RZ350’s Gen II Mods, Part 22 – Windshield Auto Retract Switch

[RZ350]

Link to all my Gen II mods

Many of you know how to disable the windshield auto retract feature - it’s a simple matter of unplugging a 2-pin connector under the meter cluster. But you may not know this connector leads to nothing more than a jumper wire completing the circuit. So I thought if I added a switch in the jumper wire loop, I could easily choose whether the auto-retract feature was active or not.

Why would I bother doing this? Well, for short daily rides to the office when I’m going to put my bike cover on, the cover fits better with the shield down. I’m getting more forgetful as I get older so the auto-retract saves me the trouble of having to remember to run the shield down when I park.

On long highway rides when the shield can stay up all day long however, it’s convenient not having the shield go down every time I stop for gas or something. With the auto-retract active, it seems I’m not reminded of the shield being down until I start getting up to speed on the on-ramp, and that’s usually when I need full concentration for merging. So it’s great to de-activate the OEM feature and just leave it up for the trip.

One could probably cut into the jumper and add the switch, but I chose not to modify the OEM harness in any way. I had a spare connector half in my parts bins (bought earlier from Eastern Beaver) so I made up a quick switch assembly as shown in the picture. It plugs into the harness replacing the jumper connecter. The switch is a SPST type I found at Radio Shack.

I made a small bracket from a scrap of aluminum strap and it mounts from the lower right side meter screw. Here’s a side view to give you a better idea where it is. A couple of dash panels are removed for clarity.

 

[Kelvininin]

Bringing it back from the dead. Adding this to my list of Farkles. I have most of the fairing pieces off anyway. May as well do this while I am in there.

 

[SLK50]

A weather-proof switch would be a good idea.

 

[Kelvininin]

A weather-proof switch would be a good idea.

Either that or putting a latching push button in the glove box. I have not yet decided how I am going to handle this. I need to find a radio shack to play with the switches.

 

[Kelvininin]

Got the bike all back together. Installed a SPST mini switch in the glovebox for the auto retract override.

 

[Brodie]

I'm gong to have to think this farkle through. I've disconnected that feature many years ago, perhaps it's time to add the concealed switch.

Nice location for that switch. I have my Clearwater Lights Krista on-off switch on the opposite wall right next to the power outlet..

Brodie

 

[RZ350]

Yeah, a waterproof or concealed switch should definitely be on the wish list for this project. I will say, however, that everything is still working fine after all these years. I've probably just been lucky though. It isn't pictured here, but apparently water intrusion must have crossed my mind several years ago when I added this because there is a short piece of rubber hose slid on the threaded part of the switch that extends out to nearly the end of the throw lever. At the very least, it has kept direct splash out of there.

SIDE BENEFIT OF THIS SWITCH:

One side benefit of not having the windshield auto-retract is realized when you wash the bike (for those that actually do that!). Leaving the windshield up makes it much easier to reach the lower backside of the shield and also the fairing bodywork that is directly behind it.