Brake light always on

Hi kz riders. Noob with brake light question. The title says it all. I changed out the stock rear brake light with an LED light, and changed my flasher relay to keep up with the new LED turnsignalas. The signal work as they should but the new LED tail light is always in the "on" or "braking" mode. I have tried the three wires in every configuration possible. Any ideas?

sounds like its wired backwards

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Would check adjustment of the rear brake switch.

Good Fortune!

thanks! So that's on a 1981 GPZ 550. Patton, i tried switching up the wires that didn't change anything, other than no light at all. I am stumped.

Here's the wire colors for the brake and running light(Tail light):

BRAKE/TAIL LIGHT Can be an # 1157 dual filament bulb
RED, Running or Tail Light.
BLUE,(sometimes with a Red stripe) Brake Light Circuit.
BLACK with YELLOW stripe, the ground circuit.


If the brake light is constanly on, see if the right handle bar brake switch is damaged, or the rear brake switch is sticking(both can energize the rear bake circuit).

thanks MFolks. both brake light swiches move like they should, meaning neither one is stuck. The wires from the light are Black Red and Yellow. I assume I put color to color?

dfinnegan71 wrote: thanks MFolks. both brake light swiches move like they should, meaning neither one is stuck. The wires from the light are Black Red and Yellow. I assume I put color to color?

You know what they say about assumption? Very rarely are the colors on an aftermarket light the same as a stock one. Hell, the zx12 taillight I put on my bike had different color wires, so even kawi to kawi are different. Time to unhook the taillight and start one wire at a time trying to figure out which wire runs which part of the new lamp.

Most after market (chinese tail lights use whatever color they want for wiring 1 I looked up said Brake/red Tail/red lisence plate/white there wasnt a redwire on the pic shown it was yellow. another said red/brake green/running black/ground the green was blue

I would start with red for brake yellow running and black ground assuming you dont have a license plate light. the running and brake on the ones I have hooked up will go either way with no difference.

use a test light to test the red wire on motorcycle it should be light up with the ignition switch on. then test the BLUE,(sometimes with a Red stripe) wire it shuold not light up until the brake lever(s) are applied.

connect the test light to a good ground Ie: battery negitive post to do your testing then use the BLACK with YELLOW stripe, and check everything again.

Sometimes people get the brake wire and ground backwards (neither of which would cause your problem)

I have heard of bad circuit boards in the use of universal tail/brake lights but after hooking several up I have not run acrossed this problem.

I am sure hooking one up backwards could mess up the inexpensive circuit boards used. I have been lucky. It has taken more than one try after wiring one up and putting it back together but I blame it on my ADD and not getting a good solder or pulling connections apart during reassembly

Thanks guys. I will give er a try again tomorrow and let ya know.