Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners

I've looked over the schematics in the Workshop Manual, and it lays out that the right handlebar control switch is up/down for the left/right turn signal control, and push for the horn button.

The left control switch is up/down for headlight high/low beam control, and the push button is for the headlight flasher (you can flash the headlight when the key is in the center run position, i.e. the lights are not switched on).

Assuming I am reading the schematic correctly, of course.

But at the same time, I've seen schematics which have the left control switch push button as the horn button, which makes sense for a bike that didn't have turn signals (it's the only push button control available).

But again, in just about every bike I've seen for sale which has a start/run/ride video, they always toot the horn using the left side push button. The horn on my bike is the left push button. I've never seen the right push button used for the horn, but that is based on relatively limited exposure to what is out there.

So my question is, if someone adds turn signals to a bike which did not have them (ahem), are they expected to switch the horn control from the left push button to the right push button, and convert the left push button to a headlight flasher (to conform with the layout that would have come from the importer, based on the workshop manual schematic).

But since the left push button connects the (horn) signal to the handlebar (i.e. ground), while the right pushbutton is a short between two wires, neither of which is ground, doesn't the left switch need to be replaced with a different version?

I am confused (not like that is difficult).

Any concours judges here, that could provide insight as to what control placement is "correct" on a bike with turn signals.

Not like I ever intend to put it before a concours judge, but I'd like to know what is right.

Are there differences in layout for the lever switches versus the swivel switches?

From everything I know, the horn button is always on the left switch and the headlight flasher, if used, is on the right switch. I have a first-generation reproduction turn signal switch on my '59 R50 and it has a headlight flash button, but no wire in the loom to connect to. I could have made up a new loom with the required wire, but just let it go as is.

Dave

How you add a directional switch of the proper type for Hella bar end signals.
First, LOOK at your throttle. There are two types of throttles. If you put your hand on the throttle grip, and stick your thumb out at a right angle, if the area of the perch, (see the photo below) under your thumb, has a round, machined off flat spot, with a 5 mm threaded hole, dead center of the flat spot, then you will need the 230 878 flat bottom base to mount the switch.

If your throttle does not have the machined flat spot, you can still mount the bat handled switch to that throttle body, using the 230 878.1 base. You have to mark your throttle, by holding the base in the correct position, and scribe a circle on your throttle, through the base, so you can drill and tap a 5 mm x .8 hole in the throttle to mount the base. You MUST remove the throttle from the handlebars before you drill and tap the hole!



The parts from the Bench Mark Works web site
32 72 1 230 878 -- $ flat bottom adapter turn switch base for throttles with the machined round flat spot EFS and EFT R26-R69S 1955-1969
OR
32 72 1 230 878.1 -- $ curved bottom adapter turn switch base for throttles without the machined round flat spot EFS and EFT R26-R69S 1955-1969
61 12 8 060 012 -- $ harness directional switch to bucket R26-R69S
61 31 8 048 183 -- $ Hella turn signal switch with horn contact R27-R69S RHS
This switch is a 4 wire switch. It has a power in, left and right feature, and then it also has a mash the button it feature, witch will ground the 4th wire when mashed in. That means you can either ignore and not wire it to anything, OR you can run the wire to the HO terminal and blow the horn from either side, OR wire it to be a kill button to shut off the engine while the main key is still pushed down. That is all up to you.