front brake light switch issue

[walker70]

Hi,haven't been here for a while but finally got my bike all back together,it is running just about perfect but over the last week or so I have had two front brake light switches go bad,don't see any bad wiring or anything else wrong,just wondered if anyone can help me figure out what it might be causing this,thanks.

[SilverDave]

I guess none of us are exactly sure what a " Brake Light Switch " actually is ... ???

If you are talking about the 4 rocker switch box that sits over the brake reservoir,
This doodad :

then your request makes sense .

Those switch boxes are aftermarket, very poorly made .and not really very waterproof. They also tend to condense moisture inside, just from being a metal box.
About every two years, I open mine up, remove and replace all the bayonet wires, and then totally saturate all 4 switches with electrical contact cleaner .
Then while I am spring cleaning other chrome parts, I rock each switch about 50 times.... sometimes more . Sometimes one switch needs even more treatment .

==================================
or ....
If your switches are all " working ", then possibly the wires to whatever they control are corroded...
My 4 switches operate at the front a ring of fire and lights on the chrome rotor shields ( as well as lights across the back and side ) When you change the front tire, all those wire have to be unplugged.... My PO had bullet connectors all around that area , which always got water in them , and corroded.

. I used to spend a great deal of time, each spring getting all those lights working, because of corrosion in one or more bullets.

So........ about 12 years ago, I replaced all those bullet plugs with carefully soldered, one turn joints and shrink wrap.
Within 3 minutes with a x-acto knife and a hot solder gun, I can bare all those joints, and un-solder them . Refastening them takes just a bit longer, but the upside is , all those lights work, all the time..

SilverDave

[virgilmobile]

Or is it the hand brake lever operated microswitch that lights up the brake lamp.?

[walker70]

Sorry,didn't make it clear,it's the microswitch at the hand brake lever.

[virgilmobile]

Usually those switches last many many years...
I can only speculate....When they quit working can you simply unplug the wires from it..touch them together and the brake light works??? Verifying that the switch in it's current condition is not working?
If so..next is to slowly operate the brake lever and listen for the click that the switch makes as it operates...If there's no click remove the switch..hook the wires back to it and operate the switch with your finger...does it now work??
If it does,there's a mechanical problem between the lever and the switch...If it does not work,the switch is bad...If it's bad carefully inspect it's mounting alignment where the lever operates the switch...The lever may be mashing the switch button too much and destroying it.The brake lever,when released should come to rest just a smidgeon after the switch clicks.
Is the switch lever binding not letting it pop out when the brake lever is operated?

[DenverWinger]

I've had success by very carefully disassembling the front brake microswitch on my 1100, cleaning the contacts and reassembling, but careful, there's springs and tiny pieces in it that like to escape to places unknown....

I might add the front brake lever and master cylinder assy (including the switch) on my 1100 is from a Yamaha as the original 1100 master cylinder reservoir had disintegrated from age, but I can't imagine the Honda microswitch being any different in that regard (repairability).

[julimike54]

Another possibility would be a worn lever bushing, not allowing the lever to engage the switch properly.

[virgilmobile]

Another possibility would be a worn lever bushing, not allowing the lever to engage the switch properly.

This is true for the neutral saftey switch on the clutch lever..The brake light switch is actually turned off when the brake lever is in the rest position..Pull the lever releases the switch plunger turning the switch on...
I hate backwards wiring.

[SilverDave]

I have also taken my brake light micro switch apart, soaked everything in contact cleaner and re-assembled it ..... After checking that I could at least hear the very tiny click....
+1 on the tiny parts .. strongly suggest you do this on a large white towel on a living room rug...

LOL

SilverDave