Camel ADV The Fix install problems

[WingVetteStrom]

Has anyone had this problem when installing the Camel ADV "The Fix" rear brake lever?

When the install is complete (and before reinstalling the housing back onto the bike), the brake light spring is being forced towards the brake light switch causing the brake pedal to not rise all the way solidly to the full up position.  (Adjusting the brake light switch makes the problem even worse.)  

 

Also because of this the brake light isn't activated until the peddle is almost a full inch (2.5cm) below the full up position.

 

The tab on the brake light switch bracket is seated against the housing correctly as stated in the video.

 

Anyone else had this problem?

 

It's very difficult to get thru to anyone on the phone at Camel ADV.

Edited December 27, 2022 by WingVetteStrom

[Uncle M]

@WingVetteStrom

@Camel ADV is probably closed for Xmas holidays so you might have to wait for a reply?

[AZJW]

2 hours ago, WingVetteStrom said:

Has anyone had this problem when installing the Camel ADV "The Fix" rear brake lever?

When the install in complete (and before reinstalling the housing back onto the bike), the brake light spring is being forced towards the brake light switch causing the brake pedal to not rise all the way solidly to the full up position.  (Adjusting the brake light switch makes the problem even worse.)  

 

Also because of this the brake light isn't activated until the peddle is almost a full inch (2.5cm).

 

The tab on the brake light switch bracket is seated against the housing correctly as stated in the video.

 

Anyone else had this problem?

 

It's very difficult to get thru to anyone on the phone at Camel ADV.

Have you seen this update video?  There are a few springs that didn't meet spec and are being replaced. Could this possibly be the cause to your issue?  As noted above, many shops are closed, possibly for the week, but I don't see that indicated on the @Camel ADV website.  On their contact page they suggest email as the quickest way to get a tech question answered.  Have you tried that yet?  I've always gotten quick replies to my emails,  sometimes within a hour or two. 

 

 

[WingVetteStrom]

44 minutes ago, AZJW said:

Have you seen this update video?  There are a few springs that didn't meet spec and are being replaced. Could this possibly be the cause to your issue?  As noted above, many shops are closed, possibly for the week, but I don't see that indicated on the @Camel ADV website.  On their contact page they suggest email as the quickest way to get a tech question answered.  Have you tried that yet?  I've always gotten quick replies to my emails,  sometimes within a hour or two. 

 

 

I hadn't seen that video.  Thanks.  I'm not convinced that's the problem. It seems to me that the spring isn't binding against the pedal as he explains.  It seems to me that the pedal is rising too far upwards by a couple mm, causing the OEM brake light switch spring to bind, and also causing the brake light to not come on soon enough as the pedal has to be pushed down quite a ways (about 3/4") to unbind the brake light switch spring and finally pull out the plunger and activate the light.

I'll ask for a new Camel spring from them anyway and hope that fixes the issue.  If not, going to have to do some rube goldberg zip tie fixes.

How frustrating.

[Camel ADV]

Hey Joe,

We are not difficult to get ahold of during business hours on business days. I just checked voicemail remotely and you left a message today (Boxing Day) at 4:17pm and emailed at 8:08pm.
 

Last week on the phone, we had this same conversion about your brake light safety switch. The geometry of the backend of our brake pedal is exactly the same as OEM pedal. Our return spring does not dictate how high the pedal raises; the main nut and jam nut position on the master's pushrod sets the height. Your post above says you are making the determination there is an issue with the part before you install the assembly back on the bike. If it is not on the bike, the pedal and clevis are not attached to the master cylinder and the pedal will be extremely high as the height is not set yet. Things will not work properly when they are half installed. 

 

[WingVetteStrom]

13 hours ago, Camel ADV said:

Hey Joe,

We are not difficult to get ahold of during business hours on business days. I just checked voicemail remotely and you left a message today (Boxing Day) at 4:17pm and emailed at 8:08pm.
 

Last week on the phone, we had this same conversion about your brake light safety switch. The geometry of the backend of our brake pedal is exactly the same as OEM pedal. Our return spring does not dictate how high the pedal raises; the main nut and jam nut on the clevis sets the height. If you brake light is not coming on until you push down an inch, it is not adjusted correctly. Loosen the M6 bolt that holds the stainless brake adjuster plate and slide the plate to a point where the brake light comes on when you want it too. The steps are covered in the install video. If you have your pedal height much higher or lower than the original position, you might have to move the switch itself inside its metal mounting bracket so the adjuster is in range. 
 

 

Thanks, I'll try that.  I think that by adjusting the brake pedal when I hook it up to the clevis, this might in itself unbind the brake light switch spring depending on height adjustment.   When I noticed the binding, I uninstalled everything before I got to that point, in order to try to figure out the binding issue. 

On the possibility that the problem is with a faulty pedal return spring as you mentioned in your video, I'd like to know if I have the updated/fixed spring before I reinstall everything.  Left a phone message with Camel earlier today to find out if I have the correct one.  Will hold off on reinstall until I hear from your office.  

Thanks,

Joe

Edited December 27, 2022 by WingVetteStrom

[Camel ADV]

2 minutes ago, WingVetteStrom said:

Thanks, I'll try that.  I think that by adjusting the brake pedal when I hook it up to the clevis, this might in itself unbind the brake light switch spring depending on height adjustment.   When I noticed the binding, I uninstalled everything before I got to that point, in order to try to figure out the binding issue. 

On the possibility that the problem is with a faulty pedal return spring as you mentioned in your video, I'd like to know if I have the updated/fixed spring before I reinstall everything.  Left a phone message with Camel earlier today to find out if I have the correct one.  Will hold off on reinstall until I hear from your office.  

Thanks,

Joe

 

You have the correct spring.

[WingVetteStrom]

OK, so wrap up to this thread.   Everything is installed and appears to be working OK.  45 degrees F. and raining outside so haven't tested on the road yet.

 

What "thru me for a loop" was that when you install the Camel brake pedal in the housing  and then reinstall the brake light switch, the brake switch spring appears to be "crowded" by the pedal assy. In other words the pedal is pushing the brake switch spring inwards towards the brake switch plunger, causing the pedal to not be able to rise all the way.   Making it appear to be binding.  (What also lead me down the primrose path for awhile was Camel's video saying that some improperly made brake pedal springs were shipped out causing pedal binding.  This was not my case.)

 

I didn't notice this binding until I reinstalled the housing on the bike, (with the additional fun of reconnecting a skid plate and center stand), and saw that the pedal was binding.  What I should have done was continue to hook up the Camel brake pedal to the brake servo with the supplied clevis. 

 

But I thought something was wrong so I took everything back apart and scratched my head for several days to include trying to adjust the brake switch to increase the distance between the switch plunger and the brake pedal to "uncrowd" the brake switch spring.  But the brake switch adjuster nut was already run almost all the way out from the factory, leaving not much more room for adjustment.

 

So I again reinstalled everything and when hooking up the clevis and adjusting the brake pedal height, it "freed up" the brake light switch.

 

As an aside, you can make minor adjustments to the pedal height in order to adjust when you want the brake light to come on, instead of the difficult OEM setup that requires loosening up a nut and adjusting a plate behind the housing that you can't see without  a head torch and inspection mirror.  (Lousy setup Yamaha.  Dumbest access to a brake light switch adjuster I've ever seen.)  These minor pedal height adjustments would hardly be noticed and saves the hassle of adjusting the hard to see/get to light switch adjusting plate.  If all else fails, just take some time and play with the OEM brake light switch adjuster.  Not impossible at all, just annoying, especially with the Yamaha (or other?) center stand installed.  

 

As another aside, I also have installed the Alt Rider water pump cover which (the fault of Alt Rider in my opinion) covers up part of the brake pedal .  As I did with the OEM brake pedal, I put a torch on the Camel brake pedal and heated up the bend just enough to bend the pedal outwards by about 1/2".  Works fine.

 

So far so good.  Recommend the Camel "The Fix”

—————————————-

Edit.  Cory from Camel sent me this video.  I didn’t know the video was there.   I had just followed the install video.  It explains what caused my confusion.  https://youtu.be/WCKB8ESo0qg

Edited December 28, 2022 by WingVetteStrom

[Black99S]

2 hours ago, WingVetteStrom said:

 ... As an aside, you can make minor adjustments to the pedal height in order to adjust when you want the brake light to come on, instead of the difficult OEM setup that requires loosening up a nut and adjusting a plate behind the housing that you can't see without  a head torch and inspection mirror.  (Lousy setup Yamaha.  Dumbest access to a brake light switch adjuster I've ever seen.)  These minor pedal height adjustments would hardly be noticed and saves the hassle of adjusting the hard to see/get to light switch adjusting plate.  If all else fails, just take some time and play with the OEM brake light switch adjuster.  Not impossible at all, just annoying. ... 

I adjust my rear brake pedal level-with or a little above my footpeg to get brake engagement at or slightly below footpeg level. This works best for me standing and is manageable seated. Then I adjust the switch for proper function. Yes it's awkward to adjust the switch but I'll not compromise rear brake function to adjust a light switch.  Check out Chris Birch ADV bike coaching videos (they are worth the money) on bike setup. 

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