Page 41 of 132
Use the ignition key to turn
seat lock1counter-clockwise
and hold it in this position.
Lift seat 2at the rear and re-
lease the key.
Remove the seat. Place the seat, upholstered
side down, on a clean surface.
Installing seat
If too much pressure is ap-
plied in the forward direc-
tion, there is a danger that the
motorcycle will be pushed off its
stand.
Always make sure that the
motorcycle is stable and firmly
supported.
Push seat 2forward into
mount 3.
Firmly press down on the seat
at the rear. The seat engages with an aud-
ible click.
Check that the seat is secure.
439zOperation
Page 42 of 132
Page 43 of 132
Riding
Riding
Safety instructions . .................. 42
Checklist . ............................ 44
Starting . . ............................ 44
Running in ........................... 46
Brakes . . . ............................ 47
Parking your motorcycle . ............ 49
Refuelling ............................ 50
541zRiding
Page 44 of 132

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.
542zRiding
Page 45 of 132

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.
543zRiding
Page 46 of 132

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.
( 45)
544zRiding
Page 47 of 132

with OE BMW Motorrad ABS:Switch on the ignition.
Pre-ride check is performed.
( 45)
ABS self-diagnosis is
performed. ( 46)
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. ( 102)
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.
545zRiding
Page 48 of 132

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.
546zRiding