Back Brake Switch Adjustment

[sungunr]

Have an interesting thing, I was experiencing problems with the brake pedal.  It required a very heavy foot to make the brake light come on and or disengage the  cruise.  I was going to take it to the dealership for a look.  I decided to give it a thorough scrubbing beforehand for photos before I dropped it off.  I removed the small plate on the right hand side by the rear brake and noticed there was a small plastic appearing nut (so tight I can't even get a decent photo) under the brake switch harness which has the spring underneath.  I was able to adjust this and alleviate the problem for the light and subsequently the cruise.  Real question is, why would this be out of adjustment and what is the correct method for adjustment and securing it so as not to change on its own again ?  I was not aware of the adjustment nut there.  Anyone had this as well?

[seadog]

Sungunr

When I got my trophy 3yrs ago people would tell me they could not see me braking. This was put down to the brake pedal sensitivity. As it was in the workshop one time they adjusted it for me as well. It seems there are a few posts around similar about this topic.

Seadog

[Coconut]

sungunr :


Have a look here : Rear Brake Light particularly Reply #4 by Member dsinned where you will find information
on adjusting the point at which the rear brake light pedal activates the brake light switch

Cheers 

[sungunr]

Coconut,

Thanks for the reference, but after reading it I am unconvinced we are talking about the same adjustment point.  Here are some photos I took and will try to explain.

In the first pic you see the right side of the bike with the plastic cover removed just above the foot peg
[smg id=1247]

In this image you can barely see the adjustment switch in the red circle
[smg id=1248]

In this image, you can see the adjustment switch assembly circled in red and the plastic adjustment nut
[smg id=1249]

There is no way short of removing the peg mounting cover that I can see to properly adjust this switch.  There is no top and bottom nut as described in the write-up from dsinned that I can see, maybe parts are missing, but the write-up also indicated nothing needed to be removed to make the adjustment.  Simply put there is no way to place a wrench anywhere near this assembly without removing parts.  Am I doing something different than what others are describing?

Thanks for the help!!

[dsinned]

Hmmm . . . maybe there are differences between 2013 and 2014 (or later) model years. 

There are no plastic nuts on my rear brake light switch assembly.  And although difficult to adjust, it certainly can be done by just removing the one side cover.  Once you get the adjuster nuts loose, you can twist the adjuster plunger bolt by hand to make adjustments.  Then, just tighten the nuts back up to hold the plunger in the proper place. 

You can "fine tune" the adjustment, by finding the point where just a slight amount of downward pressure on the pedal turns On the brake light.

[sungunr]

dsinned,

Perhaps you are right about model year differences.  Adjusting it on a 2013 though is much more difficult than your experience.  The switch is placed completely forward under the side cover where the peg mounts and has two springs attached, one for the plunger and the other appears to be the pedal return spring.  So difficult to tell from any angle unless you remove the cover.  I did not remove the cover and had just enough "fingertip" leverage to rotate the nut on top clockwise which causes the switch assembly to move upward away from the spring and plunger assembly. which had quite a bit of play from best I could tell.   The biggest aggravation is with no positive retention method I can identify it is only a matter of time and vibration before it loosens back up again.  Then I may or may not have the leverage on an older joint structure to make it move again without breaking something.  Maybe some locktite syringed into the threaded portion could hold.

[Coconut]

sungunr,

I've sent you a PM which should help 

Cheers 

[trophied]

The pictures don't look anything at all like my 2013.  Mine has lower steel nut held captive by the flat on one side of the bottom end of the switch bracket, and a steel nut on the shaft of the hunger to lock the plunger adjustment in the right position against the bracket.  The lower nut shouldn't need to be loosened from the way mine looks, and it may even be possible, but difficult to loosen the top one and adjust it without taking the side cover off.  I never had the need to try to adjust it.