BMW F 800 GS 2011 Installation and maintenance manual

BMW Motorrad
Rider's Manual (US Model)
F 800 GS
The Ultimate
Riding Machine

Motorcycle/Retailer Data
Motorcycle data
Model
Vehicle Identification Number
Color number
First registration
Registration number
Retailer Data
Contact in Service
Ms./Mr.
Phone number
Retailer's address/phone number (com-
pany stamp)

Welcome to BMW
We congratulate you on your
choice of a motorcycle from
BMW and welcome you to the
community of BMW riders.
Familiarize yourself with your new
motorcycle so that you can ride it
safely and confidently in all traffic
situations.
Please read this Rider's Manual
carefully before starting to use
your new BMW motorcycle. It
contains important information on
how to operate the controls and
how to make the best possible
use of all your BMW's technical
features.
In addition, it contains information
on maintenance and care to help
you maintain your motorcycle's
reliability and safety, as well as its
value.
If you have any questions con-
cerning your motorcycle, your au-
thorized BMW Motorrad retailer
is always happy to provide advice
and assistance.
We wish you many miles of safe
and enjoyable riding
BMW Motorrad.

Table of Contents
You can also consult the index at
the end of this Rider's Manual if
you want to find a particular topic
or item of information.
1 General instructions ... . 5
Overview..................... 6
Abbreviations and
symbols...................... 6
Equipment ................... 6
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Currentness of this man-
ual............................ 7
2 Overviews ................ 9
General view, left side . . . . . . . 11
General view, right side . . . . . 13
Underneath seat . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Under fairing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Multifunction switch, left . . . . 16
Multifunction switch,
right......................... 17
Instrument cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3 Status indicators . .. . . . . 21
Multifunction display . . . . . . . . 22
Meaning of symbols . . . . . . . . . 23
Warning and indicator
lights ........................ 24
Service display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Kilometers driven after
reaching the reserve
quantity ..................... 25
Ambient temperature. . . . . . . . 26
Warning indicators . . . . . . . . . . 26
4 Operation................ 33
Steering and ignition
lock ......................... 34
Electronic immobilizer
EWS ........................ 35
Clock........................ 35
Display ...................... 36
Stopwatch................... 37
Lights ....................... 39
Turn signals................. 39
Hazard warning flashers . . . . . 40
Emergency-off switch (kill
switch) ...................... 41
Heated handlebar grips . . . . . 41
BMW Motorrad ABS . . . . . . . . 42
Clutch....................... 43
Brakes ...................... 44
Mirrors ...................... 44
Spring preload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Damping .................... 46
Tires ........................ 47
Headlight.................... 47
Seat......................... 48
Helmet holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
5 Riding.................... 51
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . 52
Checklist .................... 54
Starting...................... 54
Runningin .................. 56
Speed....................... 57
Offroad riding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Brakes ...................... 59
Parking your motorcycle . . . . 60
Refueling.................... 60
Securing motorcycle for
transport .................... 62

6 Technology in
detail..................... 65
Brake system with BMW
Motorrad ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
7 Accessories .. . . . . . . . . . . . 69
General instructions . . . . . . . . . 70
Onboard sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Luggage .................... 71
Case ........................ 71
Topcase..................... 74
Aluminum case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Aluminum Topcase . . . . . . . . . 79
8 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
General instructions . . . . . . . . . 84
Onboard tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Engine oil ................... 85
Brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Coolant...................... 90
Clutch....................... 91
Rims and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Chain........................ 92
Wheels...................... 94
Front wheel stand . . . . . . . . . 102
Lamps..................... 103
Fairings ................... 109
Air filter.................... 110
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Battery .................... 112
9 Care.................... 115
Care products . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Washing your motorcy-
cle......................... 116
Cleaning sensitive motorcy-
cle parts................... 116
Paint care ................. 117
Protective wax coating . . . . 118
Storing motorcycle . . . . . . . . 118
Returning motorcycle to
use........................ 118
10 Technical data . . . . . . 119
Troubleshooting chart . . . . . 120
Threaded fasteners . . . . . . . 121
Engine .................... 123
Fuel....................... 124
Engine oil ................. 125
Clutch..................... 126
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Rear-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . 127
Running gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Brakes .................... 128
Wheels and tires . . . . . . . . . . 128
Electrical system . . . . . . . . . . 130
Frame..................... 131
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Weights ................... 133
Riding specifications . . . . . . 133
11 Service ............... 135
Reporting safety
defects.................... 136
BMW Motorrad Service . . . 137
BMW Motorrad Mobility
Services................... 137
Maintenance work . . . . . . . . . 137
Confirmation of mainte-
nance work................ 139
Confirmation of service . . . . 144
12 Index ................. 146

General instructions
General instructions
Overview ............................ 6
Abbreviations and symbols . . . . . . . . . . 6
Equipment........................... 6
Technicaldata....................... 7
Currentness of this manual . . . . . . . . . . 7
1
5
z General instructions

Overview
Chapter 2 of this Rider's Man-
ual will provide you with an initial
overview of your motorcycle. All
maintenance and repair work car-
ried out on your motorcycle will
be documented in Chapter 11.
Proof of the maintenance work
performed is a prerequisite for
generous treatment of claims.
When the time comes to sell
your BMW, please remember
to hand over this Rider's Manual;
it is an important part of the mo-
torcycle.
Abbreviations and
symbols
Indicates warnings that
you must comply with for
reasons of your safety and the
safety of others, and to protect
your motorcycle against damage.
Special information on op-
erating and inspecting your
motorcycle as well as mainte-
nance and adjustment proce-
dures.
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 ac-
cessory or equipment-
dependent information.
Tightening torque.
Technical data.
OE Optional equipment
The motorcycles are as-
sembled complete with
all the BMW optional ex-
tras originally ordered.
OA Optional accessory
BMW optional acces-
sories can be purchased
and installed at your au-
thorized BMW Motorrad
retailer.
EWS Electronic immobilizer.
DWA Anti-theft alarm.
ABS Anti-Lock Brake System.
Equipment
When you ordered your BMW
motorcycle, you chose various
items of custom equipment. This
Rider's Manual describes optional
equipment (OE) offered by BMW
and selected optional accessories
1
6
z General instructions

(OA). This explains why the man-
ual may also contain descriptions
of equipment which you have not
ordered. Please note, too, that
your motorcycle might not be ex-
actly as illustrated in this manual
on account of country-specific
differences.
If your BMW is equipped with
options or accessories not de-
scribed in this Rider's Manual,
then this equipment is described
in a separate set of instructions.
Technical data
All dimensions, weights and out-
puts in the Rider's Manual refer
to the Deutsches Institut für Nor-
mung e. V. (DIN) and comply with
its tolerance regulations. Ver-
sions for individual countries may
differ.
Currentness of this
manual
The high safety and quality stan-
dards of BMW motorcycles are
maintained by constant devel-
opment work on designs, equip-
ment and accessories. Because
of this, your motorcycle may dif-
fer from the information supplied
in the Rider's Manual. In addition,
BMW Motorrad cannot guarantee
the total absence of errors. We
hope you will appreciate that no
claims can be entertained on the
basis of the data, illustrations or
descriptions in this manual.
1
7
z General instructions

1
8
z General instructions

Overviews
Overviews
General view, left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
General view, right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Underneathseat.................... 14
Underfairing........................ 15
Multifunction switch, left . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Multifunction switch, right . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Instrument cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2
9
z Overviews

2
10
z Overviews

General view, left side
1Onboard socket ( 70)
2Seat lock ( 48)
3Engine oil fill location and
oil dipstick ( 85)
2
11
z Overviews

2
12
z Overviews

General view, right side
1Fuel filler opening ( 60)
2Brake-fluid reservoir, rear
( 89)
3Vehicle Identification
Number, type plate (on
steering-head bearing at
right)
4Brake-fluid reservoir, front
( 88)
5Coolant level indicator (be-
hind side panel) ( 90)
6Adjusting spring preload
( 45)
7Adjusting damping ( 46)
2
13
z Overviews

Underneath seat
1Storage space
with first-aid kit OA
Storing first-aid kit
2Standard tool kit ( 84)
3Payload table
4Tire inflation pressure table
5Helmet holder ( 49)
6Rider's Manual (US Model)
7Tools for adjusting spring
preload ( 45)
2
14
z Overviews

Under fairing
1Battery ( 112)
2Air filter housing ( 110)
2
15
z Overviews

Multifunction switch,
left
1Select display in extended
area ( 36)
2with BMW Motorrad
ABSOE
ABS operation ( 42)
3Horn
4Flashing turn signals, left
( 39)
Hazard warning flashers
( 40)
5Headlight high beam and
flasher ( 39)
2
16
z Overviews

Multifunction switch,
right
1Emergency-off switch (kill
switch) ( 41)
2Starter button ( 54)
3with heated handlebar
gripsOE
Heated hand grip ( 41)
4Turn signals, right ( 39)
Hazard warning flashers
( 40)
5Turn signals off ( 39)
Hazard warning flashers off
( 40)
2
17
z Overviews

Instrument cluster
1Warning and indicator
lights ( 24)
2Speedometer
3Setting clock ( 35).
with onboard
computerOE
Operation of stopwatch
( 37)
4Multifunction display
( 22)
5Select readings ( 36).
Resetting tripmeter
( 37).
6Ambient light sensor (for
brightness adjustment of
instrument lighting)
with anti-theft alarmOE
Anti-theft alarm indicator
light (see anti-theft alarm
operating instructions)
with onboard
computerOE
Engine speed warning
( 57)
2
18
z Overviews