Permanent brake light

[th3_mo3bius]

Hello all, long time no post.
For my Gen 1, I tried fixing the hot start/charging problems...result warm starts now possible (have yet to get to the starter) but went riding yesterday and found out that my brake light is permanently on. Wiring work of late was 2 things (third side note is: also hard-wired the AC/Gen to [5-lead R/R] and the R/R to positive and negative battery leads directly - hence warm starts now possible plus bright headlight): 1) main switch went bad. Not the switch or connection plate underneath but the key cylinder itself was bad so no reconditioning to be done. I I wired the blue and brown (lights and fan?) to one side and the red (power) to other and now I have a "kill" switch as it were. 2) I cut out the crimp by wiring the R/R positive lead directly to the battery with a more solid 30A fuse in between, however, after getting the overhauled engine back from my nice mechanic I noticed he put the the old fuse & wiring back in (i think it was positive RR lead to the battery and then battery to harness lead with old fuse box). I soon re-wired (I assumed the brake light was working before), and now that I think about it I can't understand how this would effect my brake light:bang head:
So I pulled the front brake switch and man-handled one end of the rear switch out of place (how the *f do you dismember that b*) but still permanent brake light status. Here is my current wiring (RR to battery with fuse, battery to ignition and harness), I don't understand how I made the brake light stay on with such an upstream wiring change. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. I'm going cross-country next week [planned stops are OK], she runs fine (the new rider said she's "punchy" :biglaugh but as I will lead him, the brake light signal would help them immensely (the faster they follow, the faster I can go!unk.

 

[Miles Long]

The blue wire comes off the ignition switch from the "Park" position (key can be removed), and goes to the tailight assembly. The brown wire is the feed to the fuse box.
Cut the blue wire, just use the red and brown for your "kill switch"
Cheers!

 

[jagco1]

The blue wire comes off the ignition switch from the "Park" position (key can be removed), and goes to the tailight assembly. The brown wire is the feed to the fuse box.
Cut the blue wire, just use the red and brown for your "kill switch"
Cheers!

mileslong you the man, I was going to go outside and check me bike for him.

 

[th3_mo3bius]

Miles you is the man! :eusa_dance:
Thank you much! I was a bit too hungover the other day to look at wiring diagrams, but I knew it something simple (cuz I can only do simple f*-ups / fixes )
While looking into old harness fixes and starter troubleshooting, I remember reading somewhere that if the main switch went bad while riding to just wire 'em all together and that it would get you home - they must have left out the part about the brake light being on the whole time!
I had never used the park position, but it sounds like that brake light would come on automatically when key is turned to "P"? Just cutting out the brake light switches...? Oh well, not a worry for me since no more "P".
Anyways, I'll try it out this week and post back after our trip!:thumbs up:

 

[Miles Long]

Hey Joe -
I never used the "P" position either, because the ignition switch was buggered up since buying the bike. Just too difficult to get the key to move to that location.
No matter. I cut the blue wire out years ago, and wired in a new parking/emergency light circuit that works off of a dash-mounted rocker switch.
Another item that tends to fail on the Max is the three-wire plastic connector for the ignition switch(found under the steering head). Mine shorted - the red and brown wires connected - I could not shut off the bike! Other owners have had the connector corrode up - no juice when the ignition switch was turned on.
Simple to fix. Eliminate the connector, solder the wires together permanently.
ride safe!