Has anyone replaced a broken indicator stalk before...
Daily for almost five years I've backed my bike out of the single size door to my workshop without a problem doing the wiggle to squeeze through.
Yesterday while rushing trough I clipped my rear indicator on the edge of the doorway and it went snap!....bugger!.bugger!.bugger!...
At first I thought about trying to glue it to fix it..but I ended up buying the new stalk..about $18 Aussie ( about $12 US).
Well I'll be buggered if I can work out how to get to the bolts that holds them..I'm hoping that someone here has been through it before..and can help.
Thanks.
I even tryed turning this little thingamajig hoping it might help but it did nothing..and now I can't get it back...what's it for..anyone know?
OH MY GOSH! YOU TURNED THAT THING! I can't believe it.
I have no idea what that thing is and I'm absolutely no help here because I've never had to get that stalk off. However, you might try going in through the brake light lens cover...underneath the light housing?
I've done this trick, but I cannot remember how and I do not have my manual with me at work. As I remember the bottom route yields nothing. There are a couple of topside Torx screws and the whole taillight / rear fender assembly slides out to the rear. I'll try to look it up this evening. - Lee
i just did it (dropped the bike), but i'll have to look and see to remember. took me less than 30 min to figure out and fix. i do know you have to open the lens to unplug the wires and feed them through the new stalk...
Thanks Boxer...but I tried that..and taking the tail light off didn't help at all..I even took the number plat light thing off...also when I turned the thing (the rectangle thing) it fell back and will not come back through the rectangle hole.
beemerphile...I undid all those torx (about 6) from under the seat area..and another 4 torx from underneath..but I still can't get to the large nuts that hold the stalks on.
I even took the seat latch thing off...still no good..
drevil...I have no problem with the wires and screws in the indicator and feeding the wires through the stalk...my manual isn't any help..I'm sure someone else here has been through this before.
There is basically two steps to the "procedure". I tried to glue it before and it lasts until you look at it wrong....
First, you have to open the lens and loosen the wires from the housing and unscrew the two screws that hold the light to the stem (that you broke). You should be able to pull the light away from the stem.
Second, on the rear, you have to take a BUNCH of the rear end off to get to the nut that holds the stem on. This includes the two side painted panels. Take your time and feel it out. It's not hard just make sure you get all the screws and have little bins/tubs to put them in to know where they came from. Your goal is to remove the rear end of the bike where you will see the nut. Pull the wires back through the stem. Remove the nut and replace the stem - it only goes on the right way. Don't forget to feed the wires back through the stem before you put the rear end back together.
Then just put the lamp back on the end of the post and you should be set.
Thanks RGallagher...it looks like my problem is that I need to get the two side panels off first..which I have not done...I've tried once or twice in the past to get them off without any luck..it also looks like I need to take the system case rails and rear rack off to be able to take the side panels off...geees..why does it have to be so hard..I'm sure I'll get there in the end...thanks.
It happened to my bike, too. The left rear indicator stalk was caught in a chain that was dangling from the ceiling in a covered parking lot. I rode off, and snap, the stalk came off, the wires cut etc. I thought it was broken, but it snaped right back in. I still had to remove the whole rear to get access to the wires so I could solder them back.
As RGallagher, you need to remove the brake light lense to get access to the screws that hold the rear, and other side screws that live under the side panels.
Nobody is sure perfect, but she practiced tirelessly !
OK from memory there are a different number of screws on each side for the plastic panels. There's one at the front and several under the seat and I think on the left side one underneath but I'm not for sure. My bet is there are 3-5 on each side.
Yes you do have to remove your system case rails first.
The trick to the panels is they slide rearward (maybe?) in some slots after you get the screws out. There is also a small clip around where the fuse box is located too. Just go very slowly and if something give you resistance stop and find what is in the way.
DJ, you do not need to remove the system rails. I've removed the side trim pieces several times without removal of those rails.
Remove the two torx screws on the top side and one on the bottom side, this last one requires careful searching but you'll find it.
Next you'll pull the forward section of the trim panel towards you and away from the frame. It has a "C" clamp molded into it on the forward section which you will unclip from the tubular frame of the bike. As this piece unclips, you will slide the trip piece towards the front of the bike. This will unclip it from the rear holding point of the panel. Next, you will pull the trim away from the bike-and yes its a tight fit and will probably scrub a little against the rails- but you will be able to remove it. You will also notice that you will have to tweak the two top tabs that are retained with the torx screws in order to pull them away from the frame.
Note that the rear locating pin may or may not come out with the trim panel. No worries if it doesn't because the pin will be trapped in the bike and you will only have to carefully slide it into a position that will allow you to pull it out of the slot.
Removing the bag rails may prove to be very difficult because of the adhesive that is used to prevent them from backing out of their holes.
jamais..thanks...I wish I'd read your post first but I've done it now..yes those rails are a bitch...what's that blue goo they use..gees they make it hard to undo.
It took most of the morning but it's all done now..here's those nuts that I couldn't get to..to replace the stalk.
Here's the other end of the stalk...the bit that brakes off.
Thanks to BMW most of the screws are the same size...no thanks to BMW there was about 50 screws and nuts and bolts that I had to take off...sheesh!
At least I could give all those hard to get to areas a good clean.
I even got that thingamajig back in.. ...and no bits left over.
DJ, that's blue Loctite on the bag rails bolts. When you reapply the blue goo, do so on the ends only, maybe 5 mm. Remember there is still blue goo on the threads of the nut on the frame so it will take a bit of effort to rescrew the bolts. I suppose ideally you should remove the adhesive residue from the nuts but that's probably not done by many people.
OK, i have done this twice. I have a bad right leg, and a couple times i have clipped the right rear turn signal getting on.
(I posted about this a couple years back, and was ridiculed as a freak.....)
Anyway, i just wanted to say that the first time i went to the dealer and got a plastic replacement for $7 USD. The second time I ordered one online at http://www.ascycles.com and got one that was plastic covered metal. It was $35 USD, but worth it in my opinion.
It's also worth replacing any of the standard allen bolts with stainless. One of the original heads 'rounded' and #i had to drill it out. (The allen key I used was the correct size but was a slack fit in the head). The replacement bolts use the next key size up and the key is also a good fit.
Er... Um. Thanks for not pointing out my stupidity. The reason one of the 'Allen-screw' heads rounded off was because, of course they are Torx head sxcrews and I was undoing them with an Allen key - doh!!. (In my defence, the garage was badly lit etc. etc......!
