Hi Folks. I have an 05 RK Classic. I find that the front brakes have been, what I call pumping at very low speed. For example, when I'm drifting to an easy stop, say 15mph down. the brake starts to pump. It almost feels like an anti lock skip. At speeds above 15 it is smooth and predictable. I've put the dial indicator to both rotors and they are true. Taken the brake pads off and they are even. Both sides of the calipers are working too. The interesting thing is the wheel makes 2 or 3 revolution before it grabs. I mentioned it to the dealer when I had the 10K check done but there was back in December and they couldn't test ride it because there was snow on the ground. This years riding started in March and I don't feel like tying the bike up for a week at the dealer. Any thoughts?

 

Air in the line possibly?

 

That was my thought as well.

I had a car that acted like that and my Dad and I (mostly Dad) bled the lines and all was well.

 

You've probably got pad deposits on the rotor. It's very common on cages, I'm not familliar enough with bikes to be able to say if it's that common here. Probably happened after a very hot stop and hold on the brake. Some of the pad material transfers to the rotor - only an VERY small amount. The best way we use with race car brakes is to re-bed the pads.

Run the bike up to 60+ MPH and do a hard grab - very carefully, don't lock them up - back to about 15MPH. DO NOT come to a stop. Repeat this 6 or 7 times in short succesion. You are trying to get a lot of heat into the rotor and pad. After the repeated cycle drive for 10 to 15 minutes without hitting the front brake - until the rotor cools. This will even out the pad deposition on the rotor and you should be good to go. As can be read from the method you need a lot of space, this is not something to try on the freeway

EDIT VVVV

Much better write up from the BAER Brake website.

Brakes 202- How-to Guides
Pad Bedding for Street or Light Track Applications



Bedding brake pads has a couple of important effects. The friction material in semimetallic pads is held together by an organic binder, usually a type of phenolic material. As the pads get hot, the binder boils, and burns, from the top surface of the pad. Once this burning or “Bedding” takes place the friction material makes proper contact with the
rotor.

Some race/performance pads, like the Performance Friction’s line of pads, are designated as “pre-burnished” from the manufacturer. In our experience these pads still benefit from “bedding”. “Bedding” pads establishes a wear pattern between the pads and rotor. Some pads, like the Performance Friction pads, deposit a layer of carbon in the surface of the
rotor. They need that layer of carbon to perform at peak efficiency.

Most Baer Claw™ systems, which are equipped with PBR calipers, SS/DRAG, SPORT, TRACK, and TRACK+, come standard with metallic pads. However, PBR based ASEDAN systems, as well as PRO-RACE and PRO-RACE+ Systems with the Alcon calipers feature carbon metallic pads from Pagid, Performance Friction or Tekstar.

Bedding Metallic or Carbon/Metallic Pads - (NEVER DRAG the brakes)

Note: Never “Bed” pads on rotors, which have not first been “Seasoned.” Always allow a substantial coast down zone when bedding pads that will allow you to safely drive the car to a stop in the event of fade.

Perform four-repeated light to medium stops, from 65 to 10 mph, to bring the rotors to temperature.

Perform two heavy stops, back to back, at a point just pending wheel lock, from 65 mph to about 5 mph. Drive for five to ten minutes to create cooling airflow, without using the brakes if at all possible.

Perform three light stops in succession. Perform eight heavy stops, back to back, at a point just pending wheel lock, from 65 mph
to about 5 mph.

Drive for ten minutes to create cooling airflow, without using the brakes if at all possible.

Metallic brake pads need high temperatures to keep the pad “Bedded”. If you drive the car for a period of time without using the brakes extensively, you may need to “Bed” the pads again. This is not a problem. Simply repeat the procedure.

When switching from Performance Friction Carbon Metallic pads to semi-metallic brake pads (something we do not recommend), you will need to wear through the layer of carbon that the PFC pads have deposited in the rotor surface. The new pads won’t grip
well at all, until this layer of carbon is removed.

Racers should “Bed” a few sets of pads at a time. In the event you need to change brake pads during a race, you MUST use a set of “Bedded” pads. Racing on “non-bedded” pads leads to a type of “fade” caused by the binding agents coming out of the pad too quickly. This is called “green fade”. These binders may create a liquid (actually a gas) layer between y

 

As long as you have a solid feel to the lever, not soft, you fluid should be good if you only have 10 k on the bike. Sounds like a warped rotor. Put you bike on a stand, spin the front wheel and slowly depress the brake lever, if the wheel comes to a smooth consistant stop, your rotors are fine, but if it the pads grab and then release, then you have a warped rotor. I would a set of floating rotors from HD or Performance Machine.

http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/g...bmLocale=en_US