Rear brake light switch cut...why?

Joined
Jan 14, 2016
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Escondido, CA
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2005 ST1300
i bought my 2005 ST in March this year and repaired a number of cosmetic issues with it at the time. i gave the bike a good going over changing fluids, filters plugs and the bike was running really well. Last week i discovered that the rear brake pedal was not operating the rear brake lights, the front brake light switch was working without issue.

Fast forward to tonight and i finally get some time to look in the rear switch thinking it was most likely needing adjustment as others here have reported. I then discovered that the rubber shroud over the switch had been peeled off and i could see that one of the two wires had been neatly cut rendering the switch useless. Clearly i've been riding it with a dead switch since i got it and had no idea.

I'm making the assumption that the PO may have found the switch to be permanently on and he cut it because he was too lazy to either adjust it replace it.

As a precaution i've ordered a new one from partzilla but i'd like to try and get the old one out to see if it is either functional or repairable. I can see the pigtail of the switch disappearing in to the innards of the bike but i cannot see further than that. I removed the saddle hoping the connector was there but no such luck

Can anyone who has had to remove/replace the switch tell me two things?

1) i've got the aluminum plate that the peg and switch attach to loose but not free, there is another part of the brake system that attaches to it and prevents it from having any great level of free play. How do i get that plate off to get clear access to the switch

2) where does the connector end of the rear brake light switch go? how does it route from the end of the switch? Under the gas tank?

i have the service manual but it's not been much help this time.

thanks in advance
 
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ST Gui

240Robert
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I'm making the assumption that the PO may have found the switch to be permanently on and he cut it because he was too lazy to either adjust it replace it.
Curious for sure. Before you tried to remove it could you hear it click when operating the pedal? I don't know if it even has an audible click like the front brake light switch but I'm curious.

A defective switch and a lazy (previous) owner seem the most likely explanation. But defeating that switch mean you could slow down without alerting anyone seeing a brake light. But if that were the reason defeating the front switch might be a better choice. Other than that I got nothin'.
 
OP
OP
Panjammer
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Ordered a new switch while I was in Scotland. It had arrived by the time I got back. Even after removing the middle cowl and the brake lever mounting plate, I still could not see where the lead went. I had to remove the bracket that held on the MCL tour peg and then faff about behind the hole left pulling wires until I located the switch cable. Even then I couldn't find the connector end for another 5 minutes. It's colocated with some other connector under a protective plastic shroud.

Plugged in the new switch, turned on the ignition and pulled on the switch, success, brake lights!

Now I just got to put everything back together.

Oh and the service manual was of no help. Ho hum, happy days!
 
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You can slow down and not alert the cop behind you that you are speeding. No bright red light, no radical change in exhaust note. Just roll off a bit on the throttle and ease on the rear brake.
This used to be a common practice after the front lever brake switch was introduced.

OR...the switch is stuck closed.
 

Happy Rob

Rob
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Front brake light switch question.
A taxi driver behind me jumped out of his car this morning to let me know I had no brake light. I thanked him as no brake light can get a fella killed on a bike.
Now my issue. The brake light works if I use the rear brake pedal, but NOT if I use the front brake lever. Where do I start? I assume I have a broken wire???? I have no idea how long this has been happening as I am never behind me. Well except when I am going really fast throgh a round a bout!! Like a dog chasing it's tail. I HATE electrical isues. Is there a tracing tool out there that I can use to run it along a wire to tell me where it is broken? I searched this forum for brake light issues but could not find the answer to this particular question. So I asked it here.
 
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The problem is usually the switch under the front brake lever housing. If your bike has corrosion from road salts, by all means, inspect the wiring and connectors between the switch and lights.
 

970mike

Mike Brown
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Front brake light switch question.
A taxi driver behind me jumped out of his car this morning to let me know I had no brake light. I thanked him as no brake light can get a fella killed on a bike.
Now my issue. The brake light works if I use the rear brake pedal, but NOT if I use the front brake lever. Where do I start? I assume I have a broken wire???? I have no idea how long this has been happening as I am never behind me. Well except when I am going really fast throgh a round a bout!! Like a dog chasing it's tail. I HATE electrical isues. Is there a tracing tool out there that I can use to run it along a wire to tell me where it is broken? I searched this forum for brake light issues but could not find the answer to this particular question. So I asked it here.
You will need to replace the micro-switch on the front brake lever part #1 here https://www.ronayers.com/oemparts/a/hon/5053f118f870021c54be6336/front-brake-master-cylinder-st1300
 

Happy Rob

Rob
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You will need to replace the micro-switch on the front brake lever part #1 here https://www.ronayers.com/oemparts/a/hon/5053f118f870021c54be6336/front-brake-master-cylinder-st1300
You guys rock. Thanks so much. Now I know where to start. If it is the micro switch, that sounds like an easy fix, and cost effective. I live in Newfoundland. We use tons and tons of salt on our roads, and I live a couple of miles from the ocean, corrosion is something we live with. I say " We don't tan we rust!!"
 
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You guys rock. Thanks so much. Now I know where to start. If it is the micro switch, that sounds like an easy fix, and cost effective. I live in Newfoundland. We use tons and tons of salt on our roads, and I live a couple of miles from the ocean, corrosion is something we live with. I say " We don't tan we rust!!"
For a quick check, pull the 2 wires off the switch and touch or jump them together. The light should come on, confirming that it is the switch. If the light doesnt come on, the problem lies elsewhwere. If it is the switch, you can try removing it and spraying a contact cleaner in it and work it with your fingers to see if you can revive it.
 

CYYJ

Michael
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Hi Rob:

A general guideline that might help you troubleshoot your front brake microswitch is "If you can hear it click, it works". In other words, if you can hear the microswitch making a clicking sound when you pull the brake lever, chances are that the microswitch is working properly inside, and the problem lies elsewhere, perhaps loose or corroded connectors where the wires attach to the microswitch.

Brent's suggestion directly above (touch together the two wires that attach to the microswitch) is excellent. If the brake light works when you do that, then the problem is either a failed switch (unlikely, if it clicks) or loose, dirty, or corroded connections where the spade lugs on the wires attach to the switch.

Michael

PS: Where in NL is 'CBS'?
 
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970mike

Mike Brown
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Hi Rob:

A general guideline that might help you troubleshoot your front brake microswitch is "If you can hear it click, it works". In other words, if you can hear the microswitch making a clicking sound when you pull the brake lever, chances are that the microswitch is working properly inside, and the problem lies elsewhere, perhaps loose or corroded connectors where the wires attach to the microswitch.


Michael
I have replaced three bad microswitch's and all of them still made the clicking sound but did not activate the brake lights, new switch and brake lights work great.
 

ST Gui

240Robert
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l had a front brake microswitch go bad on one of my older Hondas as evidenced by the brakes not working off the front lever. First thing I did was listed for the lack of a click. To click or not too click –that is the first indication of where to look. In my case the switch was bad.

Using microswitches in other applications I don't recall ever hearing a click on a bad switch. Ok there always an exception. One did have a lug broke off so the switching mechanism proper was working. Anyway the switch is the first place I'd start and it's easy to confirm if it's dead or alive.
 

wjbertrand

Ventura Highway
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I had one of the blade connectors on the front brake switch, corrode and separate from the switch itself. Commuting for years along the coast no doubt got to it. I only discovered it when I found out I could not cancel the Audiovox CC using the front lever.
 
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STRider

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Of course while testing the brake lights on my Givi topbox I discovered that my front brakes didn't trigger them at all. Reason? One of the two blade connectors was completely disconnected from the switch. So there's that too.

Simply sticking a paperclip, or a sufficiently wide flat blade screwdriver, into the gap between the two blades on the microswitch while the wires are still attached and bridging the terminals should be enough to test it too.
 

Happy Rob

Rob
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Hi Rob:

A general guideline that might help you troubleshoot your front brake microswitch is "If you can hear it click, it works". In other words, if you can hear the microswitch making a clicking sound when you pull the brake lever, chances are that the microswitch is working properly inside, and the problem lies elsewhere, perhaps loose or corroded connectors where the wires attach to the microswitch.

Brent's suggestion directly above (touch together the two wires that attach to the microswitch) is excellent. If the brake light works when you do that, then the problem is either a failed switch (unlikely, if it clicks) or loose, dirty, or corroded connections where the spade lugs on the wires attach to the switch.

Michael

PS: Where in NL is 'CBS'?
CBS, Conception Bay South is 15 mins away from St. John's.
I further assessed my lack of brake light last night. I do hear the clicking sound when front brake lever is depressed, yet no brake light. I removed the two wires, joined them together and brake light comes on. I cleaned both wires and connections, sprayed some cleaner in there, still not working, so I ordered a new switch. I always like to support local, however my local honda dealer wants $31.00 for the switch, fortnine wants $11.00. I ordered from fortnine. If the local cost was somewhat close I would order local and would not mind paying a few extra dollars, but almost 3X as much is a no brainer.
For now I am just ensuring I am using my rear foot brake pedal. I now realize I rarely use my rear foot brake pedal when riding, I always seem to favor the front brake lever on my ST1300. That habit has gotten me in trouble when riding my dirt bike as the brakes are not linked!
 

Happy Rob

Rob
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Shout out to you smart people who continue to help me on this forum.
Simple fix for my front brake lever not activating my brake light. Sure enough it was the micro switch on my brake lever. One screw, 2 wires and done. I was afraid it would be a wiring issue, as I hate electrical stuff. Old switch sounded like a rattle inside.
 
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