Ignition Re-Boot

[TrueAce]

So the previous owner totally buggered the ignition key cylinder.....busted it out of the dash, lost the clips & face cap, so now it just hangs down and a flat-blade screw driver will turn the key! Whack job for sure! Has anyone simply wired in a switch elsewhere on the bike to function as the ignition key? Looking for ideas.........don't want a keyed ignition.

[TimTyler]

Have a look at this.

[TrueAce]

Thanks, TimTyler.

[TrueAce]

Follow up question ,guys: according to prior posts, is it correct to say that when I remove the speedometer, the ignition will not connect except on engaging the clutch??? I want to put on one of those GPS speedo's, so the Big Unit has to go. The posts regarding a relay/board to compensate for the missing stock speedometer seemed to be old, so I did not pursue that thread.

[Scott_]

You are correct in your thinking. You have to make the ign start circuit thru the clutch lever switch or the neutral indicator circuit board.
Or you could just bypass it all together at your own risk........... up to you.

[TrueAce]

OK, Scott, you got my attention....."at my own risk"? So removing the speedo-tach clustor eliminates some important circuit boards, could said removal affect more things than the ignition circuit? I am a victim of the cool pictures of custom scrambler K100's, and want to get rid of the stock instrument cluster. Guess I am the blind following a blind path! The stock instrument cluster has to go.....any tips anybody who's done this?

[Scott_]

Sorry about any confusion.... yes you can remove the cluster without any "meltdown" consequences....quite a few have done it.

What I meant with the "at your own risk" comment was directly related to eliminating the clutch switch interlock circuit feature. Such that the bike starter could be operated with or with out the clutch lever pulled in, while in gear.  :yow

BMW designed the starter interlock such that with 2 different pathways to enable the starter switch, one could fail and you could still be able to start the bike with the other. The clutch switches are a failure point, and if it is your only circuit to enable the starter switch you would be scratching your head if it fails and the bike isn't starting. There have been more than a few owners that have had to cut/splice the wires to the clutch lever switch when it had failed.

[TrueAce]

Good knowledge, Scott. I suppose you could run ground-to-starter through a toggle switch to isolate it from the start button, and terminate the clutch switch. But would that really be necessary? Maybe us idiots that BMW engineered out of the circuits could learn to keep our fingers off the starter button when in gear.

[TrueAce]

Scott, your comment got me fiddling with that clutch switch, and reading about emulator circuit builds, and I have decided that I will just remove the clutch switch cable altogether. Also I am eliminating the high/low headlight switch. Will these changes affect anything other than not being able to use the starter while in gear?