KDXRIDER.NET

Hello. I recently purchased a 1990 kdx200 and am in the process of making it street legal. I'm having some issues with the brake light. I installed a hydraulic brake switch from Baja designs.

I did this by running one side of the switch to the power wire that supplys the headlight and tail light and the other side of the switch to the socket which already had an 1157 style socket when I bought it.
The ground got wired in as well.

Upon my first trial with an incandescent 1157 bulb in the socket I pressed the brake pedal and both headlight and tail light went out completely. I wasn't surprised since everything I had researched said that is what happens.

My next thought and step was to purchase a clear led 1157 bulb since they draw little voltage and everyone here seems to have used this same method. I installed the bulb tonight. I found that the voltage side of the socket needed to be switched since LEDs pass voltage in only one direction. After fixing that issue and getting the tail light portion to work with the led I again tested the brake switch and got the same results. No headlight or tail as soon as I make the connection using the brake pedal.

After another failure I continued on to the headlight to see if there was an issue there. Now the plastics on the bike are aftermarket(not sure what brand). I know this because it's a blue framed e model which came with white plastics and mine are green. I can also see the threads where the oem headlight bolted to.

Anyways I look at the bulb and it's some weird configuration I haven't seen before. I can't recall the
Model of it but it was a 35 watt bulb. Then right above that bulb there was another thin bulb that almost looked like a inline fuse. It was not a fuse but rather another running light with no wires connected to it.

After this discovery I try connecting the thin running bulb rated at 10w rather then the 35w headlight. I kick her over and check the brake light and again same issue. I tried once more with no headlight connected and its still doing the same thing.

This whole time I thought I was drawing to much wattage for the brake light to work but shouldn't I be getting at least the brake light to work without the extra draw of the other bulb? I would think if there is a short somewhere that nothing would be working. Does anyone have any advice or ideas?

Does anyone have any ideas or advice?

Sounds to me like the brake light switch is breaking the circuit for the rest of the lights. You may also want to consider upgrading the lighting coil for a bit more juice.

Yeah looking at a wire schematic it seems like
Maybe the switch is causing a short to ground. Maybe I'll try running a hot lead straight to the socket for the brake light side and then wire the switch into the ground side of the socket.

So I did a quick test today by unplugging my hot lead to the brake switch from the bike and found both the head and tail light work fine. I now know for sure the problem is somewhere on the switch side of the circuit. I don't believe the switch is bad since it is brand new so I may possibly have a bad connection somewhere creating an open circuit when I close the switch.

I'll do more tests as soon as I have time to see if power is getting from one side of the switch to the other and if it is where I am losing it between the switch and the socket. Hopefully I can figure it out because I am anxious to get this bike in rideable condition.

Well I finally got my brake light to work. I found that I had accidently pinched a wire behind the number plate and there was a loose connection at the socket from previous owner. The part that still confuses me is with my l.e.d bulb installed the brake light portion doesn't work. I put in my incadescent bulb and the brake side of the circuit works, but it does dim just like everyone has stated would happen. I don't plan to do any night riding anyways so as long as I can get to the trail with no issues from the law I will be happy. Eventually I will get my stator rewound so that I don't have the issues anymore.