Messages by Rocco

I just wanted to share this driving experience and hope this never happens to anyone. I was out one day riding my bike on an open country road when I saw a red light up ahead. I quickly down shifted and applied moderate brake pressure. I eventually slowed down to about 10 mph and noticed the rear brake pedal suddenly slammed to the floor. I got nervous so I pulled off the side of the road to see if I blew the brake line. It looked fine, with no leaks. I then began to think there is a problem with the master cylinder. I took the cap off to look at the fluid level, but it was perfectly fine. I continued on riding my bike, but I drove slowly because of my fear of having a problem with the brakes again. When I got home I looked more closely at the brakes and it turns out the friction material on one side of the pads actually sheared away from the backing, which is what caused the problem. My advice for everyone is to check your brakes regularly and always pull the pads to check for any deterioration. I would hate for anyone to go through what I did.

I have a problem with a 2004 Road King custom. The bike is excellent to ride, but there is a small problem with the saddlebags. Of the Harley’s I think these saddlebags are the smallest I’ve ever seen. In fact, Harley Davidson placed a big clunky latch on the lip of the bags, which makes the bags even less useable cause the latch is always in the way when you try to pack or unpack stuff. So as a result, I am considering buying some new saddlebags or possibly removing the latches from inside the bags to get more room. Has anyone ever done this before? Can anyone recommend a better solution to this problem?

I have a Harley and I want to get rid of the rust located on the chrome. Someone told me to use Coca-Cola. I tried it but it didn’t work. Maybe I should have mixed it with something or let it soak for a few minutes in the solution before removing it. Has anyone ever tried getting rid of rust on the chrome of his or her motorcycle? What did you use to get rid of it? I don’t want to spend a lot of money, so hopefully there is a cheap product on the market that can remove rust easily and fast.

With proper maintenance, a modern v-twin Harley-Davidson motorcycle should last at least 100K miles.  However, if you are interested in longevity, check out the BMW. I have seen several BMW motorcycles with mileage way over 250K miles.  Now that's a strong engine.  Wouldn't you agree?

I was wondering if the 1000cc sporty motor was any good.  I've heard from others that its terrible, but I wanted to see if others agree.

I heard there was a lawsuit against Harely-Davidson because of a problem with its engines.  Has anyone heard this?  Is it true?

I'm interested in obtaining information on the Harley-Davidson engine timeline, such as the year the engines were in productivity.  I think the flathead started in 1929.  Is that correct?

I just heard that all V-Rods and Night Rod Specials will get the Screamin’ Eagle 1250cc version of the Revolution engine in 2008.  Power will also be increased from 110bhp to 123bhp.

Currently I have an Electra Drive Ultra Classic. When I sit on the bike, I am not happy with the position of my feet. I want to lower the seat so I am able to bend my knees, which will allow me to back the bike up efficiently. Right now I can place my feet all the way to the ground with a flat foot, but I still want more leverage. To solve this problem I am thinking of installing lower shocks in the rear. Is there a downside to lowering the rear shocks only? Will this cause the footboards to drag? Should I consider lowering the front too for better handling? Any other suggestion?

As well as gaining optional ABS the bikes will have Harley’s first fly-by-wire throttle system. Along with this, all the motorcycles in the touring category get a bigger fuel tank.