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OH S#&%@


Rob L

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Last night I went to Mass and was riding out of the subdivision. As I approached an intersection, I saw a truck driving directly at me in my lane. There was no where to go!! The driver was ogling some ladies who were standing on the sidewalk and not paying any attention to where he was going. I grabbed brakes, headed for the curb, and tried to blow the horn. NO horn! The ladies cringed which caused the driver to look up and slam on his brakes just in time. He immediately appoligized. I looked down at the dash wondering why the horn had not worked. My left turnsignal was on! I had pushed the turn signal instead of the horn. I have done this before inadvertantly. This is probably my biggest gripe with BMW controls... I hate the pacement of the horn button eek.gif I have ridden BMW bikes with this design for well over 100k miles and still miss having a button that I would push in instead of up. frown.gif

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I'm glad your OK....the horn placement is an issue for me...but the worse part for me is that I switch between bikes all the time...The Harley. Kawa and the BMW....everything is in different places...I started using hand signals when changing lanes to avoid confussion...

 

Whip

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Francois_Dumas

I have so far NEVER been able to hit the horn button.... and kinda came to peace with myself, deciding I will not even try to use it... just evade and think afterwards.

 

Funny thing, when taking lessons a few years ago on a Kawa I would ALWAYS hit the horn instead of the turn signal... earning me a bunch of 'funny' remarks in my headphones from the instructor following me.

 

Nothing is perfect I guess.... crazy.gif

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I have so far NEVER been able to hit the horn button.... and kinda came to peace with myself, deciding I will not even try to use it... just evade and think afterwards.
The horn (no matter how loud) doesn't tell people what you're intending to DO, it only registers a complaint… so why use it ? dopeslap.gif
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I am also so far unable to locate my horn when I need it. I think I ought to go to a quiet place and practice riding and honking. Ony problem, I have told myself this before and always seem to forget to go p dopeslap.gifractice. Argh.

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I'm glad you're fine. I too have yet to find the horn when I need it. I have even shelved plans on upgrades it. I'll just visiously signal a left turn instead! crazy.gif

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The horn (no matter how loud) doesn't tell people what you're intending to DO, it only registers a complaint… so why use it ? dopeslap.gif

I DIDN"T need to tell this guy what to do, i only needed to draw his attention away from the distraction and let him know that I was there thumbsup.gif I don't bother to sound a horn if I have a complaint, I twist the grip and put distance between myself and the offender grin.gif

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The horn (no matter how loud) doesn't tell people what you're intending to DO, it only registers a complaint… so why use it ?

 

I've used my horn many times for more than just registering a complaint.... eek.gif The horn on the RT is an awesome attention getter and it's saved my rearend several times thumbsup.gif.

 

I've made a habit of covering the horn button when I'm riding in traffic, it's now become second nature to me.

 

I always halfway assume that someone is not paying the amount of attention that they should be smirk.gif.

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Last night I went to Mass...

 

Sounds like you had someone looking out for you. I'm glad the women were paying attention.

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Stan Walker

I've made a habit of covering the horn button when I'm riding in traffic

 

Exactly right. My thumb is either on the horn, or on the high beam flasher, depending on the traffic situation I'm in and which would be most likely to be noticed.

 

After 100,000 miles on an RT, my left thumb knows where both are.

 

Stan

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Last night I went to Mass...

 

Sounds like you had someone looking out for you. I'm glad the women were paying attention.

thumbsup.gifthumbsup.gifthumbsup.gif

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Carnadero
I had pushed the turn signal instead of the horn. I have done this before inadvertantly.

Question: If the horn and turn signal functions were swapped (turn signal button becomes horn button, and vice versa), would that be more user-friendly for you? It seems that both switches are likely momentary-contact switches, and that switching the wires across would work (should be possible to do). Now the only problem would be the little function diagrams but some sandpaper plus paint would probably take care of that... grin.gif

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Yeah David, but as you pointed out in another thread: "Safe" and "fun" are antithetical.

 

Given a binary choice, I'll take "Fun!"

 

G.

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russell_bynum

[bThe driver was ogling some ladies who were standing on the sidewalk and not paying any attention to where he was going.[/b]

 

Pretty ladies: Making men do stupid sh*t since the begining of time.

 

eek.gif

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I had pushed the turn signal instead of the horn. I have done this before inadvertantly.

Question: If the horn and turn signal functions were swapped (turn signal button becomes horn button, and vice versa), would that be more user-friendly for you? It seems that both switches are likely momentary-contact switches, and that switching the wires across would work (should be possible to do). Now the only problem would be the little function diagrams but some sandpaper plus paint would probably take care of that... grin.gif

 

Yeah, that would work, but could be a problem when I trade this thing in smile.gif I tried to test a new GT on Saturday , but the owner of the dealership had taken the demo bike for the weekend. Probably a good thing for me grin.gif

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The world would be a safer place without pretty women. tongue.gif

And...not a lot of fun. Just old men and their ugly motorcycles trying to impress each other. How dull grin.gif

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madness522

I rode a Honda cruiser before buying the RT and the switch to turn off the turn signals is very close to the same spot as the RT's horn. One of the first rides I made on it I tried to turn off the turn signal and imagine my surprise when the horn went off. It was almost a check yer shorts moment....

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Francois_Dumas

. ... talk about the devil..... we should not have started this discussion !!

 

Today for the first time since I own it, I hit the horn button instead of the turn signal..... scaring the bejeezes out of the lady in her mini-Japanese in the lane next to me.... 'Sorry ma'am !!!' <grin> !

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. ... talk about the devil..... we should not have started this discussion !!

 

Today for the first time since I own it, I hit the horn button instead of the turn signal..... scaring the bejeezes out of the lady in her mini-Japanese in the lane next to me.... 'Sorry ma'am !!!' <grin> !

 

It only happens to me when I pull into a gas station ...look down and see the blinker on...push the button to turn it off...HORN BLASTS!!!!!!!!!!!!....everyone looks at me like I'm crazy....the guy carrying the six pack and the Pringles jumps in the air and almost drops the Pringles...double grabs the beer......I fill up without taking my helmet off and leave the dark shield down the whole time.....no one knows who that idiot was... dopeslap.gif

 

Whip

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Shawnee Bill

Ok, BMW bashing again! And we just had a guy threaten to drop off this forum because of HD bashing!

 

The BMW turn signals switches are great, just where they should be, easy to work, there are so natural, the best, easiest to operate of any bike I have ever ridden.

My son, a honda rider, keeps asking me if he can fit some to his honda some way.

 

Horn? We got horns???

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Francois_Dumas
. ... talk about the devil..... we should not have started this discussion !!

 

Today for the first time since I own it, I hit the horn button instead of the turn signal..... scaring the bejeezes out of the lady in her mini-Japanese in the lane next to me.... 'Sorry ma'am !!!' <grin> !

 

It only happens to me when I pull into a gas station ...look down and see the blinker on...push the button to turn it off...HORN BLASTS!!!!!!!!!!!!....everyone looks at me like I'm crazy....the guy carrying the six pack and the Pringles jumps in the air and almost drops the Pringles...double grabs the beer......I fill up without taking my helmet off and leave the dark shield down the whole time.....no one knows who that idiot was... dopeslap.gif

 

Whip

 

ROFL !!!!! I can see it clearly !!!! grin.gifgrin.gifgrin.gifthumbsup.gif

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Francois_Dumas
Ok, BMW bashing again! And we just had a guy threaten to drop off this forum because of HD bashing!

 

The BMW turn signals switches are great, just where they should be, easy to work, there are so natural, the best, easiest to operate of any bike I have ever ridden.

My son, a honda rider, keeps asking me if he can fit some to his honda some way.

 

Horn? We got horns???

 

Bashing !!?? Who's bashing anything other than our THUMBS !!!!??? grin.gifgrin.gifwave.gif

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Ok, BMW bashing again! And we just had a guy threaten to drop off this forum because of HD bashing!

 

The BMW turn signals switches are great, just where they should be, easy to work, there are so natural, the best, easiest to operate of any bike I have ever ridden.

My son, a honda rider, keeps asking me if he can fit some to his honda some way.

 

Horn? We got horns???

 

Bashing !!?? Who's bashing anything other than our THUMBS !!!!??? grin.gifgrin.gifwave.gif

 

 

Is Thumb bashing against the rules.....grin.gif

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Bashing !!?? Who's bashing anything other than our THUMBS !!!!??? grin.gifgrin.gifwave.gif

 

ME clap.gifclap.gif

I almost bashed the front of a 4 wheel drive ford pickup eek.gifdopeslap.gifbncry.gif

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. ... talk about the devil..... we should not have started this discussion !!

 

Today for the first time since I own it, I hit the horn button instead of the turn signal..... scaring the bejeezes out of the lady in her mini-Japanese in the lane next to me.... 'Sorry ma'am !!!' <grin> !

 

It only happens to me when I pull into a gas station ...look down and see the blinker on...push the button to turn it off...HORN BLASTS!!!!!!!!!!!!....everyone looks at me like I'm crazy....the guy carrying the six pack and the Pringles jumps in the air and almost drops the Pringles...double grabs the beer......I fill up without taking my helmet off and leave the dark shield down the whole time.....no one knows who that idiot was... dopeslap.gif

 

Whip

 

 

clap.gif and I thought I was the only person that's done that... dopeslap.gif I did that the first time I took my daughter for a ride on my RT and I thought she was going to jump off the bike she was so surprised...LOL

 

Dave thumbsup.gif

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Quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Last night I went to Mass...

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

At first I thought you rode to Massachusetts. confused.gif

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Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs

First off, I'm glad that you're okay. Whenever I try to toot the horn casually, I can't find it, but whenever I think I need it my thumb has always found it okay. I don't use it as replacement for evasive action however.

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Because I constantly switch between the Honda and RT I get mixed up often. I'm ok on the RT, but on the Honda I find myself looking for the turn signal tab on the rt bar.

 

Early on I liked the Honda set up better, but today the opposite is true.

 

I think I'd like a cancel tab on each bar, it would seem more intutiative then pressing left and then right to cancel?

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Get a (Kisan) Signal Minder - it plugs into your fuse box where the flasher relay was, and it reconfigures your controls so that the turn buttons becomes their own cancel buttons. It's not as responsive as the factory switches, but it works okay.

(What DOESN'T work well is the hazard lights - they turn ON just fine, but it takes a lot of patience to get them to turn off.)

 

I've also got the 'auto-switch' which uses the cancel button (if held for a full second) to turn on/off my cornering lights.

 

Neither of these makes the horn button easier to find/use, though. (The BigMak bags seems to find it just fine, when doing low speed turns in gas stations or anywhere else there are lots of people...)

 

G.

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Blue Beemer Dude
I've made a habit of covering the horn button when I'm riding in traffic

 

Exactly right. My thumb is either on the horn, or on the high beam flasher, depending on the traffic situation I'm in and which would be most likely to be noticed.

 

After 100,000 miles on an RT, my left thumb knows where both are.

 

Stan

 

It's on the left? dopeslap.gif

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All my available brain power is used up deciding whether to gas it, brake, or swerve in a tight spot. By the time I think about hitting the horn its way too late.

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The horn (no matter how loud) doesn't tell people what you're intending to DO, it only registers a complaint… so why use it ? dopeslap.gif

Quite obviously, because it is a "wake up call". In this case, if the guy had heard it, he might have come to his senses and hit the brakes earlier.

 

Bob.

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My theory is that the Chairman of the Board or someone high up in at BMW has an idiot nephew who graduated engineering school because he was sleeping with the Registrar. When he couldn't find a job except designing toilets for bus stations his mother appealed to her brother for help. Now her idiot son designs switch gear for BMW motorcycles.

eek.gif

Pilgrim

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I KNEW there was a logical explanation for this grin.gif

Probably went on to design a new way to check engine oil that doesn't involve using a dipstick clap.gif

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The horn (no matter how loud) doesn't tell people what you're intending to DO, it only registers a complaint… so why use it ? dopeslap.gif

 

Because it can be invaluable to let someone else know, "Hey I'm HERE". I have tried to get in the habit of gently thumbing the horn button when I am traffic to remind myself of where it is. This definitely paid off once when a car started changing lanes into me and I was able to get off an instant warning blast.

 

Jay

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