BMW Motorrad F 850 GS special vehicle 2021 Installation and maintenance manual

RIDER'S MANUAL
F 850 GS special vehicle
BMW
MOTORRAD
MAKE LIFE A RIDE

Vehicle data
Model
Vehicle Identification Number
Colour code
Date of first registration
Registration number
Dealership details
Person to contact in Service department
Ms/Mr
Phone number
Dealership address/phone number (company stamp)

YOUR BMW.
We congratulate you on your choice of a vehicle from
BMW Motorrad and welcome you to the community of BMW
riders. Familiarise yourself with your new vehicle so that you can
ride it safely and confidently in all traffic situations.
About this rider's manual
Read this rider's manual carefully before starting to use your new
BMW. It contains important information on how to operate the
controls and how to make the best possible use of all your BM-
W's technical features.
In addition, it contains information on maintenance and care to
help you maintain your vehicle's reliability and safety, as well as
its value.
If the time comes to sell your BMW, please remember to hand
over this rider's manual to the new owner. It is an important part
of the vehicle.
We hope you will enjoy riding your BMW and that all your jour-
neys will be pleasant and safe
BMW Motorrad.

01 GENERAL
INSTRUCTIONS 2
Quick & easy reference 4
Abbreviations and sym-
bols 4
Equipment 5
Technical data 5
Currency 6
Additional sources of
information 6
Certificates and operat-
ing licences 6
Data memory 6
Intelligent emergency
call system 11
02 GENERAL VIEWS 16
General view, left side 18
General view, right
side 19
Under the rider's seat 20
Multifunction switch,
left 21
Multifunction switch,
right 23
Multifunction switch,
right 25
Instrument cluster 27
03 STATUS
INDICATORS 28
Indicator and warning
lights 30
TFT display in
Pure Ride view 31
TFT display in Menu
view 32
Warning indicators 33
04 OPERATION 58
Ignition switch/steer-
ing lock 60
Ignition with Key-
less Ride 61
Electronic immobiliser
EWS 66
Emergency-off switch
(kill switch) 67
Intelligent emergency
call 67
Lighting 70
Light signals 77
Sound signals 82
Authority-vehicle
speedometer 84
Traction control (DTC) 85
Electronic Suspension
Adjustment (DESA) 86
Riding mode 88
Riding mode PRO 91
Adaptive cruise control 92
Anti-theft alarm (DWA) 94
Tyre pressure control
(RDC) 97
Heated grips 98

Seats 99
05 TFT DISPLAY 102
General notes 104
Principle 105
Pure Ride view 111
General settings 112
Bluetooth 114
My vehicle 117
On-board computer 120
Navigation 120
Media 122
Telephone 123
Display software ver-
sion 124
Display licence in-
formation 124
06 SETTING 126
Mirrors 128
Headlight 128
Windscreen 129
Clutch 129
Brakes 130
Spring preload 131
Damping 131
07 RIDING 134
Safety information 136
Regular check 139
Starting 140
Running in 143
Shifting gear 144
Off-road use 145
Brakes 146
Parking your motor-
cycle 149
Refuelling 149
Securing motorcycle
for transportation 154
08 ENGINEERING DE-
TAILS 156
General notes 158
Antilock Brake Sys-
tem (ABS) 158
Traction control
(DTC) 161
Dynamic engine
brake control 163
Dynamic ESA 164
Riding mode 164
Dynamic Brake Con-
trol 167
Tyre pressure control
(RDC) 167
Gear Shift Assistant 169
Engine run-on circuit 170
09 MAINTENANCE 172
General notes 174
Toolkit 175
Service tool kit 175
Front-wheel stand 175
Rear-wheel stand 176
Engine oil 177
Brake system 179
Clutch 183
Coolant 184
Tyres 185

Rims and tyres 187
Wheels 187
Chain 198
Air filter 201
Lighting 202
Trim panel compon-
ents 203
Jump-starting 204
Battery 206
Fuses 212
Diagnostic connector 214
10 ACCESSORIES 216
General notes 218
Power sockets 218
USB charging socket 219
Case 220
Case for special
vehicle 223
Fire extinguisher 223
Two-way radio box 224
Topcase 225
Navigation system 228
11 CARE 234
Care products 236
Washing the vehicle 236
Cleaning easily dam-
aged components 237
Care of paintwork 238
Paintwork preserva-
tion 239
Laying up motorcycle 239
Restoring motorcycle
to use 240
12 TECHNICAL DATA 242
Troubleshooting chart 244
Threaded fasteners 247
Fuel 248
Engine oil 249
Engine 249
Clutch 251
Transmission 251
Final drive 251
Frame 252
Chassis and
suspension 252
Brakes 253
Wheels and tyres 253
Electrical system 254
Dimensions 256
Weights 257
Performance figures 257
Country-specific cod-
ing for hailing-system
sound signals 257
Function-button as-
signment 258
Special functions 259
13 SERVICE 260
Reporting safety-rel-
evant defects 262
BMW Motorrad
Service 263
BMW Motorrad
Service history 263
BMW Motorrad mo-
bility services 264
Maintenance work 264

Maintenance sched-
ule 266
Maintenance confirm-
ations 267
Service confirmations 279
APPENDIX 282
Declaration of Con-
formity 283
Certificate for elec-
tronic immobiliser 288
Certificate for Key-
less Ride 291
Certificate for tyre
pressure control
(RDC) 295
Certificate for TFT
instrument cluster 296
INDEX 300

GENERAL
INSTRUCTIONS
01

QUICK & EASY REFERENCE 4
ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS 4
EQUIPMENT 5
TECHNICAL DATA 5
CURRENCY 6
ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION 6
CERTIFICATES AND OPERATING LICENCES 6
DATA MEMORY 6
INTELLIGENT EMERGENCY CALL SYSTEM 11

4 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
QUICK & EASY REFERENCE
Chapter 2 of these operating
instructions will provide you
with an initial overview of your
motorcycle. All maintenance
and servicing work on the mo-
torcycle is documented in the
“Service” section. The record of
the maintenance work you have
had performed on your vehicle
is a precondition for generous
treatment of goodwill claims.
If the time comes to sell your
BMW, please remember to
hand over these operating
instructions to the new owner.
They are an important part of
the motorcycle.
Optional extras for special
vehicles and the use of
these items are described in
additional sections or directly
after the descriptions for the
standard items of equipment.
ABBREVIATIONS AND SYM-
BOLS
CAUTION Low-risk haz-
ard. Non-avoidance can
lead to slight or moderate in-
jury.
WARNING Medium-risk
hazard. Non-avoidance
can lead to fatal or severe in-
jury.
DANGER High-risk haz-
ard. Non-avoidance leads
to fatal or severe injury.
ATTENTION Special notes
and precautionary meas-
ures. Non-compliance can lead
to damage to the vehicle or ac-
cessory and, consequently, to
voiding of the warranty.
Specific instructions on
how to operate, control,
adjust or look after items of
equipment on the motorcycle.
Instruction.
Result of an activity.
Reference to a page
with more detailed
information.
Indicates the end of
a passage relating to
specific accessories or
items of equipment.
Tightening torque.
Technical data.
NV National-market ver-
sion.

5
OE Optional equipment.
The vehicles are
assembled com-
plete with all the
BMW Motorrad
optional equipment
originally ordered.
OA Optional accessories.
You can obtain
BMW Motorrad
optional accessories
through your author-
ised BMW Motorrad
dealer; optional
accessories have to
be retrofitted to the
vehicle.
ABS Anti-lock brake sys-
tem.
D-ESA Electronic chassis and
suspension adjust-
ment.
DTC Dynamic Traction Con-
trol.
DWA Anti-theft alarm.
EWS Electronic immobiliser.
RDC Tyre pressure monitor-
ing.
EQUIPMENT
When you ordered your
BMW Motorrad, you chose
various items of custom
equipment. These operating
instructions describe the
optional equipment (OE)
offered by BMW and selected
optional accessories (OA).
This explains why the manual
may also contain descriptions
of equipment that you might
not have selected. Please
note, too, that on account of
country-specific differences,
your motorcycle might not be
exactly as illustrated.
If your motorcycle contains
equipment that has not been
described, its description can
be found in a separate manual.
TECHNICAL DATA
All dimensions, weights and
power ratings stated in the op-
erating instructions are quoted
to the standards and comply
with the tolerance require-
ments of the Deutsches Institut
für Normung e.V. (DIN).
Technical data and specific-
ations in this rider's manual
serve as reference points. The
vehicle-specific data may de-
viate from these, for example
as a result of selected optional

6 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
equipment, the national-mar-
ket version or country-specific
measuring procedures. De-
tailed values can be taken from
the vehicle registration docu-
ments, or can be obtained from
your authorised BMW Motorrad
retailer or another qualified
service partner or specialist
workshop. The specifications in
the vehicle documents always
have priority over the inform-
ation provided in this rider's
manual.
CURRENCY
The high safety and quality
standards of BMW motor-
cycles are maintained by
constant development work
on designs, equipment and
accessories. Because of this,
your motorcycle may differ
from the information supplied
in the Rider's Manual. Nor can
BMW Motorrad entirely rule
out errors and omissions. We
hope you will appreciate that
no claims can be entertained
on the basis of the data,
illustrations or descriptions in
these operating instructions.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF
INFORMATION
Authorised BMW Motorrad
retailer
Your authorised
BMW Motorrad retailer
will be happy to answer any
questions you may have.
Internet
The rider's manual for your
vehicle, operating and installa-
tion instructions for accessories
and general information about
BMW Motorrad, in relation to
technology, for example, are
available for download from
bmw-motorrad.com/manuals.
CERTIFICATES AND OPERAT-
ING LICENCES
The certificates for the vehicle
and the official operating li-
cences for accessories can be
downloaded from
bmw-motorrad.com/certifica-
tion.
DATA MEMORY
General
Control units are installed in
the vehicle. Control units pro-
cess data that they receive, for
example, from vehicle sensors,
or that they generate them-
selves or exchange between

7
each other. Some control units
are required for the vehicle to
function safely or provide as-
sistance during riding, for ex-
ample assistance systems. In
addition, control units enable
comfort or infotainment func-
tions.
Information on data that has
been stored or exchanged can
be obtained from the manufac-
turer of the vehicle, for example
via a separate booklet.
Personal reference
Each vehicle is identified with a
clear vehicle identification num-
ber. Depending on the coun-
try, the vehicle identification
number, the number plate and
the corresponding authorities
can be referenced to ascertain
the vehicle owner. There are
also other ways to use data ob-
tained from the vehicle to trace
the rider or vehicle owner, for
example using the Connected-
Drive user account.
Data protection rights
In accordance with applicable
data protection laws, vehicle
users have certain rights in re-
lation to the manufacturer of
the vehicle or in relation to
companies which collect or
process personal data.
Vehicle users have the right to
obtain full information at no
cost from persons or entities
storing personal data of the
vehicle user.
These entities may include:
Manufacturer of the vehicle
Qualified service partners
Specialist workshops
Service providers
Vehicle users have the right to
request information on what
personal data has been stored,
for what purpose the data
is used, and where the data
comes from. To obtain this
information, proof of ownership
or use is required.
The right to information also
includes information about
data that has been shared with
other companies or entities.
The website of the vehicle
manufacturer contains the
applicable data protection
information. This data
protection information includes
information on the right to
have data deleted or corrected.
The manufacturer of the vehicle
also provides their contact
details and those of the data
protection officer on their
website.
The vehicle owner can also re-
quest that a BMW Motorrad

8 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
retailer or another qualified
service partner or specialist
workshop read out the data
that is stored in the vehicle for
a charge.
The vehicle data is read out
using the legally prescribed
socket for on-board diagnosis
(OBD) in the vehicle.
Legal requirements for the
disclosure of data
As part of its legal responsib-
ilities, the manufacturer of the
vehicle is obligated to make its
stored data available to the rel-
evant authorities. This data is
provided in the required scope
in individual cases, for example
to clarify a criminal offence.
In the context of applicable
laws, public agencies are en-
titled in individual cases to read
out data from the vehicle them-
selves.
Operating data in the vehicle
Control units process data to
operate the vehicle.
This includes, for example:
Status reports of the vehicle
and its individual components,
for example wheel speed,
wheel circumferential velo-
city, deceleration
Environmental conditions, for
example temperature
The data is only processed in
the vehicle itself and is gener-
ally non-permanent. The data is
not stored beyond the operat-
ing period.
Electronic components, for ex-
ample control units, contain
components for storing tech-
nical information. Information
can be temporarily or perman-
ently stored on the vehicle con-
dition, component loads, incid-
ents or errors.
This information is generally
used to document the condi-
tion of a component, a module,
a system or the surrounding
area, for example:
Operating conditions of sys-
tem components, for example
filling levels, tyre pressure
Malfunctions and faults in im-
portant system components,
for example light and brakes
Response of the vehicle in
special riding situations, for
example engagement of the
driving dynamics systems
Information on incidents
resulting in damage to the
vehicle
The data is necessary for the
provision of control unit func-
tions. Furthermore, the data
is used to detect and rectify
malfunctions and to enable the

9
vehicle manufacturer to optim-
ise vehicle functions.
The vast majority of this data
is non-permanent and is only
processed in the vehicle it-
self. Only a small amount of
the data is stored in incident or
fault memories as required by
events.
If services are accessed, for
example repairs, service pro-
cesses, warranty cases and
quality assurance measures,
this technical information can
be read out of the vehicle to-
gether with the vehicle identi-
fication number.
The information can be read
out by a BMW Motorrad
retailer or another qualified
service partner or specialist
workshop. The legally stip-
ulated socket for on-board
diagnosis (OBD) in the vehicle
is used to read out the data.
The data is obtained, pro-
cessed and used by the
relevant parts of the retailer
network. The data is used
to document the technical
conditions of the vehicle, to
help with error localization,
to comply with warranty
obligations and to improve
quality.
In addition, the manufacturer
has various product monitor-
ing obligations arising from
product liability legislation. To
meet these obligations, the
vehicle manufacturer requires
technical data from the vehicle.
The data from the vehicle can
also be used to check warranty
claims from the customer.
Error and incident memories in
the vehicle can be reset during
servicing or repair work by a
BMW Motorrad retailer or an-
other qualified service partner
or specialist workshop.
Data input and data transfer
in the vehicle
General
Depending on the equipment,
comfort and customised
settings can be stored in the
vehicle and can be changed or
reset at any time.
This includes, for example:
Settings of the windscreen
position
Chassis and suspension set-
tings
If required, data can be entered
in the entertainment and
communication system of the
vehicle, for example using a
smartphone.
Depending on the individual
equipment, this includes:

10 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Multimedia data, such as mu-
sic for playback
Contacts data for use in con-
nection with a communication
system or an integrated navig-
ation system
Entered destinations
Data on the use of internet
services. This data can be
stored locally in the vehicle
or is located on a device that
is connected to the vehicle,
for example smartphone, USB
stick, MP3 player. If this data
is stored in the vehicle, the
data can be deleted at any
time.
This data is transferred to third
parties only if personally re-
quested within the context of
using online services. This de-
pends on the selected settings
when using the services.
Incorporation of mobile
devices
Depending on the equipment,
mobile devices connected to
the vehicle, for example smart-
phones, can be controlled using
the operating elements of the
vehicle.
The image and sound of the
mobile device can then be out-
put via the multimedia system.
At the same time, specific in-
formation is transferred to the
mobile device. Depending on
the type of integration, this in-
cludes, for example, position
data and additional general
vehicle information. This en-
ables optimal use of the selec-
ted apps, for example naviga-
tion or music playback.
The type of additional data pro-
cessing is determined by the
provider of the respective app.
The scope of the possible set-
tings depends on the corres-
ponding app and the operating
system of the mobile device.
Services
General
If the vehicle has a wireless
connection, this enables the
exchange of data between
the vehicle and other systems.
The wireless connection
is enabled by the vehicle's
own transceiver unit or
using personally integrated
mobile devices, for example
smartphones. Online functions
can be accessed through this
wireless connection. These
include online services and
apps that are provided by the
vehicle manufacturer or by
other providers.
Services of the vehicle manu-
facturer

11
For online services of the
vehicle manufacturer, the
individual functions are
described at suitable points,
for example rider's manual,
website of the manufacturer.
At the same time, information
is also provided on the
relevant data protection law.
Personal data may be used to
provide online services. Data
is exchanged using a secure
connection, for example with
the IT systems provided by the
vehicle manufacturer.
Obtaining, processing and us-
ing personal data outside of
the normal provision of ser-
vices requires legal permission,
contractual agreement or con-
sent. It is also possible to have
the entire data connection ac-
tivated or deactivated. Stat-
utory functions are excluded
from this.
Services from other providers
When using online services
from other providers, these
services are subject to the re-
sponsibility and the data pro-
tection and operating con-
ditions of the individual pro-
vider. The vehicle manufacturer
has no influence on the con-
tent that is exchanged in this
instance. Information on the
type, scope and purpose of the
data capture and use of per-
sonal data as part of the ser-
vices of third parties can be
ascertained from the individual
provider.
INTELLIGENT EMERGENCY
CALL SYSTEM
with intelligent emergency
callOE
Principle
The intelligent emergency call
system enables manual or auto-
matic emergency calls, for ex-
ample in the event of an acci-
dent.
The emergency calls are re-
ceived by an emergency call
centre that is commissioned by
the vehicle manufacturer.
For information on operating
the intelligent emergency call
system and its functions, please
refer to "Intelligent emergency
call".
Legal basis
Processing of personal data
using the intelligent emergency
call system is in line with the
following regulations:

12 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Protection of personal data:
Directive 95/46/EC of the
European Parliament and of
the Council.
Protection of personal data:
Directive 2002/58/EC of the
European Parliament and of
the Council.
The legal basis for the activa-
tion and function of the intelli-
gent emergency call system is
the concluded ConnectedRide
contract for this function, as
well as the corresponding laws,
ordinances and directives of
the European Parliament and of
the European Council.
The relevant ordinances and
directives regulate the pro-
tection of natural persons dur-
ing the processing of personal
data.
The processing of personal
data by the intelligent emer-
gency call system satisfies the
European directives for the
protection of personal data.
The intelligent emergency call
system processes personal data
only with the agreement of the
vehicle owner.
The intelligent emergency call
system and other services with
additional benefits can process
personal data only with the ex-
press permission of the per-
son affected by the data pro-
cessing, for example the vehicle
owner.
SIM card
The intelligent emergency call
system operates via the mobile
phone network using the SIM
card installed in the vehicle.
The SIM card is permanently
logged into the mobile phone
network to enable rapid con-
nection setup. Data is sent to
the vehicle manufacturer in the
event of an emergency.
Improving quality
The data that is transferred in
an emergency is also used by
the manufacturer of the vehicle
to improve product and service
quality.
Location determination
The position of the vehicle can
be determined exclusively by
the mobile phone network
provider based on the mobile
phone site locations. It is not
possible for the provider to
trace a connection between
the vehicle's VIN and the phone
number of the installed SIM
card. Only the manufacturer of
the vehicle can link a VIN and
the phone number of the SIM

13
card installed in a particular
vehicle.
Log data of emergency calls
The log data of emergency
calls is stored in a memory of
the vehicle. The oldest log data
is regularly deleted. The log
data includes, for example, in-
formation on when and where
an emergency call was made.
In exceptional cases, the log
data can be read out of the
vehicle memory. As a rule, log
data is only read out following
a court order, and this is only
possible if the corresponding
devices are connected directly
to the vehicle.
Automatic emergency call
The system is designed so that,
following a sufficiently serious
accident, which is detected by
sensors in the vehicle, an emer-
gency call is automatically ac-
tivated.
Sent information
When making an emergency
call using the intelligent emer-
gency call system, the system
forwards the same information
to the designated emergency
call centre as is forwarded to
the public emergency opera-
tions centre by the statutory
emergency call system eCall.
In addition, the intelligent
emergency call system sends
the following additional
information to an emergency
call centre commissioned by
the vehicle manufacturer and,
if required, to the emergency
services:
Accident data, for example
the direction of impact detec-
ted by the vehicle sensors, to
assist the emergency services
response.
Contact details, for example
the phone number of the
installed SIM card and the
phone number of the rider,
if available, to enable rapid
contact with those involved in
the accident if required.
Data storage
The data for an activated
emergency call is stored in
the vehicle. The data contains
information on the emergency
call, for example the location
and time of the emergency call.
The voice recordings of the
emergency call are stored at
the emergency call centre.
The voice recordings of the
customer are stored for 24
hours in case details of the
emergency call need to be ana-
lysed. After this, the voice re-
cordings are deleted. The voice

14 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
recordings of the employee of
the emergency call centre are
stored for 24 hours for quality
assurance purposes.
Information on personal data
The data that is processed as
part of the intelligent emer-
gency call is processed exclus-
ively to carry out the emer-
gency call. As part of its stat-
utory obligation, the manufac-
turer of the vehicle provides
information about the data that
it has processed and any data
that it still has stored.