BONNIE MOD #3
Joker Machine Ignition Switch Relocator

After swapping out the stock handlebar with a Dime City Cycle “Speed” Clubman handlebar, the ignition switch became very, VERY difficult to access. Geesh, it’s always something, right?

So, I decided on a Joker Machine Triumph Ignition Switch Relocation Bracket. I saw other companies with speedo/tach clusters that incorporated the ignition switch. They were nice but working on the cluster is not a priority at the moment. That’s far down the road. Until then, relocating it on the downtube seemed the simplest option.

Again, asking The Google, I went ahead and ordered from British Customs. The price was good but the cheapest shipping option was USPS Priority – an additional 20% over the cost of the part. Ugh, I hate paying for shipping (I’m an Amazon Prime whore).

The part came quickly in a well packed box but quite honestly, I wished that they had mailed it via regular post in a bubble wrap envelope. Joker already did a nice job of protecting the pieces. A bubble wrap envelope would have fit in my tenant mailbox but more importantly, it probably would have saved me $8 in postage.

The piece itself is very well machined. I was a bit surprised, though, that the bolts weren’t chrome plated. I’m not educated in the field of plating, so if one of you out there can educate me, that would be greatly appreciated. My take has always been that the yellowish plated (brass?) bolts were the cheap way out. Even if they are a better plating, they aren’t the proper aesthetic choice. Just my opinion. Tell me if I’m wrong.

Let’s begin… we are moving the ignition switch from the head lamp housing to the frame’s down tube.

First, the ignition switch needs to be removed from the head lamp housing. It is held, from behind, in place with two 4mm hex bolts. As you can see in the below photo, clearance is extremely tight. You might be able to get away with using allen keys but I only had sockets and I was not able to get enough clearance.

I had to remove the head lamp, but no worries. It is supported by two bolts which are easily removed with a crescent wrench. You can simply let the lamp hang. It only drops down a couple inches but it’s enough to allow easier access to the rear of the ignition switch.

Be aware, though, that each head lamp bolt has a type of collar seated with it. These can easily drop off to the ground, so be careful.

Now that access is available, the ignition switch can be removed by simply unscrewing the two 4mm hex bolts. You’ll find that the switch comes out easily but its wiring is VERY short. No worries, there is lots of slack hidden within the head lamp casing. Gently tug it and you will find that there is an extra 6+ inches of extra wire available. This was a big Whew! At first, I thought that I was going to need to splice in extra length.

There is just enough extra length. I found it best to reroute the wire underneath the rear indicator wiring, plus you’ll have to install the switch upside down. Trying to mount it upright won’t work as there isn’t enough clearance between the frame and the Joker. (You’ll have to retrain your muscle memory as to which way to turn the key.)

The above photos jumped past this next step but what you want to do next is remove the stock bolts from the down tube. You will replace these with the bolts provided by Joker machine (the new bracket plus spacers necessitate a longer bolt).

Be careful here. There is a nut plate that receives these bolts and it’s not fixed. It will fall off. Don’t lose it. You need it.

Okay. Fit the ignition switch into the back of Joker and fix it in with the stock 4mm hex bolts. Then insert the two Joker provided 8mm bolts and spacers.

Make sure to apply a bit of medium strength Thread Locker so that they will stay firm. I’ve become a big fan of the Thread Locker (aka, Loc-Tite). In the two mods that I have done so far, I have come across several loosened stock bolts. This is caused by vibration, no doubt. I now plan on applying Thread Lock to all of my bolts. Make sure to use medium strength as this will allow you to release it’s grip with a quick crack of the wrench. One tip: don’t bite off the applicator tip. Use a knife. The stuff tastes terrible and hurts your teeth.

Place the assembly into the holes from which you removed the stock bolts from earlier and tighten everything down. You’ll have to hold the nut plate in place. This is a bit of a blind procedure. I did it by feel but it only took a minute or so until I felt the bolts seating in. If you have a friend helping, this would be a good point in the process where you could have them on the other side of the bike helping you guide the bolts in, but it’s not a deal breaker by any means.

Rocking, right? Make sure to reattach the head lamp in case you haven’t already. Don’t forget to watch out for those collars I was telling you about earlier. Make sure that they are seated properly as you are tightening down the bolts.

And there you have it. Easy peasy, took about 1/2 hour. One final thought, however. Joker offers this piece in three different finishes: chrome, brushed, and black. I chose the brushed version because I thought that it would make a cool accent. Looking at the finished install, I’m questioning whether I should have chosen black. Rather than being an accent, it would blend in and be fairly innocuous. No wrong or right, just an aesthetic choice that I could go ever way with. What do you think? I’d like your opinion.

Tools Required:

Company URLs:
jokermachine.com
british-customs.com