I have an 06 RK police. I recently installed apes and when reinstalling everything I of course didn't have the brake lever propped open far enough and broke the brake light switch.

I know what the issue is and I've purchased a replacement switch. My question is can anyone provide helpful insight into disconnecting and reinstalling a new switch in such a tight space? I really, really, REALLY don't want to disconnect EVERYTHING just to be able to pull the wires all the way out of the new bars so I can lay the control housing on a table and work.

Anyone solder wires inside the switch control housing without removing it completely from the bars? Is this doable or am I stuck tearing the front end down again?

 

when I broke the tip of the switch on my 2007, I didn't like the looks of what all I had to do to replace it. so what I did was to drill a small hole in the brake lever where the switch would contact it, and thread a small button head screw in there. the thickness of the screw head gave enough height to depress the switch when the brakes were off and it only cost about $.17

ran it that way for about 3 years before I traded the bike in

 

I have heard of people drilling a screw into the actual switch but not the way you described. I thought about that option but haven't wanted to drill and tap into the components just yet.

 

i have never heard of anyone drilling into the switch. the lever is just cheap potmetal. very easy to drill, and virtually no danger of messing anything up.

 

Fair point. I suppose it would be a lot easier that way anyway

 

I've done this same thing on a couple bikes and no problems ... it works and is a lot easier than messing with the switch

 

Anyone have a pic of this mod by any chance just so I can have a visual?

 

The last one I replaced, I soldered switch in.Pull wiring as far as possible toward handle bar end and cut leaving you enough wire to solder.Then solder and shrink wrap wires.Then pull wiring back into bar and install switch in housing.

 

An indy I used to put my bars on broke my switch. I took a small round headed bolt and turned the threads down until it fit tight in the plunger on the switch. Works like new.


Dennis

 

i don't as i don't have that bike any more. but it's very simple. if you look at the lever, when it is released, it pushes in the switch. when you pull it, it allows the switch to pop out closing the circuit and illuminating the brake light. so when the tip of the switch is broken off, it does not contact the flat part of the lever so it remains in a closed circuit, keeping the brake light on. all you're doing is using the head of the screw to fill in the blank space.