What Is That Adjustment On the Left Grip?

Factory black-painted handlebars? I'm no expert, but I assumed they were all chromed.

I guess an good inference could be drawn from the inside end of the location/ground screw. If it is in fact sharply pointed, that would suggest that it was designed to either 1) serve both functions, or 2) be primarily a ground screw by piercing whatever non-conductive coating might be applied to the bars.

But if it's just a locator, why make it finely-adjustable instead of a cheaper cast-in peg like on the throttle side? That does suggest it's main function was as a ground connection.

That's the reason only the left side is grounded with the pointy screw.....for the turn signal cancel solenoid. The right has return wires, going to the harness for the Start and Kill switch.

Valid points indeed.................

...........but I just find it very hard to believe if it was for that purpose it would not be mentioned in the workshop manual and not just as a location screw ??

I guess we will never know and nobody can prove otherwise, as the switch functions perfectly well without it !

Pete F
UK

Interesting read given I've spent the last 8 hours of my life in the LHS switch housing. Me thinks it's a locating *AND* grounding screw. Hadn't thought about the turn signaling aspect, but on the bench my 'replacement' horn button won't show continuity to anything on the ohmmeter except for the housing (pointy item!).

Looking at the FSM schematic (79 A1 US) verifies this. Only one wire into housing.

Nothing like cooking up an old thread on a Sunday, yes?

Fine by me! I call it "adding to the hive mind" for those who search in years to come.

Are you using aftermarket bars with no hole? I have low, powder-coated ones on my '82, and I just ground the pointy tip to a REAL point so it would penetrate the coating. Drilling the new bars would have made future adjustment impossible, and it seems to work great.

I have to say that I really got lucky with this bike--after 13+ years of "storage" in a back yard, every single thing on the dash works, even the fuel gauge! Not initially, but the warmth and vibration on its first startup, everything came to life!

"every single thing on the dash works, even the fuel gauge! Not initially, but the warmth and vibration on its first startup, everything came to life! "

Sounds a bit like me every morning ! :evil:

Pete F
UK