Stupid indicator switches...........

  • Thread starter Thread starter Satnav
  • Start date Start date

Are you fed up with BMW indicator switches?

  • Yes

    Votes: 85 24.8%

  • No

    Votes: 255 74.3%

  • I never use indicators

    Votes: 3 0.9%
  • Total voters
    343
Yep, they are STUPID. Easy to indicate, but to cancel whilst on the gas, not a chance without a 4" thumb. Horn - 10% hit rate. Flashing is crap as well.

Nothing wrong with a conventional setup, I could slip the clutch, flash and indicate at the same time no problem. For some reason BMW feel they have to be different, but haven't got a better solution.

The people who support the setup are just BMW die hards who probably think BMW Corrosion is great as well.:)
 
not a perfect solution but the controls are easier to use (I find) if you rotate the switch clusters around the bars, moving the buttons lower down.

This is easy to do (on the 1200) to the right hand controls, but on the left requires two new holes to be drilled in the bar. See my post about handlebars in the 1200 section for a bit more info.
 
Just wanted to apologizse to the german Willi Betz lorry that I honked at today between the A5 and Buckingham - It wasn't intended, I only wanted to cancel my indicators. :rolleyes:
 
TheJoker said:
Just wanted to apologizse to the german Willi Betz lorry that I honked at today between the A5 and Buckingham - It wasn't intended, I only wanted to cancel my indicators. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

At least you found the horn button. I'm beginning to think that I've got hands and thumbs shaped like Mr Spock's. A slightly tense on-road situation requiring use of the hooter generally goes like this:

- on-road hazard observed
- brain to mouth: "Oh f**k!"
- reach for horn button
- indicate left
- cancel left indicator
- oh bo**ocks, indicated right
- cancel right indicator
- apologise to various third, fourth and fifth parties for erroneous honking, blinking and swearing
- look down
- locate horn button
- go for horn button
- look up to observe hazard
- too bloody late.

Still haven't got the hang of this arrangement.

:rolleyes:
 
GSmonkey said:
Yep, they are STUPID. Easy to indicate, but to cancel whilst on the gas, not a chance without a 4" thumb. Horn - 10% hit rate. Flashing is crap as well.

Nothing wrong with a conventional setup, I could slip the clutch, flash and indicate at the same time no problem. For some reason BMW feel they have to be different, but haven't got a better solution.

The people who support the setup are just BMW die hards who probably think BMW Corrosion is great as well.:)
Click to expand...
Couldn't agree more, but BMW just love tio be different (BMW=Bloody Minded :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:s).
Indicating is fine but cancel while winding on the throttle is impossible and the horn ain't worth using on a 1200 anyway.
 
agree with gonzo ..

mostly when the very nice blind geriatric dwarf is pulling out in front of you and you give him a really heavy dose of the left indicator so that if by some miracle he does see you at last minute he pulls on out any way because you are turning left:mad: :mad: :mad: cheers
 
I like the BMW indicators.

I have small hands and on a Honda I used to find it difficult to change from right to left indicator on roundabouts whilst either slipping the clutch or changing gear.

Initially I thought I would have real difficulty with the right hand indicator/cancel switch, but I actually find it really easy to use and much easier to correctly indicate on roundabouts.

They get a thumbs up from me anyway.

Chris:thumb :thumb :thumb
 
Lemme see...

I'm going to try to remember how it all went yesterday on my way home...

The Scene is: Dark twisty road, overtaking a car.

Peek past car.
- Clutch in
- One gear down
- Clutch out
- Use right thumb to indicate right
- Give her a handfull
- Start overtake
- Clutch in
- One Gear up
- Clutch out
- Use left thumb to turn main beam on whilst next to car
- Observe oncoming lights in the distance behind next bend
- Use lef thumb to indicate left
- Observe oncoming car, who's just dipped the beam
- Figure out wether to change up a gear, cancel indicator or dip the beam
- Come to conclusion that all that needs to be done resembles the difficulty of what a CTRL-ALT-DELETE would be to a person without any limbs. :rolleyes:
- Body decides to indicate right, whilst fumbling around with clutch/gear-combo
- Finally get beam dipped, poor oncoming car
- Cancel right indicator with right thumb
- Swear about the )(*^£*&£$(Q**(&"£$(*"&^&%£^*&*^&(£ indicators...


WHY BMW, WHY THE F***?!?:shoot:
 
only have the gs 6 months and find the switch gear ok but the left indicator should definitely be louder
 
Another one..

... just before getting home last night, I was turning right at this mini roundabout... there was an articulated lorry coming towards me and I though that I'd slow down a bit so that he wouldn't have to stop for me... All fine he swishes past, but so does the idi** in the car behind, only to find me about 1m from her drivers door shining my light into the car. Luckily I kind of anticpated this and could safely stop - I even had time to press all the buttons to finally find the horn (first time ever intended to use it and actually used it!!!)... I must have pressed some other buttons too, as when I rode off I noticed my hazards were on... !!! Then comes the issue of turning them off... You don't really reach for the hazards-off on a daily basis... :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Again, focus taken off riding to fiddle with the bl**dy controls!!!

BMW - get me proper switch gear! I want to ride my bike, not feel like a touch-type-beginner! :shoot:
 
Bloody `ell

I just cannot get used to these sodding swithes!!
I`ve changed them around and I`m still hitting the wrong buttons!!
It`s like my back brain doesn`t want me to use the feckin horn ever again.
Every time I need it I go for the left indicator wherever it is located.
Why why why?
Maybe if I move the rear brake light switch to the horn button and put the horn button under the seat..........;)
 
IT BE THE CIDER THATS YER DOWNFALL!! :)
Click to expand...

Oh arrrrr! Oime reckonin yoom might be roit there Mr Drop.

Cheers fer pointin thit oot yur gert dollop. :D
 

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I "switch" :D back and forth between a BMW and a Ducati - no problem. The horn is my biggest issue!
 
Had my 1200GS for 3 days and almost got the hang of the indicators - I hope that by the end of the week I will be fully trained. It would be better if all bike manufactureres used the same system - would make switching between bikes much easier.
 
OK - so we have now established that some people like the BM switches and some dont. No prob - those who like them can keep them. They're happy.

But for those of us who dont, does anyone know how to convert the switches over to the Jap type? Will the switches from any other bike fit? Will they work with the canbus system? And how do you stop this bl***y self cancelling?

Surely someone out there has tried to convert?
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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