A50/65 - Rear Brake Light Switch

[Dean Southall]

Having got fed up with the dumb design of conventional brake light switches. They are unsightly, exposed to the elements and why should you have to be fiddliing about with them when working on the clutch!

So I splashed out £3.98  and  2 days later a micro limit switch arrived by post. I've screwed it inside the tool box to protect it having first made a small hole for the operating arm to protrude through. A piece of half inch round ally suitablly drilled and tapped off centre provides a quick and easy cam adjuster so the switch operates at just the right extent of brake pedal travel.
In 10 years its never needed any attention, and the cam adjuster lets me fine tune when the light comes on just at the the screwdiver.
No more having to disconnect the switch when taking the brake pedal off as nothing is physically attaches it to the pedal.

[AdrianS]

That's a good novel solution!

[BruceB]

I have managed, with a bit more fiddling and adjustment, to get it to operate.
Still not convinced its going to be reliable and I think over the winter I'll look for an alternative solution. I think I might just be able to fit a pull switch behind the cover where it can be seen but I'll look at this when I have put everything back together again.
I have to pull both wheels off for new tyres to be fitted as well soon so with do this first and reset up the back brake before looking at it again in more detail.

[Martin S]

I have just fitted a new brake switch to mine and had exactly the same problem. After a bit of head scratching I realised that the footrest isn't designed to be the stop for the brake pedal - this makes the pedal uncomfortably high - my ankle doesn't work then! The footrests on both sides are mounted on a taper;  loosen the nut, give the footrest a tap or three to break the joint. The brake pedal can now  be adjusted with the threaded stop above the switch, and the footrest set to a more natural position.

[Fraser Maldoom]

After checking here for guidance I just pulled my "off on off" switch apart. After cleaning it up I tweaked the little spring retaining tang so that it hits the case a little sooner ie it limits the arc and prevents it losing contact. Switch now sorted as "off on" as it should be and ready to be sealed up and put back on the bike. That has finally put paid to years of irritation! Top tip, when prising the case apart hold it in a vice or you'll soon stab your finger with a screwdriver as I did.

[maddogb31]

Came across the same off/on/off problem on my A50, I thought I had a faulty switch until I read this post!

However I did come up with an alternative solution to the ones provided.

I drilled and tapped the switch bracket and used an M4 allen bolt as a 'stop' so the switch is unable to go to the second off position.
The purists could use the BA equivalent screw!

PLEASE NOTE: I have a home made adjustment lever which clears the allen head but still makes contact with the switch lever, standard ones may not work!

[Bess]

Hi,
     Good solution....

[Allan G]

I was going to suggest a screw in the D shaped part of the switch to limit the full travel of the switch.

One of the problems I have found with this switch is that if there is any play between the standard brake lever and the fulcrum then the little arm which acts on the switch can get jammed between the rotating part of the switch and the switch body, the switch bracket being the weakest part ends up getting bent.

I did come up with 2 solutions to the problem. my favourite being the use of the OIF (and pre OIF B series) switches, mounted onto a bracket and a long arm fabricated. This works flawlessly and has been on the bike a few years. The only issue with them is the quality of the rubber (like with fork boots etc) is just trash and will rot and fall apart after a couple of years... Sometimes sooner but I guess this is down to how long since they came off the mould. I tend to just buy a new £6.50 switch and fit the rubber part and carry on.

The other solution was using a T21 switch(or so i beleive that is where it was from according to a lucas catalogue), the A10 late switch would be better but I couldn't find one of those. This type is in plentiful supply. ...

I prised the 4 crimps open at the back of the switch, pulled out the gubbins and rotated the arm by 180 degrees, the bit where it all attaches to is circular but with two flat sides.
I then shortened the arm and bent it back a little,
removed the entended part off the brake lever extension and fitted a bolt and a nut (somewhat emulating the late A10 brake pedal design but with less finesse).. Had I fitted a screw into the D part of the switch to limit overall travel as i mentioned above I would probably still have it fitted now (but I resorted back to the other switch I created). But the advantage with this over the standard setup is there is less likely hood of the exteneded arm on the brake lever missing the striker on the switch.