75' R60/6 Instrument Cluster?

I have a 75' R60/6. The instrument cluster that is on the bike I was told isn't correct for the bike. (Electrical Harness will not connect) So I was told that if the harness is not hooked up the charging system isn't functioning. Is this a correct statment? Right now it just seems to be an annoinance as far as the lights in the center of the cluster not working. And if anyone out there knows where I can get the correct cluster for the bike I would like that info.
Thanks for the help. I would post a pic of the bike but I haven't quite figured out how to do that on here yet.

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If on a properly connected cluster the GEN light bulb burns out, the battery wont charge. There is some wiring magic that will bypass this but I've never thought about it. Some aftermarket charging system upgrades have included the so called magic into their system.
I can't figure how your harness won't connect though as I understand all the clusters after the slash 5 are the same.
Maybe yours is upside down or something.
When I post pics I don't add them as an attachment. I go to a hosting site like http://imageshack.us/ and download it to their server as a resized image for message boards and after its been hosted, copy the "Hotlink for Websites" bar to this text window. This allows you to load dozens of photos and preview them without fail.
contact me with any questions.
-dan in michigan

danielroth said:

There is some wiring magic that will bypass this but I've never thought about it.

Click to expand...

This page describes the "magic" which can be used to bypass the situation with no instrument cluster/wiring or be used as a backup to situations when the gen lamp burns out.

http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/genlampresistor.htm

sweet

Yea, thats how to do it alright.
I just might get on that this weekend.
Voodude, this change may have been made to your machine. I can't see how else you would be able to keep it running without constantly putting it on a charger.
Still, I think the instrument pod you have is "correct" but the guy may have meant that the drive ratio for the speedo was wrong. It should connect but I know how tricky it is to get that connector screwed in.

Thanks for the info guys. The guy definetly told me that the harness wasn't hooked up but I'm not sure what kind of wireing "magic" was done to it in the past. The speedo and tach work fine. Just no electrics for the cluster.

Hi, Voodude,
If I remember correctly, the '74 through '77 instrument clusters are the same, with the exception of the speedometers being different depending on the final drive gearing. There was a change in '78. The tachometer went from a mechanical, cable-driven instrument to an electronic instrument. I believe there were changes in the instrument cluster, too, like (maybe) the alternator and oil pressure lights changed position, etc. It's possible the instrument cluster you have is the later one fitted to an earlier bike.