Topic: this is weird...

[Double A]

I just noticed that when I step on my rear brake pedal my FRONT headlight & running lights come on-and this is with the lights turned off.  They go off when I take my foot off the pedal.  I saw it in the reflection of the car in front of me and it kept happening at every stop.  I don't ever recall this happening before.  I did recently change my rear bulb & may have put the wrong bulb in (turn signal bulb I had laying around).  Maybe something has corroded & caused a short?  My rear still lights up as it should when the brakes are hit.  Any thoughts?   

[333]

Bad ground somewhere?

[scondon]

 I'm not familiar with the 550, but how do you have the headlight and front running lights turned off with the bike running .  Shouldn't they be on all the time

   Would lead me to believe you have a bad ground from the LH control switch.

EDIT:  or RH switch/starter button. I'm useless without a map in front of me

[mystic_1]

Evil spirits?












Just kidding, try changing back to the old bulb, that should answer THAT question.  Compare the bulbs while you're at it.  A wrong bulb generally won't fit easily, for example 1157 and 1156 bulbs, while similar, have different side pins and won't lock properly into the wrong socket.

I'd take 333's suggestion and check all ground points, I'd also go around wiggling and tugging on various sections of the harness to see if there's a loose connection or chafed wire.

mystic_1

[Double A]

the right control has an on/off for the lights below the kill switch...the left control has the hi/lo switch. 

[Double A]

Evil spirits?












Just kidding, try changing back to the old bulb, that should answer THAT question.  Compare the bulbs while you're at it.  A wrong bulb generally won't fit easily, for example 1157 and 1156 bulbs, while similar, have different side pins and won't lock properly into the wrong socket.

I'd take 333's suggestion and check all ground points, I'd also go around wiggling and tugging on various sections of the harness to see if there's a loose connection or chafed wire.

mystic_1

All good suggestions...I'm gonna go check it out right now.  Thanks!

[JLeather]

My truck used to do something similar.  With the truck totally off, no key in the ignition or nothing, if you stepped on the brake pedal the radio would play.  Also, if you turned it off with your foot on the brake the truck kept running until you took your foot off the brake.  Turned out to be a bad ground that was actually feeding juice from the tail-lights back through other parts of the electrical system.  Freaky what a bad ground can do.

[cafe750]

I'm not familiar with the 550, but how do you have the headlight and front running lights turned off with the bike running .  Shouldn't they be on all the time

   Would lead me to believe you have a bad ground from the LH control switch.

EDIT:  or RH switch/starter button. I'm useless without a map in front of me

The off positon on the headlight switch turns all the lights off... ...sorry, but I had to...

[Bodi]

If you force a single filament bulb into the tail/stop socket the bulb's single centre contact can cross the two socket contacts, so when you step on the brake the stop light power will go back through the tail light circuit and power the markers and headlight. I doubt if a bad ground would pass enough power (through both tail bulb filaments...) to light the head and markers more than a dull red glow. The socket or lamp could be screwed up too, even if it's the correct two-contact bulb.