I was on a three state trip over the holiday weekend. I was heading down the road on my older bike which is a 98 Fatboy. I noticed the switch cover on the ignition switch looked like it was going to bounce off. I touched it and the whole cover came off. When I stopped for gas it looked like the hinge pin came out of the bottom. You can see were it goes through so you can rotate it open and close of course. The ignition still worked. No problem with the bike starting or shutting off the cover just didn't stay on and I never saw the pin come out.
So the next day I stopped in the dealership in Flagstaff and they told me the only fix is to replace the whole ignition switch. This seems a lot to me just for a hinge pin the vibrated out. Has anyone had this happen or know how to fix this issue before I go to the time and expense of replacing the whole ignition switch just for a detached cover. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

Do you still have the cover or did you lose it? I had the same thing happen, but didn't lose the cover. I used a piece of wire in lieu of the pins (#14 solid copper electrical wire) and now its good as new.

 

The switch cover is held on by a "roll pin", a little pin made of sheet metal rolled into a tube. A GOOD hardware store should be able to provide just what you need.

 

Hi guys,
I appreciate this is an 'old post' but this exact thing happened today on my '98 Fatboy ! Pleased I logged on and checked this out, saved me a lot of trouble.
If anyone knows of a supplier that sells the 'rolled steel pin' on it's own I'd be very grateful for the info. In the interim, I'll cut myself some copper wire tomorrow and get it sorted.
Meantime, it might be winter here but it's not stopping me from getting out and about.....unless it's pishing down!!

Thanks again guys and Christmas Greetings from Fort William in Sunny Scotland!!
Cheers
Rob

 

Around here, I go to the Ace Hardware store. They got about 3 aisles of drawers full of nuts, bolts, dowels, spacers, etc. of various sizes loose for sale individually.
If you find one, stick a center punch in one end and tap it to flare the tip, then the other side after it's installed so it won't happen again.

 

Same exact thing just happened to me. Luckily I saw that it was loose at a stop and was able to save the cover plate. Looks like a trip to Ace Hardware is in my immediate future.

 

Drag Specialties sells a cheap ignition switch that for all intents and purposes looks like a HD one. If I were you, I would order one and remove the roll pin and cover (hinged lid) and install it on my bike. You need to keep the water out.

 

wow '' way to think,, we have some really good wrench's in here...