Friday, February 26, 2010

How to Replace the Ural Brake Light Bulb

During my regular pre-ride inspection yesterday, I noticed my brake light was not working when I touched the front brake. Once a day, I try to check the brake lights, turn signals, and headlight on the bike. I also like to check the oil and tire pressures a few times a week. If the bike has been sitting for a while, I like to check everything before riding.

When I squeezed the front brake only the brake light on the cart came on, but not the tug. I checked the rear brake lever and had the same results. This was good because it suggests that the switches in the levers are still good and the problem is likely with the bulb.

Using a flat head screwdriver, I removed the cover and looked at the bulb.

Ural Tail Light Bulb Replacement

I found the filament missing in the top bulb which is the running light/brake light.

Ural Tail Light Bulb ReplacementUral Tail Light Bulb Replacement

I looked around for a bulb of the same type. The bulbs in my SV650 are a 1157 type and wouldn’t work in the Ural. The Ural bulbs only have one filament instead of two and a different base pattern. They are 1156 type bulbs.

I tried to think of what I might have that only had one filament. I didn’t really want to go to the store. Then I remembered the box of stock turn signals I had when I bought the my SV650. I took one of those apart and pulled out the bulb. It fit perfectly.

Ural Tail Light Bulb Replacement

I pulled it back out and put some dielectric grease on it.

dielectric grease

I put everything back together. Success!

Ural Tail Light Bulb Replacement

I am pretty sure that when I was using the portable jump starter mentioned here, it caused the bulb to burn out since I had the parking brake on while I was jumping it.

Lesson learned: turn off all lights while jump starting the bike.

The parking brake on the Ural is just a crude hunk of metal that holds the rear brake lever down. It is simple like everything else on the Ural and it works very well.

 

Ural brake light bulb is a 1156 type

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2 comments:

  1. You write so clearly that I do believe if you taught motorcycle maintenance I'd understand it better! I did learn to do a few things on my SV650 but my ST seems to be designed to discourage fiddling. What I loved about the SV is that its innards seemed so exposed and accessible.

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  2. Sojourner: Thank you! I do like working on the SV. It's all very simple and exposed. In that regard only, it is like the Ural. The WR and Super9 are all buttoned up in plastic. I don't like removing a bunch of plastic before I can start the real working. Why did you switch from the SV to the ST?

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