Neutral light gone.....

I'm purchasing a 1984 R65 with 108k miles on it that has been owned for the past 10 years by a good owner who has taken pretty darned good care of it. He tells me the only thing he can think of that doesn't work is the neutral light, because the connector that goes into the transmission came out. He says he has owned the bike for so long that he doesn't even look at the instrument cluster to see if the light was on, that he could just feel it go into neutral.

I'm wondering if this would be an expensive chore to have done by my local BMW dealer. Does anyone have any idea if the labor to re-attach the wire or probe (or whatever it is that senses neutral) is extensive and likely expensive, or not so bad? I'd sure like to have the little green light working as it should once again. If anyone has any experience or knowledge on this subject, I'd sure like to hear about it. My e-mail address is jgjanssen@charter.net if you prefer to reply in private, rather than by the board.

Thanks!

John

Either the switch end is messed up or the bulb is burned out. Try replacing the bulb first. You can do that yourself.

I don't recall if the R65 is a four or five speed gearbox. If it is a four speed, there is a rubber plug on the back and a wire slipped up from the bottom of the casting into which the plug fits. Is the wire held in place with the tiny screw, under the rubber plug? Five speed boxes have an actual switch, on the bottom of the gearbox. There are two wires going to these, one or the other may have come off. If they've broken off... then the switch requires replacement. You CAN do this yourself if you're not a mechanical moron. Probably cost you a bunch at the dealership, though.

I just replaced the neutral indicator switch on my 5-speed box. This is an easy DIY job, if you're remotely handy:

1) Drain tranny oil
2) Remove rear engine mounting stud (above centerstand). You can just undo one nut and tap the stud out from that side.
3) Remove rear exhaust. This isn't actually necessary (I don't think) but makes the rest of the process A LOT easier. Really the only piece that needs to come out is the crossover muffler.
4) Tap the spacer out. Use a block of wood and a hammer and tap it straight forward (not forward and up). You can then turn it and remove it.
5) Remove and replace the neutral switch. Clean the electrical connectors on the end of the wire with contact cleaner. Let dry thoroughly. Fill the connectors with dialectric grease and reconnect.
6) Carefully tap spacer back in place. Make sure to get vertical alignment just right, or have spacer a little low (so you can tap it a little upward if need be).
7) Put engine mount stud back in and tighten nuts.
8) Replace exhaust
9) Refill tranny oil