rear brake pedal return spring broken - suggestions for temporary botches please

[MrsC_772]

Before anyone asks, no, I've not dropped my bike again and broken it!

It snapped and went ping across the driveway while Andy was giving the Monster a spring clean (I was in the kitchen baking cookies in payment at the time).

In its absence, the rear brake light will be on all/most of the time.

Until I can get to Snells and get a replacement spring fitted, am I better off:
(a) doing nothing - i.e. riding the bike, albeit with rear brake light giving potentially misleading signals to following motorists;
(b) rigging something up with cable ties to try and stop the brake light coming on (my concern is that it will render the rear brake pedal almost as useless as when I first bought the bike before everything had bedded/worn in); or
(c) rig something up with rubber bands.

Anyone had the same problem, or got any bright ideas for temporary fixes/botches?

[rollo22]

Unplug the switch cable at least you will have working back brake.

[revver]

Just come back from a spin and found the brake light is stuck on on my m600 but have not looked to see which one is causing problem. If you need your bike i would rig something up temporary as your could get shunted from behind. Good luck.

[MrsC_772]

I need the bike for commuting.

How do I unplug the brake light switch cable? I'm not exactly a competent mechanic (though Andy's good at wiring related jobs).

[slob]

Stout rubber bands or a slice of old inner tube, quite a common site in race paddocks.

[Rally]

Also be wary the weight of the pedal doesn't apply enough pressure to drag the brake on and cook the disc!

[Paul_]

A new spring is £10 and will take about 30 minutes to fit on your own. With someone else to help you it can be done in 10 minutes, having someone to hold the brake pedal in place against the torsion of the spring whilst you tighten the securing nut is a massive help. Service manual says to put loctite 243 on the nut whilst you do this.

Another temp bodge would be to shorten the rear brake rod that goes into the rear master cylinder and extend the rear brake levers position, this will turn off the brake light but will mean you have no rear brake which could be dangerous.

[Stafford]

I don't know where the spring has snapped but you easily effect a new end to a spring, if that's near to where it's broken. Simply get a hammer and a sharp edge like the side of a vice jaw and place the last ring of the spring on the corner, a swift tap with the hammer and you can create a new loop to attach the spring to wherever it goes . Simples.

[MrsC_772]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions chaps. :)

Temporary botch using party balloons (in the absence of sturdy enough rubber bands or knackered bike inner tubes) instituted.

Will phone Snells tomorrow to order a new spring and ask if they can fit it.

We're both wary of removing the rear brake pedal in an attempt to replace or reshape the spring, as last time we did this (after I dropped the bike in the summer and needed a new brake pedal) Andy managed to strip a screw thread! Snells had to rescue the bike with their van and use helicoils to get a new thread in. I'd be way too embarrassed to have to tell them I'd done the same thing again!

[markh]

Mine broke on my 796 a last summer. I hadn't even noticed until I washed the bike as it'd been riding fine. Snells sorted it.

[Martin C]

Err, no! Spring steel will almost certainly snap if you try this approach. Heating to red-hot would enable the bend to be made, but also lose the metal's spring capability over the heated area.

[Nickj]

Temporary botch using party balloons (in the absence of sturdy enough rubber bands or knackered bike inner tubes) instituted.

Watch they don't burst!!

[MrsC_772]

Balloons did the trick as a temporary botch, and this morning I sent Andy to Snells on the Monster to get a new spring fitted.:)