Rear brake on Street Bob - very poor

[GSite]

Hi All,
My new Street Bob has 250miles on it and the rear brake is truely shocking.
Thought it may bed in but is no better now than in the first few miles.
The dealer has given an "they all do that mate" response, saying it will bed in, but to be honest I have never had a rear brake on a Harley so poor. The feel is the ususl Harley, but even with a a fair bit of pressure the braking effect is no better. I would say that you could almost ride off with the brake applied, although I obviously have not done so. To me this is not right, so has anyone had similar experience with the softail when running in or is it that it just takes an unusually long distance to bed in ?

Just to remove the obvious, I have made sure the disc and pads are not contaminated and brake fluid level is good with no signs of leakage.

Feels like I am asking a daft question really, but any feedback welcome.
Cheers

 

[twizzle]

The rear brake on my 2021 LRS ( pretty much the same rear end) was fine - never felt it was lacking

 

[BigAlEly]

My 2019 SB was pretty vague on the rear, but definitely got better as it bedded in. Never felt bad for the ‘style’ of ride… enjoy the ride!

 

[adm1]

The 2018+ Softails seem to come from the factory with the rear brake pedal set very low. You can raise it up easily - check YouTube, but it's basically a case of removing a split ring and winding the rear master cylinder actuator out a bit. This raises the pedal and gives more leverage, which in turn makes the rear brake work OK.

 

[GSite]

Yes thanks, have seen this on youtube and will probably improve the braking effort, but I suspect may still be poor. Will give it a go and report back.

 

[theoneandonly]

i bet it didn't get cleaned before coming out of the crate...

 

[twizzle]

I was running forwards..

So maybe better leverage

 

[Malcvtr]

My 2020 Street Bob has a similarly shite rear brake. I've been advised that EBC HH sintered pads improve things to a satisfactory level. I haven't bothered because I find the front brake adequate and leave the rear as a kind of aesthetic ornament...

 

[GSite]

Thanks, will give it a few more miles to bed in then consider other pad options.