Finally got the bike (08 flhtc) done after adding 10" mbb and some other odds and ends.....so I take it out for a ride and immediately the front brake lever is stiff and doesn't pull much....then it goes back to normal and I notice a vibration when I apply the front brake I get a not normal vibration.....when I get home I look at the rotors in the front and they look almost as if they got heated up....I didn't change brake cables with the new bars....so looking for some advice....kind of mechanical but not crazy.....pads have some life left wondering if I should start there...I'm kind of at a loss.....

 

Id take the calipers off and rebuild them, have seen them get crud-ed up and freeze causing the rotors to get real hot. ez fix

 

Would air bubbles in the lines cause this.....I did loosen the line at the master cylinder to adjust the angle when I put the bars on and some fluid did escape....maybe got air in the system?

 

probably, I would not hesitate to just go threw everything. New pads ,rebuild if needed,throw some new fluid in there and bleed.

I got proficient at doing these things the hard way.not a mechanic. one thing can lead to another. air in lines causes pads to wear uneven ,low pads stress the pistons/dirt can lead to frozen piston,heat on rotors and forks,bolts freezeing on fork legs, welding bolt to fork leg bolt to unfreeze..ect

 

Bleed the brakes. If they are ABS it is recommended to have them bled with Digitech at dealership.

 

People tend not to change the fluid in their brakes often enough. Brake fluid is hyroscopic (absorbs h20), eventually resulting in loss of braking performance in heavier vehicles. Because motorcycles are relatively light, we don't notice the performance loss so much, but rather end up with corroded parts in the caliper, leading to stuck pistons and overheated, warped rotors.

Hopefully the calipers are rebuildable. If the pistons are pitted, replace them of course. If the caliper body shows signs of pitting or roughness, they probably are junk.

You can bleed the brakes at home if you don't introduce air into the system. Nobody needs another safety lecture so decide for yourself. I recommend bleeding every year if you live somewhere other than the desert. Personally, I get the Digitech bleed every other year.

 

Non abs....and I ordered speed bleeders over the winter....good time to put them on and change fluid....thx guys

 

Clean the calipers and maybe add new pads. Unevenly worn pads can cause the same symptoms as warped rotors. If you took the wheel off (which I doubt you did to do bars) maybe you put it back on backwards?
http://www.lyndallbrakes.com/service-tech/