Kill Switch

[LowRyter]

The handlebar kill switch on my bike is a bit dodgy.  I have to fiddle with it every once in awhile to get the bike to start.  So, if I take it apart to clean it, I'm hoping that pieces to a Timex won't fall out?  That it's pretty straight forward connection and switch?  Docc, I did a couple of searches and didn't find anything before I asked. 

Just a word of caution or encouragement before a get the hammers out would be greatly appreciated.   thanx.

[docc]

Been a while since I've had mine open. Seems it will "clamshell" enough to inspect the wiring and spray Caig DeOxit® into it while flipping the switch on and off.

If the toggle , itself, is loose on its pivot, the switch is probably done-for . . .

[LowRyter]

2 hours ago, docc said:

Been a while since I've had mine open. Seems it will "clamshell" enough to inspect the wiring and spray Caig DeOxit® into it while flipping the switch on and off.

If the toggle , itself, is loose on its pivot, the switch is probably done-for . . .

Next dumb question, are replacement switches available?  It looks unique, like it was made at George Jetson's company (Spacely Sprockets). 

[docc]

The early switches differ from the later V11. Not sure who made them, but they have been used on some Ducati as well, IIRC. 
 

MGCycle is a good US resource for this sort of thing. Sometimes eBay, if necessary.
 

There may be a member here with a box of spare electrical bits . . .

[Tomchri]

I find the fragile plastic parts, switches, ign locks easyer to deal with, with a little help from a hair dryer or.

Cheers Tom.

[LowRyter]

Thanks for the info guys.  My fears were completely unfounded.  Got a few shots of contact cleaner in it and cleaned up some of the gunk on the outside edges.  Both switches seem to have pretty good action.  I made a point cycling them to scrub the contact cleaner.  Hopefully, I'll be good to go. 

[MartyNZ]

5 hours ago, LowRyter said:

Got a few shots of contact cleaner in it and cleaned up some of the gunk on the outside edges.  Both switches seem to have pretty good action. 

I've had good results with electrical switches, after cleaning as you did, by using a generous blob of grease designed for switches.

Lubriplate DS-ES is one of those that is easy to get if you live in USA. It protects switches against effects of hot/cold & wet/dry cycles.

https://www.lubriplate.com/Products/Grease/Multi-Purpose-Greases/DS-ES/DS-ES/

[Kiwi_Roy]

On 9/9/2022 at 1:49 PM, MartyNZ said:

I've had good results with electrical switches, after cleaning as you did, by using a generous blob of grease designed for switches.

Lubriplate DS-ES is one of those that is easy to get if you live in USA. It protects switches against effects of hot/cold & wet/dry cycles.

https://www.lubriplate.com/Products/Grease/Multi-Purpose-Greases/DS-ES/DS-ES/

I swear by plain old Vaseline for switch contacts, its what I have been using for at least the last 60 years.

[motortouring]

On 9/16/2022 at 12:57 AM, Kiwi_Roy said:

I swear by plain old Vaseline for switch contacts, its what I have been using for at least the last 60 years.

I also used vaseline. Lately it was not really necessary so no recent experience. I do have a nice anekdote on this however. I had done the righthand switches of my LM2 before going to Mandello a few decades ago. All worked fine and I parked the guzzi outside Il Giardinetto (it was a hotel back in those days) on the side where the ramp to the lake was. 

Two days later we were about to return home and everything was packed. I pushed the starter and nothing happened.  Kill switch was in RUN, so I pushed again and smoke and a smell of burn came out of the switch. Immediately after a large bunch of ants were evacuating the switch.

Be carefull with vaseline in your switches when parking in Mandello next to Il Giardinetto. There are vaseline eating ants. 

[LowRyter]

On 8/30/2022 at 8:23 AM, docc said:

Been a while since I've had mine open. Seems it will "clamshell" enough to inspect the wiring and spray Caig DeOxit® into it while flipping the switch on and off.

If the toggle , itself, is loose on its pivot, the switch is probably done-for . . .

I finally paid $18 for some Caig spray.  Just a hint, the only place my whole town that had it was the "Guitar Center".  Not any hardware store. 

[audiomick]

I searched for Caig here in Germany. Practically not available. The place I bought it from specialises in repairing and maintaining tube amplifiers.

[Tomchri]

From here, only Sweden, and they are not allowed to send rattle cans thru the mail. It's a boring highway trip to Stockholm, so rather go south and pick up some.

Cheers Tom.