Brake light

[philfrost]

My 1960 Sport has what appears to be the original tail light. It has a single contact bulb holder therefore no facility to fit a twin filament bulb to facilitate a brake light. Why? In 1960 a brake light on a 250cc road bike was a legal requirement. I've had to fit a non standard rear lamp to accommodate the brake light bulb and fit a brake light switch to get it through an MOT.
The handbook wiring diagram doesn't show a brake light either. How did Greeves get away with it?

[John Wakefield]

Stop/Tail Lights

Have sort advice on another forum & it appears that compulsory brake lights were introduced in 1965.
The problem of no stop light has cropped up before, some owners changed the bulb holder only to find that the higher intensity twin fillament bulb melts the lense. Probably why lots of rear lights got changed in later years. See other thread on 25 DC Sports Twin Taillamp http://www.greeves-riders.org.uk/for...ead.php?t=3801

[philfrost]

Thanks John, Which forum suggests 1965? I'd love to keep the original lamp on the bike but I need evidence to show the MOT man. The construction and use act states 1936 with exemptions for 50cc (1986) and machines that cannot exceed 25mph. There are however lots of "see subsection bla bla bla".

The MOT manual states.
This inspection applies to; all machines except those which have neither front nor rear position lamps, or has such lamps permanently disconnected, painted over or masked that are (see 1.1).

Exemptions
For this test if a stop lamp is fitted, it must meet the requirements of this inspection, but need not be fitted to a machine which:

a. cannot exceed 25mph, or
b. was first used before 1 January I936.or
c. was first used before 1 April 1986 and which has an engine capacity of less than 50cc.

Operation
Stop lamps may operate in conjunction with either the front or the rear brake, or both. On machines first used on or after 1 April 1986, the stop lamps must operate by the application of each system.

On machines without a battery or with an insufficiently charged battery, it will be necessary to run the engine.

[John Wakefield]

Stop light

It was from IKBA web site http://www.realclassic.co.uk/messageswide.html under heading Brake Light. Its only one mans view so I dont think it carries much weight.
As far as your bike is concerned, surely its common sense to fit a stop light. Its a hazardous place out on the roads these days on a motorcycle without giving some prat the chance to hit you up the rear end. Simple enough to fit a new light unit. Bugger authenticity, better alive that dead.

[philfrost]

Thanks John,
I did fit a stop lamp at the weekend, as you say "but they didn't have one originally" issued from a hospital bed isn't very good. It should be on the road this weekend. Need to check its reliability then off to Holland in August in the company of an Adler 250, Jawa 350 and a Bantam. I do have bigger and faster bikes but I've never been a cc snob. A great deal of fun can be had from a small bike. I did a tour of Belgium a few years ago on a bantam, life in the slow lane. Great fun.
I must say that the construction of the bike is incredible, its built like a bridge! Most 250 two strokes of this age were pretty cheaply built (don't tell the Fanny B club) but this thing is very solid, definitely shows the off road breeding.

Looking forward to getting out on it,

Phil

[Brian Catt]

Nail on head there mate! The Greeves roadsters seem to have been built to the same standards as the off-roaders, with their inherent strength!

[Colin Sparrow]

Nail on head there mate! The Greeves roadsters seem to have been built to the same standards as the off-roaders, with their inherent strength!

I should think so too! From 1961 onwards they used the 24SCS Hawkstone frame for the roadsters.

[AndyB]

Switch location

I'm just attempting to finish-off my '58 Fleetwing bitza. The boxes of bits in which it came to me did not include a brake light switch, but the Miller 38ET taillamp has the facility.
I'm wondering which might be the best type of switch, and where to locate it. The rear subframe and brake linkage appears to be 'DC' style.
Thanks
Andy B

[John Wakefield]

I'm just attempting to finish-off my '58 Fleetwing bitza. The boxes of bits in which it came to me did not include a brake light switch, but the Miller 38ET taillamp has the facility.
I'm wondering which might be the best type of switch, and where to locate it. The rear subframe and brake linkage appears to be 'DC' style.
Thanks
Andy B

Something like this should do the job http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal-...item3a89afcd4d
I used a Yamaha one on my 25DC like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yamaha-T-8...item231d89364f
Just need to make a suitable bracket & mount it on the swinging arm via the brake torque arm bolt.

[AndyB]

Thanks, John, I've now fitted a bracket to the inside of the pillion footrest bolt, and used a brakelight switch which is pulled by wire from the end of the brake pedal arm.