Brakes - BMW F 650 GS Rider's Manual

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.
Rims
BMW Motorrad recommends
checking the rims for damage
after off-roading.
Air filter element
Engine damage due to
clogged air filter element.
If you ride in dusty terrain check
the air filter element for clogging
at shorter intervals; clan or re-
place as necessary.
Operation in very dusty condi-
tions (desert, steppes, or the like)
necessitates the use of air filter
elements specially designed for
conditions of this nature.

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
the front wheel. Remember to
pull the clutch at the same time.
In the "panic braking situations"
that are trained so frequently
braking force is applied as rap-
idly as possible and with the
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