Oil Light comes on when kickstand is down

[Guest]

I have a strange problem on my 82 1100gl in that when the kickstand or center stand is down the oil light comes on, i'll put the kickstand or center stand up and the oil light turns off. I'm assuming there's a pinched wire somewhere but i don't even know where to start looking.
Looking at the wiring harness and it seems the PO just loved to splice random **** together

In a slightly unrelated note, it takes WAY to much effort to squeeze the front brakes enough to get the bike to stop. I have to use all of my hand strength to get the brakes to even do anything. Not sure which part i need to rebuild, MC or the calipers?

[Steve]

For the side stand issue, it's likely there is a diode missing. Quick test: with the side stand UP and the engine running, use the kill switch to stop the engine. Do you get just the oil light or both, the oil and side stand lights? You <should> get both. The diode lives in the headlight bucket. Usually near the top, but with your description of your wire situation, it could be anywhere, assuming it's there at all.

For your brakes, you might not need to rebuild anything. Remove the pads. Spray them generously with brake cleaner (NOTHING else). Scuff them up a bit with a belt sander to remove any glaze that has built up. Spray the disks generously with brake cleaner. Use a green scratchy pad to scuff them up to remove any glaze buildup.

Some of this glaze might actually be oil. Fork oil, specifically. As the fork seals leak, they tend to drip on the brake pads, so what you likely need to "rebuild" is your fork seals.

On the other hand, it certainly won't hurt to go through the brake system. There is a very good chance that you still have the original brake lines in place. They have a date code, so it's easy to tell. Suzuki recommended replacement every two years, almost nobody did that.

Since you are new here, feel free to take a look at the Top 10 Newbie Mistakes thread to see how many of them might apply.

Other popular items on the maintenance list are valve adjustment, carb cleaning and electrical work, as well as the previously-mentioned brake work. (Don't forget tires.) Once all those items are addressed, you will have a good-running bike that will be a pleasure to ride.

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[mumbufuku]

Hey thanks so much Steve! I'll try this on wednesday and get back to you!

[Redman]

Center stand has no switch. Sidestand does.

Do what Steve suggests, and report back.

Also describe what the sidestand light does.

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[mumbufuku]

Unfortunately she wont start due to the cold and the valves being way too tight so I cant do the test. I'll have to get back to you in a month or so☹

I did however find out why my brakes suck so bad. The lines are totally original and I'm sure full of gunk. No flow=no brakes
As an added bonus I found one of the lines starting to blister. Glad I found this out now before the brakes totally gave out!