hey, just bought my dream bike!! 93 dyna wide glide...anyways, i know nothing about it. I owned a vstar before this and well this is completely different and more complex. So you'll see a lot of basic questions from me, here is my first one:

-how do you tighten the rear brake? When i push down on the brake pedal it seems to loose and i would like it to be a little bit snugger when pressing down. Hopefully this is an easy one.

thanks

 

Hi and welcome!
You ask a fairly complex question because you give almost no info about the bike. Did it sit for a long time? Is the plunger in the rear cyl. worn. does that bike have any threads you can see on the rod that activates?
Pump the brake lever and see if the pressure comes up.
open the cover or look into the level glass to know if there's oil in there.
Are the pads worn
does the caliper actually work, if so it may be partly jammed, or rusted
Good luck buddy!

I know I have to press my lever on the '08 quite a ways before it engages.

 

Did you buy bike from dealer, or private party? If dealer - take back & have them check...

Also, to help learn your ride, might want to consider getting the service manual. This can show you the parts and mechanics of your bike's brake system.

 

....well there is nothing wrong with it really. I just want to adjust it so it is more snug when applying the brake, if it's even possible. I know on my V-star you could adjust the pressure of the brake.

 

Like was mentioned, there are several things that can cause soft brakes. The brake system is a very simple and basic setup and easy to maintain. The first thing is to check the fluid level and pad thickness if these are good, then try adjusting the rod to your liking.

Personally, if I had any question on whether or not the brakes were working correctly on a 22+ year-old motorcycle, I would just do a total rebuild. Relatively easy to do, parts are available and not all that expensive, and afterwards, I will know the system is good and working properly and not wondering if anything might be wrong.

Good luck and ride on

 

If you're just talking about pedal height (freeplay), I think that it's a threaded rod with a nut to adjust it. You may want to check out the EVO section as your bike falls into that category as well. Some very knowledgeable and helpful people hanging out there. Definitely get a genuine HD service manual.