Cruise control gone

[Moonshot_1]

So I'm heading to a PGR mission. It's gotten rather cold and the wind is a blowin.
I'm all suited up and my throttle hand is out there in the wind. I hit the cruise control button so I can get my hand tucked in to warm up and...nothing. The light on the switch comes on but it won't engage.
My hand is getting colder by the second. I shut it off turn it on and try again. Nothing.

Have to stop and get gas. Shut the bike off. Start up again, head down the road. Still nothing.
This is a 200 mile round trip and I really like my cruise control.

So now I'm bummed.

I get back home and begin to think about why it's not working. I've had no incidents to account for this. Didn't just wash the bike, hit a puddle, drop the bike, or anything like that.
It just decided not to work.

After thinking about it for a while, I went and checked something out and discovered something.

I was then able to fix the problem.

And there was a definite and specific problem.

Let the guessing begin!

[2K-Valk]

ID10T error!

[designer]

Heated suit created short like brake light?

[Valkpilot]

So I'm heading to a PGR mission. It's gotten rather cold and the wind is a blowin.
I'm all suited up and my throttle hand is out there in the wind. I hit the cruise control button so I can get my hand tucked in to warm up and...nothing. The light on the switch comes on but it won't engage.
My hand is getting colder by the second. I shut it off turn it on and try again. Nothing.

Have to stop and get gas. Shut the bike off. Start up again, head down the road. Still nothing.
This is a 200 mile round trip and I really like my cruise control.

So now I'm bummed.

I get back home and begin to think about why it's not working. I've had no incidents to account for this. Didn't just wash the bike, hit a puddle, drop the bike, or anything like that.
It just decided not to work.

After thinking about it for a while, I went and checked something out and discovered something.

I was then able to fix the problem.

And there was a definite and specific problem.

Let the guessing begin!

Do tell. 

I have the same problem.

[jer0177]

Vacuum line problem if it's a model that uses it. Or failing that, the throttle attachment came off.

[Moonshot_1]

Tail/brake light burned out. Burned out at the base of the filament assembly. Not the filaments themselves.

Been running a few days sans tail and brake light with out knowing about it apparently.
Can't believe no one said "Hey, your brake light is out" or barreled into the back of me.


Thought about it last night and figured since the Cr. Control disengaged when the brake was applied, the problem might be related to the brakes or a circuit thereof.

So I went out and turned the bike on, hit the brakes and no brake light. No tail light either.
Went and got a new bulb and tada, everything, including the Cruise control is working.

$2.00, 15 min. fix. Simple as it gets.

Sometimes life is good. 

[John Schmidt]

Now you know why some folk install a relay off the purple wire to ground, even if they don't have LED's. That way you can have a burned out incandescent bulb like yours and still have your CC. Kinda like having your cake and eating it too....sorta!!   

Just get a normally closed (n/c) relay and have the activating coil hooked to the brake wire. Run your purple wire to one set of contacts, the other side to ground. You now have the same ground you had as though you had a good bulb. Hit the brakes and it energizes your brake lights and the relay. The lights come on as they should and the relay breaks the ground, killing the CC operation....same as it did with a good bulb like you have it now. If your brake light burns out, you still have a good ground and therefore you still have an operating CC.  Think of how nice that would have been on your ride.   

[Moonshot_1]

Now you know why some folk install a relay off the purple wire to ground, even if they don't have LED's. That way you can have a burned out incandescent bulb like yours and still have your CC. Kinda like having your cake and eating it too....sorta!!   

Just get a normally closed (n/c) relay and have the activating coil hooked to the brake wire. Run your purple wire to one set of contacts, the other side to ground. You now have the same ground you had as though you had a good bulb. Hit the brakes and it energizes your brake lights and the relay. The lights come on as they should and the relay breaks the ground, killing the CC operation....same as it did with a good bulb like you have it now. If your brake light burns out, you still have a good ground and therefore you still have an operating CC.  Think of how nice that would have been on your ride.   

But I'd still be riding without a working taillight and brake light and not having a clue about it.  I liked how it worked out.

[R J]

Now you know why some folk install a relay off the purple wire to ground, even if they don't have LED's. That way you can have a burned out incandescent bulb like yours and still have your CC. Kinda like having your cake and eating it too....sorta!!   

Just get a normally closed (n/c) relay and have the activating coil hooked to the brake wire. Run your purple wire to one set of contacts, the other side to ground. You now have the same ground you had as though you had a good bulb. Hit the brakes and it energizes your brake lights and the relay. The lights come on as they should and the relay breaks the ground, killing the CC operation....same as it did with a good bulb like you have it now. If your brake light burns out, you still have a good ground and therefore you still have an operating CC.  Think of how nice that would have been on your ride.   

But I'd still be riding without a working taillight and brake light and not having a clue about it.  I liked how it worked out.

You could do this modification, and if you did your regularly scheduled bulb test once a week you'd still have your cake and be able to eat it.

Once a week, check tires, and all the lights.   It is called a safety check.

[Valkahuna]

Sounds like the right way to do it is the dry contact of a relay for sure.    Also will make the bulb last longer, so it's a win-win all around. Think about it. Why would you want a tiny filament in your brake light bulb be the conductor that determines if your cruise control works or not?

Also makes that curise control a rather expensive brake light indicator doesn't it? I think that John gave some real good advice.

[FloridaValkRyder]

So did RJ, I never leave the garage without checking all my lights, tire pressure and oil level.  John, we have to talk soon. You are an electrical genius it seems..and I really want to add some additional driving lights, marker lights and such.

[John Schmidt]

So did RJ, I never leave the garage without checking all my lights, tire pressure and oil level.  John, we have to talk soon. You are an electrical genius it seems..and I really want to add some additional driving lights, marker lights and such.

Jeff, you have my number!    And the door to the "Schmidt House" is always open and the coffee pot is usually on. I also have a large collection of the correct size bullet connectors, the size used on our bikes since the mid-60's, plus a number of matching multipin connectors. Takes a little longer to install some things using them, but makes it look good and removal for other work is easier. Also makes it trouble free as possible.

[The Anvil]

Leave well enough alone. Really, you should do a full circle check before every ride, but few people do. It only takes one brake light-less stop for you to get creamed from behind and any secondary indication of this condition is a good thing.

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

I've fixed two guys CCs in the pass by replacing the rear bulb. No ground no worky. I have the relay set up on mine now. I put a small concave mirror on the garage door behind where the valk parks, when I fire her up and before I open the door a quick look will tell me if all lights are working to the rear.