Rear has extra drag on it from the belt, Trans, etc.

 

That's only if it has been APPLIED, and only if the engine is not being used as a brake via engine braking. My rotor was hot even though I hadn't used the back brake for 21 miles!

Jim G

 

Just clean them & then report if it made a difference.

 

How do you clean them without disassembling them? Once I disassemble them, HD can deny warranty claiming it was my tampering with their brake that created the problem.

Also, my bike has only 3600 miles on it. How could the brake get dirty enough to create a problem in 3600 miles / 5 months?

Jim G

 

You guys have to remember that the rear brakes drag on the rotors. In other words the brake pads never really come off the rotor even when you're not applying the brakes. I believe this is done by design this way if you have to jam on your rear brakes the wheel doesn't lock up as easily and the bike doesn't jolt to too big of an abrupt stop allowing you to keep more balance. This will always cause them to be warm after you ride the bike even if you're not constantly using them. I've gotten burnt also when I pull up to a gas station and tried to put air in my rear tire.

Don't worry about your guarantee being ruined by you cleaning your caliper. As long as you put it back together correctly you will be fine. It is only 2 bolts that hold the caliper on to the bracket (at least on most bikes). And you don't even have to bleed the brakes.

Take the brake pads off the caliper (one or two more bolts) spray the area where the pistons are with some brake cleaner, put the brake pads back on and the caliper back on the bike and you're done.

If you want while the caliper is off the bike you can spray a shop towel with brake cleaner and wipe down the rotor too. That's it, you're done. Then test ride it again.

Don't get too caught up on thinking that the brakes could not be too dirty because you haven't ridden the bike too long. All it takes is a few miles of dirty, dusty roads and gunk easily gets compacted in the caliper.

Also remember that you only have 3500 miles on your bike which means that your brake pads have a lot of meat on them still which means that they are gonna be dragging on your rotor a lot more than after you wear them down a bit more by using them.

This is all normal.

 

 

So the rear brake being MUCH hotter than the front brake is normal? Why would the same arguments you present not apply to the front brake design? It would seem that it would be even MORE important to prevent front wheel lockup than rear wheel lockup, since a front wheel lockup is far more likely to result in a fall.

I still think this is a Harley design or manufacturing issue that HD does not want to have to address. I have never had this kind of rear rotor heat on other bikes I've owned, and there have been 39 other bikes I've owned!

Jim G

 

the rear rotor on every Harley I have ever owned has run hotter than the front its normal......find something else to worry about

 

My post wasn't in reference to the rotor in any way. It was in reference to the post from another member about his rear wheel not spinning freely like his front wheel (assuming this is while up on a jack). However, just because the rotor is too hot to touch after a ride, even when never using the brake, doesn't necessarily mean there is an issue. I am not saying there isn't an issue though either. I am definitely not smart enough to diagnose most problems over the internet, I just throw out my $.02 like the rest of us.

 

Normal does not equate to right.......right or wrong, there really is no reason for the rear rotar to run hotter then the front.