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Does anybody have any tips, procedures, or knowledge of a kit, with which I may have 4-way flashers on a 1988 R100RS?

My 77 75/7 has them as a stock fitment , but I dont know if it was Australian requirement at the time or OEM.

The switch is fitted to the center of the bars with two hose clips so it looks a bit loka an add on.

GSPD has a way to do it. Quite simple.
Hopefully he will chime in.

Install a switch between the right flasher hot lead to the left flasher hot lead.

When the switch is 'ON', and you activate either flasher, all 4 will flash.

If you have only one dashboard flasher indicator, it won't flash.
If you have 2 (left and right) dash flasher indicators, they will both flash when the 4-ways are on.

You don't have to connect in to the actual flasher socket, you can tap in to them in the headlight or anywhere in the flasher switch harness.
just look for ANY blue wire with a red stripe and ANY blue wire with a black stripe and put the switch between them.

gspd wrote:Install a switch between the right flasher hot lead to the left flasher hot lead.

When the switch is 'ON', and you activate either flasher, all 4 will flash.

If you have only one dashboard flasher indicator, it won't flash.
If you have 2 (left and right) dash flasher indicators, they will both flash when the 4-ways are on.

You don't have to connect in to the actual flasher socket, you can tap in to them in the headlight or anywhere in the flasher switch harness.
just look for ANY blue wire with a red stripe and ANY blue wire with a black stripe and put the switch between them.

Thanks for that!

on my 77RS : hotwire and a switch between left and right turn signal, this work great

Beware... if you do this, you need to have a flasher relay that will support 4 x 21w bulbs. Most modern flashers will but many older ones (including those fitted as stock to BMW airheads) won't.

FWIW, I came up with a design for hazard flashers that had the following features:

1) Will work with any flasher relay

2) The flashers continue to work when the ignition is switched off (The BMW kit has this feature). Obviously, if you are leaving the bike to deal with an 'incident' you don't want to leave the keys in the ignition... not if you want to keep the bike

3) The flashers cannot be switched on when the ignition is switched off (The BMW kite has this feature). This means that nobody can fiddle with and switch the flashers on when the bike is parked.

4) If the engine is running and the flashers are on when the ignition is switched off, the engine will continue to idle... but... as soon as anyone tries to ride off, the engine will stall. (The BMW kit does not have this feature but many emergency vehicles do) The reason for this is that 4 way flashers will quickly run the battery down. 4 x 21 watt bulbs equate to 84 watts so even if they are only on half the time, this equates to 42 Watts (actually a bit more but never mind that) This is getting into the ballpark of leaving a headlight burning full time. This means that, even after a fairly short period, the bike may not want to start. Leaving it idling may not put much charge in the battery but, at least, you won't need to start up again... and if you have a 'cruise control', you can lift the idle. You have to keep the temperature issue in mind, of course but nothing's perfect.

Can supply a diagram if anyone is interested.

Rob

I believe that during the 1977 model year (at least) that 4 way flashers were available as a dealer or distributer option. Most '77 bikes don't have them, some do.

My '77R100S doesn't have one. My '77 R100/7 does.

In the USA Butler and Smith were in the habit of creating "Specials" in both '77 and '78. Both BMW and Butler and Smith were reportedly desperate to sell motorcycles during that period. (I seem to remember double digit inflation and skyrocketing prices on everything.) Butler and Smith created certain motorcycle "packages" or promotions and BMW AG was happy to support the efforts by supplying what the distributers wanted. (Duane Ausherman might need to correct me on a point or two here.)

My '77 R100/7 was such a "special". It came in the almost universally disliked Havana Gold (AKA shit brown), including a matching Luftmeister fairing. It also had a 4 way hazard flasher. I saw a Butler and Smith flyer (on the internet) promoting the bike as a special. I also saw a few photos of a pristine '77 R100/7 which was a dead ringer to mine. I seem to recall that luggage was not part of the special but was available as a dealer installed option. My guess is that it was BMW that installed the 4-way flashers as opposed to Butler and Smith.

I have another R100S, this one being a '78 R100S "Touring", which was also a "Special". It was documented in Cycle magazine as a road test. According to the article there was a great demand by American customers for a touring R100 with more power. (The Cycle Magazine article didn't talk about BMW and Butler and Smith being desperate to sell motorcycles, but it's pretty easy to infer.) According to the article BMW shipped a naked R100S with high USA bars to Butler and Smith. B&S would then install a smoke red color matched Luftmeister fairing, or not, depending on what the dealer wanted. The bike was officially designated as a "R100S Touring". My 'R100S Touring bike has the Luftmeister fairing including lowers. It does not have luggage. Apparently luggage was a dealer installed option. The bike does NOT have a 4-way flasher.

I've been trying to promote the 1978 BMW R100S Touring bike as a very rare, highly desireable, collector motorcycle. Unfortunately so far I've only been able to convince one person--me!

I don't think I'll even bother promoting my 1977 BMW R100/7 as either special or ultra rare.



Ken

Hang on. A couple of years ago this topic came up and I got a schematic for this very thing. I'll have to find it. It's SOMEWHERE on my hard drive...but it's lunch time this minute.
You'r gonna have to buy some stuff.

Rob Frankham wrote:Beware... if you do this, you need to have a flasher relay that will support 4 x 21w bulbs. Most modern flashers will but many older ones (including those fitted as stock to BMW airheads) won't.

FWIW, I came up with a design for hazard flashers that had the following features:

1) Will work with any flasher relay

2) The flashers continue to work when the ignition is switched off (The BMW kit has this feature). Obviously, if you are leaving the bike to deal with an 'incident' you don't want to leave the keys in the ignition... not if you want to keep the bike

3) The flashers cannot be switched on when the ignition is switched off (The BMW kite has this feature). This means that nobody can fiddle with and switch the flashers on when the bike is parked.

4) If the engine is running and the flashers are on when the ignition is switched off, the engine will continue to idle... but... as soon as anyone tries to ride off, the engine will stall. (The BMW kit does not have this feature but many emergency vehicles do) The reason for this is that 4 way flashers will quickly run the battery down. 4 x 21 watt bulbs equate to 84 watts so even if they are only on half the time, this equates to 42 Watts (actually a bit more but never mind that) This is getting into the ballpark of leaving a headlight burning full time. This means that, even after a fairly short period, the bike may not want to start. Leaving it idling may not put much charge in the battery but, at least, you won't need to start up again... and if you have a 'cruise control', you can lift the idle. You have to keep the temperature issue in mind, of course but nothing's perfect.

Can supply a diagram if anyone is interested.

Rob

I would be interested in that one, Rob!
thanks, Hal