Rear brake 2010 Road King
 

Hi all, new to these forums and to Harley.

I have a question about the rear brake on my new Road King (non-ABS)... I live on a steep hill, and my driveway is also steep and angled on top of that. Sometimes I need to stop on the driveway to wait for the garage door to open, the first time I did this on this bike, I had the front and rear brakes on at first, then let go of the front, while still holding the rear brake, which is what I did with my previous bike... however, as soon as I let go of the front brake, the bike started rolling back... I pressed the rear a little harder, but it was too late by then, it had rolled back, I lost what delicate balance I had on the steep incline and steep angle, the bike went over gently... no harm done - but it was a b!tch to lift up because of the steep angle - thank goodness for practicing the solo lift process - and my wife came out and helped also.

However, I'm wondering if the rear brake needs adjustment, or if the amount of pressure needed is normal? It feels like there's a good amount of travel before the rear brake really catches to be worth anything, and when it does, I really need to press down pretty hard to keep the bike from rolling back. Even in normal riding, the rear brake seems to have more play than "normal" before it actually becomes effective.

If it needs adjustment, is it easy, or something the dealer should do? I've never worked with brakes before, but if it's a simple adjustment I can make, I'm sure I can handle it.

The front brakes work great.

Thanks!

That bike is a bit heavy to hold with just your rear brake if you're on a real steep incline.

I have no trouble at all on steep grades with my dresser, rear brake holds just fine. Your rear pads may not be seated in yet but they should have no trouble holding your bike on a hill. Talk to your dealer, this is a safety issue that should be covered under warranty.