2007 BMW MOTORRAD G 650 XCOUNTRY Rider's Manual (in English)

Riding
Riding
Safety instructions . .................. 40
Checklist . ............................ 42
Starting . . ............................ 42
Running in ........................... 44
Brakes . . . ............................ 45
Parking your motorcycle . ............ 47
Refuelling ............................ 48
539zRiding

Safety instructionsRider's equipmentDo not ride without the correct
clothing. Always wear:Helmet
Motorcycling jacket and
trousers
Gloves
Boots
This applies even to short jour-
neys, and to every season of the
year. Your authorised BMW Mo-
torrad dealer will be glad to ad-
vise you on the correct clothing
for every purpose.SpeedIf you ride at high speed, always
bear in mind that various bound-
ary conditions can adversely af-
fect the handling of your motor-
cycle: 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 adversely
affect the motorcycle's handling.
Do not exceed the permissible
gross weight and be sure to
comply with the instructions on
loading.
Alcohol and drugs
Even small amounts of
alcohol or drugs will ad-
versely affect your perception
and your ability to assess situ-
ations and make decisions, and
slow down your reflexes. Med-
ication can exacerbate these ef-
fects. Do not ride your motorcycle after
consuming alcohol, drugs and/or
medication.
Risk of poisoningExhaust fumes contain carbon
monoxide, which is colourless
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 en-
closed space.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.
540zRiding

Catalytic converterIf misfiring causes unburned fuel
to enter the catalytic converter,
there is a danger of overheating
and damage.
For this reason, observe the fol-
lowing 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 main-
tenance intervals.
Unburned fuel will destroy
the catalytic converter.
Note the points listed for protec-
tion of the catalytic converter.
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 materi-
als 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 imme-
diately after starting the engine.
Tampering with the
control unit of the
electronic engine-
management system
Tampering with the engine
control unit can damage
the motorcycle and cause acci-
dents.
Do not tamper with the engine
control unit.
Tampering with the engine
control unit can result in
mechanical loads that the mo-
torcycle's components are not
designed to withstand. Damage
caused in this way is not covered
by the warranty.
Do not tamper with the engine
control unit.
541zRiding

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
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 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.
( 43)
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with OE BMW Motorrad ABS:Switch on the ignition.
Pre-ride check is performed.
( 43)
ABS self-diagnosis is
performed. ( 44)
Wait until the warning light for
the coolant temperature stops
flashing.
The idle actuator is posi-
tioned after you switch on
the ignition. The coolant-tem-
perature warning light flashes
if the idle actuator has not cor-
rectly positioned before the pre-
ride check completes. In order
to avoid subsequent problems,
wait for this process to complete
before proceeding. Press starter button
1.
If ambient temperatures are
very low, you might find it
necessary to open the throttle
slightly when starting the engine.
At ambient temperatures below
0 °C, disengage the clutch after
switching on the ignition.
If the engine fails to start
even though the starter
turns, insufficient battery voltage
might be causing the problem.
Recharge the battery before you
start the engine, or use jump
leads and a donor battery to
start. The engine starts.
Consult the troubleshooting
chart below if the engine re-
fuses to start. ( 98)
Pre-ride checkThe instrument cluster runs a
test of the instruments and the
warning lights and telltale lights
and the display when the igni-
tion is switched on. This test is
known as the "Pre-Ride-Check".
Phase 1
All the telltale and warning lights
are switched on briefly, along
with all the segments of the mul-
tifunction display.
Phase 2
The tyre parameters stored in
the memory of the instrument
cluster appear briefly on the dis-
play.
The instrument cluster then
reverts to its normal operating
mode.
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If a warning light or telltale light
did not show as specified above
or if a segment or segments of
the multifunction display failed to
light up:Some malfunctions cannot
be indicated if one of the
warning lights fails to show.
Make sure that all the warning
and telltale lights come on in the
pre-ride check.
Have the fault rectified as
quickly as possible by a
specialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.ABS self-diagnosis
OE
BMW Motorrad ABS performs
self-diagnosis to ensure its op-
erability. Self-diagnosis is per-
formed automatically when you
switch on the ignition. The mo-
torcycle has to move forward a few metres for the wheel sensors
to be tested.
Phase 1
Test of the diagnosis-compat-
ible system components with
the motorcycle at a standstill. ABS warning light flashes.
Phase 2 Test of the wheel sensors as
the motorcycle pulls away from
rest. ABS warning light flashes.
ABS self-diagnosis
completed The ABS warning light goes
out.
If an indicator showing an ABS
fault appears when ABS self-dia-
gnosis completes: You can continue to ride. Bear
in mind that the ABS function
is not available.
Have the fault rectified as
quickly as possible by a
specialist workshop, preferably
an authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer.
Running inThe first 1000 kmWhile running in the motor-
cycle, vary the throttle opening
and engine-speed range fre-
quently.
Try to do most of your rid-
ing during this initial period on
twisting, fairly hilly roads, avoid-
ing high-speed main roads and
highways if possible.
Exceeding the specified en-
gine speeds while running
in will lead to increased engine
wear.
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Keep to the specified engine
speeds for running in.During the running-in phase,
do not exceed the speed limits
specified for the various gears.
Maximum speeds during
running-in period
max 35 km/h (1st gear)
max 55 km/h (2nd gear)
max 75 km/h (3rd gear)
max 95 km/h (4th gear)
max 110 km/h (5th gear)
No full-load acceleration.
Avoid low engine speeds at full
load.
Do not omit the first inspection
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
efficiency 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 sur-
face. This must be roughened by
riding in a restrained manner at
various heel angles until the tyres
are run in. This running in pro-
cedure 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.
BrakesHow can stopping
distance be minimised?Each time the brakes are applied,
a load distribution shift takes
place with the load shifting for-
ward from the rear to the front
wheel. The sharper the motor-
cycle decelerates, the more load
is shifted to the front wheel. The
higher the wheel load, the more
braking force can be transmitted
without the wheel locking.
To optimise stopping distance,
apply the front brakes rapidly and
keep on increasing the force you
apply to the brake lever. This
makes the best possible use
of the dynamic increase in load
at the front wheel. Remember
to pull the clutch at the same
time. In the "panic braking situ-
ations" that are trained so fre-
quently braking force is applied
as rapidly as possible and with
545zRiding

the rider's full force applied to
the brake levers; under these cir-
cumstances the dynamic shift
in load distribution cannot keep
pace with the increase in de-
celeration and the tyres cannot
transmit the full braking force to
the surface of the road. ABS has
to intervene to keep the front
wheel from locking; this increases
stopping distance.Descending mountain
passes
There is a danger of the
brakes fading if you use
only the rear brakes when des-
cending mountain passes. Under
extreme conditions, the brakes
could overheat and suffer severe
damage.
Use both front and rear brakes,
and make use of the engine's
braking effect as well.
Wet brakes
After the motorcycle has
been washed, ridden
through water or ridden in
the rain, the brake discs and
pads might be wet and the
brakes might not take effect
immediately.
Apply the brakes in good time
until the brakes have dried out.
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.
Apply the brakes in good time
until the salt layer on the brake
discs and brake pads has been
removed.
Oil or grease on brakes
Oil and grease on the brake
discs and pads considerably
diminish braking efficiency.
Especially after repair and main-
tenance work, make sure that the
brake discs and brake pads are
free of oil and grease.
Dirt or mud on brakes
When riding on loose sur-
faces or muddy roads, the
brakes may fail to take effect
immediately because of dirt or
moisture on the discs or brake
pads.
Apply the brakes in good time
until the brakes have been
cleaned.
The brake pads will wear
more rapidly if you ride fre-
quently on unsurfaced tracks or
poor roads.
Check the thickness of the brake
546zRiding