Mark’s Suzuki GSX1100EFE

For Mark, this bike is a keeper. So as well as a rewire, it’s worth getting the view from the saddle just right. And for Mark, Motogadget’s push-button switchgear were irresistible.

They do look very cool, but fitting them is quite a business. Apart from the need to solder on wires, drill the handlebars and tease the cables through tiny holes, the switches are all push buttons. That means they need an interpretation device to convert a momentary burst of micro-current into a permanent high-current signal that toggles between high and low beams, or indicates left or right.

One such device is Motogadget’s M Unit Blue. In fact, it’s designed for Motogadget’s push-button switches, besides various other fancy functions. Essentially you plug the signal wires into the input side, and the consumer wires into the output side.

Being a 1980s superbike, the GSX has bags of room under the seat. I made a u-shaped platform behind the battery to take the M Unit and solenoid, and a separate bracket for the main fuse under the left sidepanel. No need for a fuse box or flasher unit, because the M Unit does that too. And it’s good fun to watch it flash its lights, and toggle through the various configurations to suit different applications.

(If you like Motogadget’s push-button switches, but don’t fancy the hefty cost, there is a low-cost alternative. You can find them by looking on eBay for ‘latching motorcycle handlebar switch’. They don’t look quite so nice, usually come with wires already attached, and don’t need an M Unit to work. I can’t vouch for the quality.)

Meanwhile, Mark’s EFE has a new loom. A quick engine service and it’ll be ready for the summer.