Added allot of chrome etc. to the Bagger this winter and finally re-installed the battery, after checking if everything works correctly, I have no brake light, just running, and this includes both hand and foot brake. I had the seat off and can hear the relay click( although i don't know exactly where the relay is located, but i hear it click) when you apply either brake. I did change handlebars and went to braided lines, so of course the assumption would be that i messed up the brake light switch on the handlebars, but i never removed the brake lever,only split the controls in half to switch bars etc. And even if i had broken the switch I would assume the rear brake should atleast work. I also replaced the bulb just to rule out the obvious. If anyone has any advice before i spend my tax return having a dealer diagnose, I'd much appreciate it. thanks Dave

 

Get a meter and start tracking it through the system. Can't be too hard to find.

 

driving me nuts not knowing so i was back out i the garage, first I disassembled the brake lever/switch on the handlebar, checked for pinched wires, found none, removed brake lever and pressed brake switch in and out, seems ok and relay clicks when you do it. then I checked the fuse, it was blown so i thought it was Miller time, wrong, when i replaced the fuse and turned on the ignition it blows immediately, the brake light is on after it blows ( looks like its on brake, not just running). I take pride in doing my work myself, but electrical problems are my nemesis, i hate the thought of it, but unless anyone has any ideas, looks like i'll be helping harley with their financial troubles.

 

If the only thing you touched was the switch housing I would pull it apart again. One thing you can do it to disconnect it under the gas tank. That will tell you if you have a ground at the switch housing.

 

Another thing to think about is if you had to pull the wires from the plug to feed them into the bars when you changed them are you absolutely sure you have them in the right place? Try disconnecting the plug and see if the fuse still blows. That should point you in one direction or the other.

 

the wires were not fed through the bars, I replaced the bars with the pullbacks so they are externally wired. i also had the tank off last week while installing the braided throttle/idle cables, but i can't see what I would have done there, unless i plugged something back into the wrong connector, i see 2 that come from under the tank that look similiar, both are the gray ones with orange and have 4 ins in them, i thought about switching them but was worried about causing more problems

 

You have a pinched or broken wire. I would check the handle bar area where they clamp together. Just went through this with my sons bike. Pinched wire.

 

Sill if you disconnect the plug and see if it still blows the fuse you just eliminated half the bikes wiring as the culprit. At least you will know which end the pinch is on. IF it still does it then disconnect the rear wires. This process of elimination will help you to find where the ground is (or isn't).

 

I feel stupid but which plug are you referring to,I'd love to try your idea and narrow it down to half the bike, thanks so much for the advice thus far, I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet.

 

You have a short. You will have 12 volts on one side of the blown fuse and nothing on the other. Use an ohm meter and check continuity between the end of the fuse that doesn't have 12volts and chassis ground. (I would remove the brake bulb to make sure youre not reading through the bulb) If you read continuity start disconnecting stuff or disassembling until the continuity goes away.
When that happens you will have found the problem.
Good luck