That capaign is only to quiet the rtotors, not make them NOT warp or fix a warped rotor. HD seems to do this often, warp rotors I mean. Not sure why, but I have read a lot of threads complaining of warped rotors up front. Get some full floating rotors and you shouldn;t have that happen again.

 

I contacted Dave at Cycle World, Athens, GA (H-D Dealer) concerning this. It is not intended to cure "squeeling" brakes but for the swish swish sound you hear at very low speeds. I ride a 2000 FLHTP-I and based on the "campaign" at H-D that is what they advised. I did the work, takes a T-40 torx to take the rotor off of the wheel (note that the rotors are stamped LEFT and RIGHT. Fixed my problem and I have about 6K miles on it since I swapped the rotors. Dave (in service) can be reached at 706-548-3300 and he is always good about taking as much time as you need to discuss your situation. He also tells me that if you bike is under any extended or dealer warranty, it is covered, and that it just does not apply to the FL models. It is ANY duel disk from 2000-2007. Good luck and happy motoring.

 

I recently had new tires installed (2002 Road King Classic) and immediately after that, the front brake lever had a lot more play, sometimes to the throttle. I also had resistance walking the bike into and backing out of the garage. Tire installer rode the bike and reported nothing they did could have caused brake problems, recommended i have Master cylinder replaced?

Then i took it in for 20k service at Harley dealer and they found warped rotors. Both front rotors warped in a uniformpattern, slightly concave from outside to inside.

They said the tire change could have put pressure on rotors during removal or balancing?

Anyway, I have new rotors now, for $300 and the brake lever seems normal, but i still get some resistance rolling the bike in and out of garage. Is this just something that will take some time for brake pads to seat, or is there some other problem causing uneven rotor pressure?

 

First make sure the master cylinder is filled to the correct level. Here's a Piston Cleaning Procedure that should help.

 

I had the same problem with my 07 Ultra.
I brought it to the dealer twice to have them checked out and was told that replacement is only warranted if the rotors were warped more than 8 thousands.
It was still annoying though.
I eventually swapped them out for floating rotors and problem solved.

Charlie

 

Put the front end on a lift and spin the wheel. If the wheel does not spin a couple revs with moderate force, you may have a dirty caliper piston.

I did, and it took several cleanings to free it up the caliper. It was not the rotor.

Prior to the cleaning the wheel barely spun 1/4 turn with a "good" shove.

 

Glazing occurs on most all rotors. When the dealer takes them out of the package they just slap them on rather than hitting them with a wire brush or even wiping them off with a rag (dealer mentality - parts changer). Whenever rotors are changed take a few moments to rough up both rotor faces and it would not hurt to also inspect your pads for shiny spots as they glaze too. Some drag is expected as to the close proximity of the pad with the rotor, but not excessive. You should be able to get a full 360 degree spin plus with moderate pressure before resistance overtakes and stops the spin when the wheel is elevated.

As for the warping, remember that Harley buys from the lowest bidder. There are some cheap after market rotors and there are some expensive ones that are not any better than the after market ones. I like the Russell brand for the price but I also prepare the surface prior to installation with a piece of course sand paper. Floating rotors are usually the all around cure for this, but make sure that you match your pad with the rotor. There are several finishes of the rotor; machine finish, polished, drilled, plain. Make your choice wisely.

In the older days (of the '83 shovelhead and single cylinder calipers) we would cut an X across the brake pad to help absorb the brake dust which contributed to the "chirp" sound when applying the brakes.

As for the soft brake lever, try to "pump" them up and see if it holds. If not, your bleed screw may be a little loose or you have developed something similar to a vapor lock in your brake line. An easy check is to bleed the brake lines of all of the air that may be trapped in the lines. It is quick and easy and your only expense is the fluid.

The level of fluid in the lines is in direct proportion to the wear on your brake pads for those that don't really understand how a brake system works.

In my opinion, everyone that owns a Harley should invest in the H-D repair manual and the associated parts book. It makes for good toilet reading and will give you a world of knowledge about your bike. You will never know when a relay may go out, a headlight burn out, even save yourself a few bucks by pulling your own wheels off and have a pro mount and balance new tires. The full brake system is explained in the manuals as well. Sure they are over priced. It goes to the Harley motto of "H-D" (Hundred Dollars).

Good luck and happy motoring.

 

I warp the front rotors on my 02 Road King every 18000-20000 miles. It's a heavy bike, and those rotors are pretty thin. They're going to get hot. Brake rotors are a normal wear item. I switched to the HD floating rotors, thinking this might help with heat and therefore not warp as quickly, but pretty much the same result. Maybe more expensive floaters might do better, but they are still brake parts, and are still going to wear out. The HD floaters were around a buck-thirty each [compared to about a buck for the standard rotors]. I wouldn't be spending more on something that you have to throw away when it wears out [which it is going to do]. So you're going to have to replace them periodically. I was irritated mine warped so quickly, so I measured the thickness, and found they were right at the minimum anyway.

 

Ahh yes, but with some full floating rotors you can just swap the friction ring when they get thin(they should never warp on full floaters ) So the cost will even out

 

I have the fix for the warped rotors. The Lyndall carbon kavlar rotors. I have 3 rotors off my 07 Street Glide. I have 5 sets of new pads to go with. The friction ring is life time guaranted if you use their pads. Look in the spam sec.
Mike