Yesterday I put new front and rear brake pads on my FXST. I used some EBC Kevlar pads.

On the front, since it was easy, I took the whole caliper off and cleaned it and all. Problem I had was I started loosening the bridge bolts instead of the slider pins and didn't realize I was wrong until brake fluid poured out and air got sucked in - spent some time bleeding the front.

On the back, I decided to just pull the pads, spray in some brake cleaner and put the new ones on, to avoid pulling the wheel off, so all I took out was the slider pins and put them back in clean, with some grease.

It was raining, so I didn't test them until I was on the way to work this morning. The front feels OK and catches farther out than I am used to, which may be due to the new pad thickness.

The rear doesn't feel like it is catching all that well and I have to use more pressure on it than I'm used to, but it still stops me. really, they both seem a little slicker than the old Harley ones.

So what do you think - just new pads? Kevlar is slicker? What?

 

Did U clean the pistions.. U need to do that every time also.




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I sprayed the rear, after the pads were off, but I didn't take it off to clean them with a toothbrush, like I did the front, due to have to take off the rear wheel.

 

dropping the rear wheel really is a quick and easy job if you have a jack....

I couldn't ever seem to get my pads back on with the rear wheel on so I dropped it when I did my rear brakes...

I used the same EBC Kevlar pads on my Deuce and when the new pads were on the back I noticed no difference other then less travel in my pedal (which I assume is from more pad thickness)...but they stopped great fresh out of the package...

I also did the same thing as you when doing my front pads, I took apart the caliper instead of the Pad retaining bolts...and when I did I dropped both of my cross over o rings (i didn't notice at the time) which caused me to take it all back apart and re do and re bleed because when any pressure was built up it just oooozed fluid out of the caliper body....live and learn...I am now very intimate with the brake system on my Deuce....ROFL

 

This is very common and expected with a brake pad change.. The pads need to break in to the rotors, they will improve with some miles...