the spe-
cified tightening torque, while
holding the mirror arm to en-
sure that it does not move out
of position.
Union nut, mirror
20 Nm
Pneumatic pumpUseYou can use the pump to check,
and if necessary correct, the
pressure in the Air Damping Sys-
tem ( 34) and in the tyres.Removing pneumatic
pumpRemove the seat ( 41)
Remove pneumatic pump1.
Installing pneumatic pumpSeat pneumatic pump1with
pressure gauge2down in the
holder.
Install the seat ( 42)Air pressure in the Air
Damping SystemAir Damping SystemThis motorcycle has an air-filled
rear suspension system known
as the Air Damping System.
In this system, it is a volume of
air in an enclosed chamber, not
a steel spring, that absorbs the
434zOperation

shocks transmitted by the wheel
to the suspension.
Spring preload of the Air Damp-
ing System is adjusted to suit
total weight (motorcycle plus
rider, plus luggage) by changing
the air pressure in this system.
You can use the valve on the Air
Damping System to reduce pres-
sure, or you can increase pres-
sure by connecting the pump to
this valve.Fore-and-aft tilt indicatorThe fore-and aft tilt indicator on
the motorcycle has much the
same function as a spirit level,
and indeed it is very similar in ap-
pearance to an ordinary bubble
level. The air-pressure setting is
ideal when the fore-and-aft tilt
indicator shows that the motor-
cycle carrying rider and load is
horizontal.
Always check the air pressure
before riding off.
Adjusting air pressureIt is essential to set the pressure
in the Air Damping System to
suit the load carried on the mo-
torcycle. Increase air pressure
when the motorcycle is heavily
loaded and reduce air pressure
accordingly when the motorcycle
is lightly loaded.
You read the fore-and-aft tilt in-
dicator by sitting on the seat in
such a way that you can keep
the motorcycle balanced with
your feet, but the motorcycle
is supporting as much of your
weight as possible.
BMW Motorrad recommends
setting the air pressure in the Air
Damping System marginally high-
er than would be necessary for
the weight of the rider plus the
expected weight of the load. You
can then reduce the air pressure
while sitting on the motorcycle.
Air pressure and
temperatureWhen the Air Damping System is
working hard to absorb shocks,
the air inside the system be-
comes warmer. This causes the
air to expand with the result that
ride height increases, a welcome
effect for off-roading. In order
to ensure that air pressure is set
correctly, you must always check
and adjust the air pressure when
the Air Damping System is cold,
in other words not immediately
after the motorcycle has been
used for off-roading.
If extreme loads are imposed on
the system the increase in tem-
perature can be severe, and un-
der these conditions the effects
of the increase in ride height can
be perceived as uncomfortable.
Under these exceptional circum-
stances it is a good idea to let
air out of the system, using the
level gauge to correct the motor-
435zOperation

Turn pneumatic-pump hose3
toward the pneumatic pump
and close velcro fastener2.
Sit on the motorcycle, hold it
upright and allow as much of
your weight as possible to rest
on the motorcycle.
Push in the valve pin, allow air
to escape from the Air Damp-
ing System and check the
level.
You can use the point of
the valve cap to push in the
valve pin.Continue to allow air to escape
until the fore-and-aft tilt indicat-
or shows horizontal.
Screw the valve cap onto the
Air Damping System valve.
Remove the seat ( 41)
Install the pneumatic pump
( 34)
DampingAdjustment for front
suspensionYou can fine-tune the suspension
to the road surface by adjusting
both the compression-stage and
rebound-stage damping charac-teristics of the telescopic forks.
The rebound-stage setting con-
trols the way the suspension re-
acts as it extends, whereas the
compression-stage setting influ-
ences compression of the front
forks under load.
The harder the setting, the more
the movement that the forks can
make to absorb surface irreg-
ularities is damped. When you
choose a soft setting the forks
respond all the more rapidly to
surface irregularities.
Adjusting rebound stage
for front wheelMake sure the ground is level
and firm and place the motor-
cycle on its stand.
438zOperation

adjusting screw in the+direc-
tion.
If you want softer damping, use
a screwdriver to turn the ad-
justing screw in the - direction.
Compression stage, basic
setting, front
Turn adjusting screw as far
as it will go in the "+" dir-
ection, then back it off 11
clicks in the "-" direction.Adjustment for rear
suspensionThe Air Damping System has
two settings so that it can be ad-
justed to suit the type of surface
on which you intend riding.
You can turn the adjusting screw
any distance in either direction.
Adjusting damping for
rear wheelMake sure the ground is level
and firm and place the motor-
cycle on its stand.
Turn adjusting screw1to the
horizontal position.
Strong damping characteristic,
adjusting screw engages with
an audible click.
Turn adjusting screw1to the
vertical position.
Weak damping characteristic,
adjusting screw engages with
an audible click.
TyresChecking tyre pressureMake sure the ground is level
and firm and place the motor-
cycle on its stand.
Incorrect tyre pressures im-
pair the motorcycle's hand-
ling characteristics and increase
the rate of tyre wear.
Always check that the tyre pres-
sures are correct.
At high road speeds, tyre
valves have a tendency to
open as a result of centrifugal
force.
Fit metal valve caps with rubber
seals and screw them on firmly
to prevent sudden deflation.
Check tyre pressures against
the data below.
Tyre pressure, front
1.8 bar (one-up, tyre cold)
440zOperation

NotesThe Maintenance chapter de-
scribes straightforward proced-
ures for checking and replacing
certain wear parts.
Special tightening torques are lis-
ted as applicable. The tightening
torques for the threaded fasten-
ers on your motorcycle are listed
in the section entitled "Technical
data".
You will find information on more
extensive maintenance and re-
pair work in the Repair Manual
on DVD/CD-ROM (RepROM) for
your motorcycle, which is avail-
able from your authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer.
Some of the work calls for spe-
cial tools and a thorough know-
ledge of motorcycles. If you
are in doubt consult a specialist
workshop, preferably your author-
ised BMW Motorrad dealer.
ToolkitStandard on-board toolkit1 Fuse puller
Replacing fuses
2 Open-ended spanner, w/f
8/10
Adjusting chain tension
3 Open-ended spanner, w/f
19
Adjusting mirror arm
4 Open-ended spanner, w/f
19
Adjusting mirror arm5 Screwdriver handle
Holder for screwdriver blade9
6 3 mm Allen key
Replacing headlight bulb
7 4 mm Allen key
Removing and installing body
panels
8 6 mm Allen key
Adjusting headlight beam throw
9 Screwdriver blade
Star-head and flat-tip blade
Adjusting rear suspension
damping
864zMaintenance