I highly suggest disassembling those on the kitchen table over a terry cloth towel. The soft, rough surface helps capture small parts that are "making a run for it". And they do tend to jump out with very little warning.

Yes, they can be re-assembled. The trick is to use heavy, water-proof grease. This helps keep small parts from running away, and helps the switch operation once assembled. Be sure and keep the grease on the mechanical parts, not the electrical contacts.

Thanks. The little spring peeking out of the switch made me just set the whole thing down and send an sis. I'll report my success or failure.

I don't have a template on how to reassemble. I'm assuming the wavy washer goes on first, next to the switch base. Then the notched contact washer that can only go on one way, notches outward. The spring slides into the hole on the switch with the ball bearing following it to tension the switch into the 3 positions (found that an 1/8" ball bearing should work but I keep launching them across the room from the spring pressure so I'm not sure). Is this correct?

Sounds correct to me, except it's probably a 3mm ball (0.118") which is slightly smaller than 1/8".

First try the ball in the recess for the spring. If it won't go in the hole, then that's why you're having so much trouble with the ball popping back out.

You're right w the 3 mm but the 1/8 falls right in. It's just pushing the spring loaded ball into the hole that will launch it.

Finally, after launching 5- 1/8" bb's into the stratosphere, it just slid into place. I apparently have 2 left thumbs. But all good and normalish...

Well, after launching five BB's into the stratosphere of my garage, I finally got the switch back together. So that's cool. But my main issue that I took thing apart for was that the green light for my blinker would stay on solid when I would turn the blinker off, mainly on a right hand turn. I can toggle it back and forth a few times and get it to go off. I sprayed some electrical cleaner on the switch hoping that would clear it up but it didn't do anything. So do I need to go back in there and take it apart again? And somehow take the rocker turn signal switch off so I can take the switch the rest of the way apart?

All the handle bar switch does is select either the left side indicator lamps, or the right side are electrically selected. If that part works, then I'd say your issue is somewhere else.

Exactly what model year are we discussing? I ask because my 1979 turn signal indicator comes ON at a soft glow (when the blinkers are not operating) to indicate the ignition key is in the ON position.

:unsure:

1978 R100S. I don't get a soft glow at all. They work great except when I turn off the right signal, the dash light stays on, solid. The blinkers don't show any glow when that happens. Also it only happens when it's running. I can't get it do it with just the key. But it's pretty consistent when it's running, like 90°/. of the time. My phone doesn't have a percent sign

1978 R100S. I don't get a soft glow at all. They work great except when I turn off the right signal, the dash light stays on, solid. The blinkers don't show any glow when that happens. Also it only happens when it's running. I can't get it do it with just the key. But it's pretty consistent when it's running, like 90% of the time.

...my 1979 turn signal indicator comes ON at a soft glow (when the blinkers are not operating) to indicate the ignition key is in the ON position.

It's NOT the blinkers that come ON. It's the green dashboard INDICATOR lamp that indicates ignition.

All the handle bar switch does is select either the left side indicator lamps, or the right side are electrically selected. If that part works, then I'd say your issue is somewhere else.

When dis-associated electrical parts activate mysteriously, then you need to be thinking "faulty ground". Because, the one thing every electrical component has in common is Return (or "ground").

If this bike was in my shop, I'd start by spending 15 minutes inspecting and treating with No-Ox-Id all the following:
• Both ends of the Neg battery cable
• The 12ga Brown wire attached to the LH ignition coil mounting bracket
• All the Brown wires plugged into the brown section of the multi-colored interconnect board inside the headlamp shell
• All the contacts inside the big connector on the back of the speedo/tach unit

This activity will get your bike's electron flow back to a place where your brain presently assumes it is. Then, you can start your testing to find the culprit.

► ► One of the HUGE issues with working on Classic and Vintage motorcycle electrical systems is that the eye sees the wire connected physically, and then the brain says "ahh, perfect electrical connection". But on any motorcycle older than 25 years, assumptions of this sort CANNOT be made. You physically have to undo each and every electrical connection, treat it with an anti-corrosion agent, adjust the physical contact properties (if necessary), and then carefully reassemble it.

So quite possibly, part of the issue may be the vantage point. That is not a slap in the face, but rather an alert of the pitfalls of mature age... which I assure you I suffer from just as much as anyone. Most people see themselves as age 25, so they naturally mentally picture their 197x motorcycle as 5 or 6 years old.

This is a "wake up call" to all Airhead owners. It ain't !! 😆

Thanks for the nooxid paste idea. Ordered some just now. Bad ground makes sense. I have 3 lights on solid when ignition is turned on, orange (oil P) , red (gen) and green (neutral). The blinker green light isn't on even faintly. Maybe that will happen after I check my connections. Thank you for your patience.

I've gone all over 3 bikes with that stuff and it's magic. Lights got brighter, horns got louder, things started working better all over. It's good on battery terminals, relay prongs, and starter cables. Especially powerful where you have dis-similar metals doing electrical work... like battery posts and where the brown wire connects to the LH coil mounting bracket. (Treat the whole screw on that one.)

You can unplug the rear harness and treat the contacts inside the harness connector. Light bulb bases, etc.

Watch out though, it only takes a tiny dab per contact. Don't slather it on like mayonnaise.