Thanks for your detailed reply.. After checking the bulb ,fuse, both frt and r brake switches , I finaly checked for power at the brake light socket.. sure enough it had power, but the bulb which was lighting up when connected to my battery charger terminals wouldn't light up in the socket.. My owners manual had a note written in by a previous owner saying it takes an 1157 bulb. But they have dual contacts. The bulb that was in the light had been a 1141. I'd never heard of that, but on further reading my repair manuals I saw the brake light is the same as the signal light bulbs . They are 1156 . I put one into the brake light socket and it lit up .
I measured the 2 different bulbs and they were identical as far as I could see. Anyway I bought 2 , 1156 bulbs and now am happily cruising along with no worries of not having a brake light.