STS - Smart Turn System on ST1300

MaxPete

MaxPete

Joined
Oct 17, 2015
Messages
1,755
Location
near Harrow, Ontario, Canada
Bike
'83 BMW R100RS
OK - I'll admit it.

I may be one of those twits who occasionally forgets to cancel his turn signals (ok, maybe it's not just occasionally). I know it is a bad habit - and I do try to remember. My only defence for this offence is that my last bike before the ST was a 1979 Suzuki GS850G - and IT had factory self-cancelling turn signals 28 years (!!) before my 2007 ST1300 was built....but I'll quit griping about that (and I won't mention the OEM gear indicator either).

Sooooo....last year I saw the big web build up for the Smart Turn System (aka STS) accelerometer-based self-cancelling turn signal system from an outfit in Slovenia and for €99, I figure I'd give it a whirl. They have a good website which made sense, plus they seemed like a good bunch of bike-enthusiast engineers like me - so, I figured I'd take the introductory offer.

Presently, the system arrived and now that the clutch slave cylinder horror-show has concluded, my next farkle is the STS installation.

I figure it might keep my riding buddies on their H-Ds with that unique one sided handlebar mounted push button turn signal switch system of theirs from honking at me on our upcoming trip. For those who aren't aware of it - Harleys have a single turn signal button on EACH handlebar which actuates the applicable turn signal. For left turns, you hold down the LH button and release it once the turn is done. It sounds goofy - but by golly, it seems to work pretty darned well IMHO. Too bad they can't go over about 60 MPH without having the fillings rattled out of their dentures.....

My question is - has anyone else installed one of these STS things on an ST1300 (or an 1100?) - and if so - any tips, issues, guidance on where to cut the wires and mount the little black box unit?

Cheers all,

Pete
<blink, blink, blink, blinity-blink>
 
Last edited:
MaxPete said:
OK - I'll admit it.

I may be one of those twits who occasionally forgets to cancel his turn signals (ok, maybe it's not just occasionally). I know it is a bad habit - and I do try to remember. My only defence for this offence is that my last bike before the ST was a 1979 Suzuki GS850G - and IT had factory self-cancelling turn signals 28 years (!!) before my 2007 ST1300 was built....but I'll quit griping about that (and I won't mention the OEM gear indicator either).

Sooooo....last year I saw the big web build up for the Smart Turn System (aka STS) accelerometer-based self-cancelling turn signal system from an outfit in Slovenia and for €99, I figure I'd give it a whirl. They have a good website which made sense, plus they seemed like a good bunch of bike-enthusiast engineers like me - so, I figured I'd take the introductory offer.

Presently, the system arrived and now that the clutch slave cylinder horror-show has concluded, my next darkly is the STS installation.

My question is - has anyone else installed one of these things on an ST1300 (or an 1100?) - and if so - any tips, issues, guidance on where to cut the wires and mount the little black box unit?

Cheers all,

Pete
<blink, blink, blink, blinity blink>
Click to expand...

Pete,

We WILL expect a fantastic write up with pictures for your install!

See, you did such a great job with the Clutch Slave, it's now expected of you!

And of course, it follows, No good deed goes unpunished!
 
Yeah yeah yeah - I want to get some help here Supra!!!!

This danged thing is electronics - the CSC job was good oil' fashioned mechanical - hydraulics stuff with no magic or voo-doo associated.

....and yes, I will do a write-up, once I get at it. :)
 
MaxPete said:
Yeah yeah yeah - I want to get some help here Supra!!!!

This danged thing is electronics - the CSC job was good oil' fashioned mechanical - hydraulics stuff with no magic or voo-doo associated.

....and yes, I will do a write-up, once I get at it. :)
Click to expand...

Me and electronics have never gotten along! Being colorblind hasn't helped! :eek:4:
 
My 83 V65 had self cancelling signals. They had a solenoid in the control pod that when activated, put the switch back to center. It worked off of speed, and lean angle I believe. I got pretty good at fixing them when they went wonky, I repaired quite a few for people. I always wondered why Honda got away from the self cancelling signals. And it had a gear indicator too.....with 6 gears.
 
When all else fails, read the instructions. Does this thing work on only a timer? You said it has accelerometer controls so it senses lean angle? How about posting the instructions and/or bring it to OHSTOC and we can all jump in and REALLY make a mess of installing it...er, have fun installing it
 
SMSW said:
When all else fails, read the instructions.
Click to expand...

I won't assume he hasn't read the manual yet and guess that the type of hints and kinks he's asking about aren't usually found in a manual. You know like where a service manual says remove this part to get to that part when it's not really necessary (but does add to the flat rate) or to use wire or tie-wraps to secure one part while working on another some something doesn't drop into the engine. Unfortunately some times a manual is just a starting point.

I recently took a half-day ride and my buddy left his 'Wing at home and took is R1200GS. It has self-canceling turn signals. Apparently you program the duration of their flashing. I don't know if there's any other metric involved but I found them a little annoying.

My V65S was an '85 and I don't remember a solenoid resetting the turn signal switch. But I do remember 6th gear the GPI and tractor like roll-on throttle in any gear.

I've thought the STS gizmo was great from the beginning. It's just a little too pricey and involved in adding to the bike. But based on MaxP's review that might change. I wonder if the turn signal switch would be modified. When the STS turn off the signal the switch would still be in the On position. Modding it so it returns to center after initiating the signal would make it more efficient.
 
Hi All:

YES - I have read the (rather sketchy) manual and YES - the turn signal switch DOES need to be modified but they give you some little chunks of foam to do that and apparently it isn't difficult and finally, YES - I have certainly run into lots of things on the ST which are not exactly as advertised in the service manual (read my article on the clutch slave cylinder for just one of the biggest whoppers).

Anyhow - once I get the latest rendition of this danged consulting gig out of the way - I'm on it.

Cheers,

Pete

PS - ...and YES - a fair number of large bikes from all brands had self-cancelling turn signals in the 1979-2000 period but for some reason, the Yen Police at Honda killed that on the ST - which IMO was a totally stupid decision. I wonder how many people have had TIF accidents and died as a result of forgetting their danged blinkers....:confused:
 
Last edited:
Maybe they wanted to be certain they didn't encroach the GW sales. Good luck with your install. This looks to be a very interesting farkle.
 
When I bought my VTX1800 I could not believe on a bike that size that the turn signals did not cancel. I looked into it and even found an article saying it was for weight consideration, saying that the VTX was already overweight. Could the same stupid thinking be the reason the ST does not cancel turn signals, because of weight?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
 
Dave.David said:
When I bought my VTX1800 I could not believe on a bike that size that the turn signals did not cancel. I looked into it and even found an article saying it was for weight consideration, saying that the VTX was already overweight. Could the same stupid thinking be the reason the ST does not cancel turn signals, because of weight?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Hard to imagine - the STS thingy is a little electronic box about half the size of a Milky Way chocolate bar. If Honda was that concerned about weight, why did they opt for the electric windscreen (NOT that I don't love it mind you....)? That whole system MUST weigh at least 20 times what this tiny little box does.

Nope - this has all the hallmarks of an attack by the bean-counters who suck the fun out of darned near every cool technology project.

dammit.
 
A friend of mine and also a member on this forum has installed the STS smart turn system on his ST 1300 this spring. He had a few trouble spots with it. I believe the trouble is from using vampire clips instead of soldering the wire joints. One of his problems was the four ways would work and one blinker would not or both blinkers will work and four Ways would not. I'm not sure exactly how he ironed out the problem although after further discussion with him we concluded instead of up under the faring it might be better and easier to mount the system under the seat and access the wires for the blinkers in the back instead of fighting at the front. As far as the turn signal button modification it is just two small pieces of foam installed to keep the switch from locking in when you push it to initiate the turn signals. This system does work as advertised I also am waiting for him to work out all the bugs before I purchase one for myself. That's all I know for now.
 
ST Gui said:
I've thought the STS gizmo was great from the beginning. It's just a little too pricey and involved in adding to the bike. But based on MaxP's review that might change. I wonder if the turn signal switch would be modified. When the STS turn off the signal the switch would still be in the On position. Modding it so it returns to center after initiating the signal would make it more efficient.
Click to expand...

I visited the website and they emailed me the instructions. Installation seems to be straightforward, but to my way of thinking a bit of a pita. The fairing will have to come off, and there is a bit of testing involved. I'd want to take it for a spin before I buttoned up all the tupperware. Yes, there are accelerometers and lean angle sensors (so they say) in the itty bitty black box. It must be mounted horizontally, and with one end (so marked) facing forward. No adjustments for the tweaker who wants the lights to blink a bit longer. All in all, a bit too expensive for my taste, and installation is, as I said, a pita. I'll keep exercising my thumb on that button.

The switch mod is nothing more than two pieces of foam that prevent the switch from latching (I think MaxPete said this).
 
sabrekip said:
A friend of mine and also a member on this forum has installed the STS smart turn system on his ST 1300 this spring. He had a few trouble spots with it. I believe the trouble is from using vampire clips instead of soldering the wire joints. One of his problems was the four ways would work and one blinker would not or both blinkers will work and four Ways would not. I'm not sure exactly how he ironed out the problem although after further discussion with him we concluded instead of up under the faring it might be better and easier to mount the system under the seat and access the wires for the blinkers in the back instead of fighting at the front. As far as the turn signal button modification it is just two small pieces of foam installed to keep the switch from locking in when you push it to initiate the turn signals. This system does work as advertised I also am waiting for him to work out all the bugs before I purchase one for myself. That's all I know for now.
Click to expand...

SUPER - many thanks! This is precisely the type of info I was hoping to get.

As for mounting the unit under the seat - I would like to do that too but it is necessary to access the turn signal harness just downstream of the handlebar switch - and I don't know where the wiring goes on the ST as well as I did on my earlier bikes. If I can access it under the seat - this should be comparatively easy.

Again - many thanks for the information.

Pete
 
MaxPete said:


I figure it might keep my riding buddies on their H-Ds with that unique one sided handlebar mounted push button turn signal switch system of theirs from honking at me on our upcoming trip. For those who aren't aware of it - Harleys have a single turn signal button on EACH handlebar which actuates the applicable turn signal. For left turns, you hold down the LH button and release it once the turn is done. It sounds goofy - but by golly, it seems to work pretty darned well IMHO. Too bad they can't go over about 60 MPH without having the fillings rattled out of their dentures.....

Cheers all,

Pete
<blink, blink, blink, blinity-blink>
Click to expand...

Pete, I sometimes do a variation of what you describe the HD guys do on my ST, when circumstances permit and I don't forget to do it-I often poise my left thumb over the TS switch when I'm making a turn, to remind myself to cancel the blinkers after the turn.

I know where you're coming from regarding previous bikes with self-cancelling turn signals. My first ever motorcycle, a 1976 Yamaha RD400 had them, as did both of my Suzuki's (a 1981 GS850G and a 1986 GV1400 Cavalcade). I once had a 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix that had a turn signal reminder chime that activated if you neglected to manually cancel the signal if the steering wheel wasn't turned enough to cancel them for you, as in a lane change or wide-radius turn. I have often thought this feature should be mandatory on all cars and light trucks. It saved me from my neglect numerous times. I think some motorcycles had this feature as standard on some bikes in the 1970's or early 80's.
 
I put 12 VDC beepers on my ST & Aero 750 , reminds me to shut it off ( but annoying to people around me on group rides ) , '91 Wing has the self cancelling.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom