Brake Light And Tach

[johnycon]

I own a 81 1100 gs. I bought the bike last year. the brake light or the tach never worked then either. Ive been having other mech. issues with the bike such as burning oil but Im sure none would contribute to these problems. Im sorry I couldnt tell you how many miles are on on the bike right off hand. I did have the stator replaced on it last year along with a new battery this spring.My brake light and tach dont work. anyone have any suggestions. The tail light works. The brake light does not come on with either of the brakes applied.

Thanks for your Help!

[nert]

IF you have no brake light, you should not drive it too much. The thought of a much larger heavier vehicle plowing up your backside is not very attractive.
Since your front hand brake control has a brake light switch and your foot brake control has a brake light switch, and neither seems to work, Maybe you have a bad bulb or bad tail lamp assembly. Secondly, maybe a wiring problem, and lastly (2) bad brake light switches.

The tachometer is mechanical (cable driven) and unrelated to the brake light problem. Remove the tach cable from the upper forward section of the engine. and see if the drive is turning coming from the engine. Hook the cable back to the engine and disconnect the cable from the tachometer. See if the inner cable is turning with the engine running. If the inner cable is turning and you connect the cable to the tach head and the tach still isn't working, you may have a bad tach head or too short inner cable. That is assuming you have a tach cable at all. You offered very little information pertaining to either problem.

[johnycon]

brake light

Im sorry if I supplied to little of info. Thanks for the advice I really havent been able to ride it much since getting it. Its been alot of problems. Would you care to suggest how might be able to check out these items you mentioned.

Thanks for your time

[nert]

where are you located? Possibly some one near by can offer some hands on.
I gave instructions on checking the tach.
The brake light issue requires some test light, or voltmeter skills as well as the ability to understand circuits.
If you have none of these skills, you need to acquire them, or unfortunately, purchase them.

[Steve]

Although they may seem to be unrelated, do your horn and turn signals work?

I ask because they share a fuse with the brake lights. If they work, the fuse is good. If neither one of them works, check the fuse. It's the second fuse from the top. 8-[

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[johnycon]

brake light

Hello, Thanks again for all your help. Iam located in mankato, mn. Is there anyone out here that may be able to offer some assistance.

Thanks again

[johnycon]

brake light

Hello, Thanks for looking at my situation. Yes the horn and turn signals work.

Thanks for your assistance!

[Redman]

Johnycon,

GS1100G? GL? If so, tell me which and I can send you an electrical schematic. PM me you email address.

Horn and signal work, but brake light doesnt. I suppose you have tried both the front and the back brake switch.

You check the brake light bulb?

For furter trouble shooting:
Take off the seat, look behind the battery box. See the wires from the brake light switch on the rear brake?
- See the orange/green wire comming from wiring harness (not the one to/from brake swtich)? Pull that connector apart, should have power comming from the wiring harnes on that (when ignition switch on) as measured to ground. If not, need to find out why not. If voltage good, continue along.
- See the white wire (or used to be white, maybe discolored now) going into the wiring harnerss? Disconnect that connector. Now get any other piece of scrap wire and connect this one to the org/grn from the harness. This will simulate the brake switch closing. If brake light comes on now then you know the prblem is the brake switch, if it doesnt, then problem is somewhere further back.

Tell us more what you find.
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