Page 15 of 136
General view, right side
1Fuel filler neck (49)
2Brake-fluid reservoir, front(70)
3Type plate (on right frametube)
VIN (on steering-headbearing, right)
4Air filter (underneath sidepanel) (91)
5Adjuster for spring preload,rear (35)
6Adjuster for damping char-acteristic, rear suspension(36)
7Brake-fluid reservoir, rear(71)
8Tyre pressures table (onrear wheel swinging arm)
2
13
zGeneral views
Page 23 of 136
Warnings, overview
Warning light Status indicators Meaning
showsFuel down to reserve (22)
showsInsufficient engine oil pressure (22)
showsCoolant temperature too high (22)
3
21
zStatus indicators
Page 24 of 136

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.
3
22
zStatus indicators
Page 39 of 136

Rebound stage, basicsetting, rear
turn the bottom adjustingscrew as far as it will go inthe clockwise direction andthen back it off half a turn(Full load of fuel, with rider85 kg)
Tyres
Checking tyre pressure
Incorrect tyre pressures im-pair the motorcycle's hand-ling characteristics and increasethe rate of tyre wear.
Always check that the tyre pres-sures are correct.
At high road speeds, tyrevalves installed perpen-dicular to the wheel rim have atendency to open as a result ofcentrifugal force.
In order to avoid a sudden loss oftyre pressure, fit a valve cap with
rubber sealing ring to the reartyre and make sure that the capis screwed on firmly.
Make sure the ground is leveland firm and place the motor-cycle on its stand.
Check tyre pressures againstthe data below.
Tyre pressure, front
1.9 bar (one-up, at tyre tem-perature 20 °C)
2.1 bar (two-up and/or withluggage, at tyre temperature20 °C)
Tyre pressure, rear
2.1 bar (one-up, at tyre tem-perature 20 °C)
2.3 bar (two-up and/or withluggage, at tyre temperature20 °C)
If tyre pressure is too low:
Correct tyre pressure.
Headlight
Adjusting headlight for
driving on right/driving on
left
If the motorcycle is ridden in acountry where the opposite ruleof the road applies, its asymmet-ric low-beam headlight will tendto dazzle oncoming traffic.
Have the headlight set accord-ingly by a specialist workshop,preferably an authorised BMWMotorrad dealer.
Headlight beam throw and
spring preload
Headlight beam throw is gener-ally kept constant when springpreload is adjusted to suit load.
Spring preload adjustment mightnot suffice only if the motorcycleis very heavily loaded. Under
4
37
zOperation
Page 45 of 136

Settings of the spring-strut andshock-absorber system
Imbalanced load
Loose clothing
Insufficient tyre pressure
Poor tyre tread
Etc.
Risk of poisoning
Exhaust fumes contain carbonmonoxide, which is colourlessand odourless but highly toxic.
Inhaling the exhaust fumestherefore represents ahealth hazard and can evencause loss of consciousness withfatal consequences.
Do not inhale exhaust fumes.Do not run the engine in an en-closed space.
Catalytic converter
If misfiring causes unburned fuelto enter the catalytic converter,there is a danger of overheatingand damage.
For this reason, observe the fol-lowing points:
Do not run the fuel tank dry.
Do not attempt to start or runthe engine with a spark-plugcap disconnected.
Stop the engine immediately ifit misfires.
Use only unleaded fuel.
Comply with all specified main-tenance intervals.
Unburned fuel will destroythe catalytic converter.
Note the points listed for protec-tion of the catalytic converter.
Risk of overheating
Cooling would beinadequate if the enginewere allowed to idle for a lengthyperiod with the motorcycle ata standstill: overheating wouldresult. In extreme cases, themotorcycle could catch fire.
Do not allow the engine to idleunnecessarily. Ride away imme-diately after starting the engine.
Tampering
Tampering with motor-cycle settings (e.g. elec-tronic engine management unit,throttle valves, clutch) can causedamages to the components inquestion and lead to failure ofsafety-relevant functions. Dam-age caused in this way is notcovered by the warranty.
Do not tamper with the motor-cycle in any way that could resultin tuned performance.
5
43
zRiding
Page 46 of 136

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)
5
44
zRiding
Page 104 of 136

Care products
BMW Motorrad recommendsthat you use the cleaning andcare products you can obtainfrom your authorised BMWMotorrad dealer. The substancesin BMW Care Products havebeen tested in laboratories and inpractice; they provide optimisedcare and protection for thematerials used in your vehicle.
The use of unsuitablecleaning and care productscan damage vehicle components.
Do not use solvents such as cel-lulose thinners, cold cleaners,fuel or the like, and do not usecleaning products that containalcohol.
Washing motorcycle
BMW Motorrad recommendsthat you use BMW insect re-mover to soften and wash offinsects and stubborn dirt on
painted parts prior to washingthe motorcycle.
To prevent stains, do not washthe motorcycle immediately afterit has been exposed to strongsunlight and do not wash it in thesun.
Make sure that the motorcycleis washed frequently, especiallyduring the winter months.
To remove road salt, clean themotorcycle with cold water im-mediately after every trip.
After the motorcycle hasbeen washed, riddenthrough water or ridden inthe rain, the brake discs andpads might be wet and thebrakes might not take effectimmediately.
Apply the brakes in good timeuntil the brake discs and brakepads have dried out.
Warm water intensifies theeffect of salt.
Use only cold water to wash offroad salt.
The high pressure of steamcleaners can damage seals,the hydraulic brake system, theelectrical system, and the seat.
Do not use a steam jet or high-pressure cleaning equipment.
Cleaning easily
damaged components
Plastics
Clean plastic parts with waterand BMW plastic care emulsion.This includes in particular:
Windscreen and slipstream de-flectors
Headlight lens made of plastic
Glass cover of the instrumentcluster
Black, unpainted parts
9
102
zCare
Page 105 of 136

If plastic parts are cleanedusing unsuitable cleaningagents, the surfaces can be dam-aged.
Do not use cleaning agents thatcontain alcohol, solvents or ab-rasives to clean plastic parts.
Even fly-remover pads or clean-ing pads with hard surfaces canproduce scratches.
Soften stubborn dirt andinsects by covering the af-fected areas with a wet cloth.
Chrome
Use plenty of water and BMWshampoo to clean chrome, par-ticularly if it has been exposed toroad salt. Use chrome polish foradditional treatment.
Radiator
Clean the radiator regularly toprevent overheating of the en-gine due to inadequate cooling.
For example, use a garden hosewith low water pressure.
Cooling fins can be benteasily.
Take care not to bend the finswhen cleaning the radiator.
Rubber
Treat rubber components withwater or BMW rubber-careproducts.
Using silicone sprays forthe care of rubber seals cancause damage.
Do not use silicone sprays orother care products that containsilicon.
Paint care
Washing the motorcycle regularlywill help counteract the long-termeffects of substances that dam-age the paint, especially if yourmotorcycle is ridden in areaswith high air pollution or naturalsources of dirt, for example treeresin or pollen.
Remove particularly aggressivesubstances immediately, how-ever, as otherwise the paint canbe affected or become discol-oured. Substances of this natureinclude spilt fuel, oil, grease,brake fluid and bird droppings.We recommend BMW vehiclepolish or BMW paint cleaner forthis purpose.
Marks on the paintwork are par-ticularly easy to see after themotorcycle has been washed.Remove stains of this kind im-mediately, using cleaning-gradebenzene or petroleum spirit on aclean cloth or ball of cotton wool.
9
103
zCare