Handlebar Switch Disassembly

Is it possible to completely disassemble the handle bar switches, leaving only the metal casing? If it is, I figure I could get a set that is in decent shape and swap the good casing for the jacked up casing on my bike. Thanks for any feedback!

I don't know about the right hand switch, but I have done exactly that on the left handlebar switch because I didn't want to try to fish the new wires through the handlebars. Just be very careful to examine the guts very carefully before taking the stuff out (digital camera will help) so you know exactly how everything fits back in. There's not much room for error in there. Ed

Yeah, the right hand switch is the one I had in mind. The paint is all gone.

Yes both switches come apart.

Mark

I did mine years ago and and powdercoated them. You can take them apart and paint them.

Would a satin black be good? I suppose model paint would do, for the lettering? I can only think of time, and a steady hand, to paint the letters. Is there a better way? Maybe paint the case black and give it plenty of time to cure. Then use model paint for the letters, wiping the excess off as you go. Maybe it would be a good idea to clearcoat as well. Thoughts, experiences?

If the switch housing is metal(most are) you can bake paint for a durable finish at 350 F for 1 hour. It might stink, so open up some windows.

Yes model paint works great.

Mark

athlonwirez wrote:

Would a satin black be good? I suppose model paint would do, for the lettering? I can only think of time, and a steady hand, to paint the letters. Is there a better way? Maybe paint the case black and give it plenty of time to cure. Then use model paint for the letters, wiping the excess off as you go. Maybe it would be a good idea to clearcoat as well. Thoughts, experiences?

That's exactly what I did. Painted with satin black tremclad. Then used model paint for the letters, wiping off the excess. After dry I sprayed on a clear coat of satin.

Here is a before and after of one of them:

The current condition described is likely from brake fluid leaking from the master cylinder. It eats the finish of the switch assembly. I know, I have the same situation. I thought about repainting. My dealer informed me the switch assemblies are still available. Mine is a KZ650. So I paid $150 and got a new unit. I still have the original that would need to be repainted if anyone is interested. My bike only has 1745 original miles on it. Would not have needed to replace except for the brake fluid ate the finish off. I may keep to be sure my master cylinder rebuild holds and does not leak. After that it is up for dibs/sale.

Great work btw of you that took the time to repaint. Looks top notch.

Thanks for all the input! I feel a lot more confident about restoring the switches.

Another option that I was thinking about doing is just removing the paint and polishing the aluminum housings, then clearcoating them. I saw an old 900 done up that way, and it looked good. He didn't bother painting in the lettering though. When you think about it, how often do you look down at your switches and see which one to flip?