[Tirebiter]

I am changing bars and the (don't know what it's called) came out of the clutch lever housing and now it won't stay back in. It has a square boss on it that I am aligning with the groove in the housing but if it's supposed to catch on something to stay in, it isn't. I don't see anything about it in the service manual. What is it and did I break it?

 

[FortPayne]

Clutch safety switch I believe, easily broken but I don't know how they go back in. Mine was broken so I disabled it.

 

[Rainman]

There are little tabs on the switch that catch into grooves on the perch. The tabs are easily broken upon disassembly. I've broken them. I bought a new wire. Fort Payne disabled his and so have others, thats cool, but I like the safety feature.



Check this link out.

 

[Tirebiter]

Check this link out.

Thanks for the link. That helps a lot. I'm just glad it was the clutch side instead of the front brake light switch. For now I'm going to disable it and put the switch on a list for when I do another OEM parts order.



...and next time I'll unplug them at the connector behind the headlight instead of stretching the harness.

 

[Leisure Time Larry]

Stick it in the hole and zip tie the wire to the cable or the bar a few inches away. It'll work, at least for the short term.

 

[lizrdbrth]

For future reference they can be removed easily by pressing in the tabs through the "windows" in the perch.



Some dig them, some ditch them.

 

[Tirebiter]

Thanks, it's ditched but for future reference, where is the tab I need to depress? I see the switch harness has been superseded by a newer number. Maybe that one has a tab.



Also, does the front brake switch harness attach to the brake lever housing the same way? If so, I hope I don't have to mess with it.



Here's pics of the one on my '98.



Square boss side

Opposite side

 

[lizrdbrth]

Late model (post-01) safety and brake switches have a bigger barrel than early switches. They both look pretty much the same but they aren't interchangable, they won't fit into your clutch or brake perches. Make sure the number for the old styles are not superceded to new style switches.



There's a rectangular window or slot that the little "ears" lock into, as Rainman described. They only fit one way. To remove them you depress the tabs through the window window something like a small screwdriver and they slip right out.

 

[Tirebiter]

Ok, I just had to see what I was missing so I carefully took off the brake switch and sure enough, there is a tab to depress. It must have broke off the clutch side. I needed to know what it is supposed to look like. The bottom one has the tab intact. Curious George is happy now....problem solved & lesson learned. Thanks for bearing with me.