warning BMW MOTORRAD F 650 CS 2003 Rider's Manual (in English)

36
Safety check
2
Spring preloadOE
Adjusting
spring preload
d Warning:
Before the journey starts, ad-
just spring preload to suit the
gross weight/load on the mo-
torcycle.
For safety reasons, never at-
tempt to alter spring preload
while the motorcycle is being
ridden.
Always bring the motorcycle to
a standstill before adjusting.
 Prop the motorcycle on its side
stand
 Adjust spring preload by turn-
ing knob 1
OEOptional extra
Basic setting, one-up,
rider up to 85 kg (187 lbs):
Turn knob 1 as far as it will go
counter-clockwise in the direc-
tion indicated by the “LOW”
arrow
Setting for two-up and
luggage:
Turn knob 1 clockwise in the
direction indicated by the
“HIGH” arrow until spring
preload suits your preferences.
Turn the knob as far as it will go
in the “High” direction if the
motorcycle is loaded to the limit
of its load-bearing capacity
1
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37
Safety check
2
Shock-absorbersOE
Adjusting shock absorber
d Warning:
Before starting the journey,
adjust the shock absorber to
match total weight.
If spring preload is changed,
it is essential to adjust the
shock-absorber setting ac-
cordingly.  Adjust the shock absorber
with a screwdriver
Firm setting “H”:
 Fully tighten adjusting screw 1
Basic setting:
 Back off adjusting screw 1
through
3/4 of a turn to one full
turn
Soft setting “S”:
 Fully back off adjusting screw 1
OEOptional extra
1
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38
Safety check
2
Wheels
Checking wheel rims
d Warning:
Have damaged wheel rims
checked and, if necessary,
replaced by a specialist work-
shop, preferably an author-
ised BMW motorcycle dealer.
Use only wheels and tyres
that BMW Motorrad has ap-
proved for your motorcycle.
For each size of tyre BMW
tests certain makes, and ap-
proves those that it certifies
as roadworthy.
If BMW Motorrad has not ap-
proved the wheels and tyres it
cannot assess their suitability
or provide any guarantee of
road safety.
d Warning:
You can obtain detailed infor-
mation on approved tyre
sizes and makes from your
authorised BMW motorcycle
dealer or by visiting
www.bmw-motorrad.com on
the Internet
Checking tyre tread depth
d Warning:
Comply with local legal re-
quirements concerning mini-
mum tread depth. Worn tyres
can impair handling.
 Measure tread depth at the
centre of the tyre tread
BMW's minimum tread depth
recommendation:
Front .................. 2 mm (0.08 in)
Rear................... 3 mm (0.12 in)
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1
39
Safety check
2
Wheels
Checking tyre pressures
d Warning:
Incorrect tyre pressures have
a considerable influence on
handling and on tyre life.
Adjust tyre pressures to suit
total weight. Never exceed
either the motorcycle’s gross
weight or the individual wheel
load limits (
b41).
At high road speeds, tyre
valves have a tendency to
open as a result of centrifugal
force.
Use only metal valve caps
with rubber seals.
Valve caps that are screwed
on well prevent air from es-
caping suddenly. –Tyres cold:
 Unscrew and remove valve
cap
 Check/correct tyre pressure
Tyre pressures: front rear
One-up 2.2 bar 2.5 bar (32 psi) (36.3 psi)
Two-up
and luggage 2.2 bar 2.5 bar (32 psi) (36.3 psi)
 Screw the valve caps back on tightly
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40
Safety check
2
L Note:
BMW accessories and other
products approved by BMW
can be obtained from your
BMW motorcycle dealer.
d Warning:
BMW cannot examine or test
each product of outside origin
on the accessories and tyres
market to ensure that it can be
used on or in connection with
BMW motorcycles without con-
stituting a safety hazard. Even
approval by an official inspec-
tion authority or an official per-
mit (General Operating Permit)
cannot always provide this
guarantee. Tests conducted by
these instances cannot make
provision for all operating con-
ditions experienced by BMW
motorcycles and consequently,
they are not sufficient in some
circumstances.
Accessories and tyres
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1
41
Safety check
2
Correct loading
d Warning:
Overloading can impair the
handling of your motorcycle.
 Make sure that the weight is uniformly distributed
 Pack heavy items at the bot- tom and toward the inboard
side
 Max. load for luggage carrier
and softbag for stowage com-
partment is 5kg (11 lb) each
 Check that fastenings are
correctly positioned and tight
d Warning:
Case systems can impair the
handling of your motorcycle.
Use only genuine BMW ac-
cessories.
e Attention:
Do not exceed the gross weight
limit of 370 kg (815 lb) .
Do not exceed the wheel load
limits of 200 kg (441 lb) at the
front and 270 kg (595 lb) at the
rear.
The total weight is the sum of:
– motorcycle with full tank
–rider
–passenger
– luggage
Accessories and loads
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42
Safety check
2
Checking coolant level
e Attention:
Always keep the coolant level
above the minimum mark.
Check coolant level only when
the engine is cold.
 Hold the motorcycle upright
 Check the coolant level through slot 1 in cover insert 2
of the expansion tank:
MIN Minimum level
 Add coolant if necessaryL Note:
If the expansion tank is full and
the coolant temperature is high
(as indicated by red warning
light
j b 58) or coolant con-
sumption is excessive, consult
a specialist workshop, prefera-
bly an authorised BMW motor-
cycle dealer.
Coolant
1
2
MIN
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3
47
Starting – Riding – Parking
Handling your motorcycle
safely
Each motorcycle has a charac-
ter all its own. It is time now for
you to familiarise yourself with
the way your own motorcycle
behaves:
– acceleration
– roadholding
–cornering
–braking …
These are all things you need to
become familiar with.
Please remember too that if the
motorcycle has not yet covered
1,000 kilometres (approx.
600 miles), the engine is not yet
fully run in.
d Warning:
The tyres need to cover a cer-
tain distance before they ac-
quire their full road grip
(b55).
Your first journey
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48
Starting – Riding – Parking
First time out
If you ride at high speed, always
bear in mind that various
boundary conditions such as
the spring preload setting and
the shock absorber setting, an
unbalanced luggage load,
loose clothing, low tyre pres-
sure, poor tyre tread, and so on,
can affect the handling of your
motorcycle.
Safe motorcycling doesn’t
depend on the motorcycle
alone.
Your own skill and common-
sense are needed too.The key to genuine safety on
the road is a sensible balance
between the motorcycle’s tech-
nical features and the rider’s
skill, so that together they form
a single efficient unit.
Riding safely in traffic and off-
road calls for a sense of
responsibility to your passenger
and to other road users.
d Warning:
Do not ride the motorcycle af-
ter drinking alcoholic bever-
ages. Even small amounts of
alcohol or drugs, particularly
if taken in conjunction with
medicines, will adversely af-
fect your perception and your
ability to assess situations
and make decisions, and also
slow down your reflexes.
Take to the road now by all
means, but think carefully about
everything you do.
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49
Starting – Riding – Parking
Important notes
Risk of poisoningExhaust fumes contain carbon
monoxide, which is colourless
and odourless but highly toxic.
d Warning:
Inhaling exhaust fumes there-
fore represents a health haz-
ard and can even cause loss
of consciousness with fatal
consequences.
Do not run the engine in an
enclosed space.
Risk of fatal accidentYour motorcycle is equipped
with a digital electronic engine
management system and a
high-power ignition system.
d Warning:
When the engine is running or
the ignition switched on, nev-
er touch electrically live parts
of the ignition system or the
digital engine electronics.
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