question about brake light wiring, ABS, and a flasher module

Picked up a flasher module from motorcycle larry. It looks like i have to cut wires to the brake light and place the device in line.

question 1 - are the brake light bulbs wired independently or is there one run of wire that goes to the lights?

question 2- whats this I hear about the ABS and the brake lights having something to do with each other? Am I about to do something really stupid?

I put a Back Off brake light modulator on my Gen3 with no problems. Just wired it between the yellow brake light wire and black ground.

My ABS definitely still works. I know because I "tested" it!

coolio, thanks

Eric, Could you snap a photo finish? One is already installed on my gen1 and I find extra wires at the battery I don't find on the FSM diag. Wondering how much chasing I will have to do.

Eric L said:

Picked up a flasher module from motorcycle larry. It looks like i have to cut wires to the brake light and place the device in line.
question 1 - are the brake light bulbs wired independently or is there one run of wire that goes to the lights?

question 2- whats this I hear about the ABS and the brake lights having something to do with each other? Am I about to do something really stupid?

Click to expand...

If this module is to flash the bike's original brake lights, you will have to cut the wire, it's the yellow wire (question 1: one wire, split in the tail section). Assuming the flasher unit needs a ground, that's the black wire, just T into it.

Question 2: ABS: Depends on how the flasher works. The ABS needs to "see" a low resistance path to ground when the brakes are not applied, this is usually supplied by the filaments of the bulbs. If the flasher isolates the bulbs when the brakes are not applied and doesn't give a low resistance path to ground (e.g. a relay coil), you may have a problem with the ABS (and/or the cruise control).

I'm not trying it for you, such a module is illegal to use here!

I installed a SUpaBrake II from Vizitek and it's a straight plug and play under the left side cover. No wires to cut or splice. There's even a 20% code in the linked forum post.

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php/topic/157456-vizi-tec-supabrake-ii-brake-llight-modulator/?hl=supabrake

+1 on the Suprabrake from Viztec. I installed them on the FJR and Tenere this summer 100% satisfied. Sure wish I would have known about the 20% off code.

I had a suprabrake that Bernard made for my Gen1 when he just started (and was selling them through Eastern Beaver). I sent my old one back and he upgraded it for $18, it's now on the Gen3.

My question: What bulbs do y'all use for the brake lights? Incandescent 1157's or LED's?

blassoff said:

I had a suprabrake that Bernard made for my Gen1 when he just started (and was selling them through Eastern Beaver). I sent my old one back and he upgraded it for $18, it's now on the Gen3.
My question: What bulbs do y'all use for the brake lights? Incandescent 1157's or LED's?

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Stock incandescent bulbs on the FJR with the SupaBrake-11 set to profile #8. Profile #8 is an Aggressive Algorithm, Low frequency flash for the incandescent bulbs.

Stock LED's on the Tenere set to profile #5. Profile #5 is an Aggressive Algorithm, mid frequency flash. I thought the high frequency flash was too fast even for LED lights and did not get your attention.

You can get to all of the brake light wiring without removing the rear covers and working in and around the bulb bases...where is no room for doing anything much. All the wires are located in the sheath on the left side of the bike under the passenger seat. Split the covering for access, and there they are.

Just a head's up but I found the front brake light switch does not activate the brake lights until you are into braking to some extent (Gen III). If you often do casual stops (in heavy traffic for instance) and only use the front brake, it is very likely that the brake lights are not being switched on. No adjustment of the switch position either.

Dan

bergmen said:

Just a head's up but I found the front brake light switch does not activate the brake lights until you are into braking to some extent (Gen III). If you often do casual stops (in heavy traffic for instance) and only use the front brake, it is very likely that the brake lights are not being switched on. No adjustment of the switch position either.Dan

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You can make some adjustment, did it on my Gen 2 cruise control installation so that I could drop the CC without actually braking, shown here, worth reading comments later in the thread.

mcatrophy said:

bergmen said:

Just a head's up but I found the front brake light switch does not activate the brake lights until you are into braking to some extent (Gen III). If you often do casual stops (in heavy traffic for instance) and only use the front brake, it is very likely that the brake lights are not being switched on. No adjustment of the switch position either.Dan

Click to expand...

You can make some adjustment, did it on my Gen 2 cruise control installation so that I could drop the CC without actually braking, shown here, worth reading comments later in the thread.

Click to expand...

Well, chapter 2 of my story above is I did put an adjustment on my brake lever by drilling and tapping 1/4-28 and installing a short stainless cup point set screw. I adjusted it at home so that the brake light would come on just before the pads touched the disks. Left for work the next morning and the cruise wouldn't set. I turned the set screw in by 1/8 turns until the cruise would set and it was back like before I put the adjuster in.

On the Gen III bikes, the brake light switch actuates at a diferent point than the switch for the cruise. So I'm right back where I started.

Dan