Left switchgear issue

Hi all
new to the forum but had an xj 83 model for 10 plus years been in the garage for 7 feeling sorry for itself until now aiming to put it back on the road next spring
i need to replace the left hand switch gear but mine seems to have the choke bulit into it and the ones i see on ebay don't have the choke assembly with it my question is can i disassemble the switchs and make one good one that fits my bike or is the choke assembly separate to the awitch
TIA

 

Curious why you need to replace the left switch cluster, there are not many things in the switch that can’t be fixed by cleaning the contacts and some dielectric grease.

Fill us in on the problem with the existing switch

FlyGp

 

Hi
thanks for coming back to me
the passing button never has worked but both switches seem to have sunk doen into the casing and are difficult to use i assumed it was because of wear inside I haven't taken apart yet as I wasn't sure if you could
is it possible to change the internals over from one to another
TIA

 

I look at it this way. If I have a broken device I have no fear taking it apart to see if it can be overhauled. If I am thinking of purchasing another copy and I fail at refurbishing the device the ultimate path is the same. Fortunately the majority of the time you will discover that the thing holding you back is the unknown secretes inside and as soon as you take it apart the unknown is revealed.

I have also discovered that when I disassemble a complex device, that I have one or two parts remaining after reassembly. After many attempts at repair I now have two motorcycles.

FlyGp

 

Hey to666ny,

Are you in NY? If so, where? I'm near Utica. If you're in that general area, let's try to get together and I'll take a look at the control. These things are so simple that it can usually be fixed. On the other hand, these things are some simple that if it can't be fixed, they can easily be replaced. I have several here and would be able to dig one out, or at least enough parts to build another.

Let me know where you're at.

Dave F

 

Restoring a Handlebar Control requires you approach the problem with some finesse'.

Do yourself a HUGE favor!
Remove the Control from the Bike.
Create a "Comfortable, well-lighted and soft-surfaced" operating table.
Do the job ... seated.

Make a surface that won't let a dropped part get too far away.
An old towel folded in two.
An old WHITE Pillow Case over the towel.

If you drop something it won't bound away from you.
Plus, if the work surface is white, ... easy to spot.

 

Hy guys
thanks for all the info , i thnk I'll have to bite the bullet and strip it down
@hogfiddles I'm in the UK but thanks for the offer, i assume from your reply the bits are interchangeable so if the internal are not repairable I should be able to swop it with a later xj to keep my choke on the handlebars
@RickCoMatic i think thats the way to go , thanks for the advice

 

Well, to an extent, it does matter what model you have. For example, if you have a turbo seca 750 police midnight special blah blah blah or something really rare (you get my drift), your sources will be limited, but if you have something like an xj650 maxim, your sources are all over the place. THAT control replacement/parts source is any xj650 maxim, any year, the xj550 maxims, and even some other bikes, too.

So, it depends on what you have. I don't see your particular bike mentioned, so let us know what you actually have. That way we can give you some better guidance.

Dave Fox

 

Hi Dave
haven't had a chance to update info or upload pics yet I've got a 1983 XJ900F (non turbo) , I think the american version is the SECA but the fairing is slightly different
thanks in advance for any help, haven't been a member very long but this forum seems a realy friendly place . I didn't realise that were so many XJ's still on the road worldwide as i don't see any these days thought mine was a rarer beast
I've just uploaded a picture of my bike to my gallery hope this helps

 

Just take it apart, they are pretty simple. The switches get sticky because the old grease gums up. Once they are clean and re-greased provided the springs are ok they come up just nice. One of my 900 switches has a cracked plastic keeper plate but a bit of hot melt glue fixed that. I'm going to use it on the 750.