GIVI A750 Windshield

[Crossrodes]

I see that some of you have installed this shield.  I have one sitting in the box and haven't got around to installing it yet.  But I have a question...

I assembled the mounting hardware to the windshield and just took a look to see how it will line up and mount on the headlight attachments.  I see that it may be necessary to modify at least one bracket... The left side of the headlamp has the large fastener that has the key cylinder in it.  I am assuming that the windshield bracket has to mount on/around this fastener.  My question is...is this correct and what did you do to modify the windshield bracket to fit this fastener?

[NC Steve]

Key in the left headlight mount on an R65??
Never seen that before: is it a Euro model?
All bikes from all years I've ever seen have the ignition switch in the pod up front... :-?

ps: Nice shield too, btw.

[Crossrodes]

This is starting to sound like another Oh Shit!  Yes it is a Euro model although it has an ignition key switch in the place where it is normally located.  I'm wondering if at some time someone modified the bike to change the ignition from the headlight area to the normal location.  I also have some wiring in the instrument area that has been cut off and terminated.  I have the original German owners manual but I don't see a reference to this key switch.  

I'm not sure if this headlight key switch was the ignition or something else.  I'm going to meet a friend who was a bike mechanic before he retired.  I'll see if he can shed some light on this.  I hate to attempt to modify the GIVI bracket but that may be the only solution to the problem.

Yes the Givi shield is a really nice looking part.  I decided to get one after I saw the picture of yours that your posted Steve.

[Crossrodes]

Yep it's an ignition switch.  My guess is that no one else has faced this problem.  I'll post here when I figure out the beast way to fit the shield.

[NC Steve]

I'm sure there's a way around the switch, and will try to visualize the situation on my own bike here and holla back if anything comes to mind. You may need to offset the left side bracket, or drill the mounting "channel" wider to compensate?

I know the period R80 and R100 standard models ran the switch there, and it was a pretty cool & stealthy location, just never seen an R65 wired that way. If you can get it mounted, the folding black key would be pretty much invisible in that spot.

Any chance you could post a pic?

[Justin B.]

Non-standard things such as what you are apparently looking into need pictures and a mention of the year.  The only way I can think of for the switch to have been moved would be to also swap out the headlight assembly unless you have a mono-shock.  I think the mono has all of the controls/etc. the same as the bigger bikes.  Bill?

[Crossrodes]

Justin there's not a way for me to post a picture yet.  I need to do some homework in that department. The bike is a '69.

I thought about getting a north American spec headlight bucket and eliminating the key cylinder, but the "ears" on the fork that the bucket mounts on also has a hole 22mm wide to allow the key cylinder to mount though it.  I looked at modifying the GIVI bracket but it looks like I will have to remove so much material that the bracket may not be substantial enough to hold the windshield.

I'm still thinking of a way.  I'll let you know if I come up with something.  

Thanks for your input.

[NC Steve]

A '69 R65? I this a '69 R60/5?  
Wait, that one would have the switch and "nail" up in the headlight shell.

Now I'm even more confused... :-?

[Justin B.]

OK, sorry, but I can't help you out as my oldest Airhead was a '72 and I don't remember as much detail about it is I would like...  :-?.

[Justin B.]

Steve, I don't think the /5 models were until 1970 or 1971.  An R69 maybe?  Dunno, but I can't even hazard a guess but it sounds like somebody put a later model headlight bucket off an R100 or something on it.  Can't be real sure as my crystal ball has been real foggy for the past several years...

[Crossrodes]

Sorry guys.  I should have said it is a '79 not a '69.

[NC Steve]

I just found this pic on Ebay, from an R65 that's for sale there.
This is the normal layout for the R65 switch, gauges, and indicator/idiot lights, in the pod mounted to the center of the handlebars.

[Crossrodes]

Yes, that is like mine Steve except I have an emergency flasher button/indicator in that rectangular section below the turn signal indicators and above the ignition key.  But in addition to the ignition key switch that is on this pod (which is the one I use)  I have another switch that is on the left side of the headlight.  As I mentioned I had lunch with a several friends yesterday (all riders).  One had a repair shop in his younger days (he specialized in BMW's) and another has an R90S.  Apparently the R90S has its key on the left of the headlight.  The repair shop owner told me that most old BMW's in Canada had the key cylinder on the headlight bucket.

I'm convinced that someone added the pod to this bike somewhere in its history.  As I mentioned there are some wires that have been terminated behind the pod.  I'm guessing that these used to go into the headlight bucket and to the ignition key in the bucket.

Just FYI at one time I had a '92 K1100LT.  It is my understanding that the K1100 was not available in the US until '93.  I found out back then that BMW Canada imports Euro Spec bikes for some reason (maybe because we use kilometers up here, not miles) and this was why we had a '92 K1100 and the US didn't.  This may be the reason why my friend's R90S has the key on the headlight.

But as I mentioned previously this bike was originally a German market bike.  I know this because of the documents I received with the bike and the dealer knew its history.

What I am thinking now is that I might be able to put on a North American Spec headlight bucket and a left stanchion (if that's what it's called) (the part on the fork that the bucket attaches to) on my bike.  This would solve the problem.  Any idea how big a deal it is to replace this stanchion and where I might find them?

Going back to the pod...There is a light on my rev counter that is not shown or documented in the new English language owners manual that I bought (I don't see it in the German one either).  It is a little round light near the 8,000 RPM mark.  Any idea what this light is for?  

[Justin B.]

Starting with the /6 models, all US bikes (except for odd-balls like the R65, R45, etc) excepting the flagship RS and RT models had the ignition switch in the "bucket".  Also, the R65/45 headlight and instrument mounts are totally different than those of the larger bike.  So, if it is as you say and your left and right headlight "ears" are individual pieces then it appears you have some sort of Frankenbike (not necessarily a bad thing) and without some pics it's gonna be a bit hard to help you figure out just exactly what is going on.  No homework needed to post a pic, if you have one on your computer you just browse to it in the ATTACH: line and click.  

This is what the headlight on a standard 1981 R100T looks like:


Note the headlight, switch location, headlight mounting ears, etc.  If this looks like yours then you have numerous parts from one of the "bigger" bikes on yours.

[Crossrodes]

Justin that's what the headlight bucket key looks like.  I don't know if it's a Frankenbike but it is definitely not a US bike.  Iit was first owned by someone in Germany who brought it with him when he moved to Canada.