Technical Information

• Housing Dimensions: 1.42" square, 0.315" thick
• Weight packaged: 0.244 Lb
• Wire type: #20 600V rated
• Relay Current Info: Max current draw for Autoswitch trigger wire (violet) is 200mA @12Volts With 150mA preffered maximum.
• Weight installed with wires: 0.202 Lb
• Wire lengths: Power feed, 24" Sense wire orange 72"

How It Works

This Autoswitch works by looking for a ground pulse from your turn signal cancel button wire. On all BMW motorcycles since the 1994 R1100RS, 1995 R1100GS, 1996 R1100RT etc the turn signals are canceled by tapping the cancel button. This button sends a ground (chassis) contact to the turn signal controller box under the seat in the fuse panel.

To activate the driving light relay ON or OFF you push and hold the turn signal cancel button for just under 1 second and release at any time after that. During the time you should release the button for the relay to click over, the LED flashes orange until you release the button. Actually just by remembering to hold the cancel button for an extended period such as 1 to 10 seconds to let go is all you need. The LED is not really necessary unless you prefer the reminder.

Of course if your turn signal is ON when you want to activate the relay, you will als o turn off the turn signal.

For normally canceling the turn signal just do the usual short interval push and release. Most riders including this writer hold that for half a second at the most.

Wiring

The Autoswitch works by looking for a 0.8 to 10.8 seconds pulse from your turn signal cancel button wire. On all BMW motorcycles since the 1994 R1100RS, 1995 R1100GS, 1996 R1100RT etc the turn signals are canceled by tapping the cancel button. This button sends a ground (chassis) contact to the turn signal controller box under the seat in the fuse panel.

To activate the driving light relay ON or OFF you push and hold the turn signal cancel button for 0.8 to 10.8 seconds. During the time you should release the button for the relay to click over, the LED flashes orange. Actually just by remembering to hold the cancel button for an extended period such as 1 to 10 seconds to let go is all you need. The LED is not really necessary unless you prefer the reminder.

Of course if your turn signal is ON when you want to activate the relay, you will also turn off the turn signal.

For normally canceling the turn signal just do the usual short interval push and release. Most riders including this writer hold that for half a second at the most.

Installation

Installing the Autoswitch will not alter your existing wiring and can never cause a malfunction to your existing circuits. The Autoswitch simply taps any 12 volt wire after the ignition switch for power and the GROUND wire coming from the turn-signal-cancel button Add connections to ground and the coil of the auxiliary light relay and you have installed the Autoswitch!

The following paragraphs were provided by Sean at http://www.cyclegadgets.com/

For the R1100RT, most connections can be made in the fuse box under the seat. The Turn Signal Control module is a 1" x 2" cube in the right rear of the fuse box. Pull it up (do not disconnect it). There are about 12 wires underneath. Cut away some of the sheath, and locate the Brown wire with White Stripes. Tap the Orange wire from the Autoswitch into this.

On the K1200LT, the wiring is a little more complex. We recommend locating the Autoswitch under the seat, where you can connect the Red and Black to power and ground as outlined below. Route the ORANGE wire up to the front of the bike, and use Zip ties to fasten it to a wiring bundle or brake line leading to the right handlebar assembly. Remove the handlebar cover (two 3mm Hex screws from below). Cut away some of the sheath from the largest wiring bundle, and locate the Brown wire with White stripes. Tap into this wire.

For other BMW models with a turn signal cancel button, you will need to locate the wire leading to that button. It will generally be brown with white stripes, and you can test it by using a meter to confirm that the wire shorts to ground when the turn signal cancel button is pressed.

For all bikes, connect the Red wire to power. An ATC fuse tap (available at an auto parts store or Radio Shack) is an easy solution in most cases. Choose a fuse that is "hot" only when the ignition is on.

Connect the Black lead to a chassis ground. You may need to extend the black lead with a piece of scrap wire to reach a suitable frame or battery ground point.

The Violet wire controls your lights. If you are using a Cycle Gadgets lighting kit, attach the Violet wire to the Alternate Control Harness. For other lighting solutions, attach it to the +12V coil terminal on the light kit relay.

There are many options for mounting the LED, depending on the amount of effort you want to put into it. You can drill a hole small enough for just the lens of the LED in the dash and use silicone adhesive to hold it in from behind, fasten with a cable clip at the front of the fuel tank, etc. We have found that it's pretty easy to get the hang of the Autoswitch timing without a visual cue, so you may find it adequate to just coil up the LED under the seat and not use it at all.

For additional information, please view our "Relay Basics for the Novice" page.