BMW MOTORRAD F 650 GS DAKAR 2003 Rider's Manual (in English)

1
39
Safety check
2
e Attention:
Do not exceed the gross weight
limit of 380 kg (838 lbs).
Do not exceed the wheel load
limits of 124 kg (273 lbs) at the
front and 256 kg (564 lbs) at the
rear.
Set the shock absorbers,
spring preload and tyre pres-
sures to suit gross weight
(b 35, 36, 41). The total weight is the sum of:
– motorcycle with full tank
–rider
–passenger
– luggage
Accessories and loads
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40
Safety check
2
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.
Checking wheel spokes
d Warning:
Before riding off, always
make sure that the spokes
are in perfect condition.
Always have damaged
spokes and irregular spoke
tension rectified immediately
by a specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised
BMW motorcycle dealer.
Wheels
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1
41
Safety check
2
Wheels
 Place the motorcycle on its main stand [Dakar: side
stand]
– Make sure the ground is level and firm.
 Tap spokes with a screw- driver and listen for the cor-
rect ringing sound
L Note:
If the note varies, spoke tension
is uneven (some spokes too
loose or too tight).
Checking tyre pressures
d Warning:
Incorrect tyre pressures have
a considerable influence on
handling and on tyre life.
Tyre pressures must be cho-
sen to suit the total weight on
the motorcycle. Never exceed
either the motorcycle’s gross
weight or the individual wheel
load limits (b39). Tyres cold:
 Unscrew and remove valve
cap
 Check/correct tyre pressure
Tyre pressures: front rear
One-up 1.9 bar 2.1 bar (27.56 psi) (30.46 psi)
Two-up and
luggage 2.1 bar 2.3 bar (30.46 psi) (33.36 psi)
 Firmly retighten the valve caps (b42)
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42
Safety check
2
Wheels
Securing valve caps
d Warning:
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 pre-
vent air from escaping sud-
denly.
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
43
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.
 Place motorcycle on main (centre) stand or hold it verti-
cal
 Check coolant at expansion tank:
MIN Minimum level
e Attention:
Never overfill the expansion
tank.  Top up the coolant if neces-
sary (
b Maintenance Instruc-
tions, Chapter 2)
L 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
an authorised BMW motorcycle
dealer.
Coolant
MIN
MAX
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44
Safety check
2
Checking lights
e Attention:
Always check that all lights are
in full working order before rid-
ing off.
L Note:
If turn indicator repeater flashes
at twice the usual speed:
Defective flasher bulb.
To change bulbs in parking
lights, high-beam or low-beam
headlight, rear light and brake
light:
(
b Maintenance Instructions,
Chapter 2)
Adjusting headlight for
RHD/LHD traffic
If the motorcycle is ridden in a
country where the opposite rule
of the road applies, its asym-
metric low headlight beam will
tend to dazzle oncoming traffic.
Consult a specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised BMW
motorcycle dealer, to have the
headlight adjusted to suit
whichever rule of the road
applies.
e Attention:
Adhesive films with unsuitable
adhesives can damage the
headlight lens.
Lights
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1
45
Safety check
2
1
Adjusting headlight beam
throw
L Note:
Headlight beam throw is kept
constant when spring preload is
adjusted to suit load.
For instructions on adjusting
spring-strut and shock-
absorber settings to suit load,
(
b 38, 39).
Consult a specialist workshop,
preferably an authorised BMW
motorcycle dealer, if you are
unsure whether the headlight
basic setting is correct.
Setting with motorcycle
heavily loaded:
d Warning:
Adjust the headlight such that
the beam does not dazzle on-
coming traffic, but the throw
of the light cone adequately
illuminates the road ahead of
you.
Only if the load carried on the
motorcycle is very high, the
headlight beam can be further
lowered by turning knurled
screw 1.
Lights
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3
46
Starting – Riding – Parking
First time out
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).
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.
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3
47
Starting – Riding – Parking
First time out
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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48
Starting – Riding – Parking
Important notes
Risk of fireHigh temperatures occur at the
exhaust system, particularly at
the catalytic converter.
d Warning:
Make sure that whether riding
or standing still or when the
motorcycle is parked, no eas-
ily flammable material
(for example hay, grass,
leaves, clothing or luggage
etc.) can come into contact
with the hot exhaust system.
Do not allow the engine to
idle unnecessarily or for pro-
longed periods of time
– risk of overheating or fire.
Ride away immediately after
starting the engine.
Risk of poisoningThe exhaust fumes contain car-
bon monoxide, which is colour-
less 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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