Have you ever replaced the whole caliper?
That's what I'd probably try first.

 

If you're not mechanically inclined bring it to your dealer and have them check out the rear brake. But in my experience using the rear brake only at anything above walking speed is a recipe for disaster. Stomp on that brake by itself and you have a good chance at going down.

 

Sorry you went down. Most crashes (all) I've seen on the street have been from rear brakes...

Simple fix. Change your brake pads. Pad compound mean a great deal. Just call ECB, tell them your issue, they''ll tell you what to stick in there. (Of course, as long as you're sure the rest of the system is working correctly)

 

it's good to hear you walked away from this...don't let seeing an officer make you want to overeact...

 

Best post of the entire thread is by Gump, as usual.

I grew up in the days before all these rider safety courses. Like Gump, I usually only used the rear brake. Only in an emergency stop would I also use the front brake. Braking this way was never a factor in going down, which I only did twice while riding on the street.

Now I'm not saying that is the correct way to use your brakes. Apparently, many will disagree. I'm just saying that using your rear brake is not going to cause an accident. Other factors come into play.

 

Hey Guys,

I'm not a tech (or even a great mechanic) but,

has anyone thought that perhaps the piston is dirty and sticking?

Can you clean or replace the pistons like you can in a car?

Just a thought.....

 

I'm with you on this. Hard front brake in a turn, bye bye.

 

hard braking through a turn will usually put you down, no matter which brake you use. however feathering the front OR rear brake in a turn is perfectly fine. using the brakes to scrub speed is perfectly normal on the street. the only times you'll run into a problem trying to brake in a turn is if the bike is cranked all the way over (which sorry, a harley's maximum lean angle is NOT cranked all the way over) in combination with ham-fisted front or rear brake application. if you have to panic stop, or quickly scrub speed it is of course, best to first get the bike as straight as possible before braking. if you're just trying to slow down a few mph because you're over the speed limit, rolling off the throttle and letting the engine slow you down is the best way. it will always upset the bike the least in that type of situation.

 

Spike95, I mentioned earlier in this thread that I had the same problem with my rear brake locking up. Well, on my way into work this morning I realized it hasn't happened since I put a longer brake pedal on my bike. Changed the leverage and allows for a smoother brake action. A side benefit was it gave me more room on my boards.

 

Glad to hear you walked away. Just posting to agree with you. The back brake is way to sensitive. Never totally locked it up, but chirped the back tire a time or two in what I would consider less than a panic situation. Be carefull out there.