Handbrake grrrr

Got back home, got off the bike and put the handbrake on, after a few distractions I fired it up to put it in the garage.
God it was pulling a lot of revs to move 6ft forward.
Yep, hand brake left on and the smell of frying clutch
I'll try and pretend it didn't happen :-)

Anyway to the point of all this gibberish, what causes the handbrake light to stop working? OK, its a 10 year old bike, but new to me and the light has never worked.
Ive popped out the right side box and dowsed the offending switch in wd40, but no change. So what next? Replace the switch? Could the bulb have popped?

Plan B is just to ignore it.
Actually that might be plan A too.
And plan C :-)

steve_h80 wrote:

Ive popped out the right side box and dowsed the offending switch in wd40, but no change. what

Probably a stupid question, but did you work the handbrake on and off several times after you sprayed the switch?
I had a similar problem with the light, I also sprayed into the opening around the handle of the handbrake, gave it a good few moves, sorted mine out.

Graham

Highly improbable that the Brake light is bad; it's an LED mounted on the Meter Board. The problem probably is the switch. It's a PITA to get at but you might be able to disconnect the wires and short the connection momentarily to confirm that the circuit is good.

FWIW any time the Brake light is ON the odometer will not accumulate mileage. So when you inadvertently ride off with the Brake set...

Tim

I must confess, I almost never use my hand brake...  

If on a hill or incline but otherwise no...

Before biting my head off be aware that I most always put the swing on the center-stand so no real need for it.

Most of the time I have my bike on the side stand, so I always use the hand brake. When you always use it, you get into a habit of always releasing it.

I always used to set the hand brake on my SWs if for nothing else to prevent anyone from trying to move it. With the fork locked and the brake on it would be hard to shove your bike around or steal it. The brake handle is out of sight that someone unfamiliar with the scooter would most likely fail to find it.
On my BMW GT scooter the parking brake is set whenever the side stand is down so I don't have to think about it at all.

As I had box out it was easy enough operate the switch by hand, which I did to no avail.
Good thought on jumping the switch, that will show if the switch itself is knackered.
But I'm a bit puzzled about the odo thing. I assumed the parking brake was a simple trip switch, if it's capable ofdoing that then it might have some connection to the ecu which is opening up another level of complication.
At the point I class it as wichcraft and leave it alone

It was only one click and only one time that had me knowing the Red parking brake light isn't bright enough on a clear and sunny day. The first thing that showed up was no mileage accumulated. I stopped looked closer and sure enough the light was on. When I did the maintenance I noted that the pad was THIN, then I looked at the new pad, heck it is thin, no rotor damage and not enough wear to replace the parking pad.

I suppose the handbrake linings don't need any thickness since it's not designed to be used when the wheel is turning.

That's true and I seldom have to use it At 11 K the regular pads were not worn enough to bother changing either so I have a full new set for the day it does need it. Hopefully I'll get enough miles in this year, today is looking promising for that and I just might go chase Solar Impulse 2.

Well today the light is working. Deep joy.
The wd40 most likely just needed some time to penetrate the switch.
I'm pleased with the result anyway :-)

steve_h80 wrote:

Well today the light is working. Deep joy.
The wd40 most likely just needed some time to penetrate the switch.
I'm pleased with the result anyway :-)

That's a good thing, now get some electrical switch cleaner and clean out the WD-40. An oil base like WD-40 will allow more dirtncrap to accumulate leading to another problem like you just had.

oldwingguy wrote:

steve_h80 wrote:

Well today the light is working. Deep joy.
The wd40 most likely just needed some time to penetrate the switch.
I'm pleased with the result anyway :-)

That's a good thing, now get some electrical switch cleaner and clean out the WD-40. An oil base like WD-40 will allow more dirtncrap to accumulate leading to another problem like you just had.

I agree, switch cleaner is the ticket and can be used on any switch, Silver Wing or other.

Its ok guys. I live in the uk, the rain will wash out the wd40 quicker than I can

Contact cleaner will work longer but WD40 will do the job for a good while until it evaporates. It actually is a Water Dispersant, not a lubricant, so does a good job clearing water away from whatever one uses it on.

exavid wrote:

Contact cleaner will work longer but WD40 will do the job for a good while until it evaporates. It actually is a Water Dispersant, not a lubricant, so does a good job clearing water away from whatever one uses it on.

Agreed but WD40 tends to attract dust and dirt and get gummy when used in this manner.

My handbrake works fine but my turn signal switch is a bit sticky. Thought about using WD40 but after reading this thread have decided use a contact cleaned. Any suggestions on what brand is best?

roadrunner wrote:

My handbrake works fine but my turn signal switch is a bit sticky. Thought about using WD40 but after reading this thread have decided  use a contact cleaned. Any suggestions on what brand is best?

Just to clarify my earlier post, I didn't actually use WD40. I use GT85  for these sort of jobs, as well as most lube-based jobs on my racing bicycles. GT85 is a lubricant and a water dispersant, seems to be lighter in makeup than WD40.

roadrunner wrote:

My handbrake works fine but my turn signal switch is a bit sticky. Thought about using WD40 but after reading this thread have decided  use a contact cleaned. Any suggestions on what brand is best?

Be sure to read the can label closely Radio Shack tuner cleaner states safe on MOST plastic, not sure about the others. Perhaps it's a propellant issue?

roadrunner wrote:

My handbrake works fine but my turn signal switch is a bit sticky. Thought about using WD40 but after reading this thread have decided  use a contact cleaned. Any suggestions on what brand is best?

There is glob of grease in the turn signal switch. It does get sticky, but that usually happens during the colder months when it congeals. The fix for that is to toast the switch with a heat gun then manipulate the switch to clear out things.

The grease is there for a reason; dunno why, but Soichiro Honda himself put it there. Contact cleaner would not be the way to go. So get out the heat gun and have at it. No heat gun? You can always use a hair dryer, but ya gotta hide in the garage lest passersby think you're a closet hair dresser.

Tim

Maybe? heck I don't really know but it occurred to me perhaps if one would clean and re grease that dielectric grease may be a good choice, anyone?

I'm pretty certain the great engineer and industrialist Sochiro Honda wasn't assembling and greasing switchgear on the Silver Wing assembly line, he died in 1991.

Meldrew wrote:

I'm pretty certain the great engineer and industrialist Sochiro Honda wasn't assembling and greasing switchgear on the Silver Wing assembly line, he died in 1991.

Ahh yes but must honor ancestors wishes

oldwingguy wrote:

Meldrew wrote:

I'm pretty certain the great engineer and industrialist Sochiro Honda wasn't assembling and greasing switchgear on the Silver Wing assembly line, he died in 1991.

Ahh yes but must honor ancestors wishes

you ever look at a 1987 honda switchgear - maybe they still had some that he greased himself!

Haven't done anything yet but it seems like the best course of action would be to remove the switches and clean them well, then slather on some fresh dialetric grease. My swing resides under a fitted cover but I have no other shelter. Thanks everyone!

The grease you find on switches is usually diaectric grease. Often silicon based. Permatex is one brand. It lubricates and keeps moisture off but doesn't conduct electricity. It's also good for lubricating plugs and sockets and will reduce corrosion due to moisture exposure.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3506555&KPID=5758565&pla=pla_5758565