Taboo to ride with disconnected rear-brake light?

[Guest Ralph]

Truth is if someone came up and announced they had partly disabled there brake lights
my first thought would be "nutter" and I would not want to ride anywhere near them,
I would not want to be riding or driving near anyone that that would do that no matter
how much they try to convince me they hit the front first so it makes no difference,
I just would not trust anyone that even thought it was a good idea.

[zombiphone]

the first mod i do on every bike ive owned is disconnect all lights. Brake Light, Headlight, Signals, even the speedo/display light. 
no need for any lights on a motorcycle.
 
LOL

I have and know many people who actually do this  
#BecauseRacebike
 

[Beemer]

the first mod i do on every bike ive owned is disconnect all lights. Brake Light, Headlight, Signals, even the speedo/display light. 
no need for any lights on a motorcycle.
 
LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF996juVdwU 
Here's what that experience is like lol

Thanks! Today I learneded a new phrase ... "Wut dah fak?!" WOOT!!  P-)

[Beemer]

the first mod i do on every bike ive owned is disconnect all lights. Brake Light, Headlight, Signals, even the speedo/display light. 
no need for any lights on a motorcycle.
 
LOL

I have and know many people who actually do this  
[HASH]BecauseRacebike

i SEE DEAD PEEPLE. 
It's always a great day when you start it out laughing.

[AlbatrossCafe]

But, wh ..... ha! Nah, I won't be upset, don't see why anyone would be if nothing bad comes from it. As long as you keep using that front brake and the front brake lever keeps triggering the brake light I don't see a problem for you or anyone behind you.  
Update:
 
I retract my previous statement.
 

Damn... almost had you.... ( 
-Explanation Incoming-
Well for all that were wondering, here finally is the reason I asked...
 
I live near Seattle WA, got my FZ in mid October, and have put almost 5000 miles on it. We have had a super wet winter, but I ride daily. I would break down the mileage about like this:
[ul type=disc][*]1500 - sprinkling
[*]1500 - light rain[*]1000 - heavy rain[*]995 - no rain
[*]5 - snow[/ul]= 5000 total.
 
Even when there was no rain, for about half of those miles the road was still wet. My house requires about a mile of gravel road traversal to get to it + a lot of riding on lightly-traversed backwoods roads that seem to be permanently wet and dirty.
The rain, gravel, dirt, leaves, sticks, snow, mud, dog poop  (puke) and whatever the hell else I run over flings up and seems to head straight for that brake light activator plunger which causes the light to stick - ALL the time. It is some BS. I have taken off the rearset to get to it on at least 6 occasions, cleaned it, lubed it, sprayed graphite on it, adjusted the screw, massaged it, taken it to dinner, done its taxes - no matter what I do it always gets gummed up and sticks.
 
I was gonna disconnect entirely it so I didn't have to worry about it, but instead I made it so that you have to press that brake pedal over halfway down to activate the light. Tapping the brake won't make it flash anymore, but at least it still lights up during normalish/hard braking. Best of both worlds. 8D
 

[Guest Ralph]

Why not replace the thing with a better quality more water proof one.
 

[so1102]

I saw one of these http://www.gravesport.com/Graves-Motorsports-Sport-Bike-Rear-Brake-Return-Spring.html and wondered if it would work for our bikes (and if anyone has tried it)

[zombiphone]

This answer didn't involved racing motorcycles at all. BOO THIS MAN

[gregjet]

I can see 2 situations where a working rear brake light will matter and you will be using rear brake only.
One is on what you US people call canyon rides , honking into a corner with some 4 wheeled racer boy in his Porsche ( insert relevant car that actually handles here), and you trail brake to move your line. No brake light and the car HAS to accellerate to corner and thinks you AREN'T braking. Messy.
The other relates to Albertrosscafe and Zombiephone when she does her big ride. On the dirt you use your rear brake a lot to SLOW the WHEEL not to slow the bike for a number of reasons ( maintain a straight line eg). If you have some guy barrelling up behind to you in an F100 with the intent of passing you, signalling that you are slowing has much merit.
When it is slippery , using the rear brake only to mitigate speed helps to avoid the front deciding it wants to have a little rest on the pavement.
 
I think Albertross gateing threashold is a good way to setup.

[Beemer]

I can see 2 situations where a working rear brake light will matter and you will be using rear brake only. One is on what you US people call canyon rides , honking into a corner with some 4 wheeled racer boy in his Porsche ( insert relevant car that actually handles here), and you trail brake to move your line. No brake light and the car HAS to accellerate to corner and thinks you AREN'T braking. Messy.
The other relates to Albertrosscafe and Zombiephone when she does her big ride. On the dirt you use your rear brake a lot to SLOW the WHEEL not to slow the bike for a number of reasons ( maintain a straight line eg). If you have some guy barrelling up behind to you in an F100 with the intent of passing you, signalling that you are slowing has much merit.
When it is slippery , using the rear brake only to mitigate speed helps to avoid the front deciding it wants to have a little rest on the pavement.
 
I think Albertross gateing threashold is a good way to setup.

+10! I never use my front brake when I think the front tire may slide. I also keep the bike as upright as possible when braking on anything slippery.

[thomascrown]

Install a hydraulic switch, and delete the mechanical switch. That is the only legitimate way of "fixing" the issue.
 
http://www.sportbiketrackgear.com/vortex-rear-brake-light-switch/?gclid=CjwKEAiA58a1BRDw6Jan_PLapw8SJABJz-ZWHcwYesHGQ0cR7eXMNQ9u59RdtvWTdBec-bsvxtP_JRoCB__w_wcB
 
 

[N/A]

^ 100% agree with thomascrown, they're cheap and they work. By the way, I've owned plenty of older motorcycles with drum brakes that didn't have a front brakelight switch and I'm still here. The only time I ever got rear-ended was by a drunk German at a set of traffic lights in Dusseldorf. Wouldn't have mattered how many working or otherwise brakelight switches I had, he'd still have hit me. Fortunately, despite a written off bike, I only broke my thumb!
 
007

[gregjet]

Hydraulic brake switches definitely tend to be more reliable. Totally agree.
 

[motocr]

Interestingly enough I've noticed my brake light doesn't always actuate correctly as in I hit the rear brake no light. I noticed. If. I stand on the rear brake and actuate it all the way down it starts. Working everytime so it hasn't bothered me as I flash with my front brake as in grab the bar to make it flash at lights anyway out of boredom till a car is stopped behind me and I always check before I ride. So yours could not even be working at a stop anyway.

[pattonme]

there are sensitive and less sensitive hydro switches.
This whole thread would have had a different tone if the OP has just said, "my brake light switch gets fouled with dirt and muck so that it stays on. How should I remedy the situation or shall I just disconnect it?"
 
I feel trolled.

[Allan]

there are sensitive and less sensitive hydro switches. This whole thread would have had a different tone if the OP has just said, "my brake light switch gets fouled with dirt and muck so that it stays on. How should I remedy the situation or shall I just disconnect it?"
 
I feel trolled.

+1 Lol I joined the party a bit late, but I read all the posts and it would have been solved a lot quicker if he just asked that question to begin with. Haha

[potatochips]

He was trolling, came up with the gunked up switch later as he started to regret it.

[Mr.Puss]

This has become the new "Tank Sticker Removal?" thread.

[Mr.Puss]

This has become the new "Tank Sticker Removal?" thread.

[Allan]

This has become the new "Tank Sticker Removal?" thread.

No! No one will take the most useless thread title away from me! Lol

[AlbatrossCafe]

This whole thread would have had a different tone if the OP has just said, "my brake light switch gets fouled with dirt and muck so that it stays on. How should I remedy the situation or shall I just disconnect it?" 
I feel trolled.

lol sorry. Everyone is too nice on this forum, I had to do something about it... I wanted to spark a debate but at the same time I was genuinely interested if others ride with no rear-brake light, because of things like aftermarket rearsets. 
My solution (making it so you have to push the brake light down around 50% of the way before it activates) combined with pumping the break a bunch before I start riding to "clean" it is doing the trick for now... but it is quite annoying.
 
My old bike had a hydraulic brake, and I never looked at it. Not sure how they work, but at ~$20 it seems reasonable. Has anyone installed one on this bike or on a previous bike?
 

[Guest Ralph]

Only because we all thought you had a mental problem and didn't want to drive you over the hedge.
 

[Mr.Puss]

This has become the new "Tank Sticker Removal?" thread.

No! No one will take the most useless thread title away from me! Lol

HAHAHAHA....please good sir, forgive me, I meant no injustice or slight to the glorious creator of such wonderous and ingenius literary classics.  

[Allan]

No! No one will take the most useless thread title away from me! Lol

HAHAHAHA....please good sir, forgive me, I meant no injustice or slight to the glorious creator of such wonderous and ingenius literary classics.

I forgive thee pesant. Watch thine tongue from now moving forward.
Lol

[angus]

  Am I the only one who considered that He might be turning off the brake light to be stealthy whilst running from something? (     I'm glad to know that this forum is populated by the nicest of people! 
 I did once own a bike that had a faulty light switch on the rear brake but since I seldom used the rear brake I pretty much ignored it. Only once was it noticed at inspection time and the inspector asked me if I was aware of it. I told him that I knew about it and that I always pulsed the front lever to flash the light, which was true. He was an older gentleman who had been riding for decades before I was born, "just so you know" he said and passed my bike.     He was also the only inspector that ever took my bike for a ride to check it out and it was fun to watch.
  I was also rear ended at a stop on another bike with a working switch. My response to that incident was to purchase better mirrors!