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I hate the r1100r horn/turn signal setup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wineguyd

WineGuyD
Okay, after of a summer of hell dealing with mileage problems caused by a lousy BMW mechanic(see "why am i getting only 25mpg thread) I'm now fully enjoying my bike. BUT I can barely tolerate the turn signal set up with left and right switches buried under the grip housing and the awkward cancel switch that requires my right thumb to move in a direction that God never intended! And forget about the horn switch...what alternate universe did the engineers that came up with that design come from? Does anyone really believe that in the split second a motorcyclist has to sound the horn to avoid an accident that their thumb muscle instinct would be to leverage upward(against all natural movements of the thumb) versus pressing?

Yesterday I drove up to Kingston NY on the Hudson to have Pirate Upholstery replace my seat covers(great folks BTW, top notch work) and on the way back a jackass in a Beemer(note "in" not "on") cut over three lanes to make a left turn, without a signal of course, and I almost went into his rear. In that moment I managed to hit the left turn signal and hi/lo beam switch with my thumb...everything but the horn! And I recently upgraded to a Stebel Nautilus so if it had blasted I would have scared that crap out of the guy. That was an epiphany!

So now that I've vented...can any one tell me if it's reasonably possible to swap the control clusters with those from a bike that have a normal press horn and rocker switch turn signal?

HELP!!!
 
I installed the Strebel horn about a month ago and it has been a godsend. The horn switch is a little odd, but you do get used to it. My thumb is, quite literally, there all the time. The horn is great because, if you barely touch it, the sound is noticeable, but pleasant. If you let it rip, it's down right loud and annoying...just what the doctor ordered.
 
I installed the Strebel horn about a month ago and it has been a godsend. The horn switch is a little odd, but you do get used to it. My thumb is, quite literally, there all the time. The horn is great because, if you barely touch it, the sound is noticeable, but pleasant. If you let it rip, it's down right loud and annoying...just what the doctor ordered.

It's the loudest compact horn on the market...sounds like a Mack Truck! Had one on my Vespa scooter and it saved my tail daily.
 
I had a similar problem with the K75 horn, turn signals, high beam. It took some time but I was able to get used to it and now I find it "normal." When I ride other bikes I have a problem with the turn signals. I find the BMW arrangement convenient and there is no problem with thumb movements. Practice a bit more and see if things improve. It's cheaper than replacing everything.
 
Make sure the controls are rotated for a good lever position - maybe 30 degrees below horizontal. If the levers are rotated higher than that then the control switches are too far around under the bars.
 
Make sure the controls are rotated for a good lever position - maybe 30 degrees below horizontal. If the levers are rotated higher than that then the control switches are too far around under the bars.

Do they in fact rotate on the hi rise bars? I thought I saw a detent pin holding them at a specific angle.
 
Practice reaching for the horn every time you are on the bike. I promise you that it will become second nature.
 
Horns are generally useless in this AC climate controlled, triple insulated soundproof glass, and 10 speaker surround sound system cars of today.

Best solution is to keep a big cushion, and concentrate on avoidance, not warning some clueless driver.
 
Practice reaching for the horn every time you are on the bike. I promise you that it will become second nature.

Very good point. During a time of need (accident or merging motorist) what you've practised becomes automatic. I had a parts truck drive onto my bike years ago from the side (didn't see it until almost too late) and my attempts to hit the horn I later realized were focused on the airhead hi/low switch by mistake (he backed right up onto my faring, pretty surprised how well it repelled him).
I now have an air horn (naturally, what else with a turbo and such) but I find I use it all the time, and yes, people in closed vehicles do hear it right away:wave.
 
I have put loud horns on my bikes, but frankly, I never use them until I am safely out of the way.

If someone is so asleep at the wheel that they would run over you, what do you think is really going to happen when you wake them up and scare the crap out of them?

A horn doesn't often save the day, it's just a way of telling the other guy that he's an idiot, and nobody likes getting that message. The way to save yourself is to be aware of your surroundings and get out of the way. Might does make right on the road, and you'll be very sorry to learn that the hard way.

BTW, one thing that is handy about the paddle switch setup is that you can have instant flashers. If you're going down the highway and suddenly there is a sea of red ligths ahead of you, just push both turn signal paddles with your thumbs. I'm not sure Bosch/BMW intended this function, but it does work, and it's way easier to do and more useful than a horn.

Good luck to you, I'm very glad to see that you got your bike sorted!
 
I can't recall the last time I used the horn on my RS to ward off a potential traffic issue. Space cushion, lane placement, visibility to me are more effective than the horn.

Once I got used to the signals layout, I actually prefer it over other bikes and the newer BMWs. Just me though.
 
I can't recall the last time I used the horn on my RS to ward off a potential traffic issue. Space cushion, lane placement, visibility to me are more effective than the horn.

Once I got used to the signals layout, I actually prefer it over other bikes and the newer BMWs. Just me though.

I beg to differ. I have seen people stop in the middle of a bad move when I've honked at them.
 
I beg to differ. I have seen people stop in the middle of a bad move when I've honked at them.

I don't doubt it, but I've also had people swerve back and forth between lanes when I've done it. "Ohmigosh! where's that semi truck that's honking at me??"

That's why I don't use the horn any more unless I'm already safely away from them. Their reaction is essentially random and unpredictable.
 
I always liked the BMW switch set-up. I never had a problem witht he thumb action to cancel turn signals or actuate the horn. You may want to try to rotate the switch housings a little.
 
I can't recall the last time I used the horn on my RS to ward off a potential traffic issue. Space cushion, lane placement, visibility to me are more effective than the horn.

Once I got used to the signals layout, I actually prefer it over other bikes and the newer BMWs. Just me though.

I feel the same way too.
 
I have put loud horns on my bikes, but frankly, I never use them until I am safely out of the way.

If someone is so asleep at the wheel that they would run over you, what do you think is really going to happen when you wake them up and scare the crap out of them?

A horn doesn't often save the day, it's just a way of telling the other guy that he's an idiot, and nobody likes getting that message. The way to save yourself is to be aware of your surroundings and get out of the way. Might does make right on the road, and you'll be very sorry to learn that the hard way.

BTW, one thing that is handy about the paddle switch setup is that you can have instant flashers. If you're going down the highway and suddenly there is a sea of red ligths ahead of you, just push both turn signal paddles with your thumbs. I'm not sure Bosch/BMW intended this function, but it does work, and it's way easier to do and more useful than a horn.
That IS the intended way to activate the 4way on my F800Gs

Good luck to you, I'm very glad to see that you got your bike sorted!

When it comes to dealing with traffic, it does not matter who is right, only who is left.
 
I don't doubt it, but I've also had people swerve back and forth between lanes when I've done it. "Ohmigosh! where's that semi truck that's honking at me??"

That's why I don't use the horn any more unless I'm already safely away from them. Their reaction is essentially random and unpredictable.

While I appreciate the debate on the effectiveness of a horn, I'd still like to hear from Beemer owners that have the same set up as mine and whether they have tried a work around. Wunderlich makes an add-on lever for the turn signal cancel switch but that only solves one out of the three issues. I'm tempted to just bypass the built in horn switch and add a push button!

But I'm really interested to know if it's possible to retro fit newer control assemblies with the more conventional switches.
 
You can retrofit anything to anything if you have enough time, skill and/or money to throw at the problem. BMW switch schemes have evolved over the years and I find when I switch from my older airheads to my oilhead there is sometimes a bit of confusion initially which quickly disappears as old ingrained use habits come back to life.

Quite honestly the best way to solve your switch problem is more practice. With more saddle time it all becomes second nature. Except the horn which I barely ever use. I still find I have to 'hunt' for it and by then it is usually no longer needed anyway.
 
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