First after dark ride for a new rider

[Mikkilicious]

Checked all the lights before I took off.
Gave myself PLENTY of cushion around the other cars.
First bug to the lip reminded me to out the face shield down on my helmet, I already had dinner and all.
Consecutive bugs to the shin reminds me why I'm researching kevlar jeans and such.

Was feeling pretty confident until I was stopped at a light and another rider tells me my tail light is out.
Wtf.
Hit up the gas station and pull out the tools to take of the light cover. (The tools are handy little things, who knew!)
Try to turn the bulb left and right. Maybe it came lose.
Doesn't move. But suddenly comes on.
I finished my ride home and notice its completely off again.
When I got it inspected 3 days ago, the light was on but the brake light wasn't working, so he replaced the bulb.
All good.

I'm new to motorcycle repair, but I'm handy and a quick study. Any quick things I can check before I take it to the shop?
My educated guess is that the internal socket is coming lose. So the bulb is wiggling itself unscrewed.

It's an 04 breva, and I've had it all of two weeks.
I can't say for certain the history. But all the documents the last owner gave me indicate he's kept up with maintenance and took care of it.

[oldbike54]

 Sounds like a bad socket . Do these Brevas run the dreaded plastic socket holders ?

  Dusty

[JeffOlson]

After dark rides are great fun! Of necessity, many of my rides in winter are in the dark (and in the rain.) Just be extra wary of cagers, Bambi, etc.

[Muzz]

Sounds like a bad socket . Do these Brevas run the dreaded plastic socket holders ?

  Dusty

Never had any problems with the lights over 11 years.

[Sasquatch Jim]

  After dark your chances of a close encounter with a drunk or drugged driver go up.
 So do your chances of meeting officer fiendly.
  Just be happy you don't have Lucas electrics.

[lucydad]

Been since high school (1972) that I took a summer evening ride.  One of the best experiences in life in Durango, CO after getting off work at my dad's high school.  Used to cruise main avenue.  Cool and dry, and that was heaven.

Have not taken a bike here out in the evening.  Might do it again, but it does not cool off until way late. 

Yep, risk goes up somewhat.

[Cam3512]

  After dark your chances of a close encounter with a drunk or drugged driver go up.
 So do your chances of meeting officer fiendly.

Fact.  Lost a friend  and fellow Guzzi guy a few years ago on one of his "midnight rides".  He WAS officer friendly.

[oldbike54]

Never had any problems with the lights over 11 years.

 OK Muzz old man , but are they the plastic socket holders ? So far all of the advice has been to not ride at night , nothing on how to fix the tail light 

 Dusty

[Moto]

So far all of the advice has been to not ride at night , nothing on how to fix the tail light 

The title of the post may have something to do with that.

(I don't know whether the socket is plastic, but I believe the OP can edit the title.)

Moto

[Mikkilicious]

Looks and feels like plastic.[/URL]

And the title was chosen to foster conversation as well as maybe some thoughts on the taillight.
I'm a new rider, so I'm being extremely cautious, a few hap hazard stories and warnings can't hurt a girl. :-)
A/c in the house stopped working yesterday, with a heat index of 98 I believe. It was a miserable day and I just needed a ride to cool off.

[oldbike54]

The title of the post may have something to do with that.

(I don't know whether the socket is plastic, but I believe the OP can edit the title.)

Moto

 To something like

                                                                 Luigi must be related to Joe Lucas

   


  Dusty

[fotoguzzi]

I hopw all you need is a new bulb.. you go girl!

[oldbike54]

I hopw all you need is a new bulb.. you go girl!

 Brad , Mikki stated when she moved the bulb it came on , sounds like she has a socket problem . I have seen the fixes for Cali lights , the Breva might take some injun nuity .

  Dusty

[segesta]

Welcome to motorcycling, which is the most fun you can have with your pants off. Or something.

Anyway, depending on your location, be especially wary of animals after dark. If it's small, like a squirrel, don't risk swerving and crashing, just run right over it and ask its forgiveness.
If it's a moose... well, you better swerve.

Have fun!

[Kev m]

My first Harley over 20 years ago taught me to check my brake lights EVERY RIDE. So I check them after each startup.

It also gave me the desire to add some redundancy in the form of additional brake lights (like LED strips) to most of my bikes.

Though I'll equally confess I just haven't bothered yet on the V7, and probably won't on the DUC, though I get the impression the DUC might already have a multiple led tail light anyway.... Still I should check...

[Dilliw]

 

Looks and feels like plastic.[/URL]

What bulb No. is that?

[Triple Jim]

It could be just a dirty/corroded socket.  I've had plenty over the years that behaved like that until I cleaned the socket's contacts and greased them.

I had two slide-outs while pushing my DT100 hard this year.  The fist time I was wearing Kevlar padded jeans and I grounded a peg hard.  The denim got a couple tears, but the Kevlar padding underneath was untouched, and my legs were fine, with only a couple red spots.  I shortened the pegs and my daughter repaired the jeans.  The second time I was on a track, wearing leather racing pants, and took an off-camber turn too fast.  I swear it felt like I landed in a pile of feathers, and the pants were undamaged.

Both types of pants did their job well for me, but the leather racing pants were clearly a lot more protective.  I may wear them for rides on public roads, once the weather cools a little.  The AGV Sport "Midnight" jeans were $89, and the AGV Sport "Willow" leather pants were just under $200.

[M0T0Geezer]

I have 36,000 miles on an '04 Breva 750 and love it. You made a good choice.

You will find much useful information about that and other small block Guzzis here (including an automotive tail lamp that fits):

[ http://www.dansher.com/bikepix/Guzzi/_V7_fyi.txt][/url]

'Geezer

[oldbike54]

 Now we are getting somewhere , good advice Jim and geezer 

 Oh , and never ever ride after dark , the Boojums will getcha 

  Dusty

[toaster404]

General principles:

Clean contact surfaces,
Bend contact feelers to give a bit more contact force
Reinstall with dielectric silicone lube lightly on the contact to prevent corrosion

Check

If no light, check whether current is reaching the socket
Check whether socket is grounded.
Check bulb with direct current from battery

Reinstall.

Generally if the contacts are good and getting current, and the bulb is good, everything should work. 

[Chuck in Indiana]

Reinstall with Vaseline  lightly on the contact to prevent corrosion

FTFY. DiElectric=does not conduct electricity.

As mentioned, the normal problem is just corrosion on both the bulb contacts and the lamp contacts. Clean that off with whatever is handy.. screwdriver, pocket knife, etc. and reinstall.
That said, the Lario and my old Centauro eat up tail light bulbs. Probably vibration related, and I check often.
Welcome to WG, btw..

[Kiwi_Roy]

The silver part of the lamp needs to be in firm contact with the reflector which needs to be in contact with the chassis. If it's loose you could try a wrap of aluminum foil, just keep it away from the two contacts at the tip.

Vaseline is good to prevent the contacts corroding.

[mgfan]

Just try a different 1157 bulb. Some have higher contact points.   

[Dilliw]

Just try a different 1157 bulb. Some have higher contact points.   

That's what I was getting at.  One theory is using an 1157 in place of the 5/21 causes issues for the euro sockets.  Don't know why but higher contact points maybe it.  I switched to the Superbright LED when mine went out.

[twhitaker]

The sockets on my Cali melted. The double taillight of that era is notorious for that. I replaced the bulbs with LEDs from Superbright and have not had a problem since.

[lorazepam]

A pencil eraser is an excellent tool for cleaning the contacts. just a few strokes, and the contacts will be shiny. It is a likely culprit, dirty contacts. I have cut back on night riding a lot. Seems as though there are more deer today than there was ten years ago. My vision and reflexes are not what they were 20 years ago.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Speaking of 1157s  Yesterday, I went to the local auto parts emporium where I know the counterman pretty well. He said, "Hey, Chuck, watcha want?" Told him 1157.  They had a blister pack of two for $4.99. I told him they were pretty damn proud of them weren't they?  He said, "If you want to buy a pack of 10, I can get you a deal, probably less than a buck apiece." Told him to go for it, the Lario eats em. Scanned that package, and it was $3.83. 
Let's see, now.. two for $4.99 or ten for $3.83? Let me think about that... (Guzzi content)

[Triple Jim]

That's funny, Chuck.  Did you notice the manufacturer of the bulbs?  The difference may have been a name like Sylvania on the pack of two, vs. no name on the pack of 10.  Not that I don't buy the no name type myself. 

[lorazepam]

That's funny, Chuck.  Did you notice the manufacturer of the bulbs?  The difference may have been a name like Sylvania on the pack of two, vs. no name on the pack of 10.  Not that I don't buy the no name type myself.

Some Ting Wong bulb company of Guangchou China.

[Chuck in Indiana]

That's funny, Chuck.  Did you notice the manufacturer of the bulbs?  The difference may have been a name like Sylvania on the pack of two, vs. no name on the pack of 10.  Not that I don't buy the no name type myself.

Sylvania, OEM, 10 Lamps, Lampes, Bombillas..Manufact ured in either Slovakia, Thailand, or China. Hmm, I've heard of China.. isn't that a little town in California?