Rear brake lever, and brake lights

Energy One

k9Jim

Member
I got back from the dealer yesterday after 5,000 mile service on my k-9.
The rear brake goes a lot farther down before it feels like the pads are working. It needs to be adjusted. How do you do that. Also the brake lights are not coming on when I engage the front brake lever. Any suggestions on how to fix. Thanks in advance for any help.
Btw I would take is back to dealer but it is 45 minutes away and very difficult for me with my work schedule to take it there.
 

pknowles

RETIRED
Supporting Member
did they change rear pads? If they changed pads, you might need to bleed the brakes. Unless they damaged a wire, there is no reason for the lights not to work after a service,
 

Th3InfamousI

Administrator
Staff member
in the front lever their is a magnet/reed switch. If they bled the front brakes possibly it doesn't pull back far enough to make contact and trigger the brake lights.

The reed switch is in the hand control assembly, you have to seperate the PCB board housing and will see a black wire going into the hand control that is secured by an itty bitty set screw. You will have to back out set screw and ever so little push the wire in further and adjust as necessary.
 

LA_Dog

Go Fast, Go Faster
I just adjusted my rear brake lever- yours should be similar with the forward control.

First jack up the bike so rear wheel is off ground, tranny in neutral (not required but makes testing the adjustment easier).

On the foot brake control, slip the rubber boot back in front of the master cylinder to expose the jam nut. loosen the jam nut a bit. now loosen and remove the bolt that holds the master cylinder push rod to the foot brake pedal. it should be stiff to take off due to locktight on bolt threads. use your knee to support the foot lever and as you pull the bolt hold the end of push rod so it does not jump forward. now let the foot pedal drop down a bit out of the way.

Now spin the pushrod end outwards 1/2 turn until the bolt hole lines up again with where you slide the bolt to fasten it to foot pedal. make sure the whole rod is not turning, just the head, because you are making the rod slightly longer. if your pushrod end has a bushing in the foot pedal bolt hole with different size washers on each side, slip the bushing out and flip it the other way, put it back in.

Now bring the foot pedal up, apply some lock tight to the bolt thread, and put the bolt back in through push rod into pedal. tighten lightly but don't fully tighten yet.

Now push on the pedal and you should have a more crisp action / shorter throw with rear brake. make sure rear wheel spins freely when you release pedal. if you still feel there is too much travel, remove bolt from pedal, try another 1/2 turn on the pushrod head to make it again slightly longer, put bolt back in and test again.

If you can;t get a firm feel / reasonably short throw, or you have lengthened the push rod to where the rear wheel does not spin freely when pedal is released, then you probably have air in the line and it must be bled. A good hand held vac pump bleeder is handy to have- pretty cheap on ebay.

bleed line from rear caliper end until no air comes out using the hand vac bleeder, add more brake fluid to master, test again- it should feel similar to your hand brake as far as travel and bite.

When done testing, tighten pushrod bolt to foot pedal (don't forget locktight and don;t overtighten the bolt- firmly snug is ok)

Tighten jam nut on pushrod
Push boot back over jam nut make sure it is seated properly on the master cylinder. done. go for a test ride.
 
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mongoos

Member
I have a 2011 Big Dog K9 250. My back brake light is not coming on when stepping on the brake or pulling on the front brake lever. If anyone could help me out I need to know where the brake light switch is at. If there is any other reason that it would not be working please let me know. Thank You Mongoos
 

bdm7250

Guru
Supporting Member
I have a 2011 Big Dog K9 250. My back brake light is not coming on when stepping on the brake or pulling on the front brake lever. If anyone could help me out I need to know where the brake light switch is at. If there is any other reason that it would not be working please let me know. Thank You Mongoos
Check for continuity on your rear wire harness. Rear tire has a chance of rubbing through the wires under the fender.
 

mongoos

Member
Thank you Tim.
I did look at the wire harness and look to see if any wires were bad. All looks good.
It is hard to get information on a 2011 Big Dog K9 250. I talk to Chris at Big Dog and he can not tell
me much about that bike because that was the last year before they went out of business and they have
no owners manuals for the 2011. I need to ask some one that has a 2011 BD K9 250. I would like to know
were the brake light switch is and also ask if any one has any other ideas what might be doing this.
Like I said my running lights work in the back but not in the front my blinkers work in the back and the front
but I have NO stop lights in the back or the front.
I just wanted to thank you for your input any help is very appreciated.
Thank you
Mongoos
 

mongoos

Member
Can some one PLEASE tell were my brake light switch is on my 2011 Big Dog K9 250 ?
All of you that have a 2011 K9 250 know that there is no documentation on this bike.
So aim asking for help from any one that might know about the 2011 K9 250.
Thank you
Mongoos
 

mongoos

Member
Can some one PLEASE tell were my brake light switch is on my 2011 Big Dog K9 250 ?
All of you that have a 2011 K9 250 know that there is no documentation on this bike.
So aim asking for help from any one that might know about the 2011 K9 250.
Thank you
Mongoos
 

BWG56

Guru
Can some one PLEASE tell were my brake light switch is on my 2011 Big Dog K9 250 ?
All of you that have a 2011 K9 250 know that there is no documentation on this bike.
So aim asking for help from any one that might know about the 2011 K9 250.
Thank you
Mongoos
The one for the hand brake is in the right hand control, but since both hand and foot are not working, I doubt if it is one of the switches on the foot or hand lever. On the rear the switch is on the caliper Item 44, where the brake line attaches, this is on my Mastiff.

 
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mongoos

Member
Tim I just bought this 2011 Big Dog Back in 5/16/2017 and I have been in and out of the Hospital from the day The bike came from Florida.
I got it from a Motorcycle dealer he told me it only had 937 miles on it and that is was like new.
Well the first thing that made me think he was a liar was when I check out the oil it was very low and black.
And now today when you said to look at the back brake for the switch I notice that there is no brake pad on the back bakes
and the front only has about 1/8 pad. So aim thinking that could be the reason way my brake lights are not coming on.
Mongoos
 

BWG56

Guru
Damn, after ya get the pads in make sure you have brake fluid in the master cylinders with good brake pedal and the brake fluid is DOT 5, do NOT put DOT 3 or 4 in them.
 

mongoos

Member
Hi Tim
I did get some dot 5 it is Bel-Ray Silicone DOT 5 Brake Fluid. So when my brake pads come in I should be good to go.
But my brake light switch is not like your Mastiff and I still can't find it. If you know some one that has a 2011 Big Dog K9 250 if you would
please ask them for me Tim. I think that is the only way aim going to fine out were it is. Like I said Chris Theobald
at big dog don't even know were it is.
Thank you
Mongoos
 

BWG56

Guru
Hi Tim
I did get some dot 5 it is Bel-Ray Silicone DOT 5 Brake Fluid. So when my brake pads come in I should be good to go.
But my brake light switch is not like your Mastiff and I still can't find it. If you know some one that has a 2011 Big Dog K9 250 if you would
please ask them for me Tim. I think that is the only way aim going to fine out were it is. Like I said Chris Theobald
at big dog don't even know were it is.
Thank you
Mongoos
Can you show us some pics of your brake foot pedal area and the rear caliper where the brake line attaches?
 

mongoos

Member
Hi Tim
Yes I will send some pictures tomorrow my son has my camera and he should be home tonight.
If your looking for two lines going to my caliper there's only one it is not set up like your back bike with two lines going to the caliper.
But I will send you the pictures.
Thank you Tim for all your help I cannot tell you how much this means to me.
Mongoos
 
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