Yes I am still a noob to the GSA, but I have ridden it almost a thousand miles so far and I do not like the positioning of the handlebar switch gear. It seems to me that the horn and blinker switches are too low, almost hidden from my perched view, I am 6'4" so maybe thats it. Wondering about such things. I am getting better at shifting as well LOL. D.
I came from a GSXR so I know what you mean. I have almost 3K on my GSA and I am now getting used to the button layout, to the point where I use them without thinking about them. My advice.....put another few thousand on the bike. That will resolve more issues you than you realized you had.
Thanks Osmin C, It seems strange positioning after years on a Strom, I have thought about looking into turning bars just a little, but will wait a few more thousand. Thanks. D.
I came from, and still ride, a GSXR also. And have logged about 3 or 4 thousand miles on GS's, just in the last 9 months. I don't think anybody will ever convince me that having to do stuff with my left hand to initiate or cancel a turn signal, while I'm also using that hand to operate the brakes, the throttle, and maybe even steer a little, is a better (or even remotely as good as) design than the standard Japanese switchgear. Never mind that the positioning of the turn signal cancel button virtually requires me to actually shift my left hand position a bit to press it.
Seriously? You have a throttle and brake on the left side..and you think the BMW switches are wonky? It took me about..2 miles to figger it out..left thumb to go left..right thumb to go right..right thumb up a scoche to cancel..ain't hard.. After a few miles..it'll be fine.. PS..you can rotate the switches..but you'll have to drill some holes..the switch has pins that engage the bars..
I have issues with the standard switch gear on most bikes. I am so used to the BMW switch gear that it is hard to use regular gear. It is a bummer BMW went to the cheaper style on the new Wethead and other bikes. Jim
Thanks for the info, opinions, I just realized that my turn signals self cancel. Shows you how much I have ridden the bike. (lol) I am used to Vstrom controls, and found them to be perfect for me. I also like the hi beam flasher where it is on Suzuki's. I really like my GSA, and am sure I will adjust to its differences. I just figured out how to set the ESA to different settings. I am on a roll. D.
You can rotate the controls a bit (depending which bike it is) - that will bring the switches higher (or lower) - to fit your preferences. Oh, boy, you can say it again. And again!
Well, I've got almost 30k miles on my GS, and while I'm somewhat used to the controls, I STILL DO NOT appreciate it, like it, or think it makes any sense whatsoever. The horn and cancel buttons are COMPLETELY wrong for smooth control and safety, as noted. I come from VFRs, CBRXXs, Vstroms, FJRs, etc...I'm actually looking forward to possibly owning a wethead someday and get some REAL controls.
I'm glad I'm not alone. I find it hard to cancel without affecting throttle. Getting around to adjusting. K
I have an '09 GS. Do my turn signals self-cancel?? Even after just signaling for and then completing a lane change?
Exactly. I am as "adjusted" as I'm going to get. "Adjusting" is not a problem for me. My street (sport)bike and race bike have reversed shift pattern (1 up, 5 down). My GS and KTM dirt bike have standard shift. I switch around between bikes all the time and have no problem shifting the right way for the bike I'm on. My problem is not adjusting to the way the BMW signal switches work. It's that having to use my RIGHT hand to operate the right turn signal and the cancel button, while also modulating the throttle and brakes (and steering) is a design that is simply inferior to having a turn signal/ cancel switch like are standard on pretty much all modern Japanese bikes. Operating the clutch is an intermittent activity. Controlling the throttle is a continuous activity. It's easy to fit switch operation in between clutch operations so you're not trying to do them both with one hand at the same time. But, you can NEVER fit in turn signal or cancel operations with the right hand to a time when the right hand is doing nothing else. It's not that you can't cancel the signal and work the throttle and brake all at the same time. It's just that it's harder to do it smoothly than using the left hand for all turn signal operations. And harder means it's less safe. It uses up more of your $1 worth of concentration. Not a problem MOST of the time. But, maximizing safety means eliminating issues, when you can, that only affect you even a very small part of the time.
I thought I would get used to it but I have not. From the perspective of a comparative physiologist, the motion of using the side of your thumb to hit a switch is anatomically opposed (no pun intended) to everything we have trained our thumbs to do for millions of years. Our opposable thumbs evolved to keep things in our hands, to help with grip. As our brain function improved we developed fine motor skills to use the tip of our thumb to hold more delicate objects. Our thumbs are good at pressing and can modulate between mashing pressure to very delicate pressure. Thumbs are good for pressing with great precision and strength, ask any gamer. Our thumbs as well as the rest of our fingers, by design, don't utilise the sides very much. With the exception of the relatively recent (on an evolutionary timeline) popularity of holding cigarettes, we do not purposely use the sides of our fingers or thumb for much. Until we need to honk the horn on a BMW. In a panic situation I have to negotiate my (non-dominant) thumb unnaturally to activate the horn. It is easier to buzz the offending party and flip the bird. Maybe lefties have it easier in this case. Give me back a horn I can mash!!!
It's even more annoying if you have the wunderwheel or whatever its called. Trying to activate the signals and you hit the wheel.
