Hi all, I'm working on my K1100 which I bought with many parts missing and getting it back together gradually. The original clutch and front brake systems were either missing or badly damaged and the controls on both sides beyond reasonable repair. So it got interesting when I bought a Suzuki GSXR loom including levers and controls for a mere £20. All went well apart from having to buy a new 20mm master cylinder as the GSXR has only a 14mm piston. All of the electrical parts worked after I installed them except the flashers which won't turn off (which I expected as the Suzy item is latching and not momentary). Will I have to fit a Suzuki flasher unit and discard the BMW panel or can the BMW parts be modified for use? It does complicate things a little because the BMW switches to earth whereas the Suzuki switches the +12volts. I remember reading something on this from Dai but can't find it again.

https://www.k100-forum.com/t10150-wiring-in-non-bmw-handlebar-switches

It just got the major update I've been promising myself for a while, then conveniently forgetting about it

-Dai

Thank you Dia, that's a great write up and I'll need a bit of time to read through it all. Strangely enough, the indicator cancel wire simply is switched to earth to work. So, I put a 12 volt bulb in series ( to limit current draw) with one leg of the bulb to earth. Low and behold it works. It doesn't seem to affect the indicators when on and when switched off the indicators switch off correctly. Obviously the self cancel is now bypassed. I removed the bulb and connected the brown / white to earth and all works well. I'm just slightly concerned that I'm putting something under strain here but the first thing to do is read the Thread. Thanks again

The server with the pics is currently away with the fairies. I suspect it's down for maintenance as I can't access it from any direction. It'll be up again in a coupple of hours.

I reused all of the original control loom wires to try to maintain the ability to fault find using the colours as per the manual. Tricky little job resoldering all the switches but it's turned out ok. I have had to add another wire to the left hand plug and socket to take the R/H turn signal but there was a empty hole in the connector to do this. As a consequence ( apart from the self cancel function) new BMW controls could be plugged in at anytime in the future and work perfectly.

Nice going. There are too few people that are willing to mess with wiring looms despite the fact that it really isn't rocket science, just logical thinking.

I don't know which year your Suzuki switchgear is from, but back in the day my brother bought switchgear from a Suzuki GS1000 and put it on his MZ250, and I later put it on my 1977 MotoGuzzi California to replace the original Italian crappy plastic switchgear.

To get the same function as original, I had to solder some things inside the switchgear, but that was no problem, as all components were substantial.

I'm presuming that the loom came from a late 80's GSXR750 because I've seen similar items on eBay. There's very little doubt that the BMW switches were better quality than the Jap items but it all works fine. I took Dai's advice and drilled a 4.5mm hole in the handlebars on the right hand side to locate the control unit and stop the twist grip spinning round. Next step, new LED indicators and I've read all about it on these pages.

Actually, those plastic Japanese switches are... Italian! The majority of handlebar switches and twistgrips are made by Domino-Tomaselli. Take any two l/h or r/h switches and you'll find that although the switch caps and shells might be slightly different shapes, the guts of the switches are identical right down to the mounting points. The only other big manufacturer I can think of is Minda in India and they seem to be almost exclusively for Indian-made bikes. You can ignore Chinese switches because they're a knock-off of Domino-Tomaselli kit.

I did think there must be a big difference between Japanese made items (or Italian as you say) and the brand new controls on sale on eBay for £19 per pair ( probably from china). Why else would people ask 3 times as much for used OEM parts? The only current issue I have is that the throttle cable inner is 1/2" to short so throttle bodies don't fully close even with all adjustments made. The BMW clutch cable works fine with the Suzy lever but I did have to drill out the lever to take the slightly larger nipple. I used the Suzy cable adjuster because the BMW is a fine thread M10. I'm investigating the possibility of shortening the outer throttle cable by 1/2" but that will need care not to damage the inner.

Dai wrote:Actually, those plastic Japanese switches are... Italian! The majority of handlebar switches and twistgrips are made by Domino-Tomaselli. Take any two l/h or r/h switches and you'll find that although the switch caps and shells might be slightly different shapes, the guts of the switches are identical right down to the mounting points. The only other big manufacturer I can think of is Minda in India and they seem to be almost exclusively for Indian-made bikes. You can ignore Chinese switches because they're a knock-off of Domino-Tomaselli kit.

I seriously doubt that the Japanese used Italian parts in 1979, when my Suzuki GS1000 switchgear was made.

The original Italian handlebar switches were utter low-grade plastic crap, with tiny self-tapping screws holding the halves together. They were not even worthy to fit on a kids electric toy bike.

We used to call the Guzzi switches 'dolly mixtures' (look it up - it's a multicoloured sweet/candy). You're right about Eighties switchgear - if you take the top off it I'd guess it probably says Nippon inside it. It was in the Nineties that Domino-Tomaselli went for world domination. For years my preference for replacement switches was late-Seventies kit with the metal casings, before they disappeared into a black hole somewhere.

Glyn wrote:Thank you Dia, that's a great write up and I'll need a bit of time to read through it all. Strangely enough, the indicator cancel wire simply is switched to earth to work. So, I put a 12 volt bulb in series ( to limit current draw) with one leg of the bulb to earth. Low and behold it works. It doesn't seem to affect the indicators when on and when switched off the indicators switch off correctly. Obviously the self cancel is now bypassed. I removed the bulb and connected the brown / white to earth and all works well. I'm just slightly concerned that I'm putting something under strain here but the first thing to do is read the Thread. Thanks again

Looks like Dai's status has been elevated.

In the Land of Eccentrics 'Dia' is Irish for God! I knew it.

It's the same in Scots Gaelic too, Olaf.

Have a look for secondhand switches for a Piaggio Beverly scooter - the older ones are in good quality die cast alloy casings that polish up well. Internals are substantial and re-solderable. Like the late seventies stuff you're describing.