Selden Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Has anybody ever experimented with installing indicator lights for the grip heaters? Maybe this is a feature on newer BMWs, but on my R1100RT, it would be a convenience at night to know if the grip heaters are on, and if high or low. Seems like a couple of LEDs (Red for high and yellow for low) would do the job. Link to comment
Ken H. Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Yes that would be about all there is too it. Slice it in. It's regular old 12V on the R1100 and R1150 series. If spliced in right before the grips, it would be dimmer on low than on high. If you wanted seperate high low lights, you'd have to pick it up near the switch, pre low setting load resistor (which is in wiring harness.) Link to comment
smiller Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Would an indicator light be any easier than just looking at the switch? Link to comment
OoPEZoO Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Would an indicator light be any easier than just looking at the switch? Sure.....especially when riding in the dark. I know I can't see the switch at all when riding from dusk till dawn. I leave for work around 5:30am and while I can see it just fine this time of year, that is not so much the case for fall/winter/spring. Infact, I can't tell you how many times I've accidently pushed the hazard switch or ABS switch instead of the heated grip switch when blindly fiddling around on a dark morning. Link to comment
Selden Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 Would an indicator light be any easier than just looking at the switch? Same reason sun dials don't work at night. Maybe I'll look into this at the Atlanta tech day, when I have the plastic off. This weekend I noticed that the last illumination bulb in the tach has died, so I'm going to have to pull the instrument panel plastic anyway. Link to comment
DavidEBSmith Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Would an indicator light be any easier than just looking at the switch? In the dark it would be. You could check the police bikes area of the parts fiche to see if there's an illuminated switch that might work. It also looks like you can buy the cover part of the switch separately and get inserts for it. Without looking at the wiring diagram, shouldn't you be able to tap into either or both of the outputs from the switch to power an indicator light? Link to comment
DavidEBSmith Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Infact, I can't tell you how many times I've accidently pushed the hazard switch or ABS switch instead of the heated grip switch when blindly fiddling around on a dark morning. What I did with mine, I got some fiber optic strands, put a red LED at one end, and slipped the free ends through the spaces between the switches and the dashboard at the corners of the switches. The effect is that there are little red pinpoints of light at the outer corners of the switches. They're not overly bright or distracting but they make it easy to find the switches. Link to comment
Selden Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 I'm not concerned with finding the switch, just knowing by sight what position it's in. I just stopped at Radio Shack, and found almost exactly what I was looking for, two 12V LEDs, red and green (I was hoping for yellow) each in a socket with a retaining nut -- just the thing for inserting in the dash. At $1.99 each, I'm willing to take a leap of faith that I will be able to get to the terminals on the switch and make this work the way I want. It's an almost useless farkle, but the price is right. Link to comment
Paul Mihalka Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 I really don't get it. I just touch the switch, if I want I click it toward off, and I know where it was and put it where I want it. Usually I even remember to where I switched it the last time. IMHO extra wiring or whatever just to know where the switch is set is overkill. Link to comment
Selden Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 I'm not arguing that it isn't overkill. But the seat heaters in my Subaru have high and low indicator lights that I can check at a glance. That's probably where I got the idea. Link to comment
marcopolo Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 I can tell just by feeling the grips whether they're on, and if they are, where they're set. Link to comment
PLW Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I can tell just by feeling the grips whether they're on, and if they are, where they're set. LOL.....What a concept. But clearly not complicated enough for some people. Link to comment
Selden Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 I never claimed I was being rational. Link to comment
PLW Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I never claimed I was being rational. In your defense, those switches could use some kind of illumination, an old school aircraft instrument post light would probably provide enough light to find them in the dark. Link to comment
tomk99r11 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Also, it is your bike and if you want the switch lit up go for it. Link to comment
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