Starter safety switch

[TroutBum]

Lately I've notice I have to apply more pressure on the rear brake lever to start my Like. I'm finding easier to apply the front brake when starting. Anyone know where the safety switch or switches are located on the brake system?

[Dolemite]

The switch is behind the brake lever. It's spring loaded in a state of always off/always being pushed in. When you pull in the lever, the side on the opposite side of the bolt it pivots on raises off the button the button, allowing it to closing the circuit to allow your brakes to work and your starter to engage.

It doesn't take much to give the button enough room to pop out and close the circuit. How old is your like? Maybe you're due to bleed and change the brake fluid. Mine were harder to push once the fluid went bad, but never so much that I wasn't able to engage the starter or that the brake light wouldn't function. Check and see if your lever is activating your brake, maybe the switch mechanism is faulty?

[NeoGenesisMax]

I would start with changing the brake fluid. If you don't know how to don't be afraid to take it to the shop.  Sometimes they will even tell you how to do it yourself if you have a decent relationship with a shop.  DIY videos are probably out there and are fairly universal but I haven't personally looked into it. Once you've eliminated that as a possible cause I would look at your brake switch and see if there is an issue there.  For my old gy6 Chinese scoot both went bad and were maybe 15 bucks a pop and easily changed.  I think it is harder on the Like though my Chinese scooter was mostly naked.  If you eliminate all those as a possibility then I'm at a loss and would just tell you to take it to the shop.  When you do find out what the culprit was please share it with us. It's always nice to know what to watch for.

[Dolemite]

Yep, bleeding the brake fluid is the easy part, getting the plastics apart is the PITA. Stig did a pretty good instructional of how to do it, which I followed when i did my brakes.
http://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?topic=9467.0

As for bleeding the brakes, a one way valve makes it much easier with the small reservoir on our bikes.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/OEM-One-man-brake-bleeder-kit/_/N-26qw?itemIdentifier=46839_0_0_

[TroutBum]

The rear brake requires that I squeeze harder to engage the starter. This coming July I'll have owned the scooter (new when purchased) two years. It was at this time I planned on replacing the brake fluid. I guess I'll excellerated that task and have my brother return my MityVac so I can do the replacement. I generally find you can go at least two-years before having to replace brake fluid, but maybe the brand Kymco starts you scooter out with isn't the greatest.

[Dolemite]

Are you saying you have to physically apply more pressure on the rear brake for the actuator to activate, or that you simply have to pull it back further than you do with the front? I just checked mine, and I can hear it "click" with minimal movement of the lever. With your engine off, see if your actuators are clicking.

[Stig / Major Tom]

OK, no clue why this little switch would require a harder pull of the brake lever to actuate. It looks like a delicate thing---maybe a wiggle of the brake lever will actuate it as the lever is pulled. Maybe the little spring in the switch is getting tired? There is a piston that is compressed to move the brake fluid - but the switch actuates with the slightest bit of movement. Is that piston gummed up?
Or is it the brake fluid is needing renewal?

TroutB....when you do the fluid renewal - please have your brother hold the video camera as you perform this with your MightyVac (I have one now from amazon thanks to your mention -and I'd like not to make a Dog's Breakfast of the procedure!) Please, no heavy metal (or yodelling!) background music for the video. Something soothing, suitable for a non-derestricted scooter owner.  (well, OK, maybe good yodelling) I'll be standing by with my new MightyVac....

The switch is about $16....the whole she-bang is about $55 (everything, lever,reservoir, etc. not too bad if everything goes to poop) The parts window shows just the one switch on one reservoir - but there must be another on the other reservoir.
So the brake light actuates from this switch and the starting circuit is completed as well when the brake lever is pulled? Cool. An electrician probably understands this - or a person of normal smarts. I don't have to. Full stop.

[TroutBum]

Here's what's happening. When I engage the rear brake the starter motor struggles as though the battery is weak and will not start the engine. To get the engine run I need to apply firm braking pressure on the brake lever. Its as if the amount of voltage flowing to the starter is directly proportional to the amount of pressure applied. It very odd. This is not the case when I apply the front brake lever to start the scooter. The front brake requires little pressure to disengage the safety mechanism to start the scooter.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Here's what's happening. When I engage the rear brake the starter motor struggles as though the battery is weak and will not start the engine. To get the engine run I need to apply firm braking pressure on the brake lever. Its as if the amount of voltage flowing to the starter is directly proportional to the amount of pressure applied. It very odd. This is not the case when I apply the front brake lever to start the scooter. The front brake requires little pressure to disengage the safety mechanism to start the scooter.

I wonder if the left brake light switch mounting screw is loose, letting the switch sit askew?
Or if the switch is going bad?
Does seem like you will need to go in there and have a look. Nothing electrical needs to be undone to get at the switch....then you can play with it to see what the issue might be.
OR, can you get a wand (like the red WD40 tube) in  to the switch and spray a small shot of an electrical contact cleaner directly into the part of the switch that moves when lever squeezed. Work the lever to get it to flow into the switch. That way you would not have to take anything apart.
Please keep us posted.
Stig

[Dolemite]

Here's what's happening. When I engage the rear brake the starter motor struggles as though the battery is weak and will not start the engine. To get the engine run I need to apply firm braking pressure on the brake lever. Its as if the amount of voltage flowing to the starter is directly proportional to the amount of pressure applied. It very odd. This is not the case when I apply the front brake lever to start the scooter. The front brake requires little pressure to disengage the safety mechanism to start the scooter.

You're right, what you described doesn't make a lick of sense. I wonder if you have a bad contact somewhere down the line,or perhaps a short. When you pull the rear brake lever, does your brake light flicker or stay on?

[TroutBum]

The brake lights works fine.

I have a can of electronics cleaner. I'll see if that helps. When my turn signal switch was stuck I used the cleaner to clean and clear the switch of whatever was causing the switch not to return to center. Hopefully I'll get the same results when used on the starter safety switch.

[TroutBum]

Opened up the plastic covering over the headset to get to the starter safety switch and gave it a good blast of electronic cleaner. Seemed to have done the trick. Now I can start the scooter by applying just a little braking pressure on the rear brake lever.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Opened up the plastic covering over the headset to get to the starter safety switch and gave it a good blast of electronic cleaner. Seemed to have done the trick. Now I can start the scooter by applying just a little braking pressure on the rear brake lever.

This could be "fix-it correctly" number one! Or, like I told my girls softball team when we finally won a game, "Hey, that's One In A Row!!"
Anyway - glad you've sorted this issue!
Stig