My Harris rear sets came today, nice and shiny etc. I have two problems that I need you knowledgeable chaps help with. Both problems involve the springs. One is the return spring, I'm using the one off the old rests and it seems too long or I have it in the wrong place. The other is the brake light spring, where do I hook it on to, the instructions are saying bolt the bracket to the top bolt (which seems way too far), I have tried it on the lower bolt, but it just doesn't seem right. I have two pics and can take more if needs be.
Cheers chaps. This is giving me a real headache. I bought a banjo with it as it said I would need one for a brake switch to work, but that means bleeding the system, but in the instructions, it's telling you to fit the old switch to a bracket (supplied) and a brake spring lever that is supposed to be supplied but is nowhere to be seen.
The beauty of the Harris rearsets are they are designed for road bikes so work with the original brake light switch and no need to fit a banjo brake switch as you have to do with virtually all other makes of rearsets.
What you need to do is hook one end of the spring to the original brake light switch and the other end to the location point on the brake lever arm of the Harris Rearset. Then what happens is when you pressure the brake lever down it stretches the spring and pulls on the OEM brake light switch making a circuit and lighting the brake light. When you release the pressure on the brake lever the return spring pulls the lever back to its normal position and breaks the circuit turning the brake light off. You will most likely need to adjust the point at which the brake light switch activates by screwing the nut on the adjust rod up or down as needed.
Hope its helpful as its very hard to explain in words but very simple to do in reality.
Blade wrote:The beauty of the Harris rearsets are they are designed for road bikes so work with the original brake light switch and no need to fit a banjo brake switch as you have to do with virtually all other makes of rearsets.
What you need to do is hook one end of the spring to the original brake light switch and the other end to the location point on the brake lever arm of the Harris Rearset. Then what happens is when you pressure the brake lever down it stretches the spring and pulls on the OEM brake light switch making a circuit and lighting the brake light. When you release the pressure on the brake lever the return spring pulls the lever back to its normal position and breaks the circuit turning the brake light off. You will most likely need to adjust the point at which the brake light switch activates by screwing the nut on the adjust rod up or down as needed.
Hope its helpful as its very hard to explain in words but very simple to do in reality.
Thanks for that Blade, it does make sense. The problem I have, is the spring on the brake switch won't reach the brake lever. I did buy the banjo kit. I wonder if a longer spring might do the trick? Other than that I will have to fit the banjo, which will be a bit of a ball ache. I have just phoned Harris and I asked why they hadn't supplied the brake switch spring lever, as it states in the instructions that there should be one (a brake switch holder was supplied) which I find odd. Anyway, the bloke said that I have to fit the banjo. All a bit confusing! But thanks all for your time in replying
If you can mount the OEM brake light switch on the Harris rear set then it is quite simply a case of connecting one arm of the spring to the OEM brake light switch and one to the mounting point on the Harris lever and adjusting at what point the brake light switch is made and iluminates the brake light. Sounds simple I know sorry if its not I don't mean to sound harsh just saying how it is. If this cannot happen then all I can see from your comments is Harris have supplied the incorrect length spring.
I have the same set up on my bike and its worked faultlessly with no need for adjustment in 8 years of use.
Personally I'm surprised Harris have suggested use a banjo switch. If they have designed their rearset to use the OEM brake light switch they should assist customers in achieveing such set up and not just take the easy way out IMO. If I was you I would ring Harris back and ask to speak with a technician who is familiar with the design and set up of your specific rearset, ask him to get set of identical rearsets from stock and talk you through the set up. You have paid a reputable company good money for a well engineered product they should be happy to support it and assist you IMO. I m guessing you just got a useless, foolish or unhelpful chap on the phone today which although not good does happen. I would genuinely ring them back and insist on the correct level of support, which I hope they do provide.
Hope the above is helpful as it is intended as such. Don't give up tuffers mods aren't always easy or straight forward and can really test out patients sometimes but hopefully worth it in the end.
Update: I tried to fit the OEM brake switch to the rear set bracket and I purposely bent the bracket to make for a better fit, I got the spring fitted, but there just wasn't any leverage when pressing the brake pedal to make the piston in the switch move. I've now fitted and wired the banjo. Just got to bleed the rear brake, tape round wires, adjust brake pedal, tighten a few bolts and then start on the gear change side. Then I'll be ready to take it for a ride to see if I like the position of the sets.