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Lots of lookers with no recommendations. This is the touring sub forum. Not many may have an answer for you here. I might suggest you re post this in the sportster and or wheel and brakes sub forums.
That said, My first suggestion is to lift the front wheel and spin it to check for continued drag on the wheel. Also pull the brake lever and release, and spin the wheel once again to see if their is increased drag. If so I believe a front caliper rebuild is in order. If no excess drag is confirmed, you might have been victim of some type of slick substance on the road where you were braking, thus causing your afore mentioned delima. I almost went down the other day while braking on what looked like a swath of spilt diesel fuel.
Best of luck figuring this one out
Does your bike have ABS, if so I had the same issue with my 2011 street glide. The ABS system failed, part of the recent ABS recall. The front brake locked up but the rear brake was fine.
Kinda hard for a brake to apply additional force on its own and self-lock a wheel. So, I'd say you probably did it. And before you get all defensive, I rather suspect the comment above about something being on the roadway surface is probably true. Unless you did a panic braking because of events you didn't mention.
If you've got ABS on that bike (don't know) it didn't work and needs to be fixed.
It's also not impossible for brakes to fail in interesting ways, some of which can occasionally result in lockup. Pad material tearing off the backing plate, glazing of pads and rotor from chronic dragging of brakes, fractured brake rotor, loose/missing caliper bolts or pins, etc.
I think turbo turtle has a pretty good idea. some kind of substance on the road that you didn't account for.
either way, a brake service is probably in order. it's been 12 years, at least a good cleaning is due....
Flushed the brake system on my wife's 06 Sportster last year. DOT5 "looked" fine, not black or anything, but it was due. Just bought everything I need to change her fork oil.
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