New member from Paris

There should be a small spring in the middle, and it is this that earths the two functions horn and flash. The centre contact of the part still on your handlebar is earthed to the handlebars and the spring goes between that and the centre of the rocker part you have taken off.
It is very primitive and delicate and one of the reasons that the switches get replaced. The lights switch is not much better! A lot of Mk I Le Mans have later Mk II “Lego brick” switches added with primary colour buttons. These are now becoming rarer and frankly are not much better than the originals. Probably better to go for a modern switch to replace it if you can’t fix it.

Best wishes Chris

Hi Chris, That makes sense - I was planning to hack something like that. The indicator switch was also dodgy missing one of the springs behind the plate. Aside from that it all looks quite clean.

I’ll try a repair this weekend an see what happens. Thanks for the advice!

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There are a couple of later type switches on eBay but they are not cheap

New one from Moto Muzzi click here

Second hand one from another business seller click here

Or one from a Nevada that looks less in your face and is cheaper click here it has a switch on the back (looking forward) for the flash headlamp.

There are obviously loads of options from other European or worldwide manufacturers, you must decide what suits you best. If you decide to rebuild the original switch(es) then I would suggest that you change the wiring and use relays so that only a small current passes through the switch. I have done this on my Tonti and kept most of the original switches.
If you change switches remember that in the 1970’s people didn’t ride with their lights on so the flash headlamp was to the dip beam not the main beam. You might want to swap this.

Best wishes Chris

PS and one from a Breva click here

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Been fiddling this morning and it’s all working… A modified spring and some epoxy glue. Not sure it will survive long-term but will hopefully be good for the MOT. Many thanks for all the advice!!

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In Italian, White = Bianco and Blue= Blu
shame they didn’t just use crayons or maybe they should have purchased Carl’s diagrams, accurate in any (almost) language. Before someone asks, there is a tribe in Africa that does not have the colour blue in their language or culture, the people do not see blue. I have no idea what they see instead.

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Unfortunately, Carl Allison’s drawings are sometime incorrect where he has got the wire colours wrong (Bi - B as they are abbreviated on the factory diagrams) also his diagrams are free, my diagrams are the ones you have to purchase!

Best wishes Chris

thanks for the clarity. I must admit I made my own when I rewired my bike. I found Carl’s later. did not need them so did not notice there were errors. As noted the “official” ones are c**p- hard to read etc. which Is why I did my own. Started with PCB routing software for a basic schematic, then modded that for my bike along with my additions. Additionally labelled every wire at each end and sealed one with clear heatshrink.

Hi Chris, I was wondering if you have a sketch of what the changed wiring and use of relays looks like? Is it a simple modification?

There is a relay already for the flash headlight circuit, on the LH switch the grey wire goes to earth when it is pressed, this is connected to terminal 85 and activates the relay which connects the fuse F1 (this is fed from 15/54 terminal on the ignition switch) via relay terminal 30/51) to the headlamp dip beam (green wire from relay terminal 87). As the relay activation current is very low only a small current passes through the LH switch.

The horn is very similar, but might not have a relay, yet. You can add a similar switching relay into the circuit. Pressing the horn button earths the black wire in the LH switch, which needs to connect to terminal 85 on the new relay. Terminal 30/51needs a live feed connect this to the fuse F1 (this is fed from 15/54 terminal on the ignition switch) or from the flash light relay terminal 30/51. Finally connect the brown wire from the horn(s) to terminal 87 of the horn relay and the black wire from the horn(s) to earth.

The lights are more complicated, I have connected the light switch to two separate switching relays, as for the horn and flash, one for the headlamp and clocks and the other to the parking light and tail light. The second relay is probably unnecessary as there is not a lot of current drawn by the park and tail lights.

Starting with the park lights relay the activating earth to terminal 85 comes from the LH switch yellow wire, terminal 30/51 is the main power from fuse F4 (this is fed from INT terminal on the ignition switch) and terminal 87 is connected to the yellow wires to the rear light and pin 10 in the 15 way connector in the headlamp shell. This will connect it to the parking light but not the LH switch yellow wire, as noted above.

The headlight relay again is a standard switching relay, the feed to terminal 85 comes from the green wire in the LH switch, 30/51 is the main power via black/red wire from fuse F3, (this is fed from 15/54 terminal on the ignition switch) and terminal 87 is connected to the green wire to pin 9 in the 15 way connector in the headlamp shell and also to pin 10 in the 15 way connector to connect to the clocks illumination lights and the dash light, but not to the park light.

Finally main beam relay again is a standard switching relay, the feed to terminal 85 comes from the brown wire in the LH switch, 30/51 is again the main power via black/red wire from fuse F3, (this is fed from 15/54 terminal on the ignition switch) and terminal 87 is connected to the brown wire to pin 6 in the 12 way connector in the headlamp shell.

Easy so far! I have not added the last relay as I no longer have a standard light switch, I have separate light switch (original kill switch on the RH switch) and a dip/main switch (original indicator switch on the LH switch) The output from the headlamp relay terminal 87, feeds to a changeover relay terminal 30/86. The switch connects terminal 85 to earth thus activating the coil in the relay and switching the main load between two outputs terminal 87 (dip - green wire) and terminal 87a (main beam - brown wire). There are therefor no large amperages on the contacts in the handlebar switches.

The other difference on my bike is that I have left all of the yellow wires in the headlamp connected to the park light relay, it was easier to wire that way and as I never intend on leaving the bike with the parking light on, but it passes an MOT, it is not a problem to leave the clock and dash lights connected this way.

I told you it was simple! I can send you a sketch if it would help.

This is my set up

Best wishes Chris

Amazing level of detail!!

I’ll be working on the bike this Saturday (still no indicators - I suspect the flasher unit so have a new one to fit) so will see if I can make sense of your instructions.