Hi guys
Stock 2012 model Heritage softail came with a 4 piston front and 2 piston rear.
With the power it gives, several times when I arrived at a hump I had little reaction time to brakes esp. at night.

I have decided to improve the braking power and I read on the forums that many changed the stock 4 piston front to a PM or similar often than the rear.
Why not the rear since most of the time we use the rear for braking?
Any one could tell me something about this?

Thanks!

 

The above is what is deficient, not your bike. Front brake provides most of the stopping power and in most situations should be used primarily with the rear being as an assist and for situations where front brake is in advisable.

Learn proper riding and braking technique .

 

These things have rear brakes?

Seriously like Prot said front brakes are by far the most effective, with the rear no more than an assist if needed.

 

Oh ok
because we were taught at the riding school to use more of the rear than the front as the driving force is more at the rear.

seriously I don’t know, so I just followed what the instructors said. Probably this is how they were being taught in Japan as well because we adopt it from there.

Back to the main question, 4 piston PM front brakes gives better braking power than the stock 4 piston? Thanks

 

I find it very interesting that your riding school taught you to use more rear brake than front. If that was the general recommendation, you would have a four piston caliper on the rear not the front. But, it is what it is.

Now, as far as the four piston PM front caliper providing better braking power than the OEM four piston caliper? The best I would say is not necessarily. There's more to braking power than just the caliper. The master cylinder, the brake lines (rubber versus braided SS), age of the brake fluid, type of brake pads and user pressure on the lever all factor in as well.

I would say that a six piston PM caliper would definitely provide better braking than the four piston OEM caliper.

 

If you attended a knowledgeable riding school, I suspect you misunderstood what they were teaching.... for street riding, the front brake provides your main stopping power... that's why there are routinely two calipers up front and only one in the rear... I can't imagine any school telling the students to use mostly their rear brakes (other than slow speed maneuvering)....I would check you notes/handouts from the school...

As to your question...

I believe changing a four piston caliper to another brand 4 piston caliper, with the same type pads, will give you similar performance... at least not a big enough difference to warrant the expense of switching the brand of caliper... Even if you changed out the entire system; master cylinder, lines, caliper, same diameter rotors, unless switching to a full race system to include exotic materials (carbon fibre rotors, etc), on the street, doubt you'd notice a difference between basic street systems.

Now, If you were switching from a two, to a four piston caliper... or a four, to a six piston caliper... then you should feel a difference...

 

It seems to me that the HD stock brakes can lock the wheel so they are powerful enough for routine street riding....I feel the aftermarket brakes do add for repeated hard stops an performance riding in twisties where you're using them hard an frequent.

the front brake is the primary stopping power...like 80%. It's basic physics...the weight shifts to the front giving it most of the grip. Go to a parking lot an practice stopping hard from 25-35 mph an get comfortable with it...applying both brakes just short of lock up will stop you quickly with stock brakes.

the only time the rear is my primary brake is when I'm maneuvering at slow speeds in parking lots an when on gravel or slippery surfaces.

 

Thanks. I would then consider a six piston for the front.

probably I would change the rear first. Yes I agree that most braking force is the front but I’m somehow too used using the rear more often.

I would probably change out the rear the rear for more braking power first then the front if need be.

 

Yeah I guess we do all have our own riding styles.
i take all these valuable advice here as part of a learning curve on how to ride a bike better.

Thanks to all for the inputs once again
cheers 😄

 

The number of pistons really has nothing to do with braking performance.
This myth kinda got started, because with the huge diameter brake disks on much heavier cars, it was a challenge to package the caliper within the wheel inside diameter.