Riding Off-Road; Brakes - BMW F 650 GS Rider's Manual

Riding off-road

5
Tyre pressure
68
Tyre pressures reduced for
off-road riding impair the
motorcycle's handling character-
istics on surfaced roads and can
lead to accidents.
Always check that the tyre pres-
sures are correct.
z
Wheel rims for riding off-
road
BMW Motorrad recommends
checking the rims for damage
after off-roading.
Dirt or mud on brakes
When riding on loose sur-
faces or muddy roads, the
brakes may fail to take effect
immediately because of dirt or
moisture on the discs or brake
pads.
Apply the brakes in good time
until the brakes have been
cleaned.
The brake pads will wear
more rapidly if you ride fre-
quently on unsurfaced tracks or
poor roads.
Check the thickness of the brake
pads more frequently and replace
the brake pads in good time.
Spring preload and shock-
absorber settings
The off-road settings for
spring preload and shock
absorber damping characteristic
will impair the motorcycle's hand-
ling characteristics on surfaced
roads.
If you have been off-roading, re-
member to correct spring preload
and shock-absorber damping
characteristics before you return
to surfaced roads.
Deactivatable ABS
with BMW Motorrad ABS
You can deactivate the ABS
function of the BMW Motorrad
ABS for off-roading (

Brakes

How 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
OE
53).