Motorcycle Repair: Brake light switch Yamaha Venture, brake light switch, hand lever

Question
Chris I have a 1984 Venture everything on it works except the stop lights, there is no fuse in the box for the stop lights? I took the switch itself off and cleaned it and it seemed to be ok but still I have no brake lights from either the foot pedal or the hand lever? I would appreciate any suggestions?...Bob

Answer
Hi Bob.

Every bike made since probably 1930 has had a fuse for the brake light and tail light.  Usually, the fuse for the brake lights are with the signal fuse, but sometimes they are a completely seperate fuse.  It would still be in the fusebox with the others.

 Start by checking all of the fuses (with a multimeter) and you will, likely, find one is burned out and that one will be your brakelights.

As far as the switch, you could have a bad switch at both the brake lever as well as the foot pedal.  There is also the possibility of a short in the wiring toward the brakelight itself.

Start with those and let me know what you find.

Good luck and rie safe.
FALCON