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Author Topic: Flickering speedo/rev counter lights.  (Read 925 times)

Offline BooG

  • Lives in Foothills of Mt. Olympus
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Flickering speedo/rev counter lights.
« on: June 01, 2009, 03:38:50 PM »
All lights good, apart from the instrument lights flickering and cutting out when I turn the handlebars full lock right. I'm thinking broken, or semi-broken wire. Don't really want to cut the loom out..could be a can of worms in there!! So my plan is to test which wire is at fault, (the brown live or the yellow/black), and then maybe run one in parallel up to the lights. Any thoughts on this? Is there more diagnostic work to be done or  am I at the right table? I hate diagnosing electric probs, but I love a bit of soldering!!
BMW R65 1980.
Vespa Sprint Veloce 1971
BMW K75S 1987



Offline Bob_Roller

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Re: Flickering speedo/rev counter lights.
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2009, 04:34:03 PM »
Have you removed the light bulbs from the indicator ?

They are called 'wedge' type bulbs, no metal base, just the wires bent over on each side of the glass base, that is pushed down int a socket, mine have come loose a few times .
'81 R65
'82 R65 LS
'84 R65 LS
'87 Moto Guzzi V65 Lario
'02 R1150R
Riding all year long since 1993 .
I'll give up my R65, when they pry my cold dead hands from the handlebars !!!!!

Offline Justin B.

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Re: Flickering speedo/rev counter lights.
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2009, 12:59:24 AM »
They all go out?  Just for grins, turn your bars until they go out and then run a wire between the frame and forks and see if they come back on.

When troubleshooting a tach drop-out issue on the R65LS I found that with an ohm-meter between the forks and frame I found spots in the steering rotation where resistance went from close to 0 ohms to infinity.  Adding a ground wire between forks and frame "fixed" the issue...
« Last Edit: June 02, 2009, 01:00:35 AM by admin »
Justin B.

2004 BMW R1150RT
1981 R100RT - Summer bike, NEKKID!!!

Offline BooG

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Re: Flickering speedo/rev counter lights.
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2009, 04:01:36 PM »
I ran a wire in parallel and it certainly fixed the issue. There was an issue with the grey and black wire which links the speedo/instrument panel/parking light. I left the ends of the wire in place and soldered the ends onto the new wire so I didn't have to disturb any connectors. The copper core of the old wire was in a very poor condition, corroded/brown. This makes me fear for the overall condition of the loom itself. Still, everything works now....for the time being!
BMW R65 1980.
Vespa Sprint Veloce 1971
BMW K75S 1987



Offline Ed Miller

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Re: Flickering speedo/rev counter lights.
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2009, 10:59:53 AM »
I have way too many get-me-bys like that from the last 20 years on my Triumph.  I need to start over from scratch.  
Ed Miller
'81 r65
Falls City, OR

Offline BooG

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Re: Flickering speedo/rev counter lights.
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2009, 08:14:03 AM »
You think a new loom might be the way to go then? Thats a scary prospect!?
BMW R65 1980.
Vespa Sprint Veloce 1971
BMW K75S 1987



Offline Ed Miller

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Re: Flickering speedo/rev counter lights.
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2009, 10:43:25 PM »
I think I need a new loom, I doubt you do.  I just don't understand why you left the old wire in place; maybe if I was looking at the same wire on my R65 I would get it.  I guess the old wire disappears into the wrapped harness upstream?

Ed Miller
'81 r65
Falls City, OR