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My rear brake went away coming down my Mtn Range/twisty , I had lost it before but not this bad . It was cooked and it took about 6k's/4Miles before it came back. Ran down the range a little faster than usual lost it after the big fast overtaking lane instead of down near the bottom of the range.
So before I went to bed I thought I'd try what I use as a front brake fix for the rear .I tied a 14lb hammer to the brake pedal and let it hang off it after I pushed the brake down hard. The fix for the front is the same to zippy tie the brake lever in firm with the reservoir at the highest point and leave it over night to get the micro bubbles out and up to the reservoir. I did not think it would work as the rear has no real high point for the tiny air bubbles to go, but it did. The rear brake was the best it's ever been on my small ride in the morning.
The test will be the next run tonight . I haven't flushed the ABS and brakes yet and have no doubt that is why it faded hard out. Rang HD and am getting that done.
Try it or don't try it I'm just relating my story arc here.
Cheers.
I use minimal braking up or downhill on the twisties prefur to engine brake for safety alowes better control of the bike.
Don't play with your brakes get the ABS done and brake fluid flushed if that's the issue.
Always safety first...
I use minimal braking up or downhill on the twisties prefur to engine brake for safety alowes better control of the bike.
Don't play with your brakes get the ABS done and brake fluid flushed if that's the issue.
Always safety first...
SoCa I have to brake really hard man, if I didn't I'd be airborne then gone lol. I'm compression braking as but I still have to stand on the brakes man.
The bike is booked in on Monday it's going to be wet till then so yea I'm good.
SoCa I have to brake really hard man, if I didn't I'd be airborne then gone lol. I'm compression braking as but I still have to stand on the brakes man.
The bike is booked in on Monday it's going to be wet till then so yea I'm good.
Yeal I have stood on my brakes hard a few times ABS is great stops on a dime.
Yeal I have stood on my brakes hard a few times ABS is great stops on a dime.
Till they don't lol.
That's the one area I really like ABS, you're deep in a turn running way too hot, the corner is closing out and ya stand on the brakes and do a little swervy brake slide thing and you're all good. Being not rammed by the idiots behind you is a good thing too. ABS had been legislated since the dawn of the Twin Cam here.
Mate I genuinely believe it's past it's ABS brake flush time and the brake fluid got all hygroscopic on me and the rear brake went away.
Cheers.
Think about this. The piston that you push is in a cylinder that creates creates pressure. However, when it is not pushing, the position it is in opens it by being back of a small hole that is under the column of brake fluid in the master.
So just pushing on it won't let air come out in that direction since then its forward of the hole. When you get brake fluid too hot it expands. That is the mushy soft filling you fill. I THINK. Your brake fluid is 3 or 4 with ABS and it absorbs water. That will boil making it even worst.
I think it cooled down and fixed itself. Brake fluid does not compress unless overheated which expands it. It does take a lot to create that heat if you really abuse it and don't give it time to cool down between uses. Once too hot, the pads are still up against the rotors not even backing off when you are off the pedal or lever. So its throttle on and braking at the same time.
I was with a friend on an old FX kick start AMF. We pulled in a gas station at the bottom of a hill in Snowshoe, WV. I had used gears for decent. He didn't. And we weren't pushing anything. His brakes were smoking hot and rear locked up tight when he got down to about 5 mph as he approached the pumps. It let loose after awhile.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Mar 5, 2021 at 01:34 AM.
Think about this. The piston that you push is in a cylinder that creates creates pressure. However, when it is not pushing, the position it is in opens it by being back of a small hole that is under the column of brake fluid in the master.
So just pushing on it won't let air come out in that direction since then its forward of the hole. When you get brake fluid too hot it expands. That is the mushy soft filling you fill. I THINK. Your brake fluid is 3 or 4 with ABS and it absorbs water. That will boil making it even worst.
I think it cooled down and fixed itself. Brake fluid does not compress unless overheated which expands it. It does take a lot to create that heat if you really abuse it and don't give it time to cool down between uses. Once too hot, the pads are still up against the rotors not even backing off when you are off the pedal or lever. So its throttle on and braking at the same time.
I was with a friend on an old FX kick start AMF. We pulled in a gas station at the bottom of a hill in Snowshoe, WV. I had used gears for decent. He didn't. And we weren't pushing anything. His brakes were smoking hot and rear locked up tight when he got down to about 5 mph as he approached the pumps. It let loose after awhile.
This sounds like what likely happened.
Goober, do get the brakes flushed and try that down hill run again, but maybe you have reached the limit of what your rear brake is capable of. Harley seems to be built for the highway, doing twistys is testing the limits of the brakes, but riding the brakes on a long down hill may have crashed the system.
I haven't looked into it but I'd see about a Brembo conversion for the rear brakes on your bike.
OMike you guys are telling me back exactly what I told you guys right . I know why I ran out of rear brake and am getting it fixed at the shop Monday. I might make a cowl to duct cooler air to the rotor and caliper though for some insurance in future. I don't ride the brakes at all, I just use them really hard setting up corners as we're always going at a fairly good pace.
The take away is hanging a 14lb sledge hammer from the brake lever overnight made the rear brake the best it has ever been at least for the small ride to the shops earlier today. Remember I rode it home after the brake cooled down and it was working as intended, cause yea I didn't touch it for about 6K's/4 miles at about 80K's/50MH on a coolish night.
I was going to go for a spin up the range to see if that lasted but it's Fking raining again.
It's night here now so I'm going to hang the heavy hammer off it again o'night.
Reading the rubber you can see, there's not much side wall left. This is why I run 36lbs as opposed to low 30's.
I tried 37lbs last night and I think it was better through the corners
OMike you guys are telling me back exactly what I told you guys right . I know why I ran out of rear brake and am getting it fixed at the shop Monday. I might make a cowl to duct cooler air to the rotor and caliper though for some insurance in future. I don't ride the brakes at all, I just use them really hard setting up corners as we're always going at a fairly good pace.
The take away is hanging a 14lb sledge hammer from the brake lever overnight made the rear brake the best it has ever been at least for the small ride to the shops earlier today. Remember I rode it home after the brake cooled down and it was working as intended, cause yea I didn't touch it for about 6K's/4 miles at about 80K's/50MH on a coolish night.
I was going to go for a spin up the range to see if that lasted but it's Fking raining again.
It's night here now so I'm going to hang the heavy hammer off it again o'night.
Reading the rubber you can see, there's not much side wall left. This is why I run 36lbs as opposed to low 30's.
I tried 37lbs last night and I think it was better through the corners
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Rear brake fix maybe
