Parking Brake Handle

[lboos]

New to the TG,.... I found out today while moving my TG around in the garage that the parking brake handle has to be 100% up, you have to pull it full up or the brakes will drag [it is not spring loaded], when I was having trouble trying to move the bike I pulled up on the brake and it moved aprox. 3/4 of an in [I thought it was full up], and it rollled very easy, I guess I'm just use to vech's. with sim. hand brakes, that once you get the handle over center the brakes norm. are off, not true with the T/G.
I see now why a lot of folks say not to use the parking brake, unless you have to. :Shrug:.

 

[trikermutha]

New to the TG,.... I found out today while moving my TG around in the garage that the parking brake handle has to be 100% up, you have to pull it full up or the brakes will drag [it is not spring loaded], when I was having trouble trying to move the bike I pulled up on the brake and it moved aprox. 3/4 of an in [I thought it was full up], and it rollled very easy, I guess I'm just use to vech's. with sim. hand brakes, that once you get the handle over center the brakes norm. are off, not true with the T/G.
I see now why a lot of folks say not to use the parking brake, unless you have to. :Shrug:.

well you will read from most of us here that once you drive it for awhile the parking brake is useless. and has to be readjust constantly. SOme leave the trike in gear while parked or use a band to hold the front brake handle.

 

[bullet 10]

I use and keep mine adjusted as manual specifies. Never had any trouble sticking on, just don't forget and try to take off with it on. Some members on here take theirs off thinking the rear pads will last longer, but I don't see any difference. Ride safe and enjoy.

 

[Phu Cat]

FWIW Mutha, I've been meaning to take my parking brake off for some time as I've read on here too many times about riders going thru rear brakes pads in around 14,000 miles. I just leave the bike in first gear.

PC

 

[trikermutha]

Heck mine were changed at 4k miles and the rotors had grooves in them..Still thinking about changing to lyndall brakes and rotors.

Yea that parking brake works great until you use the rears brakes then the park brake needs readjusting..maybe they will come out with a solution to this topic..

 

[screwball]

We haven't had any problems with the 09 or 11. I did take off a couple times with the break on, but that isn't a design problem, that was ME. We live on a nasty hill and have a steep driveway so we use it. I did remove the set screw and replaced it with a thumb screw, now they can be adjusted without a tool. Don't really have to do that very often.

There are over 500 people logged into the Harley section now, I've only seen a handful of people have much of a problem with the parking break.

 

[trikermutha]

New to the TG,.... I found out today while moving my TG around in the garage that the parking brake handle has to be 100% up, you have to pull it full up or the brakes will drag [it is not spring loaded], when I was having trouble trying to move the bike I pulled up on the brake and it moved aprox. 3/4 of an in [I thought it was full up], and it rollled very easy, I guess I'm just use to vech's. with sim. hand brakes, that once you get the handle over center the brakes norm. are off, not true with the T/G.
I see now why a lot of folks say not to use the parking brake, unless you have to. :Shrug:.

sounds like like the spring tension maybe not set correctly in your case.

There are two things to adjust the spring tension for the arm and the caliper pad adjustment for the parking brake. The spring tension should be set at around 50 pounds of force .

 

[sportytrike]

I forgot to release mine more times thanI care to admit. I finally just removed it and haven't missed it at all. I did have the same issue as you when it was on the trike. I had to set it and give it an extra pull for it to be effective.

 

[KindaOldTriker]

I rarely use mine, but kept it just in case for hills, etc. Too me personally it was a real PIA to try to lean over to put it on/off after I hurt my shoulder bad in a fall. BUT, wifes Sportster trike and my TG are now using the strips of hook n' loop on brake handles.

 

[trikerider55]

Am I mssing soemthing here?
my parking brake never really worked good after the break in period of my trike. Is there a reason for not just putting it in 1st gear like i always did with my ultra and forget the parking brake?

 

[trikermutha]

Am I mssing soemthing here?
my parking brake never really worked good after the break in period of my trike. Is there a reason for not just putting it in 1st gear like i always did with my ultra and forget the parking brake?

No your not missing anything..Some of us leave in 1st gear and or use a device to hold the front brake lever.

 

[lboos]

Am I mssing soemthing here?
my parking brake never really worked good after the break in period of my trike. Is there a reason for not just putting it in 1st gear like i always did with my ultra and forget the parking brake?

I think the parking brake would be great on a trike, if it worked like one should, it kinda reminds me of the reverse starter moter add-on instead of a reverse gear:Shrug:...other motorcycle makers made it happen.

Since my problem with my parking brake dragging, I am a little reluctant to use it, I like Trikermutha's idea,[ using a device to hold the front brake.]

although some here have no trouble at all with their P/B.
Maybe it's just because I'm new to the Harley trike, but I'll get use to it I hope, I'm still learning, But still having fun, except for today as it is 27 degrees and snowing here in north GA.:gah:

 

[Trent]

We have sure had a lotta discussions on here about TG parking brakes. One of the first things I did was remove mine as soon as I figured out it did not perform any function that I needed. Unless you live on a nasty hill like Screwball, it is useless.

To experiment, I parked my TG on a very steep driveway,,, and I mean steep.... put it in 1st gear, and tried to get it to roll without the brake engaged. It would not budge. Backward or forward. It was always rattling and in mho, looks terrible sitting down there. Whenever I am at the dealership and see guys looking at the TG's, a lot of them look at that brake and shake their heads, then comment how ugly it is and looks like an umbrella. {meaning no disrespect to those of you who like it or need it,,just repeating what I hear and see.}

Even my favorite tech smiled when I asked him to take that worthless thing off of there and said he wondered when I was going to figure that out. He is not allowed to say anything officially about removing it.

Only if the customer asks.

Myself, I had no concerns about excessive brake wear at first because I backed it off so far it was making no contact, as far as I could tell.

If you choose to leave it on, that is your choice of course. But if you choose to remove it, you will not miss it and you will find you never have to fiddle with it or forget to release it while it is stuffed in a box sitting on a shelf in your garage. I would much rather have my Trike sitting there in gear and I know it aint movin', than parked in neutral with that brake supposedly engaged, like some guys do.