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Front Brake light switch

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
A

Anonymous

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Before I start tearing things apart I have a question about the switching for the brake light.

I have adjusted the rear brake switch so it is pretty much a hair trigger. If I touch the brake light comes on, no problem.

I know I should use both brakes but if I pull only the fron brake I have to REALLY pull it before the light comes on. So if I want to just flash the light I have to use the rear beause the front will put me into a dive before I get the light on. (I think, it is difficult to test while riding)

Question 1
Where is the switch? (I hope it is near the lever but where in the lever assembly)

Question 2
Can it be adjusted? How?

I have an 82 GS850L
 
It's on the bottom of the lever. It;s held in by 2 screws and has a black wire going to it (well, a black sheath around 2 wires). Loosten the screws and slide it to either direction to adjust when the brake light turns on.
 
Thanks a bunch

I was affraid it would be complicated. Sounds easy.
 
Be sure to keep your hand or a box below of the handle when tou do this: all kinds of stuff will fall out, and the parts are so small they will hide in a typical garage enviroment.

You will find a small metal clip, that you may try to adjust. be sure not to break it. Also, check the two contactstrips on the wire-part for corrosion. Clean them with scotchbrite to have them shiny again.

Good luck!
 
A bit of some not so useless info...

A bit of some not so useless info...

FYI. The clutch safety switch is interchangeable if you ever need to score another one at a salvage yard.
 
Clutch Safety Switch? Pls fill me in here, Dan. I have no idea what/where this is on the '83 750?
 
Clutch safety switch - what does it do?

Clutch safety switch - what does it do?

I've always wondered what the switch is under the clutch lever. Now I've learnt that it's the clutch safety switch but what does it do/what's it for?
 
Re: Clutch safety switch - what does it do?

Re: Clutch safety switch - what does it do?

TEMS said:
I've always wondered what the switch is under the clutch lever. Now I've learnt that it's the clutch safety switch but what does it do/what's it for?

It keeps the starter from kicking in (disables it) unless you clutch lever is pulled in. So you don't accidently start it in gear (Which would be real bad :evil: ).
All manual transmission cars have the same thing (at least for the 10 or 15 years).
 
if your clutch cable ever breaks and you want to try to start the bike in first just to drive it home, you still will have to pull the clutch lever to start the bike
 
Well I guess I have to fix that one too. Ugh
Just this weekend I abscent mindedly hit the starter before I pulled the clutch, or set neutral. I lurched forward and kinda embarrassed myself.

Luckily gravity did not get the best of me, I would have had to pack it up from humiliation.
 
Not only will the clutch safety switch interchange with the brake but any brake or CSS from a 650 on up will interchange. They are all the same.
 
Quite a few have advised that an inoperable clutch safety switch is dangerous for exactly the instance you cited. However, I have never owned a bike that had one, so pulling in the clutch is a long time habit. I deleted mine on the bike because it eliminates one more thing that can go bad.

Earl


ccammers said:
Well I guess I have to fix that one too. Ugh
Just this weekend I abscent mindedly hit the starter before I pulled the clutch, or set neutral. I lurched forward and kinda embarrassed myself.

Luckily gravity did not get the best of me, I would have had to pack it up from humiliation.
 
earlfor said:
Quite a few have advised that an inoperable clutch safety switch is dangerous for exactly the instance you cited. However, I have never owned a bike that had one, so pulling in the clutch is a long time habit. I deleted mine on the bike because it eliminates one more thing that can go bad.

Earl


ccammers said:
Well I guess I have to fix that one too. Ugh
Just this weekend I abscent mindedly hit the starter before I pulled the clutch, or set neutral. I lurched forward and kinda embarrassed myself.

Luckily gravity did not get the best of me, I would have had to pack it up from humiliation.

I had mine go bad and did the same thing. Just wasnt worth it.
 
clutch safety switch

clutch safety switch

As far as I can tell my 78Gs1000 doesn't have one I think. I can put it in gear and it will pull with the starter.
 
I'm not to worried about the Clutch safety.
I figure if I trash the bike because I did something stupid I probably had it comming. :? :cry:

I just have to pay attention to what I am doing.

Pulling the clutch is pretty much second nature whenever I'm on the bike and it is not moving. It is good to know if I want to prevent the Dumbs from getting the best of me, I can. :wink:

Thanks guys you really have made me feel welcome around here,
I have learned so much about my bike I hope someday I can return the favor. Until then I'll keep learning and seeking opportunities to contribute. :P
 
Re: clutch safety switch

Re: clutch safety switch

Then either you dont have one or its been rendered inoperative.
If you have two wires leading from underneath the clutch lever, then you have one but its been jumped inside the headlight shell.
If you look underneath the clutch lever and there is no switch housing and just a solid bare flange, then you dont have one.

Earl


ken said:
As far as I can tell my 78Gs1000 doesn't have one I think. I can put it in gear and it will pull with the starter.
 
I am thankful my bike DOESN'T have a clutch safety switch. :D I DID break my clutch cable, and had to use my starter to get me going when I was stuck in traffic. Most of the time I was lucky and just crawled up to the lights, etc. so I didn't have to start from a dead stop. I'm not used to pulling in the clutch to start a bike as I used to ride dirt bikes alot. Do you pull in the clutch before you jump on the kickstarter? I've never seen anybody do that. I disconected the one I had in my 1976 GMC pickup because it was a pain in the ass when I was working on it, having to jump into it everytime I went to start it. I connected it again before I sold it to keep the lawyers away. :?
 
If somebody ever wanted to mess with me all they would have to do is kick my bike into gear during the night. I start my bike from the right hand side without even getting on it since the clutch switch is disabled. I think I would go bananas if the bike rolled forward a foot and fell over on top of the neighbouring GS1150ES. :twisted:

Maybe I should change my habits...has anybody had their bike sabotaged by somebody putting it in gear? Come to think of it...some father could let his kid sit on my bike and the kid would kick it into gear without me knowing. Yikes.
 
I had a brake switch go bad, it turned out to be the copper contacts. They worn away, so I found some copper sheeting cut it to size and soldered it in place. Its worked fine ever since. It took about 30 mins :D :D
 
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