Speed Dealers Customs Switchbox Installation

So along with the new frontend and new clutch lever and mastercylinder, I wanted to do new switch boxes. I have been scheming on some Speed Dealer Customs low profile switch boxes. They seem simple clean and runable. There are a couple of similar items on the web and some come with switches, but the Speed Dealer boxes are the least money, but don't include a switch. There's not a ton of information on the web about which switches you need, but it was really simple to find at a Radio Shack, even if Radio Shacks are getting harder to find.

Speed Dealers shipped crazy fast and clearly has a real person filling orders. I bought three boxes and instead of three sets each with a drill bit and tap only one drill bit and tap were shipped.



For my left side, I wanted a horn button and hi-off-lo switch for my headlight. So I bought a normally open SPST mini momentary pushbutton switch for the horn; Radio Shack 275-1547(4 pack). The hi-off-lo switch is a SPDT mini center-off toggle switch; Radio Shack 275-0325. It's the same switch I have been running for a headlight switch for quite a bit.

For the right side, I need a engine cut-off switch. I couldn't find an on-off switch, so I used an on-on switch. I just won't connect the other side. It's a SPDT mini toggle switch; Radio Shack 275-0635.


I gambled and bought an extra two port switch box with the hope to be able to move my volt meter from the dash to the bars. This should work out okay.


I won't have to look down as far to see if my regulator has come unplugged.


I will start with double sided tape on each of the boxes.


Middle one.


I am a bit concerned about the dimpling actually taking up too much room inside the bars. These bars were freebies, I actually can't seem to find off the shelf 16 inch non-dimpled bars with springer riser spacing on the knurls.


Here's a shot of the brake light switch. Luckily the wires from it will go into the bars past the dimple.


This is the view from the seat.


Here's the view on the left side.


So time to drill and tap the mounting holes.


I took off all the rest of the hand controls and I used a transfer punch to mark the bar to keep the drill from slipping.





Here's another look at the dimples and box.


I got the mounting hole drilled. The tape lets the box slip a bit, so next time I will do just the taped hole then punch and drill the switch hole.


See how the old center punch mark is not in the center any more.


I was actually pleasantly surprised by the amount of material that can be tapped in the wall of a basic one inch handlebar.


Now to start into the other hole. I re-center punched it, and then started the hole with a center drill.


The switch clearance is supposed to 15mm. The toggle switches need pretty much all that space.




I figured I would use a step bit like the OCC guys used to build all their awesome theme bikes on TV. The problem is that the bit is too long before it gets big enough. But it is a start.


I might be able to clearance the rest with this countersink.


As big as the step bit will go.


That's bigger, but I don't like it.


This is the tool to do it. It makes the hole bigger where you need it.


A couple of checks and this seems to finally fit.


Something like this.


That's real nice.


Drill and tap here.


Almost got the left side done and this happened.


Luckily it wasn't jammed up too bad and I had another 8-32 tap in my box.


The push button doesn't need the full 15mm so a step bit works great. But the headlight switch will needs clearanced larger.


Looking good.


Full mock-up left side.


Full mock-up right side.

Crossbones Springer Wheel Offset

I didn't realize at first mock-up, but the crew at Longbow Customs did. The wheel I have is the correct hub and rim to use, but the offset is not correct. One more thing to fix.

Longbow Custom Springer Steering Stops

So after discovering that I needed custom steering stops to make the Crossbones frontend work, I asked Daniel if he could fix that while he was working on my engine. He said it wouldn't be a problem. Welding is just part of being a true full service motorcycle shop.

First he cleaned off the paint in the general area for the stop.


He played with a few ideas until he found something that was doable for the time we had left. (I left my house at 4AM to get to his shop by 7AM. I had wanted to leave by noon to beat a winter storm that was supposed to be coming. Finishing the engine part 2, part 3, and part 4, and we were behind time.)


Still planning.


Coping the mating part.


Tacked into place.


Doing the full weld.


About what we need.




The interesting thing was the stops on the springer are a bit different on each side. So the custom frame stops are different to match the springer stops. Here, the right side is tacked in place.


Full welding.


Jeff had to help a lot to get the right side all the way welded.


Pretty much done and functional. Daniel wasn't super proud of the aesthetics of these stops, but they are functional. Given the limited time that he was given and how ugly the rest of my frame is, these stop are good to go.


Daniel did smooth out the weld to make it a bit prettier.


Then he slapped the tanks on to double check the clearance. I discovered that I was kind of mounting my tanks wrong and the back tank mount wasn't exactly on the frame correctly either.


My bike is finally looking like a bike again.