Brake light failing to come on (ZXR250)

[PHATVW]

Hi all,

I've got a 1993 ZXR250C, recently I noticed that when I use the front brake, the brake light doesn't come on, but when I use the rear brake separately or together with front brake, the brake light does come on. Anyone know why this is happening?

Does this mean that my bike will fail the next WOF?

[nodrog]

sounds like the micro switch on the front lever is rooted.

[PHATVW]

Thanks for that, where do I find this micro switch?

[nodrog]

up by the front lever, usually underneath.

[BigGuy]

I just had the same issue. It turned out that the pawl (or lever extender for want of a better word) that sits between the micro switch and the level was all gunked up and seized. I had to free it, spray a little WD-40 on it and she was right as rain.
To test it out whether it's the switch, disconnect the micro switch and test it with a multimeter. It should signal low when depressed and high when not (or it could be the other way around - I don't have a service manual for your bike so I don't know sorry). Not that it really matters - as long as the state switches (excuse the pun) between depressed or not.
Ill try and find a manual and report back once I know what I am looking at.

[BigGuy]

Well - I found a manual (of sorts) but didn't find squat on the front brake switch.

To answer your other questions BTW:
The brake light should always come on when the rear brake is applied - regardless of whether your operating the front brake in conjunction with the rear or not.

The only thing I could find in the relevant part of the Vehicle inspection requirements manual => http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/certifiers/virm-in-service/motorcycles-04-v3a4.pdf, Section 4-10, point 9 was: A mandatory stop lamp must operate when a service brake is applied.
Under the definitions section it states:
Stop lamp means a lamp that is designed to operate when the service brake is applied, ie when either the front service brake, the rear service brake, or both the front and rear service brakes are applied.
So yes, I believe it would fail a WOF sorry.

[davereid]

Yeah, you will fail a WOF. First place to look is the switch on the brake assembly itself. Look at where the wires go into the handle bars. Thats the location of the switch. WD50 etc may assist.

[BigGuy]

What's WD-50? :laugh: (I know what you mean).

[PHATVW]

Hey thanks heaps guys! I took it to Red Baron and they sprayed some CRC into the brake lever to clean out the gunk sticking together :sunny:

Problem solved :Punk:

[ynot slow]

Was going to say check the wires hadn't frayed as well,they did on my gsx.

[BigGuy]

Glad you got it sorted PHATVW :rockon: