air condition BMW MOTORRAD G 650 XCHALLENGE 2007 Rider's Manual (in English)

OverviewChapter 2 of this Rider's Manu-
al will provide you with an initial
overview of your motorcycle. All
maintenance and repair work on
the motorcycle is documented in
Chapter 11. This record of the
maintenance work you have had
performed on your motorcycle is
a precondition for generous treat-
ment of goodwill claims.
When the time comes to sell
your BMW, please remember
to hand over this Rider's Manu-
al; it is an important part of the
motorcycle.Abbreviations and
symbols
Indicates warnings that you
must comply with for reas-
ons of your safety and the safety
of others, and to protect your
motorcycle against damage.Specific instructions on
how to operate, control, ad-
just or look after items of equip-
ment on the motorcycle.
Indicates the end of an
item of information.
Instruction.
Result of an activity.
Reference to a page with
more detailed informa-
tion.
Indicates the end of a
passage relating to spe-
cific accessories or items
of equipment.
Tightening torque.
Item of technical data.OE Optional extra
The motorcycles are as-
sembled complete with
all the BMW optional ex-
tras originally ordered.
OA Optional accessory
You can obtain option-
al accessories through
your authorised BMW
Motorrad dealer; optional
accessories have to be
retrofitted to the motor-
cycle.
ABSAnti-lock brake system
Air Damping SystemThis motorcycle has an air-filled
rear suspension system. This Air
Damping System, as it is known,
does not work in the same way
as a conventional steel-spring
shock-absorber system. The de-
tailed description of this system
starts on page ( 34).
16zGeneral instructions

shocks transmitted by the wheel
to the suspension.
Spring preload of the Air Damp-
ing System is adjusted to suit
total weight (motorcycle plus
rider, plus luggage) by changing
the air pressure in this system.
You can use the valve on the Air
Damping System to reduce pres-
sure, or you can increase pres-
sure by connecting the pump to
this valve.Fore-and-aft tilt indicatorThe fore-and aft tilt indicator on
the motorcycle has much the
same function as a spirit level,
and indeed it is very similar in ap-
pearance to an ordinary bubble
level. The air-pressure setting is
ideal when the fore-and-aft tilt
indicator shows that the motor-
cycle carrying rider and load is
horizontal.
Always check the air pressure
before riding off.
Adjusting air pressureIt is essential to set the pressure
in the Air Damping System to
suit the load carried on the mo-
torcycle. Increase air pressure
when the motorcycle is heavily
loaded and reduce air pressure
accordingly when the motorcycle
is lightly loaded.
You read the fore-and-aft tilt in-
dicator by sitting on the seat in
such a way that you can keep
the motorcycle balanced with
your feet, but the motorcycle
is supporting as much of your
weight as possible.
BMW Motorrad recommends
setting the air pressure in the Air
Damping System marginally high-
er than would be necessary for
the weight of the rider plus the
expected weight of the load. You
can then reduce the air pressure
while sitting on the motorcycle.
Air pressure and
temperatureWhen the Air Damping System is
working hard to absorb shocks,
the air inside the system be-
comes warmer. This causes the
air to expand with the result that
ride height increases, a welcome
effect for off-roading. In order
to ensure that air pressure is set
correctly, you must always check
and adjust the air pressure when
the Air Damping System is cold,
in other words not immediately
after the motorcycle has been
used for off-roading.
If extreme loads are imposed on
the system the increase in tem-
perature can be severe, and un-
der these conditions the effects
of the increase in ride height can
be perceived as uncomfortable.
Under these exceptional circum-
stances it is a good idea to let
air out of the system, using the
level gauge to correct the motor-
435zOperation

pads more frequently and replace
the brake pads in good time.Air pressure and damping
characteristics
The off-road settings for air
pressure in the Air Damping
System and the front and rear
shock-absorber damping char-
acteristics will impair the motor-
cycle's handling characteristics
on surfaced roads.
If you have been off-roading, re-
member to correct the air pres-
sure in the Air Damping System
and the shock-absorber damping
characteristics before you return
to surfaced roads.
Deactivatable ABS
OE
You can deactivate the BMW
Motorrad Integral ABS for off-
roading ( 33).
BrakesHow can stopping
distance be minimised?Each time the brakes are applied,
a load distribution shift takes
place with the load shifting for-
ward from the rear to the front
wheel. The sharper the motor-
cycle decelerates, the more load
is shifted to the front wheel. The
higher the wheel load, the more
braking force can be transmitted
without the wheel locking.
To optimise stopping distance,
apply the front brakes rapidly and
keep on increasing the force you
apply to the brake lever. This
makes the best possible use
of the dynamic increase in load
at the front wheel. Remember
to pull the clutch at the same
time. In the "panic braking situ-
ations" that are trained so fre-
quently braking force is applied
as rapidly as possible and withthe rider's full force applied to
the brake levers; under these cir-
cumstances the dynamic shift
in load distribution cannot keep
pace with the increase in de-
celeration and the tyres cannot
transmit the full braking force to
the surface of the road. ABS has
to intervene to keep the front
wheel from locking; this increases
stopping distance.
Descending mountain
passes
There is a danger of the
brakes fading if you use
only the rear brakes when des-
cending mountain passes. Under
extreme conditions, the brakes
could overheat and suffer severe
damage.
Use both front and rear brakes,
and make use of the engine's
braking effect as well.
550zRiding

BMW Motorrad serviceAdvanced technology requires
specially adapted methods of
maintenance and repair.
If maintenance and re-
pair work is performed in-
expertly, it could result in con-
sequential damage and thus con-
stitute a safety risk.
BMW Motorrad recommends you
to have all the associated work
on your motorcycle carried out
by a specialist workshop, prefer-
ably an authorised BMW Motor-
rad dealer.
Your authorised BMW Motorrad
dealer can provide information on
BMW services and the work un-
dertaken as part of each service.
Have all maintenance and repair
work carried out confirmed in the
"Service" chapter in this manual.
Authorised BMW Motorrad deal-
ers are supplied with the latest
technical information and havethe necessary technical know-
how. BMW Motorrad recom-
mends that you contact your au-
thorised BMW Motorrad dealer
if you have questions regarding
your motorcycle.
BMW Motorrad service
qualityAlong with its reputation for en-
gineering quality and high reliab-
ility, BMW Motorrad is a byword
for excellent quality of service.
To ensure that your BMW is al-
ways in optimum condition, BMW
Motorrad recommends that you
have the maintenance work re-
quired for your motorcycle car-
ried out regularly, preferably by
your authorised BMW Motor-
rad dealer. For generous treat-
ment of claims submitted after
the warranty period has expired,
evidence of regular maintenance
is essential.Certain signs of wear, moreover,
may otherwise not be noticed
until it is too late to put them
right at moderate cost. Your au-
thorised BMW Motorrad dealer's
mechanics know every detail of
your motorcycle and can take re-
medial action if necessary before
minor faults develop into serious
problems. By having the neces-
sary repairs done properly and
in good time, you save time and
money in the long run.
BMW Motorrad Service
Card: on-the-spot
breakdown assistanceIn the event of a breakdown, the
BMW Motorrad Service Card is-
sued with each new BMW mo-
torcycle enables you to access
an extensive range of services
such as breakdown assistance,
motorcycle transportation etc.
(details can differ from country to
country). In the event of a break-
11122zService