Just bought this 1980 Lowrider Shovel from my girlfriends cousin. When you hit the front brake the headlight and taillight go out for about 30 seconds, and then you can hear a click and the lights come back on. Any ideas what could be causing this? Wiring is completely foreign to me.

 

There is probably a bare wire in the brake lamp circuit.

When you energize the circuit it trips the breaker and the circuit loses power until the breaker cools off.

The headlight should not share the circuit with the brake lamp, but this is a 37 year old machine...

 

Problems like this are often mechanical, so set aside your concerns about wiring! As Dan points out you probably have an electrical short caused by a bare or damaged wire. Your bike when new came with circuit breakers, not fuses, so the click you hear when applying the brake is the breaker tripping out.

The problem could be as simple as a trapped wire inside the r/h handlebar switch housing. The wires can put up a fight when installing the switches, so start there. I suggest you disconnect the battery first! Follow the wiring from there, checking carefully as you go.

 

"Problems like this are often mechanical, so set aside your concerns about wiring! As Dan points out you probably have an electrical short caused by a bare or damaged wire" ... Am I missing something here? :>)

 

Quite possibly! What's your question?

 

Well ... Isn't a short in a wire an electrical problem as opposed to a mechanical problem?

 

This is an electrical problem, clear and simple.

A wire chafing on the frame is an electrical issue, not mechanical.

OP: Are you still here?

 

I hear ya Dan ... I was wondering what Mr. Brown was referring to ... maybe something lost in the translation ??

 

The brake and the Lights are on different circuit --- the only common place that it could be is a bad bulb or bulb socket for the brake light , or some where that the brake light wire is touching a light wire

 

Well, they were when the bike was built...

But...the bike is 37 years old, no telling what has been done to the electrical system.

OP needs to remove the dash, fuel tanks, and the seat, then inspect all the wiring.

Wondering if the OP is listening.....