Premium Member dony Posted August 26, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted August 26, 2015 Recently I was out on a ride and when we stopped one of the guys asked me if I was riding with my foot on the brake? He said my light was on the whole ride and sure enough it was. After we stopped and then restarted our bikes I first tried the front brake and the light went on and off perfectly. When I tried the rear, first it was ok but when I held it on for a bit like if you were at a stop light, it would stay on. I tried to adjust the plunger and it worked better but was still doing it. Time to go to the dealer, after all it is under warranty. They tired the same thing I did, and after a hour or so it was staying on again. I called them and they are ordering me a new switch. Not sure if anyone else has had this problem but it is worth checking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yotaman02 Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 mine did the same thing. i just put some graphite on it and worked it some. been fine since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member dony Posted August 26, 2015 Author Premium Member Share Posted August 26, 2015 mine did the same thing. i just put some graphite on it and worked it some. been fine since. I thought of trying something like that but then I thought what if it works until the warranty is done, so I am getting a new one, hopefully it doesn't do the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 well, if 2 of them have stuck, it's possible the switch is just prone to it. Riding in the rain and or some exuberant bike washing will likely just add to it. I'd lube the switch - silicone spray or that Dupont teflon dry lube should also work - and forget about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glowsticknic Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 I noticed this same thing leaving bike night last night. I start up the bike and the tail light is bright as all hell! I could see everything behind me on the way home! It is scary knowing that no one can see when I'm slowing down though. I'll be taking mine to the dealer as well, since its still under warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemer Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 mine did the same thing. i just put some graphite on it and worked it some. been fine since. I thought of trying something like that but then I thought what if it works until the warranty is done, so I am getting a new one, hopefully it doesn't do the same thing. Getting a new switch for free is all well and good but you best keep an eye on it after the new switch install and be ready with the graphite. I have a feeling since you took it to the dealer you still may have the same problem. I'm pecimistic like that but for a good reason, I hope the switch was the problem. Beemer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 yep, 3 switches stuck - that means the replacement will do the same. Just lube the switch and be done with it. . I have a contact cleaner from Radio shack originally meant for old style TV tuners. it has a lube in it and works great for this type thing. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member dony Posted August 27, 2015 Author Premium Member Share Posted August 27, 2015 I have had my new switch installed and so far so good, the dealer let me keep the original so I have a spare if one of them craps out and I will be lubing it if it happens again. I would have thought the switch quality would have been better my 13 year old V Star had the original switches that worked flawlessly for the life of the bike thru every weather condition imaginable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwpowere36m3 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Unfortunately it looks like some quality is suffering on this bike... built at a price (low price that is). My '86 Kawasaki has all original switches and they still feel "solid". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 My 82 R100RS BMW did the same thing until i gave it a spritz and lubed all the pivot points. That bike cost dang near as much as this Yamaha 33 years ago! All of the switches have a bit of a cheap "feel" to them. It's like riding a bicycle with Shimano's consumer components vs Ultegra/DuraAce. It is what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glowsticknic Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Thanks for the posts, I'll probably still take it to the dealership to verify it is the switch. Also looks like I'm going shopping for graphite this weekend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glowsticknic Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 So I called the dealership and they said they would need my bike at least overnight, but don't even have any openings until 3 weeks out. I'm not about to be without my bike, so I dove in with my warranty voiding gloves on. Diagnostics went as such; First i checked out the front brake switch, which is on the bottom of where the brake lever meets the bars. I noticed two leads and disconnected the easier one to get my mitts around. The brake light stayed on. Deduction says look to the rear, so after a minute, I found the rear brake switch directly behind the rear set bracket. I pressed up on the slide of the switch and the brake light finally went off! The way the rear brake switch was adjusted, the switch spring was giving pull to the slide of the switch, even in resting position! I took the rear set off and turned the adjustment threads on the switch about half the distance I could. This brought the the switch closer to the rear brake lever and after reassembly, it worked like a new bike! I'm curious to know if anyone else has gone this route in fixing the brake issue, and, if so, do you feel like the 17mm plastic adjustment nut will hold its position?! I was able to thread it down by hand, and that kind of worries me. I fear vibrations might cause this issue again... Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator sorkyah Posted September 3, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted September 3, 2015 So I called the dealership and they said they would need my bike at least overnight, but don't even have any openings until 3 weeks out. I'm not about to be without my bike, so I dove in with my warranty voiding gloves on. Diagnostics went as such; First i checked out the front brake switch, which is on the bottom of where the brake lever meets the bars. I noticed two leads and disconnected the easier one to get my mitts around. The brake light stayed on. Deduction says look to the rear, so after a minute, I found the rear brake switch directly behind the rear set bracket. I pressed up on the slide of the switch and the brake light finally went off! The way the rear brake switch was adjusted, the switch spring was giving pull to the slide of the switch, even in resting position! I took the rear set off and turned the adjustment threads on the switch about half the distance I could. This brought the the switch closer to the rear brake lever and after reassembly, it worked like a new bike! I'm curious to know if anyone else has gone this route in fixing the brake issue, and, if so, do you feel like the 17mm plastic adjustment nut will hold its position?! I was able to thread it down by hand, and that kind of worries me. I fear vibrations might cause this issue again... Thoughts? That you can turn the nut by hand isnt unusual, the brake switches on most cars are similar. The dealership just wants your bike because they're lazy. If you make an appointment early in the day, drop it off in the morning you should be able to pick it up that afternoon. the brake switch adjustment should be done every 4k per the service manual, but it may not have been setup properly at the dealership to begin with. ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 With this conversation, I had a look at mine. Shouldn't take anyone more than an hour to replace that switch - even with time to remove stuff in the way. Yeah, so you push on the lever and a coil spring pulls down on the post that activates the switch. That post is nicely protected by a rubber seal that appears to be quite snug. It's snug enough that it has a bit of damped look to it's motion. Combine that with a very, very short throw to activate the switch, and all it'll take is a fraction of a mm of "sticking" to leave that light on. I'll bet they are all this way from the factory and the dealer never touches this at set-up. I didn't go so far as to put my hands on those bits so not sure about the lock nut. But if that nut tightens on the switch, it would surprise me in if the assembly can turn a bit. If the nut tightens on the bracket that the switch passes thru and it's loose, well, it's gonna get looser with time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member No Hater Posted September 3, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted September 3, 2015 I would concur with Rick....if this is as common as folks on here to reply with the same problem, then R2ing the will ultimately not fix the problem. Lubing has got to be the only long term answer to the design of this thing. Next person to dig into this, could you take some pics of the assembly (basically what Rick is describing). I guess I will be adding this item to my servicing checklist. I don't have a service manual so hopefully its at least identified in their on some interval. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefano225 Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 I had similar problem on my bike,but that was caused by me when I over tighten the switch nut.The brake light wasn't coming on when lightly tapping rear brake,so I proceed by tightening the what feels like a plastic nut and making it stick so I backed few turns and it's working fine since.But I always go trough a pre-ride check list(turn signal ,brake light,oil level,tire pressure and so on). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 The spring that pulls that plunger down is pretty hefty. In order to give the "system" some give - you don't want that switch to be the rate limiter for travel on the pedal. Still, the travel is so short - I'm guessing less than 3mm - that it's always ragged edge hanging up. I did spray mine with silicone while i was on my knees. It didn't appear to make any difference in how it was working. It's actually a bit tough to see, w/o removing some stuff. But I'll try and get a couple picts this evening, lever down/up and post later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Sorry - I'm a day late 1st, let me say that the switch rod is now moving up and down much quicker than it did before I gave it a spritz with some silicone. Imo, this is how it should look in operation instead of that rod moving in slow motion. That rubber seal created a lot of drag that's now gone Anyway, the photos aren't great, but I think you can see what's goin on. The big spring in the foreground is the pedal return spring and not the rear shock spring, lol. . it's the smaller one in back that's attached to the switch. 1st pict is w/o brake depressed, 2nd is with it pushed Where exactly is this plastic lock nut you guys were describing? Cause if it's underneath on the threads that are visible - well, I've not got one. http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/rashapir/IMG_1436_zps8kd8ff4j.jpg http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/rashapir/IMG_1437_zpsuisivwjs.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefano225 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Sorry - I'm a day late 1st, let me say that the switch rod is now moving up and down much quicker than it did before I gave it a spritz with some silicone. Imo, this is how it should look in operation instead of that rod moving in slow motion. That rubber seal created a lot of drag that's now gone Anyway, the photos aren't great, but I think you can see what's goin on. The big spring in the foreground is the pedal return spring and not the rear shock spring, lol. . it's the smaller one in back that's attached to the switch. 1st pict is w/o brake depressed, 2nd is with it pushed Where exactly is this plastic lock nut you guys were describing? Cause if it's underneath on the threads that are visible - well, I've not got one. http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/rashapir/IMG_1436_zps8kd8ff4j.jpg http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/rashapir/IMG_1437_zpsuisivwjs.jpg I'll try to take a picture but you can look up Parts schematic Rear Master Cylinder part #18 you'll see the nut below booth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefano225 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Here is a picture hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonymorr Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Mine does the same thing. I adjusted it some. Seemed to help but it has to be just-so or it either doesn't work or it sticks on. I keep checking it from time to time. 2015 Yamaha FZ-07 2016 BMW R1200RS 2014 Honda CTX700 2014 Honda Grom Black 2014 Honda Grom Red 2013 Husqvarna TR650 Terra 2011 Husaberg FE390 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Fix the real problem - alleviate the stiction - lubricate (graphite powder, silicone, contact cleaner with a lubricant, etc) that plunger rod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonymorr Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Fix the real problem - alleviate the stiction - lubricate (graphite powder, silicone, contact cleaner with a lubricant, etc) that plunger rod. I'll try that. I was mostly replying to add my name to the pile. There is obviously an issue with the design or quality of the switch. 2015 Yamaha FZ-07 2016 BMW R1200RS 2014 Honda CTX700 2014 Honda Grom Black 2014 Honda Grom Red 2013 Husqvarna TR650 Terra 2011 Husaberg FE390 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Fix the real problem - alleviate the stiction - lubricate (graphite powder, silicone, contact cleaner with a lubricant, etc) that plunger rod. I'll try that. I was mostly replying to add my name to the pile. There is obviously an issue with the design or quality of the switch. I think the seal as new is just a bit snug on that plunger. That's ultimately a good thing as that should help keep spooge out of the electrics. I'll complicate its life that much more as i don't use a back brake much. I can easily rack up 25k miles or more on a stock set of rear pads. That Dupont Teflon dry lube that guys swear by for the chain should work there as well. Do go nuts, it just takes a wee bit of lube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbatrossCafe Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 I had the same problem and confirmed it was the rear brake lever which was the cause. I noticed it after I swapped out my stock exhaust for the Akra Carbon. You do have to take the rearset off in the process so I thought I had messed it up somewhere in there (still don't know if I did or didn't ). I am not sure if it was happening before the swap. Basically, after using the rear brake, the light would stay on unless I reached down and pulled the lever up with my hand - and this would only work sometimes. Anyway, I did both of the solutions proposed - I sprayed some graphite powder on the plunger and also loosened the 17mm nut about 1.5 full turns. The the brake light now still comes on when just barely touching my rear brake lever, but it no longer sticks. I think the nut is your best bet and the quickest solution and I can't see how it would negatively affect rear-brake operation in any way (the sensor and actual brake operation are independent of each other). Dual headlights or deathhttp://fz07.org/thread/5384/albatrosscafes-galleryhttp://fz07.org/thread/5174/dual-headlight-upgrade-completed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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