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front brake light switch

  • Thread starter Thread starter tirebiter
  • Start date Start date
T

tirebiter

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My question is about the brake light switch at the front brake lever on my 1980 GS 850 GL shaftie. Front leevr brake ligth switch was not working when I bought "Little Suzy" about two years ago.

Adjusted, cleaned, re-aligned the swirtch and ok for a couple of weeks then it died. Got a new one. Eventually it died too. Tried the realligning, cleaning route once again. Ok for another couple of weeks. Tried another new switch. Same ... exact same ... thing.

What am I doing wrong ? Are there any alternative switches or brake levers/switches ? Would rather not replace the entire master cylinder.
 
Are you buying quality replacements or the really cheap ones off Ebay and the like?

I mean the OEM Japanese ones will go 30+ years on our bikes but on some of the cheap Chinese quads Ive worked on over the years, the switches fail all the time.
 
The original switch was toasted. About half of each of the contact "tabs" were corroded, maybe burnt. Loose in the plastic though so I imagine some kind of heat/resitance issue. The new ones showed no signs of wear at all. They simply don't make contact after a while.
 
Going cheap all the way. Are the factory ones al lthat different ? The new ones look exactly like the old ones. I had a used spare that was worn out also.
 
And what makes it any different than the left handle switch? My left handle switch was neevr wired to anything from when I got the bike. Thinking of trying that one out.

I see someone close to here, selling an NOS right handle switch on eBay. A new one from a factory supplier is only a few dollars more but are they the same quality as ones made back then ?
 
Brendan,

no it's not real snug. I cannot make the brake light go on though regardless how I move the lever. In past experience. i can re-align the switch and it will work for a few weeks before it dies again. It's as if it is slipping but the screws are tight and I cannot detect any movement or change of location of the switch plate when it has died.

I want it to last as long as it should and am stumped. I'm considering one of the hydraulic brake line switches as an alternative.
 
I've just about given up on mine...the plastic tip is b*rred up....the hydaulic ones on ebay are ok but be careful with the thread ..the size is ok for most reservoirs but if you have a round plastic reservoir check to see if the threads are finer than the more common square metal ones.
 
May I suggest you look at a wiring diagram for your bike. Are there any other circuits that share the wiring that could in fact be related to the problem.

I'm thinking it could be a bad ground among shared circuits and the brake handle switch is the weakest member of shared circuitry causing it to fail prematurely. Maybe not the switch contacts but wiring going to and from.
 
To verify it's the contactor in the lever assembly that's the problem, you simply need to disassemble the switch, clean the contact area the opposite side of where the wires solder in and short the two metal contacts with the ignition turned on. If the brake light comes on then it's an issue with the contact alignment or the spring loaded contact it self.
 
You might also want to verify that ALL of the necessary parts are installed, and installed correctly. :-k

Besides the board with the two tracks on it, there is the sliding part that shorts across the the two tracks to turn on the brake light.

That "sliding part" consists of three individual pieces: the copper contact, a spring, a plastic piece that holds the other two.
When properly assembled, there are tabs on the side of the copper contact that ride in slots on the side of the plastic piece.
The spring is in the middle, constantly trying to spread the other two apart. If assembled incorrectly, it's possible that you
simply don't have enough tension on the contacts.

.
 
Another potential issue is a sloppy lever, especially if it's wearing a shoddy aftermarket imitation lever.

A new OEM lever is not very expensive.
 
Put a dab of grease on the pin the spring goes over in the black plastic piece. This makes the spring stick in there and not fall out as your trying to assemble the thing.
 
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