Firming up the brake lever on 03 Fatboy???

08FatBob

I'm posting this on behalf of my old man who rides an 03 Fat Boy. I noticed when we swapped bikes the other day that I can just about pull the front brake lever clear to the grip. He also noticed that my brake lever was much firmer than his. I looked through his service manual but couldn't find anything there on a possible cause and solution. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Thunderstruck

WHOA! I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but what's the fluid level showing?

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Davidw2415

I not an expert, but I would suggest checking the brake pads for wear and replacing if neccesary. And if they need replacing or not I would check all the lines and components for a possible leak and then try bleeding the brakes to make sure there is no air in the lines. I'm sure if I am off base Glider or Hobbit will be along soon to give you the correct info. Good luck, ride safe.

smitty901

If fluid is full it may need bleeding and a good check for leaks would be firat course of action

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Bluesssman

Check fluid level, but also check the brake pads, could be the reason the fluid is low. How many miles on the bike and when was the last brake service?

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08FatBob

You guys are great for all the quick responses, thanks so much. The fluid level is per the service manual, 1/8" from the top. Brake wear is about 50% remaining, and my dad keeps that thing looking like it did the day he bought it, so no leaks, we would have seen any. Also, I thought of bleeding, and we tried that today but to no avail. Still soft, and to catch the last question I think, brakes have never been serviced, he's only got about 8500 miles on it. Keep the ideas coming please.

Davidw2415

Hey Blues, I'm not trying to hijack the thread, but If My wife and I made a weekend trip to Lake Tahoe toward the end of May what kind of weather could we expect?

smitty901

Try this also bleeding can be tricky some times
Brake Bleeding Tips - Harley Davidson Community

If that does not work try a few of the other ideas in self help good luck

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glider

Brake pad wear usually will not effect the feel of the handle. The brake fluid in the system replaces the missing linings in the caliper as they move outward. It sounds as if you have air in the system or a defective master cylinder. In 03 they used dot 5 which was a problem back then due to the fact that it compresses more than the other dot fluids. That's one reason why they stopped using it in the ABS bikes. If you have bled the brakes and possibly replaced the brake fluid through bleeding the system repeatedly, I would remove the brake caliper and position it so the bleeder is exactly at the 12 o'clock position and upright, put a shim between the pads about the thickness of the rotor and bleed the caliper then. Quite often there is air trapped that normal bleeding just will not remove from the caliper. Also DO NOT mix the brake fluids. If you are running the DOT 5, stay with that then, they do not mix.

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Derekj

Another thing to try is to remove the master cylinder resevoir cap and VERY gently squeeze the lever while looking into the resevoir and you might see the tiniest of bubbles. If you see them continue squeezing the lever and gently tap the brake line to work out all the air in the system as air will always travel up.