If you have, or are planning to swap your Harley-Davidson hydraulic clutch to a cable assembly, this page will give you all of the information available for the common issues directly related to the conversion and specifically switch packs.
Common Issues
Loss of cruise control
Loss of gear indicator
Unable to start bike in gear or ability to start in gear without clutch pulled in/disengaged
The Why
These issues are a result of non compatible parts, programming, and Harley engineering. Let’s break it down a little bit to explain how it all works.
LEVERS/PERCHES: Visually it’s easy to see there is a large difference between the cable and hydraulic lever & perch assemblies. On a hydraulic system the master is part of the perch. A cable clutch perch is much smaller only needing to clamp on the handlebar and hold the cable & lever. The cable lever has 2 holes where a hydraulic lever only has one. A cable lever is designed to pull, while a hydraulic is designed to push. A very large difference, but mostly invisible to the naked eye, is how the levers actuate the clutch switch. On a cable lever the tab is designed to remain OFF the button when the lever is released and clutch engaged, and pushes the button when the lever is pulled in and clutch disengaged. The hydraulic lever is the exact opposite. On a hydraulic lever the tab is designed to push the button in when the clutch lever is released and clutch engaged, and releases the button when the lever is pulled and clutch disengaged. This difference is half of the cause of the loss of functions. The other half lies in the switch pack itself.
SWITCH PACKS: Visually the switch packs are identical between cable and hydraulic on 14-20 Touring bikes with infotainment systems. 2020+ models may or may not have a Traction Control (TC) button. 23.5+ are a completely different design altogether. 14-19 models without infotainment systems like Road King bikes do not have some of the switches and will have plugs in place. 2014+ bikes use the canbus system for electronics. Due to this the switch packs use low voltage references and readings to control switches and functions. This allows the switch packs to be modular in a sense, using the same base circuitry and making certain switches “plug & play”. We will elaborate on that part later on in Solutions. The most important switch is NOT removable and “modular”, the clutch switch. They may look alike, but they are very different. Like the lever design having a different way of actuating the switch, the switch itself also operates and sends signals differently. The switches are opposite in the sense of “Normally Open” and “Normally Closed” switch functions, therefore not allowing the opposite clutch lever to be used. Entire switch packs can be swapped and “modified” to work with the conversion however. We will also walk you through this process in Solutions. You can find switch pack model years and part numbers in the Switch Pack Part Numbers section.
Non Compatible Parts: When doing this conversion, or even the opposite, the combination of parts used are non compatible. A cable clutch lever will not work with a hydraulic clutch switch pack, and vice versa. In Solutions, we’ll go over ways to swap switch packs and give you the functions you desire back.
Known Fixes & Solutions
OUR COMPLETE SOLUTION: We are currently working on a permanent bolt on solution to this problem. This solution will be included in kits when available and also available for purchase on its own for those who did the swap without our kit. We are planning to have this part available Late Summer / Early Fall 2025. All customers who purchased kits prior to this part availability will have first option to buy when released. Join our mailing list to be notified when these parts are in production and fully announced.
14-16 Switch Pack Swap: On these model bikes you have another option to gain most or all functions back. You can swap the switch pack out to a cable version switch pack. We have part numbers available below. The most available switch pack that works with the cable is the Road King switch pack. This pack does not have the infotainment button, but that can be swapped out from your original switch pack. These particular switches are a modular part of the pack and can be easily changed. You will need a T6 socket or driver to remove the bolts, and will have to pry up on the small latch tabs on the bottom side of the switch. This will remove the entire infotainment/cruise switch assembly. Simply put the switch from your original pack onto the Road King pack and reassemble. You will also have to remove the turn/push to talk button. With your finger, pry on the left (turn signal side) side and the button will pop off. Replace with the button from your original switch pack, putting the switch on the opposite way it was removed. You now have a “modified” OEM switch pack that will allow you to gain functions back and operate like OEM. Install the switch and enjoy having cruise control, gear indicator, and start in gear back. The switches being swapped are highlighted below (#7).
We have found that not all bikes will gain start in gear back. We do not have an educated answer for this at this time, but hope to in the near future.
17-20 Switch Pack Swap: We believe the above is true for these year model bikes as well, but are currently getting switches out to people for testing. This would require the use of the same 14-16 model year Road King switch packs. This modification does not apply to bikes with Traction Control and will not work.
If you do not feel comfortable doing the modifications to the switch, please contact us. We would be happy to do this for you.
14-20 Clutch Switch “MOD”: If changing switches isn’t an option, there is another solution that we consider “temporary”. This is a “simple” modification to your existing switch. Take apart your existing switch pack from the housing. Undo the latch tabs that hold the grey or black clutch switch in place. Remove the button and set aside. Remove the spring and contact plunger from the assembly. Return the grey or black switch to the assembly and clip in the latch tabs. This can act as if the switch is in the opposite position. This has not been found to work on all bikes and is truly a temporary solution when in need of cruise control. We do not recommend this be your final solution as it is eliminating the function of the clutch switch completely.
Switch Pack Part Numbers
*When searching for part numbers, you may see “A” or “B” after the numbers. These are revision codes. We do not believe that there is a functional difference between them*
14-20 HYDRAULIC no traction control: 71500128 (Found on Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Ultra, & Trike Models) #14 in photo
14-16 CABLE: 71500126 (Found on Road King Models) #13 in photo (Must have cruise switch)
14-16 CABLE POLICE: xxxxxxxx (Found on POLICE Special Road King & Electra Glide Models)