I have an 05 Ultra Classic and the Brake Light always stays on. The brake relay does not stay energized though. It works correctly with the front and rear brake switches. I have checked both switches and both appear to work the relay independently, but the light stays on even if I pull the relay out.
To give some background, I have changed the levers, switch housings and switch caps. I don't see a pinched or broken wire. Again, the brake relay seems to work but the lights are always on bright.

Does anyone have any ideas where to start looking?
Thanks in advance.
I have used the forum for years but this is the first time I have needed to ask a question.

 

Was it ok until you changed out the switches? And you did nothing else?

 

Make sure the "stop" ring is all the way against the switch housing. doesn't take much to make that switch open

 

The front brake switch seems to work with the brake lever. I can hear the relay click when I pull the front brake lever or push the rear brake pedal.
I am puzzled.

 

Check your bulb housing or the bulb. Could be shorting out.

 

Bulb housing was shorted out.
Thanks for the input.

 

If you put new grips on and were into the housing that holds the brake light switch (it is a triangular shape with rounded edges with a button on one end with a little nipple on top of the button that fits through the hole in the housing and contacts the brake lever with the nipple. There is also a little metal wedge and a metal arm that is part of the bracket that holds the turn signal button in place ... the wedge and turn signal bracket / arm hold the brake light switch in place. If the nipple is broken off the brake light switch then this causes the light to stay on because the brake lever end does not make contact and slightly depress the nipple into the switch (if you press the area where the nipple was the brake light should turn off). The alignment is very particular so if you are missing the small height associated with the nipple this is enough to make the system not work properly.

I broke the nipple off of the brake light switch when I installed new grips and chrome housings. I had a small self tapping screw that I inserted and screwed into the hole in the switch where the nipple was to take the place of the nipple. The hole left by the nipple also looked to be threaded so the combination of the self tapping screw and the threads allowed the screw to stay in place. My brake light now is off when the brake lever is not depressed and lights when the lever is squeezed. It appears to be fixed. Hopefully this fix will be long lasting and hopefully this post will help others repair their switches with similar damage (inexpensively).

 

had this problem in my 2000 UC...check the bulbs in the tour pack/ mine had one that had shorted out and was causing it to feed off the running lights....

 

I had that problem once, had to loosen the housing and push it up against the stop ring about 1/64 of an inch so it contacted the front brake switch.

 

My Dad and Uncle had this problem. A piece on the lever wears down and doesn't make contact where like it should and triggers the light to be on. They just built it up with JB weld and no problems since then.
The 2nd time it happened to my Dad's bikes the module or sensor or something like that went out coming off the rear brake lever, he had to replace it.