Memorizing by feel? I have at least two problems with that:
1. Memorizing might work if you have only one bike, or ride mostly one bike, or ride bikes from the same mfr with almost identical switchgear layout. For those of us who own and ride multiple bikes from different mfrs, with very different switchgears, it's a different story. I routinely switch between my K16GT and VFR1200F, sometime every other day. Leaving my driveway, I'm just about guaranteed to honk my horn at the first intersection, trying to hit the turn signal. Just as I get the hang of BOTH bikes... I get on my dirt bikes over the weekend... :think:
2. Since I live - and mostly ride - here in the south, thin Summer gloves is what I wear the most. For the most part, they are very flexible and give great tactile feel. However, I do have to wear thicker cold weather glove in the "Winter" months and while touring. There were times where I would be wearing winter gloves for the morning commute, switch to Summer gloves for the lunch run, then back to Winter gloves for the late afternoon ride home. I admit my small girly hand and short fingers aren't helping, but thick Winter gloves give me really poor tactile feel, and the relative distances to the buttons and switchgear change depending on the gloves. Having that wonder wheel in the way stretches the distances even more, to the point where I have to shift my left hand off the grip, which negates any memorization, which is based on references to the hand grip from a fixed position.
Backlit buttons will probably cost BMW €5.19 to add to the mfr cost of a K16. Just put them in already. It's like Cruise Control... if you don't care for it, then don't use it. Those of you who have obtained the advanced state of Oneness with your K16 will keep you nose up high and NEVER EVER stare down at the switchgear anyway, so how could they distract you? To you, they are as good as not there at all. :wink: