Very little give in the front brake lever now

[BamaDrifter64]

I took off my front wheel to have a new tire put on and I took the front brake resevoir cap off to squeeze the brake calipers in to put them back on.  Had to pump the lever a few times to get my brakes back, but now the lever is very hard to press.  Brakes work fine, just doesn't take but a touch to stop though.  Is that normal or can I do something to adjust that somehow?

Dave

[Thunderbolt]

I put the Kuryakyn chrome plated adjustable levers for an 1800 Gold Wing on mine.  You can adjust it closer on the Tourer and Standard.  On the Interstate you can't adjust because of the route of the throttle cables.

[Farther]

I put the Kuryakyn chrome plated adjustable levers for an 1800 Gold Wing on mine. 

  Did you have to modify them in any way?

[Jess from VA]

Here is an older link (w. pics) on the subject:

I now own the bike in the pics, and the adjustable levers are a nice upgrade, esp for one with small hands.  I think either Kuryakyn or Add On adjustable levers for 1800 will work, with the tab cut mod.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/valkyrie/messages?msg=13360.1

As far as the stiffness in the lever, I think it just means you got all the air out of the system.

[Ricky-D]

I took off my front wheel to have a new tire put on and I took the front brake resevoir cap off to squeeze the brake calipers in to put them back on.  Had to pump the lever a few times to get my brakes back, but now the lever is very hard to press.  Brakes work fine, just doesn't take but a touch to stop though.  Is that normal or can I do something to adjust that somehow?

Dave

I would say that if the effort (hand pressure) is equal to the stopping (braking) then you are good to go.

If however, you are using an extreme amount of hand pressure to achieve a low amount of braking, then you've a problem.

Disc brakes are self adjusting.  Nothing you can do.

***

[thewoodman]

Last spring I put new brake pads front and rear. I found the same hard front brake for about the first week until the pads seated themselves. It should return to near normal in a few hundred miles.