There are numerous threads all over the forum on this issue and I wasn't sure where to put my own account so I decided to start a new one for anyone who has or will have this issue in the future. Here's my story.
Just before the memorial day weekend, I completed putting 16" apes on my 02 RoadKing. For anyone whose done this themselves, it's a lot of work since you have to tear half the bike down to replace the cables, so I was glad it wasjust about done. I took the bike out for a shake down ride and was estaticoverthe look and feel of the apes. I was tweakin at the thought of having the bike ready for the long weekend. Just one more thing to do before it was ready, finish bleeding the front brakes because they were very soft. I bled the brakes the way I've always done (pumping, bleeding, pumping, bleeding)for hours, trying and re-trying but could never get a firm lever. Most people I talked to or articles I read, said I had air bubbles somewhere in the line so I read every post on the forum and tried most of the suggestions, reverse bleeding, turn the bars to the left and tie the lever back over night, etc, all with no results. Then I saw a post about cleaning the caliper pistons. Made sense and I was willing to try anything since the local shops were no help at all, and by this time, memorial day weekendhad come and gone. So, I took each caliper off the bike one at a time, removedthe pads to have full access to the pistons, and used a 3/4 inch block of wood to hold in one set of pistons while I cleaned the other set by spraying brake fluid and drying with compressed air. I did this a few times with each pair of pistons, even working on individual pistons which I thought needed some extra attention,until I was satisfied they were squeaky clean.After the first caliper wasdone and put back on the bike, I knew I was on to something because there was already a big difference in lever firmness. I did the same procedure to the other caliper, and my brakes are back the way they're supposed to be.

Unfortunately, I do believe this procedure will have to be routine maintenance (whenever the leverbecomes soft again) because Harley, in their infinite wisdom, decided at some point after 1990 (my softtail never had this problem) to stop using a piston boot on each piston which prevents it from getting dirty in the first place.

Anyway, it was brutally frustrating but I learned a lot and am ready to finally enjoy THEM APES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Nice write-up.....to bad you didnt click a few pic's, but it gets the point across. I aint 100% sure, but I think that the factory service manual for my 03' Softail does call for the cleaning of the pistons either as part of a pad replacement or as a general maintenance item.
Since you now know that it is a problem area, you just may be able to avoid the extensive cleaning by blowing out the brake dust a few times a week, and shooting the exposed part of the piston with some brake cleaner and and then more air......who knows it may just do the trick......either that or a pad set that produces less dust to begin with.....????

 

yeah, pictures would havebeen nice but werethe last thing on my mind at 11 pm last night! stilll, it's pretty basic stuff.
I don't think my manual sez anything about cleaning the pistons as regular maintenancebutI might have missed it. just never had this happen before or heard of dirty pistons causing brake fade so I was at a loss as to what I was doing wrong.
Better brake pads are a good idea, and I'll be doing those soon since I had such a good look at them last night, so is the routineuse of cleaner and compressor. the main thing is I know where to look in the future.

 

Thanks for the post.