Life Saving Add-on??

[Rocky rider]

Just fitted a remarkable little gadget from the USA that controls your indicators and switches them off after a set period of time. It's a Kisan Signal Minder SM-5 and it's brilliant.

Having had many Hondas with self cancelling indicators ( current one is 25 years old!!) I was amazed that BMW do not seem to use this technology even down to having two switches for indicators when one can do it. Leaving your indicators on can so easily prove fatal so this gadget is a life saver in my opinion.

Simple to fit, just replace your indicator relay unit with this gadget (plug and play using same fittings) and the job is done in minutes.

You can set the time interval to cancel to 10, 20 or 30 seconds and you can have your indicators working as running lights as well. Connect your brake switch to the unit and they continue to run when you are stationery with your brakes applied. It really is brilliant.

Not cheap at £73 delivered from the USA but worth every penny in my opinion as I no longer have to keep checking that I have not left my indicators on.

Check it out on eBay here - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 1196579284

I did search the UK but could not find a UK supplier. Worth a thought I think guys.

[Andrew s]

It is strange that BMW never fitted it to the Rockster as my old Boxer Cup had the facility and sure my 1150RT did as well, but £73 is steep.

[riceburner]

hang on - your bike is a Rockster?

Rocksters (ABS or not) have self-cancelling indicators. (mine certainly does) They cancel after (IIRC) 200-300 yards (approx - it might be more, I've never properly measured it) of travel after they've been activated. (note - DISTANCE, not time to cancel).

IIRC it's part of the digital instrumentation pack as fitted to the R1100S (Rockster shares the clocks and speedo system with the R1100S). Any other BMW bike with digitally driven clocks should also have it (ie NOT the R1150R which (iirc) uses an old-fashioned cable drive for the speedo).

[Andrew s]

Better check mine next time I'm out as I tend to cancel them straight away.

[Rocky rider]

I am pretty sure my bike did not have self cancelling indicators as there were a few instances when they were still working after an age! That is what worried me.

Any more info would be appreciated for myself and other owners who may not realise this feature might be standard, and there is no mention of it in the riders handbook.

I am still happy as I now have daylight running lights and I can adjust the timings for the indicators as well so money is not totally wasted.

Thanks for the input, lets see if it can be confirmed?

[kirby]

My '04 Rockster has self cancelling signals as well.

mike

[rocky2ie]

"My '04 Rockster has self cancelling signals as well."
Ditto.

[riceburner]

I am pretty sure my bike did not have self cancelling indicators as there were a few instances when they were still working after an age! That is what worried me.

I think there is a circumstance when you can 'fool' the indicators into staying on, but not sure exactly what it is, some testing may be in order. I've always thought the cancellation was distance based - so maybe if you've been sitting in traffic and haven't travelled the requisite distance they've stayed on?

I am still happy as I now have daylight running lights

Again - I understood this was also standard...... (I've never seen a Rockster with the light switches fitted).

[Andrew s]

Ricey, I think he means the indicators stay on for daylight running lights (might be wrong).

All bikes from 2003 onwards have headlights permanently on by law in the UK.

[Rocky rider]

Yes I was referring to the daylight running type of light not the headlights. So it's the indicators that are on all the time if you want them with this gadget. There is a bright setting and a dimmer setting that you can choose on the move.

I may take it off and try the standard relay again just to see if it has self cancelling indicators. It's just plug in and plug out so will. Be easy to try.

[riceburner]

Yes I was referring to the daylight running type of light not the headlights. So it's the indicators that are on all the time if you want them with this gadget. There is a bright setting and a dimmer setting that you can choose on the move.

I may take it off and try the standard relay again just to see if it has self cancelling indicators. It's just plug in and plug out so will. Be easy to try.

Ah, ok.

[Andrew s]

Definitely cancel, left mine on this morning to check and off they went.

[spoon]

I don't know if the USA models are different from the Euro ones but mine cancel something like 45 seconds after activating. I thought it was a time thing. My Sportster has a lean indicator that turns the blinkers off on right after straighting up from a turn (lean). I always thought that was a good idea.

[riceburner]

Thinking about it (and after some riding time) I think the BM system also needs a slight change of speed for the 'off' state to be initiated - ie if you don't actually slow down for a corner (say an off-ramp) then the indicators may well stay on. But I haven't actually gone out and deliberately tested this...

[cgguy09]

"My '04 Rockster has self cancelling signals as well."
Ditto.

Ditto that ditto