46 model 18 brake light question

....on my Inter:

Michael's solution is a good one:  But a similar thread on the legality of stop lights was had several years ago on this forum.

Are you fitting a stop light switch because you feel you have to or because you want to. If the latter then so be it.

If memory serves me well the legal situation was concerning all vehicles built in or after 1936 or something like that with a few exceptions. 

WD 16H's were not fitted with a stop light when new and the proof is that the appropriate hand book / wiring diagram does not show a stop light. Therefore the owner can chose, perhaps from a safety angle?

If your bike did not leave the factory with a stop light or not documented, you have a choice.

Just a bit of additional info, that's all.

....a wiring harness that provided for a brake switch. Doesn't matter how you hook it up as it simply interrupts the hot lead to the brake light.  If you use this type of switch, be sure that it can pivot on its mounting screw.

A little more information.

1) Norton didn't fit fuses.  Whether you do is up to you.

2) More important perhaps is...the brake light is not wired via the ammeter. So don't bother to run wires all over the bike. Just battery to switch, switch to bulb, and back to earth. 

You will obviously have to change the rear lampholder to a twin contact type and twin element bulb (used to be 5W/21W).  Would recommend an LED bulb due to the harsh treatment it will live under on the back of your machine.

 I endorse David's viewpoint on Fuse, it's up to you....  but I would consider fusing all lighting on the machine. Its better safe than sorry, I have been sorry on a couple of occasions....

Jon

The original rear light would have been a Lucas MT110 which had just a single wire, and no reflector. They're available as 'replica' with two wires but lose the worthwhile rubber mounting. I use an LED rear and cheat by switching a resistor (hidden in the headlamp) in and out with the brake light switch. It allows retention of the original single-wire screw fitting.

On the rigids, the switch was attached to the brake rod by a small clamp and can be fairy well tucked away in-line with the rear mudguard stay.

Last year I reverted to a standard filament bulb for the Stop/Tail lamp on my 19S. Initially the LED version was good but after a few months the light intensity of the stop function became almost indistinguishable from the tail function. Any following vehicle drivers would not have noticed the brake coming on if the lights were also in use. Anyone else observed this happening to their LED tail lamp? Mine was sourced from a reputable supplier. I think Nathan's idea of using a separate lamp on a bike that previously had no stop switch is the way to go.

.. on my ES2 (6 volt) and it does seem to work well. The LED indicators however are not brilliant - pun intended. I wanted to keep with 6 volt and found amber LEDs very hard to come by.