Brake Lights Problems...

[GabrielGoes]

i just found out today that my brake lights do not work at all when pressed but the rear tail light does work...the brake lights used to work about a week ago but i did tidy up some electrical afterwards... Is the front brake (handlebar brake) supposed to trigger the brake light? i know the rear brake always used to work when pressed... now both front and rear brakes do not trigger the brake light to go on... should i be looking behind the gauges to troubleshoot? or maybe somewhere in the harness or near the actual brakes? any pointers would help this is killing me theres ALWAYS another job once you fix something another job comes up!! thanks for looking you guys are the best

 

[Steve]

Start by verifying that both filaments in the bulb are good.

Use a test light to see if you are getting power to the terminal in the bulb socket when the brakes are applied.

If not, check your turn signals or horn. (They are fed by the same fuse as the brake light.)
EDIT: just noticed that you have a '78, it will only have one fuse.

If they work, check your switches. The front switch lives under the brake lever and has several small pieces, including a spring that will be more than happy to launch itself across the garage if you are not careful. Sometimes it just needs to be adjusted, sometimes it needs to be cleaned. Heck, sometimes it just needs to be replaced (it's about $8). The rear switch is attached to the frame above and behind the brake pedal pivot. You can follow the wires from the switches to the connectors that lead to the main harness to ensure that they are clean and tight. The connectors for the front switch are in the headlight bucket, the connectors for the rear will be somewhere around the battery box.

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