When I move the light switch to the middle (parking) or left (low beam) position, some indications on the instrument panel go off:

The RPM and Km/h pointers stay down even though I am moving. The neutral light indicator goes off even if the bike is in neutral. The clock goes off as well.
However, the High beam indicator comes on even though I'm using low beam, the lights that illuminate the tacho and speedo come on as usual.


But once I put the light switch to the right (off) position (when riding day time), everything works normal.

It's possible you have the dreaded 'starter motor carbon' plague. It's a strange quirk of early K bikes because of the earth or ground path being through the starter. Pushing one button does something entirely unexpected: turn right causes high beam to flash, press for low beam and the horn sounds, dash lights blink when cancelling indicators, etc. Besides possibly being a bum switch or a connector needing cleaning (check and clean both sides of the multi-pin plug at the back of the instruments first), it's often down to the excess carbon dust built up in the starter motor. If you're mechanically inclined the starter motor, down under the battery and ECU, can be relatively easily taken out and disassembled, cleaned with contact cleaner, the brush sets (2) inspected for excess wear, then the unit carefully reassembled and put back in. Often the brushes don't need to be replaced, but that's mileage dependent. Electrical gremlins vanish.

Thanks two wheels, but I need to mention that, aside the issues I mentioned in the first post, all is well. the indicators are fine. Do rember that, while the light switch is off. everything works fine.

I will make time and carry out your suggestion during the weekend, thats if all points to what you are saying. Thanks once more for the reply

Of course, in all things electrical and mechanical there is a large degree of guesswork, but you'd be surprised what a small amount of contact cleaner will do (perhaps you wouldn't!) to fix small issues. Try unsecuring the switch assemblies and gently spraying into the switches - disassembly of them is a niggling, detailed process not recommended (unless you're Charlie or Dai! . Look for a small Phillips head screw just above the turn indicator buttons, either side. Unscrew and lift slightly and the switches will separate from the controls and hang by their leads. Turn over and see the accumulated detritus that gets in there. perhaps there's a path electrical path needing clearing up. Go for the easy bits first.

thanks, will do that one now

I carried out your second sugestion, but the issue persisted. Then I took of the instrument cluster, whacked it a few times from the back, refixed it and hoalla, it was working normally again. Verry funny, but its working again.

Funny that. My dearly departed father used to perform that technique on me and my brothers down on the farm....we got working again quick smart!

I remember we had to do that to our television back in the 60s... they used to attract a hell of a lot of dust.

The fix might have had more to do with disconnecting and reconnecting the instrument plug. Quite often a little corrosion can tip a connection over to the dark side....

Sure hollister, its funny though. the K is tough. I went for a 50 km journey this evening and all was fine.

An importer is selling a K1100LT in my suburb for $3500. Is it a good deal, it has ABS. I want to move on to a K with very reliable ABS breaking sytem. By the way, how reliable is an ABS breaking sytem?

If it's breaking it's not very reliable. Early ABS brakes needed to be flushed regularly and have a tendency to low battery voltage flashing error on the dash. It's a basic, solid system, however.

All in all, is the breaking system safe for riding. In my part of the world, even tarred roads sometimes have loose sand on them, which makes sudden breaking risky, especially front breaking. This is why I want to get a K with ABS. So is it safe?

I really have to say that ABS over standard brakes in all parts of the world in and nearly all emergency situations is a potential lifesaver. It's a rare rider who can overcome with skill the efficiency of ABS brakes, but perhaps the likes of Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa, Valentino Rossi, the Dunlop family, Colin Edwards, Guy Martin, et al.

I was joking when I said that "if it's breaking it's not very reliable"...your repeated use of the word 'breaking' for brakes when you clearly must mean 'braking' had me in a fit of giggles. It's a where/wear/ware sort of thing, isn't it!? Bloody English language.


Given an option, and if it doesn't add too terribly much to a purchase price, and the maintenance has been done regularly and religiously by the previous owners, I'd go with ABS.

Now weren't we initially on an instrument panel thread!?

Oh forgive the spelling . I will certainly go for an ABS next time. Thanks a lot mate. Yeah, I think I should have made the ABS a different topic .