A question....
Is there a way to tell which front master cylinder is on my bike? A 2006 Softail Deluxe with a single disc front brake. Reading through literature, I see it's supposed to have a 9/16" master.

Here's the situation....
I think the wrong master might be installed on my bike from the way it acts. Perhaps the one designed for dual discs. The lever pull is almost non-existent. The brake is applied right at the top of the travel. Most other bikes apply the front brake at near mid point. The other thing is that it takes a lot of effort. I doubt I could lock up the front if my life depended on it....probably a good thing. An anti-lock brake of sorts!

The disc is nearly new and the pads are Lyndall Z-plus. Maybe 1500 miles since installation.

So, are there any external markings that would distinguish one master cylinder from another?

 

Subscribed

My 2014 Fatboy has very little movement too but I'm sure it used to have more.
I changed the grips but wasn't sure if that was when the feel changed, I can't see anything in there to go wrong??

 

^^ does your bike have obvious aftermarket parts or donor parts from a different HD? from what you are describing it sounds like your pads are not getting any "bite" and may be glazed over. typically I'd suggest the Gold+ pads up front or the EBC HH pads I run the EBC HH pads on my bike and they work fantastic hot or cold.

what you can do is pull the pads and take a look at the surfaces. if they even look the slightest bit glazed, hit them with some 180 grit sandpaper on a flat block to abrade the surface. also check rotors for any glazing. you can hit them as well with some 180 in a swirl pattern. try that and see if it helps-

 

oh and btw you will never be able to lock up the front brakes unless you hit some gravel or other slickness that causes the tire to break traction. there is just too much weight force on the front tire contact area with road. but you should be able to hunker down and stop quickly, with some variance in bite feel. I changed the levers on my Breakout which brought the lever in closer to my hand. you can get some Oberon adjustable levers which would assist with lever position if needed. it's not so much where the brake force is applied on the lever travel (higher or lower), as it is comfortable for your grip.

 

Have you bled the brakes, and/or changed the brake fluid? I'd give those two things a try first.

 

usually air in the line or old fluid will cause the opposite - spongy mush brakes. it is not abnormal to have full lever effort at top of lever range with new pads on new discs- but there should always be a clear feel of varied bite as force is applied. glazed pads / discs, or incorrect compound pads for a type of disc will feel like the lever hits a wall but the bike just does not want to stop. no bite. granted there could be a physical obstruction inside the caliper like crusty pistons or slots, but normally you'd only see that on really old weathered bikes.

 

Yes and yes. The brakes were fully serviced in January.

The lever feel is solid. I've just never had brakes start to apply as soon as the lever is pulled. It was like that when I bought it (used, a year ago January). The front brake has never been great. A full service with new disc, pads and caliper rebuild with all new fluid did not change the overall feel.

 

if you've checked it all out yourself and everything looks normal, no glazing etc, then I'd try a different brand of pads. nothing wrong with lyndal pads but not every pad is good with every rotor as a combination. fronts are easy enough to DIY with basic hand tools and a set like the EBC HH's are pretty inexpensive. $26 on amazon

 

Mike, Just for reference, I went out to my garage and checked my 2013 Deluxe. Holding a tape measure at the ball end of the lever I am able to squeeze it about 1 3/4 to 2 inches. It's been about the same since new (9500 miles ago. When applying the brakes while stopping they have a progressively stronger feel with increased lever travel.

Dan

 

Thanks Krustee. Pretty much where it should be. Mine is about 1/2 to 3/4".

That's why I think it has the larger diameter master on it. So, the question remains...Is there a way to tell which master it is from the outside?