Replacing tail and brake lights

[RockyMountainRider]

OK, a stupid question, but this bike ('97 K1100LT) has been sitting for years and everything on it is welded shut, so, before I break anything, how do you get at the brake light bulb and the tail light bulb?  It appears that you pull out the small white plastic bulb holder out of the rear light assembly, but do you pull or twist and bend in a tab or ????

[Scott_]

There should be a tab to press towards the center of the lampholder, then it should tip out. There is a lip on the opposite side

[frankenduck]

Once you've removed the bulb holder from the tail/brake light lens by pushing the tab in push the bulb in and turn it counterclockwise to get it out of the bulb holder.

[RockyMountainRider]

got it, thanks.
replaced the brake light bulb, and now of course both the brake light and the tail light are lit without being on the brake.
When I hit the brake nothing changes.
Is this normal, and the brake light gets lighter when you hit the brake?

[frankenduck]

No that's not normal.  How many wires go to your brake light bulb?  Sounds like a PO(previous owner) may have put a Run-n-Lites socket in there.

[Scott_]

No that's not normal.  How many wires go to your brake light bulb?  Sounds like a PO(previous owner) may have put a Run-n-Lites socket in there.

That or you have a brake switch sticking, keeping the circuit active.
When you turn on the ign switch does the red triangle brake warning light turn off after only depressing one of the brakes?
If it turns off after just the front brake lever, then your problem is at the foot brake. Or vise versa.
I have had a foot brake pedal get lazy and not return 100% so the brake light stays on.
When my cuise wont engage is another teltale sign that I have the brake light still on when I'm out riding.

[RockyMountainRider]

Me thinks the PO made too many electrical mods without knowing what the hell he was doing.  No wonder the bike was so cheap!
Anyway, there are two wires hitting the brake light (the bulb is single filament).  I don't even have an instrument cluster yet to tell if the warning light is on. 

[frankenduck]

Are you familiar with the relay box?  The black thing on the left side of it is the bulb monitor unit that controls the brake and tail lights.

1) Unscrew the 8mm-headed bolt that holds it in.

2) Unplug it from it's wiring harness connector.

3) Turn the bike on and make sure that the kill switch is in the on position.  (The brake light doesn't work when it's in one of the kill positions.)

4) When you apply the front brake the terminal for the gray/red wire should be 12v+.

5) When you apply the rear brake the terminal for the gray/green wire should be 12V+.

6) If you put 12V+ to the terminal for the gray/yellow wire that should light up the brake light.

7) If you put 12V+ to the terminal for the gray/black wire that should light up the tail light.

If both lights light up when you put power to either the gray/yellow or gray/black then that tells you those wires are shorting to each other somewhere.

If everything in 1-7 above behaves as it should then your BMU is probably wonky.

[RockyMountainRider]

perfect-thanks Duck.  I have another Christmas day project now, on top of getting the bike started.

[frankenduck]

perfect-thanks Duck.  I have another Christmas day project now, on top of getting the bike started.

If you don't have a cluster then it won't start unless you pull in the clutch. (and a working clutch switch)  The "start in neutral" circuit is in the cluster.

[RockyMountainRider]

yes thanks, I had figured that one out.  I'm guessing old crappy gas is the culprit.  Going to drain the tank and put some fresh fuel in before I try anything else.

[frankenduck]

Replace the fuel filter too.  Napa 3032 - only a few bucks.

If it has sat for a while (several years or more) then the fuel injectors might be clogged. Do a search here on Mr. Injector.

[RockyMountainRider]

well all checked out except for the front brake - the gray/red wire read 12V without pulling the front brake.  So, I pulled the front brake switch wire off, and the brake light works with the rear brake and it's only lit when the brake pedal is depressed (as it is supposed to be).  So the issue must be with the front brake switch I presume.  The front brake switch does NOT click when I pull the handle either.

[Rick G]

If the piston in the master cylinder isn't returning far enough the switch will be permanently on. Does the lever go a bit futher after the brake has been released.