I just bought an rs6 v10 and have a few questions.

5.0 V10 50v biturbo - 571 bhp
cdpdesign
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Hand Controls

Post by cdpdesign » Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:48 am

Kewal- ooh rather you than me!

Did you know that they are copies of Bekker controls? Bekker controls were the original controls; they very first invented them back in the sixties. Almost all hand controls you see on the UK market bear a remarkable resemblance to the Bekker controls (yes, even including Goslings). The founder of Kewal used to work for Bekkers and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess what happened next....Personally I prefer Bekker Controls and I would only ever use them because all components of Bekker's are hand made in house on precision machines by craftsmen that have worked there for well in excess of 25 years, so any slight adaptations or alterations can be done in their workshop immediately... After all, you wouldn't go and buy a Rolex and then stick a 50p strap on it off the market! lol

You won't go far wrong with Andy at Autotechnica; he's about the best for miles around... He did some mods on my current car and when I get my next RS4 he's going to do a milltek on that and a few other mods too... I've got 110% faith in him, and after all, he's one of the Only certified RS Master Technicians in the area!

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Holmax
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RE: Hand Controls

Post by Holmax » Sat Nov 07, 2009 7:22 pm

I met up with Andy at autotechnica today. We've agreed a price for the milltek and he's going to get one ordered on monday. He's also going to have a word with some of his comrades at Audi hq to see if the steering can be lightend up. He said it's dead easy in a regular a6, just plug it into their machine and tell it what to do. Fingers crossed it will be the same as those. Andy mentioned you by the way cdp, he said he has done a bit of work for you.
The hand controls kev at kewals fitted are made by silverline. He's always done a very neat good job for me, and he's become a good friend over the years. The hand controls may be an old design, but hey, if it ain't broke.......
How do you so much about hand controls btw if you don't mind me asking?

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RE: Hand Controls

Post by cdpdesign » Sat Nov 07, 2009 7:49 pm

Lets say I've worked with them a lot.... and I have a good working knowledge of Kewal long before Kev was even anything to do with the company!!

Silverline are a brand of Brig Ayd controls- if you are used to them then good, but they are a lot heavier than the originals, and a bit old hat.... If you don't mind me asking what did they charge? (mobility companies up and down the country charge allsorts of different prices, from about £250 up to £600)

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Holmax
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RE: Hand Controls

Post by Holmax » Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:46 pm

I haven't had my final bill yet as it's going in next week to have indicator and headlight switches fitted to the hand controls.
When I swapped from Lexus to Mercedes (around 3yrs ago) it cost me £500 but that was including doing all the wiring for the stuff mentiond above.
I once used bekkers in Driffield, it was the first car I ever drove with hand controls after my accident 11 years ago. Absoloutely terrible, I wouldn't go anywhere near them again.
Your'e not the guy who goes to see city in that crazy wheel chair trike by any chance are you mate? I know he had something to do with portable hand controls.

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RE: Hand Controls

Post by cdpdesign » Sun Nov 08, 2009 11:38 am

No, that's not me m8... Keep Guessing...

But, for £500 3 years ago for a B/A& 2 switches (which might I add is probably not accredited by motability & therefore will probably not have been passed by insurance companies etc) you have certainly paid through the old nostrils so to speak! You should only be looking about £450 nowadays, so it would have been about £250 3 years ago as controls prices have doubled in the last three years... The wiring to the switches is literally two wires per switch plus removal of two covers around the steering wheel. Should your car run from a multiplex stalk assembly then it's the same wiring configuration, the difference being that the fitter will have probably posted your stalk assembly to Brig Ayd to have 4 wires soldered to the circuit board and therefore ramped up the costs for you unnecessarily.....

I'm quite suprised with your experience with Bekkers as they offer free fitting/removal/ no quibble warrantly should you incurr problems, and if you know anything about the disabled world you will know that Alfred Bekker transformed the industry for us disabled and there was no-body more approachable than he, and as I said, any other controls are copies of those, ergo a problem with bekker controls will be apparent in any set of controls. At the end of the day, controls are very primitive as they are simply a mechanical linkage that translates the pedal movement to a lever located below the steering wheel at the left or right dependant on the customers choice that is equally weighted against the pedals... Chances are your bad experience would have been due to lack of experience; as you said they were your first set of controls.

Personally, I would never buy a copy of anything, I would only ever want the original, but, it's each to their own I guess...

One thing I would certainly confirm is from your insurers. Get it in writing from them and maybe send them a copy of your fitting certificate/user manual showing the layout of the controls so that they are aware that you have got the adaptations with two switches fitted to you car. I'm sure if you have an accident and the Insurers pick over the bones of the accident and realise that an adaptation was fitted to the car that they weren't aware of there reaction would be unpleasant! Not only that, if someone got injured in that accident, you could be held liable....

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Holmax
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RE: Hand Controls

Post by Holmax » Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:04 pm

So whats so different about your hand controls cdp if you don't mind me asking?
P.s
My insurance company is fully aware of my hand controls and indicator switch etc

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