Honda Shadow Forums banner

Where to get a starter switch?

3K views 23 replies 11 participants last post by  Ramie 
#1 ·
My bike wouldn't start and it turned out to be the starter switch. When I opened the switch the plastic was melted inside. I've been looking around the internet trying to find a new replacement switch but all I can find is the whole chrome housing but all I want is the switch. Does anyone know where I can find one? I jurryrigged a temporary fix.
 
#2 ·
I paid $75 for the whole harness about 3 yrs ago which also includes the kill switch. Harness goes all the way to headlight. I believe I bought it from Bikebandit.com
 
#4 ·
you might get lucky like I did several years ago,,got just the switch from a member here that bobs bikes. He was cleaning the handle bars and relocated a different kind of switch.
I paid $10.00 for just the switch from a member here in texas. It worked and is still mounted on my bike.

Look around ask folks,,good luck.

old dad
 
#5 · (Edited)
It's crazy you have to buy an expensive harness when all I need is a ten dollar switch. I may just keep my rigged version. I copied the old melted plastic part and carved it out of wood. Sounds ******* but it works just like the original. I just wanted to replace it with the real thing. The only thing about my fix is the contact in the switch is not spring loaded like the original.
 
#6 ·
******* Engineering UN-Incorporated




IF you got it fixed with another material then I might suggest you keep on using that ******* Fix!

You GO BOY!!


If it works, don`t fix it :D


Lets ride,
D


Vote biker friendly candidates into office
 
#10 ·
My bike wouldn't start and it turned out to be the starter switch.


  • When I opened the switch the plastic was melted inside.
As others have stated, you'd have to buy the entire right hand control housing. The switch can't be purchased ala carte (shown below).



If the plastic wasn't melted the switch might be revived by lifting the tiny coil spring located under the movable contacts (copper nubbies). The spring pushes the movable contact against the stationary contacts as you press in the start button, albeit if the plastic substrate wasn't melted. (Pic. by rattlebars).

 
#11 ·
Yeah, it may be advisable to tweak what you`ve got until you find a suitable donor for it...
I promise though, that wood will not melt!
Lets Ride,
D
 
#12 ·
yes it sucks having to buy the whole assembly, I have done it on both my Sabre's, I just take the section of the starter switch that has sliding part, from the new assembly and attach it to my old switch, that way don't have to take everything apart to run throttle cables and wiring, and so far I have not hat any problems doing it that way sense like mentioned that part of the switch is what goes bad, not the solid contacts.
On a side note watch that little spring , I dropped it in the shop, could not find it, but also could not come up with a replacement spring, don't know how many ink pens I took apart, even took a couple of old lighters apart nothing matched up, three of us looking all over the floor in shop finally found it, else I would have had to order another assembly LOL.
 
#13 · (Edited)
On a side note watch that little spring ....
Lol!


I just take the section of the starter switch that has sliding part, from the new assembly and attach it to my old switch, that way don't have to take everything apart to run throttle cables and wiring,

Mike, for the swap, there's 4 locking barbs molded on the stationary contact plate (black rectangle) that locks into respective slots on the sides of the nylon box.



Here's how things should go back together again ....

 
#14 ·
Yeah, them itsy bitsy parts can disappear in a flash!


I keep a magnet around for the metal pieces that jump off the table, bench or outta the fixture...
I have a few tools what disappeared around the shop too :D

I got a 4 wheeler on the bench now, looking for spark,
D
 
#15 ·
I'll post pictures of my 'fix' later. It's the sliding plastic part that melted right around and under the spring loaded copper part. I read that a bad connection can cause sparking there which melts the plastic. Wood wont melt but it might burn if there isn't good contact. That's why I'm thinking I should tweak it and put a spring under the copper piece so it makes good contact. It seems to be making good contact now anyway but could wear down with use. In the wood piece I fitted the original spring that pushes it back out after you push the button in. The spring that was under the copper part had plastic melted inside it and I broke the spring trying to cut the plastic out of it. I tried using a spring from an ink pen also. That will work but will have to cut it shorter and widen the copper part a little bit.
 
#16 ·
Any time a spark is made the contacts become dirty...
I put Electrical Joint Compound on the components to assure good contact and continued cleaning...
It is my belief that dirt/corrosion/oxidation or whatever, is what causes the malfunction...
I cleaned my switch back in 2007 and haven`t had to take it back apart >
I attribute that to the EJC,
D
 
#17 ·
The reason that nylon is used for the movable contact (start button) is that nylon is supposedly self-lubricating. The disadvantage is that nylon doesn't hold up to undesired heat so there's a trade of. The mating stationary contact plate is polycarbonate (eye think). Ideally, a tiny square of polycarbonate could be inset under the area of the copper nubbies and coil spring as a more heat resistant substrate. That area doesn't rub against anything when the start button is pressed in, so that area doesn't have to be self-lubricating.


  • the design of the start button is generic on almost all metric bikes regardless of brand. There's a reason for the design but that's for another post.


  • there's a reason why the nylon melts, but that's for another post.
 
#19 ·
yea, you don't want to repeat the same problem all over again which tends to happen if the culprit isn't eliminated, however to elaborate on this post about the *reasons* though related would jumble subplots together and away from the original problemo namely which was on buying a start button ala carte. The screeen would go dark, lol. Seriously, it's cumbersome to follow a discussion if too much is tossed into the mix. It's better if you pose the question/topic on a separate thread.
 
#21 ·
Sounds like a good plan to me and check all the other parts to see if they need replacement while you are in there. No use wasting ride time.
Just don't loose the mini parts.
 
#23 ·
Well, I decided to go ahead & replace the whole right switch assembly, might as well do it right. It wasn't that bad, took about two hours. Buttoned everything back up, turned the key on, pushed the NEW button, & nothing! Turns out that the pos. battery cable had corroded bad enough to completely break away from the battery. Kicking myself for not catching it before I went through the trouble replacing the switch assembly. But, after seeing the contacts melted into the nylon piece the way the were, it was an inevitable repair anyway.
 
#24 ·
The big reason the switch fails is that all the voltage for the headlight runs through it. What you want to do to avoid that is install something like this.

SmartSwitch Top Page
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top