Rear Brakes...

my rear brakes get sticky after it rains. (after I get caught in the rain) i push the brake down, it requires extra effort, and when i release, it doesn't come back on its own, i have to pull it up with my boot...after a day of being dry, it returns to normal...

anybody else ever have this issue, or know what causes it?

 

On the '11? Perhaps you need some caliper piston or pin lubrication?

 

If you are talking about the pedal then yes it has happened to me after the bike gets wet from rain or washing. I kept trying to spray lubricant on it and it might help for a little bit.
It started doing it really bad recently so I finally took the forward control brake pedal off and saw there was not a drop of anti seize on it like there is supposed to be according to the service manual so I slathered some on at the pivot point and it works good as new now. I don't know if there was ever any on there or if the water washed it away eventually.

 

Pig.... You just gave me a 'coulda had a v8' moment. Never dawned on me to use anti-seize on that part.

 

a similar scenario occurred to me on my 06 FLSTNI...caliper pistons was the culprit...some rust inhibiting free movement...

 

I had no idea either until someone on here mentioned putting anti seize on the pivot shaft.
I said it was listed in the service manual to apply anti seize but I was wrong, I meant the forward control installation instructions said to do this. See here http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US...ts/-J03509.pdf

 

there seems to be a few variants of loctite anti seize...any particular flavor i should pick up? I will try this before I take it in. it is truly annoying that this would happen to a practically brand new bike...i understood that my 01 sporty would have issues, but not my new bike...

 

I just used whatever anti seize I could find at Advance Auto. I think this is what I bought
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...87_T%7CGRP2058_____#

Grease your shaft and you'll love it... hell do it to the bike too, it'll make the brake pedal feel nice and smooth.

 

That's what I got from Autozone.

 

I had a lot of problems with my forward control brake pedal sticking. Dealer 'fixed' it and it started doing it again shortly thereafter, mainly in warmer weather. I have an exhaust with no heat shields and figure its burning up any compound on the pivot.

When I took it apart the plastic bushing and pivot fit together so tight I think something either expanded or was made wrong at the factory. I used a dremel and sanding wheel to remove a good amount of material off the plastic bushing and applied this high temp grease from AutoZone on the pivot and bushing. No problems since.