Front brake lever activator switch question

[baz666]

Hello all,
The bike is a 1983 GS750ES
I've had to disconnect my brake light wire that connects to the front brake lever. There's a small activator switch that sits in a kind of groove. You can see this switch after removing the front brake lever. The problem is that when I pull in the brake lever, it pushes the switch along its groove but the switch does not come back, leaving the brake light on.
I noticed that on the underside of the brake lever, there is a kind of channel. I'm thinking that maybe the little plastic activator switch fits into this channel somehow so it will get pushed along the groove and activate the brake light when the brake lever is pulled toward the handlebar. Then the little activator switch will be pull back into its original position when the brake lever is released.
Is this the general idea? So how do I get the little plastic activator switch to sit in the brave lever channel described above? There doesn't seem to be a simple way to do it. Am I just not seeing something obvious?
This driving me kind of nuts because now I must apply a little bit of rear brake when braking with the front brake so the brake light comes on - and I don't like using any rear brake. I find the rear brake on this bike with this particular tire (Kenda Challenger 90/130/17) locks up when even 25% of rear brake is applied.
But I've always ridden while using only the front brake. I know it's a bad habit but I just don't trust rear brakes.
thanks,
baz

[jwhelan65]

You are missing a small spring.. I think

[Steve]

I guess that if you are going to use only one brake, the front is better than the rear.

One of the best ways to assemble the brake switch is to make sure the lid is tight on the reservoir, loosen up the clamp and flip it over so the little pieces of the switch fall into place instead of out. The brass contact bar that closes the circuit is spring-loaded into a small square plastic piece that has a tab that fits into a hole in the brake lever. That hole will move the parts in both directions.

It's also possible that you just need to loosen the two screws that hold the switch together and slide the assembly until the light goes out.
There is a certain amount of movement built in to do just that.

.

[baz666]

Okay, thanks for the help, guys. I'm guessing there must be a tiny spring missing. I suppose I should download the manual and check to see if I can find a replacement or perhaps order one.
thanks,
baz

[cowboyup3371]

You'll need to order the new switch to get the spring based on what I saw when I ordered my replacement earlier this year. Doesn't cost that much - maybe $25 or so.

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Have a look at this:

Front Brake Switch Repair
(by Mr. gravity tester)

Partsnmore.com sells front brake switches for $6 the last time I checked. But they have a $35 minimum.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Ranger]

Parts Unlimited sells a new switch for $8

[jwhelan65]

Parts Unlimited sells a new switch for $8

Good info...Thanks!

[baz666]

Checked with the mini-maglite and yep, the little spring is nowhere to be seen so I guess the bugger fell out. Thanks for the advice and ordering info.
baz

[bakalorz]

Checked with the mini-maglite and yep, the little spring is nowhere to be seen so I guess the bugger fell out. Thanks for the advice and ordering info.
baz

The whole front brake switch assemly thing is a major pain in the @$$
If you search the forum for "front brake switch" you will find many that DO have all the pieces still can't adjust it to get it it to operate reliably.
I was one of them.
It either stays on all the time, or only if you just about lock up the brakes.

Rather than repairing it, I and many others feel a better option is to replace it with a hydraulic brake switch which is built into the banjo bolt.

This is just one example I have bookmarked, there are other acceptable ones too.

Make sure you get the right thread diameter and pitch, I'm not sure if those in the link are right.

You just splice the wires into the 2 wires that previously went to the mechanical switch (which one connects to which does not matter)

[mrbill5491]

Brakes

Dude use both brakes in combination, if you only use the front brakes, thats onlly 70% of your stopping power. Believe you will need that other 30% some day, it does make a difference in your stopping distance.

[baz666]

Dude use both brakes in combination, if you only use the front brakes, thats onlly 70% of your stopping power. Believe you will need that other 30% some day, it does make a difference in your stopping distance.

Maybe it's these lousy Kenda tires that are part of the problem. I've tried using both brakes on my 83 GS750ES but anything over very light pressure on the rear brake throws the bike off. The rear locks up too easily, not the kind of modulation I can get from the front brake. The rear seems to be an all or pretty much nothing proposition. And when it does lock up, you know the result, wild fishtailing...

[baz666]

The whole front brake switch assemly thing is a major pain in the @$$
If you search the forum for "front brake switch" you will find many that DO have all the pieces still can't adjust it to get it it to operate reliably.
I was one of them.
It either stays on all the time, or only if you just about lock up the brakes.

Rather than repairing it, I and many others feel a better option is to replace it with a hydraulic brake switch which is built into the banjo bolt.

Thanks for the excellent info. I'm glad I didn't try repairing or replacing the thing. I've got a front brake switch/reservoir assembly from an old Yam XJ. It activates the rear light through a single wire, like my GS, but does it at the handlebar by depressing a switch with the brake lever. A much simpler system.

[bakalorz]

Dude use both brakes in combination, if you only use the front brakes, thats onlly 70% of your stopping power. Believe you will need that other 30% some day, it does make a difference in your stopping distance.

At the risk of major thread drift, I'll respectfully disagree.

The percentage of stopping power depends on the bikes weight distribution, the maximum co-efficient of fricton on each tire, and a bunch of other things.

I have a 650 (which I believe is layed out pretty much the same as the 750), and on dry pavement its closer to 90/10. I once managed to (unintentionally) stoppie the bike a bit, which means that it can get to 100% weight transfer to the front wheel transiently.

For bikes layed out like these, on dry pavement, under threshold braking; you lose VERY little by not using the rear, and you do gain something: It is MUCH MUCH MUCH harder to try to THRESHOLD brake both wheels than 1.
If you don't do a VERY good job of getting the front to the absolute limit, without going over, you'll lose more on the front than you gain on the rear, which can only give you 10% anyway.

If we had ABS, or if you are VERY VERY VERY good (better than 99% of riders out there) then I would agree that using both would give you a tiny bit more.
(By the way: How can you tell if you are one of the <1% ... can you make BOTH tires squeal (without locking up) all the way down from full speed to a stop ... can you do it in a sudden emergency ... can you do it over changing friction surfaces, potentially including gravel and or bumps ... if you cant do ALL those things, you are NOT one of the <1% ... ) (I'm definately not one of the <1%. Despite lots of practice, if I'm threshold braking the front and I even touch the rear, it locks)

For real riders in the real world (on this bike, on dry pavement) using only the front will give better results. And that is what you should train yourself to do in an emergency. (you do practice panic stops sometimes don't you ... I do, when I first got serious about practicing them I did enough to wear out a set of front pads in about 2 months, now I just do it occasionally to maintain proficiency)
And since in an emergency you tend to do what you usually do, its how you should stop your bike most of the time.

All the above said, you should also practice using the both at the same time too. There are times that you should use both. In low traction situations, you can't get as much weight transfer, so the rear WILL help more under those conditions. Conditions where the rear will be useful include: rain, gravel, leaned over some. However, PRACTICING using the rears too can be done upright on dry roads to get a feel for how much pressure it takes etc.

So in conclusion, while I suggest occaisionally practicing using the rear brake, and actually using it in reduced traction conditions ... for general use, and for emergency stops on dry roads, use only the front.

Time to put on a flameproof suit ...

[Octain]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GS450-GS550-GS750-GS850-GS1000-Brake-Clutch-Switch-/180585045187?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a0bb51cc3