Well guys got a question or 2,just bought a new to me 13 road king cop bike with abs and it doesnt seem right.Normal riding brakes are ok but the back doesnt seem right,front grabs real quick but the rear doesnt seem to be in the game.Have practiced a bit on it and evidently didnt hit them hard enough so when I did a recent panic (old lady) the rear made a loud bang twice,like it was trying but couldnt get the job done,also took a while to get stopped.Farther than I'm comfortable with.Been riding for a little over 40 yrs.and have gotten used to good brakes,fxr's and my 04 RK stopped better,so any hints about what's going on?Thanks

 

I'm not sure what to think here. If you were a new rider I'd tell you that most likely things sound normal. The front brakes have more than twice the friction area of the rear brakes and are responsible for close to 80% of your stopping force.

The rear brake doesn't generally grab very hard and can take a decent amount of pressure to feel like it's working. That said, it's very easy to lock up the rear during an emergency stop.

One of my only complaints about the Harley brakes is how clunky the abs modulation is compared to BMW and Honda. The rear brake in particular is clunky when the abs activates. What you described sounds somewhat normal.

I'd suggest doing some test runs. See if you can jam on the rear only from about 20 mph. You should feel the abs modulating and you shouldn't get any sliding on the rear wheel. If you have an area to use, you could do the same test on a grassy field. If the brake is grabbing when you mash on it and not locking up, it's probably working as designed.

Do you know if your bike has stock pads? The brakes on the 2009 and newer touring bikes are WAY ahead of the older bikes. You should be very satisfied with the brakes under normal circumstances.

 

I can't comment on the action of the abs system, but if the brake isn't gripping there could be a problem with the caliper, perhaps a sticking piston or two. The hydraulic system is more complex than without abs, so if you plan on maintaining your bike do get yourself the factory service manual!

 

just wondering, did you buy from a private owner or a dealer. if from a private person, did you have anything checked out before taking possession? If it was a dealer, take it back and have them check them. i don't like to mess around when it comes to brakes. you can always run it by a dealer or indy and have them take a look at it to be sure. kind of takes the guess work out of it that way. i have a 2013 and i've squealed the back in a panic stop. heck, i've chirped the front too but they modulate, they don't stay locked. the loud bang from the rear sounds interesting and nothing that i have heard.

 

All good thoughts guy's,but the dealer I bought it from is 140 miles from me.Raining again today wonder if the brakes can be tested on wet roads to see if they're right?Brake pads glazed maybe?I know cop's are brutal on rears,especially training maybe it's that simple.
Yeah Gr had to order one,dealer didnt have any in stock with the police part.

 

When you said it was a cop bike, it didn't occur to me that it was a used police bike. You very well may need new pads in the back as the repeated low speed maneuvers are very tough on the rear brakes. That said, everything else I said earlier is true. You can definitely test your ABS in the wet. Start off a bit slow, maybe 15 mph and try just the rear brakes first. Once you are comfortable, you should try the fronts and rear just so you know how they react.

 

If they installed a new rear brake Rotor and did not heat it up or clean it with mineral spirits it will not work correctly, this was the case for my 08 road king and a 12 street glide both bikes had under 1500 miles ,dealers should be doing this when they prep a new bike but its often not the case form me buying two used bikes with low mileage with the rear brakes not working as the should.