Rohls wrote:
I'm thinkin' my whole problem may lie in the auto flasher I stuck in there...(trident Stant...I think..550?). I'd love not to buy the stock one...anybody had luck with this 'cheap' fix?
Nick
It is a common fix to use a different flasher unit, and there is a list somewhere of alternatives that work, but I can't remember where it is. My old girl has a non-OEM unit, but there are no identifying marks on it. It only uses 3 wires - no earth (brown wire).
Ah, I've just done a bit of blundering about in Snowbum's site and found this -
"After the /5, the electronic flashers are a bit complicated inside. There are three different uses/types of these flashers. On the early version flasher relays, there is a terminal 49G, which has the same function as 49a on later relays. Early flashers had the indicator lamp on terminal C, later ones had the same type of function, but the terminal is now marked KBL.
ALL of the flashers from 1974 can be replaced very similarly with such as the Tridon EL13..or HD13....and similar. If your motorcycle has TWO indicator lamps (one for left, one for right), then there is NO connection to "C" or "KBL", and you need NOT be concerned about making that connection when substituting an aftermarket flasher relay.
The BMW flasher is rather pricey, and has special indication when a lamp burns out. You loose that when installing an aftermarket flasher relay, no big deal at all, as far as I am concerned. It is possible to rather easily add a piezo tone unit to any of the flasher setups. These don't use the brown ground wire that BMW's flasher relay does.
A recently recommended substitute is the Blazer (or, Tridon/Stant) flasher. The model used was 550, which is a thermal flasher, but handles the BMW lamps just fine, and would even handle extra lamps, such as on a trailer or hack. An electronic unit could also be used. I recommend that for the /5 you use the thermal flasher, it is easy to connect, and for /6 and later, you use the mentioned EL13 or HD13 or equivalent.
Do NOT use the solid brown wire that BMW had in its connection to the original flasher relay (1974+). Connect the old wire that went to KBL or C to the flasher P terminal. The BMW wire for this is probably Black/White or green. The aftermarket flasher relay probably has a terminal marked X, that goes to the +12 power, the old wire connected to flasher terminal 49, likely was green/black. The turn signal output of the new flasher relay is L, for LOAD, and is likely green/yellow.
Connect the P (which stands for PILOT lamp) terminal to the indicator lamp (usually a green wire); the X terminal to the +12 power (old terminal 49 wire, green-black); and the L terminal to the load (old terminal 49a, green-yellow). If you have two INDICATOR lamps, don't connect to the P terminal."
Stolen from Snowbum's (Robert Fleischer) site
http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/electricalhints.htm
I hope that offers some help. I think it implies that the Stant 550 should work, but the EL13 or HD13 is preferred.
