The stop light will not work on my 2004 sportster when the front brake is applied, but works fine with the rear brakes. Before I bought the bike, the handle bars were changed out so I think the front switch is either misaligned or maybe broken. Where can I fine an online manual or just a diagram on how to get to the switch and dissemble it ? Thanks.

 

If you take the few screws off of the right hand brake lever housing and open it up, you will see that the brake switch has a button that is activated by pulling the brake lever in towards the handlebar. To check the button on the switch, just push the button in towards the switch as much as PRACTICAL and the brake light should go out and when you release the button make sure that the button is allowed to travel ALL the way out of the switch as it can naturally do and the brake light should come on. If that test doesn’t help to show you that the switch is working correctly, you can also use a multi-meter or equivalent device to check on the electrical current flow up to the switch. Since you say that there was a change of the handlebars, I would guess that it is just a simple alignment problem with the brake switch. In the rear of the brake switch, opposite of the brake lever, there SHOULD be a little piece of metal, a little strip of metal that is used to keep the brake switch in the proper position so that when the brake lever is pulled in toward the handlebar the button on the switch is released to travel out as far as it can and this should complete the circuit and the brake light should come on. I hope that this information is useful to you and good luck with your brake light issue. Ride safe out there!

 

Thanks for the info, I am waiting for a clymer repair manual to come in the mail, but I think with your advise I should be able to check it before it comes next week. Thanks for the info.