Replacement Starter Buttons

[Pukmeister]

Many of you already know that the grey push button on the starter switchgear can sometimes fall out, never to be seen again. Replacement can be expensive if breakers have no spares as new switchgear costs a lot of money.

I have spoken to Oberon who make quality aftermarket parts and accessories regarding manufacture of new buttons to carry as spares when touring, or replace missing/failed items.

I hope to provide a pattern to them and see what they can do and for how much. If there is enough interest I hope they can make these items available in the near future.

Can I gauge interest now and see what the collective think?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SteveM]

If I lose mine I'll take one

 

[Victor c]

Yes please

 

[(RIP) Miff]

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?225862-Replacing-the-starter-button

Mr K's own thread on the subject.

 

[bisbee]

Yep one here please

 

[hiup]

Yes please - one for me

 

[oldnfat]

Good one. Having been stuck outside La Rochelle with no +*^#$+ starter button this will great if you can get them at a reasonable cost.

Cheers

 

[SteveM]

There are worse places to be stuck.

 

[(RIP) Miff]

As an emergency/temporary measure, could not just poke something down the hole to get the bike started?

 

[Pukmeister]

I hope to get across to Oberon either tomorrow or Saturday with the pattern, I will have some idea of possibility and price and report back when I know more.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[oldnfat]

Great, interested to see who much it will cost for such a low volume. Thanks for the effort.

Cheers

 

[Pukmeister]

Switchgear with Oberon, should hear within a few weeks about materials, price etc.

Looks promising as he owns a K1200 with the same switchgear. I hope they can provide BMW owners with a sensible repair option in the event of losing a starter button at a reasonable price.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bisbee]

Good effort
If the switch is common to other models maybe a post in the pub might get a few more folk interested

 

[notadrop]

TEMPORARY FIX

I was without a button for a couple of weeks so found I could use a slim cable tie, pulled tight on the base of the mirror stem, cut the end so it was squared off then pushed down the hole when starting was required.

 

[Wapping]

TEMPORARY FIX

use a slim cable tie, pulled tight on the base of the mirror stem, cut the end so it was squared off then pushed down the hole when starting was required.

A very useful tip as a 'Get me going again.... '

I guess anything slim enough just to poke down to engage the switch will do. A toothpick, a slim bladed screwdriver *, a suitable tool on the uber-Leatherman carried by all adventure motorcyclists in case they ever need to cut their head off in an emergency.

Probably easier than fiddling about in the rain whilst on holiday, in Tesco's car park or whilst crossing the Kalahari. Save the replacement caps until safely back home.


* The sort given away in Christmas crackers would be excellent. Obviously it will be a bit of a lottery whether you or your maiden aunt will win the screwdriver and a bit of a long wait at the side of the road if the month is February. Also Christmas crackers are a bit of an English thing, so don't be too optimistic that the friendly Bedouin will be wearing novelty paper hats when you first encounter them.


Removing the cap and carrying the Christmas cracker screwdriver would also make an excellent additional security measure for any biker encountering the ever present danger of the global lack of secure parking beyond 50 feet of their front door. Add it to the list of 'Must do'es and must haves' before setting out.

 

[(RIP) Miff]

Add it to the list of 'Must do'es and must haves' before setting out.

We're going to need bigger panniers soon. What with carrying tools, FPCs, EWS thingys, starter buttons, Final Drives, pictures of Ewan, bottles of adventure aftershave, 4 satnavs, spare picture of a desert pikey, club card, bottles of oil fuel and water (drinking and coolant). There'll be no room left for the weekend shopping.

 

[Mr K]

As an emergency/temporary measure, could not just poke something down the hole to get the bike started?

I used a 5mm allen key, because it happened to be handy... mind finding it in a hurry was fun at the lights if the bike stalled (as it did because the FPC was also full of water) was exciting.

 

[kevmean]

Oberon are an excellent company and their products are top quality, they also seem to have a genuine interest in helping develop parts to help out even when it is for a low volume bike. They make an excellent clutch slave cylinder for the Buell 1125 which had only just been on the market a short while before Harley pulled the plug on the brand. They put a lot of time and effort testing and changing design until it was right and a couple of my friends bikes were used as test beds before the product went to market.
Maybe what we need here is them to make a replacement button but in a manner that can be used as a temporary start button attached to a short lanyard to enable even the most mechanically inept amongst us to finish their trip but which can then be fitted properly when they get home ???

 

[Pukmeister]

You could use a replacement button without its e clip to start the bike, then fit the replacement at a suitable opportunity.

Steve at Oberon reckons the plastic beneath the clip recess breaks off through repeated use, vibration etc then the button falls out whilst riding.

No news from them yet but he did suggest about making them from alloy for better strength at the clip groove rather than plastic, which presumably is cheap and easy to injection mould by the suppliers to BWM.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kevmean]

The only problem with just using a spare button is that if you leave it in the hole it may fall out and if you put it in your pocket you have a problem if you stall the bike or it cuts out and you have to fumble about finding the button amongst the sweet wrappers condoms and old chewing gum ;-)