
Table of Contents
You can also consult the index atthe end of this Rider's Manual ifyou want to find a particular topicor item of information.
1 General instructions . . . . 5Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Abbreviations andsymbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Currency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2 General views . . . . . . . . . . . . 9General view, left side . . . . . . . 11General view, right side . . . . . 13Underneath the seat . . . . . . . . 14Instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Handlebar fitting, left . . . . . . . . 16Handlebar fitting, right . . . . . . . 17Handlebar fitting, centre . . . . . 18
3 Status indicators . . . . . . . 19Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Standard warnings . . . . . . . . . . 20ABS warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Ignition switch and steeringlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Odometer andtripmeters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Turn indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Hazard warning flashers . . . . . 31Emergency off switch (killswitch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Grip heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33BMW Motorrad ABS . . . . . . . . 33Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Spring preload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Damping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
5 Riding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . 42Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Running in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Off-roading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Parking your motorcycle . . . . 49Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Securing motorcycle fortransportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
6 Engineering details . . . . . 53Brake system with BMWMotorrad ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
7 Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57General instructions . . . . . . . . . 58Power sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59topcase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
8 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Fuel down to reserve
Warning light for fuel downto reserve shows.
Lack of fuel can result inthe engine misfiring andcutting out unexpectedly. Mis-firing can damage the catalyticconverter; a hazardous situationcan result if the engine cuts outunexpectedly.
Do not run the fuel tank dry.
Possible cause:
The fuel tank contains no morethan the reserve quantity of fuel.
Reserve fuel
approx. 4 l
Refuelling (49).
Insufficient engine oil
pressure
Warning light for engine oilpressure shows.
The oil pressure in the lube-oilsystem is too low. Stop immedi-ately and switch off the engine ifthe warning light shows.
The insufficient oil pres-sure warning does not fulfilthe function of an oil gauge. Theonly way of checking whetherthe oil level is correct is to checkwith the oil dipstick.
Possible cause:
Engine-oil level too low.
Check the engine oil level(66).
If the oil level is too low:
Top up the engine oil (68).
Possible cause:
If the engine oil level is correct:
Riding when engine-oilpressure is low can resultin engine damage.
Do not continue your journey.
Have the fault rectified asquickly as possible by aspecialist workshop, preferablyan authorised BMW Motorraddealer.
Coolant temperature too
high
Warning light for coolanttemperature shows.
Continuing to ride when theengine is overheated couldresult in engine damage.
You must comply with the in-structions below.
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Possible cause:
Coolant level too low.
Checking coolant level (72).
If the coolant level is too low:
Topping up coolant (73).
Possible cause:
Radiator fan defective.
If the radiator fan does not starteven though the coolant-temper-ature warning light shows:
Have the fault rectified asquickly as possible by aspecialist workshop, preferablyan authorised BMW Motorraddealer.
Possible cause:
Insufficient cooling.
If possible, ride in the part-loadrange to cool down the engine.
In traffic jams, switch off theengine, but leave the ignitionswitched on so that the radiat-or fan continues to operate.
If the coolant temperature isfrequently too high, have thefault rectified as soon as pos-sible by a specialist workshop,preferably an authorised BMWMotorrad dealer.
ABS warnings
Mode of presentation
ABS warnings are indicated byABS warning light1.
The detailed descriptions start onpage (54), and you will findan overview listing the possiblewarnings on the next page.
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Checklist
Use the following checklist tocheck important functions, set-tings and wear limits before youride off.
Brakes
Brake-fluid levels, front and rear
Clutch
Shock absorber setting andspring preload
Tyre-tread depth and tyrepressures
Cases correctly installed andluggage secured
At regular intervals:
Engine oil level (every refuellingstop)
Brake-pad wear (every thirdrefuelling stop)
Tension and lubrication of thedrive chain
Starting
Side stand
You cannot start the motorcyclewith the side stand extended anda gear engaged. The engine willswitch itself off if you start it withthe gearbox in neutral and thenengage a gear before retractingthe side stand.
Gearbox
You can start the engine whenthe gearbox is in neutral or if youpull the clutch with a gear en-gaged.
Starting engine
Kill switch1in run positiona.
Gearbox lubrication is en-sured only when the engineis running. Inadequate lubrica-tion can result in damage to thegearbox.
Do not allow the motorcycle toroll for a lengthy period of time orpush it a long distance with theengine switched off.
Switch on the ignition.
ABS self-diagnosis isperformed. (45)
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Wait until the warning light forthe coolant temperature stopsflashing.
The idle actuator is posi-tioned after you switch onthe ignition. The coolant-tem-perature warning light flashesif the idle actuator has not cor-rectly positioned before the pre-ride check completes. In orderto avoid subsequent problems,wait for this process to completebefore proceeding.
Press starter button2.
If ambient temperatures arevery low, you might find itnecessary to open the throttleslightly when starting the engine.At ambient temperatures below0 °C, disengage the clutch afterswitching on the ignition.
If the engine fails to starteven though the starterturns, insufficient battery voltagemight be causing the problem.Recharge the battery before youstart the engine, or use jumpleads and a donor battery tostart.
The engine starts.
Consult the troubleshootingchart below if the engine re-fuses to start. (106)
ABS self-diagnosis
BMW Motorrad ABS performsself-diagnosis to ensure its op-erability. Self-diagnosis is per-formed automatically when youswitch on the ignition. The mo-
torcycle has to move forward afew metres for the wheel sensorsto be tested.
Phase 1
Test of the diagnosis-compat-ible system components withthe motorcycle at a standstill.
ABS warning light flashes.
Phase 2
Test of the wheel sensors asthe motorcycle pulls away fromrest.
ABS warning light flashes.
ABS self-diagnosiscompleted
The ABS warning light goesout.
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Off-roading
After off-roading
BMW Motorrad recommendschecking the following after ridingthe motorcycle off-road:
Tyre pressure
Tyre pressures reduced foroff-road riding impair themotorcycle's handling character-istics on surfaced roads and canlead to accidents.
Always check that the tyre pres-sures are correct.
Brakes
When riding on loose sur-faces or muddy roads, thebrakes may fail to take effectimmediately because of dirt ormoisture on the discs or brakepads.
Apply the brakes in good timeuntil the brakes have beencleaned.
The brake pads will wearmore rapidly if you ride fre-quently on unsurfaced tracks orpoor roads.
Check the thickness of the brakepads more frequently and replacethe brake pads in good time.
Spring preload and shock-absorber settings
The off-road settings forspring preload and shockabsorber damping characteristicwill impair the motorcycle's hand-ling characteristics on surfacedroads.
If you have been off-roading, re-member to correct spring preloadand shock-absorber dampingcharacteristics before you returnto surfaced roads.
Rims
BMW Motorrad recommendschecking the rims for damageafter off-roading.
Air filter element
Engine damage due toclogged air filter element.
If you ride in dusty terrain checkthe air filter element for cloggingat shorter intervals; clan or re-place as necessary.
Operation in very dusty condi-tions (desert, steppes, or the like)necessitates the use of air filterelements specially designed forconditions of this nature.
Brakes
How can stopping
distance be minimised?
Each time the brakes are applied,a load distribution shift takesplace with the load shifting for-ward from the rear to the frontwheel. The sharper the motor-cycle decelerates, the more loadis shifted to the front wheel. Thehigher the wheel load, the more
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Parking your
motorcycle
Side stand
Switch off the engine.
If the ground is soft or un-even, there is no guaran-tee that the motorcycle will restfirmly on the stand.
Always check that the groundunder the stand is level andfirm.
Extend the side stand andprop the motorcycle on thestand.
The side stand is designedto support only the weightof the motorcycle.
Do not lean or sit on themotorcycle with the side standextended.
If the camber of the roadwaypermits, turn the handlebars allthe way to the left.
On a gradient, the motorcycleshould always face uphill; se-lect 1st gear.
Centre stand
with centre standOE
Switch off the engine.
If the ground is soft or un-even, there is no guaran-tee that the motorcycle will restfirmly on the stand.
Always check that the groundunder the stand is level andfirm.
Excessive movementscould cause the centrestand to retract, and themotorcycle would topple inconsequence.
Do not lean or sit on the mo-torcycle with the centre standextended.
Extend the centre stand andlift the motorcycle onto thestand.
Refuelling
Fuel is highly flammable. Anaked flame close to thefuel tank can cause a fire or ex-plosion.
Do not smoke. Never bring anaked flame near the fuel tank.
Fuel expands when hot.Fuel escaping from anoverfilled tank could make its wayonto the road surface. This couldcause a fall.
Do not overfill the fuel tank.
Fuel attacks plastics, whichbecome dull or unsightly.
Wipe off plastic parts immediatelyif they come into contact withfuel.
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Notes
The "Maintenance" chapter de-scribes straightforward proced-ures for checking and replacingcertain wear parts.
Special tightening torques are lis-ted as applicable. The tighteningtorques for the threaded fasten-ers on your motorcycle are listedin the section entitled "Technicaldata".
You will find information on moreextensive maintenance and repairwork in the Repair Manual onDVD for your motorcycle, whichis available from your authorisedBMW Motorrad dealer.
Some of the work calls for spe-cial tools and a thorough know-ledge of motorcycle technology.If you are in doubt consult a spe-cialist workshop, preferably yourauthorised BMW Motorrad deal-er.
Toolkit
1Open-ended spanner
Width across flats 24
Open-ended spanner
Width across flats 15
2Open-ended spanner
Width across flats 14/19
3Spark plug wrench
4Reversible-blade screw-driver with star-head andplain tips
Small screwdriver withstar-head tip
5Torx bit, T25
Torx wrench, T45
6Spare fuses with puller tool
Minifuses, 4 A, 7.5 A, 10 Aand 15 A
Engine oil
Checking engine oil level
The engine can seize if theoil level is low, and this canlead to accidents.
Always make sure that the oillevel is correct.
The oil level varies with thetemperature of the oil. Thehigher the temperature, the high-er the level of oil in the sump.Checking the oil level with theengine cold or after no more thana short ride will lead to misinter-pretation; this in turn, means thatthe engine will be operated withthe incorrect quantity of oil.
In order to ensure that the en-gine oil level is read correctly,check the oil level only after alengthy trip.
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