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Greetings from the left coast, USA

Try checking for drag and pad to rotor gap after you have ridden for an hour to see if fluid temp plays a roll in not releasing pressure.
Residual pressure is minimal to keep the pads at minimal rotor contact to ensure good pedal height / minimal pedal travel.
 
If the issue is a "day one" issue, the bike should have (maybe it was) returned to the dealer as a warranty issue. Don't know if the issue would have been repaired but at least on record.

There is a bleed port at the bottom of the M/C that couid be partailly clogged and could have come that way from the factory; somehow some crap got into the system. Find that port, run a wire through it, add fluid, bleed and see if things improve.
 
I appreciate the response. the < .0015" gap between the pad and rotor is when everything is stone cold. I don't have a small enough feeler gauge but the gap is in microns. I'm guessing this doesn't improve when it's hot. The residual pressure is most certainly NOT minimal. I can't budge the pads by hand so the pistons are providing beaucoup pressure on the pad days after the last time the brake was engaged. Oddly, the rear brake on this bike is not very good. Mostly due to the design of the brake pedal lever there is no way you can apply enough leverage to lock up the rear wheel. Not that I especially want to but this is the reason I am putting a lot of attention into understanding how this particular brake system works. It would be nice to have confidence that I could completely lock up the rear wheel if I wanted to. The drag is causing the pads to wear out prematurely and is probably glazing the pads some but I've been riding this bike with this condition for 13 years so .... funds are tight in my old age and I need to pick up a couple of tools but my next step is to flush the brake fluid as it's never been changed. Also want to verify that fluid goes back into the master cylinder when the pedal is released. I've read that there is a tiny relief hole in the master that can get clogged and cause this issue.
 
dolt said:
If the issue is a "day one" issue, the bike should have (maybe it was) returned to the dealer as a warranty issue. Don't know if the issue would have been repaired but at least on record.

There is a bleed port at the bottom of the M/C that couid be partailly clogged and could have come that way from the factory; somehow some crap got into the system. Find that port, run a wire through it, add fluid, bleed and see if things improve.
Click to expand...
I don't want to come off as combative but I have zero respect for dealerships. I bought the bike new from an out of area dealership. I brought the bike in to my local dealership (they are creeps) for rear brake problems several times when it was new and the dealership completely blew me off, which is not an uncommon experience for me. Claimed it was "normal wear" and me braking incorrectly. Yes, it's all on the record and documented, like anyone at the MoCo cares about that. These people are experts and not being able to find anything wrong while the bike is on warranty. I do my own work because besides being very expensive, the dealership here is completely untrustworthy. That is to say that they are greedy, incompetent scum.

Your suggestion is what I was thinking as well. The manual says to NOT use anything but compressed air to clear that port. I guess I'll find out when I pull it apart but I'm assuming/hoping that I will see the master fluid level rise when I release the pedal and if it doesn't I have my smoking gun.. or at the very least a solid clue on what's wrong.

Is there a sure-fire way to release all of the hydraulic pressure from the pistons (short of draining the system) to see if that allows the pistons to retract more?
 
I share your postion regarding respect for dealerships.

I know two members of another forum that have had this issue anc both found the port clogged and cleared it wth a wire to no ill effect.;)

I am not an "expert" on the HD braking system, so bear that in mind. IIRC, 2010 models were equipped with ABS brakes? I am pretty sure that the only way to release all hydraulic pressure would be to completely drain the system. None of my bikes have ABS brakes so I don't know if the process of re-establishng the ABS system after a complet fluid drain is any different than with non-ABS. Doing a complete drain and replacing fluid with new would not be a bad idea though.

I know you have been ridng with this condtion for many years but I also know that dragging rear brakes can lead to over heating and possible lock up; bad juju.:eek:

EDIT: Keep the forum posted on resolving the issue; we will all benefit from your experience.
 
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I appreciate your supportive comments. I totally LOVE Harley Davidson motorcycles. I bought my first one in 1962 for cheap as the guy wrecked it and REALLY wanted to get rid of it. I was 15 at the time. Once you rip off all the crappy Harley parts (this meant the carb and installing a magneto back in the day) Harleys become a fun and reasonably reliable bike. No matter how bad things in life get, a putt on my scooter can generally make me smile. It's a shame that most of the old school dealerships are now gone. These McDealerships are the scum of the earth and know zip about the Biker culture and lifestyle. Mostly what I see there these days are posers and wannabes. It's rare to see a company working so hard to drive themselves out of business. I travel a lot and I know there are some really great dealerships out there. Sadly, none are anywhere near me.

I do not have ABS. I bought my 2014 Road King because it was the last year to not have ABS. I HATE ABS..... I'll do the thinking, thanks. The 2010 FXSTC is a kind of Mickey Mouse setup. One pad guide pin. I HATE the pedal lever and tiny brake lever pad. Pretty much impossible to put on floorboards and a decent brake lever/pad... can be done but not cheaply. It's fine if you are just bar hopping but the configuration gets annoying on a several hundred mile ride.

A fluid flush is next up and I had already planned on giving the vent hole or whatever it is a good look-see. Mostly just accumulating info on what to look for before I open it up. The service manual is as clear as mud as far as this tiny port hole is concerned. Like, if I open the bleeder, drain the system and blast air into the hole will it completely blow out the entire path? I've seen metrics that have a one-way flapper system covering that hole that can get gunked up. My instinct says this is a master cylinder issue but I want to thoughtfully troubleshoot and isolate this issue and not just shotgun parts into it. A complete rear brake rebuild will undoubtably fix this and I'm sure I would learn a lot doing it. But my focus is on intelligently isolating the problem to the exact cause and cleaning/replacing *ONE* failing part. As I said in my intro, this is as much about learning as it is about fixing any particular problem.

I hear you about the dangers of brakes dragging. I don't want to warp the rotor, among other things. But the fact is, I am a very light brake user. I brake with my gears and by planning my stops way ahead. When that dealership blockhead claimed I was braking incorrectly I immediately knew I was dealing with an idiot. The fact is, in 99% of the cases, the only time I touch the rear brake is the final 5 MPH to zero complete stop and then usually hold with the front brake.
 
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