Linked brake system

Tomswede said:

To My understanding, When you apply the rear brakes the front brakes also activates,

But if I only activate the front brakes, the rear brakes are not engaged

Is there a way to adjust this to where the front brake level will engage the rear brakes as well, ? Not sure if there is a reason for the factory design, pros or cons for having independent front brakes , On a 2 wheeler there is a significant handling issue based on the weight distribution and the lateral force , but on a Trike, I'm not sure

Any thoughts

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rhino 2 said:

My 17 Tri's worked very well....Any reason why you would want to tinker with it...Just saying:Shrug:..

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Tomswede said:

Trying to avoid using my right foot, or more exactly the right ankle , it has severe damage

to it

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Tomswede said:

Trying to avoid using my right foot, or more exactly the right ankle , it has severe damage to it

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Koolbreeze said:

On my 2019 Trike if I use the front brake lever and pull on it forcefully enough it will actuate the rear brakes also. I can feel it pulsing on the rear brake lever if i just rest my foot on it.

I expect you could put a second level on with something like this:

https://disabledmotorcycleriders.com/dualever/

I do not think it would be hard to plumb a brake line back to where the line comes out of the rear master cylinder and tie it in. You would of course need a dealer to bleed the air out of the system.

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ctdair said:

Not possible with out redesigning and re-plumbing the current brake lines. Rear brake applies the rear obviously but it also applies 2 of the pistons in each front caliper. The front brake activates the other 4 pistons in each front caliper. Use both the pedal and the lever all 6 pistons applied. Lever only , front brake only 4 pistons applied.

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Tomswede said:

Trying to avoid using my right foot, or more exactly the right ankle , it has severe damage

to it

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Tomswede said:

I got to check that out, my main concern is that if I put just a little too much pressure on my front brakes, they lock up immediately, and the wheel skids, no abs as far as I know

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David792 said:

Very nice description! BTW Tomswede; a lot depends on the year of your trike. Mine is a 2018... no ABS that year. I know this because there is no modulator beneath the right panel, also... I did have to make a quick stop and all three wheels locked and skidded. Remember, "For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert." I have read a lot about the brakes on HD trikes. I use equal pressure on both front and rear 99% of the time. Do what you're comfortable with and learn as you go. before you know it you'll be an expert too.

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DK Custom Products said:

On the Trike the rear brakes are much more important in a hard braking situation than on a 2 wheeler. Even if you had ABS and the front tire did not lock up, it is not enough braking power for emergency braking.

I, too, have a bad right ankle/foot, and found that, for me, an extended and lowered brake lever makes it much easier on my ankle to use the rear brakes. Don't know if it will do the trick for you, might be worth looking at, at this LINK.

Installed on my TG-

If you don't already, a Comfort Lift Kit™ will put a little more weight on the front tire, giving it a bit more traction, still not enough in a hard braking scenario to not need the rear brakes also, but every little bit helps.

Another thing that will give a bit more traction to front wheel braking...next time you need a front tire, go with the Avon Trike Tire, it is grippier.

Kevin

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1. ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS)
   
   1. Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) is designed to prevent the wheels from locking under braking and helps the rider maintain control when braking in a straight-line, urgent situation.
      
   2. ABS is standard on MY20 LiveWire™, CVO™, Touring, Police, Trike and select Softail® models; and optional on all MY20 Street™, Sportster® and remaining Softail® models.
      
2. CORNERING ENHANCED ABS (C-ABS)
   
   1. Cornering Enhanced ABS (C-ABS) is a variant of ABS that is designed to balance braking and cornering loads at the tire contact patch while under combined cornering and braking.
      
   2. C-ABS is standard on MY20 LiveWire™, CVO™, Police and Trike models and optional on all MY20 Touring models in the U.S. (except FLHT)
      
3. ELECTRONIC LINKED BRAKING (ELB)
   
   1. Electronic Linked Braking (ELB) applies braking effort to both wheels when the rider uses either the hand lever (front) or foot pedal (rear) brake control, which can help riders achieve better braking performance.
      
   2. ELB is standard on all MY20 Touring and Trike models.
      
4. CORNERING ENHANCED ELECTRONIC LINKED BRAKING (C-ELB)
   
   1. Cornering Enhanced Electronic Linked Braking (C-ELB) takes into account the motorcycle lean angle or Trike lateral acceleration. C-ELB will alter the proportioning of brake pressure between the front and rear brakes when braking while cornering in an attempt to improve the ability of the motorcycle to maintain the rider’s intended path.
      
   2. C-ELB is standard on all MY20 CVO™, Police and Trike models and optional on all MY20 Touring models in the U.S. (except FLHT).
      
5. CORNERING ENHANCED TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (C-TCS)
   
   1. Traction control is designed to keep the rear wheel from "spinning out" when the motorcycle is accelerating while leaning, and enhances rider control and confidence, especially in wet weather.
      
   2. C-TCS is standard on all MY20 LiveWire™, CVO™, Police and Trike models and optional on all MY20 Touring models in the U.S. (except FLHT)
      
6. DRAG-TORQUE SLIP CONTROL SYSTEM (DSCS)
   
   1. Drag-Torque Slip Control (DSCS) is designed to reduce excessive rear-wheel slip under deceleration, which typically occurs when the rider makes an abrupt down-shift gear change or decelerates on wet or slippery road surfaces.
      
   2. DSCS is standard on all MY20 CVO™, Police and Trike models and optional on all MY20 Touring models in the U.S. (except FLHT).
      
7. CORNERING ENHANCED DRAG-TORQUE SLIP CONTROL SYSTEM (C-DSCS)
   
   1. On models equipped with C-DSCS the action of DSCS may be tailored when cornering, based on detected lean angle.
      
   2. C-DSCS is standard on all MY20 LiveWire™ models.
      
8. VEHICLE HOLD CONTROL (VHC)
   
   1. The primary function of VHC is to use brake pressure to keep the motorcycle from rolling, making it easier to ride away when starting on a hill, a bridge or a parking ramp.
      
   2. VHC is not intended as a substitute for a parking brake in any situation.
      
   3. This feature is standard on MY20 CVO™ and Police models and optional on all MY20 Touring models in the U.S. (except FLHT).
      
9. TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)
   
   1. TPMS alerts the rider to low tire air pressure. Maintaining proper tire air pressure is important both for vehicle performance and tire life.
      
   2. This feature is standard on MY20 CVO™ and Police models and optional on all MY20 Touring models in the U.S. (except FLHT).
      

RedOregon said:

Note that the 2000 model year introduced linked braking *both ways*. Either *front or rear* brake application will apply both.

Source (scroll down to ELECTRONIC LINKED BRAKING (ELB):

https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/content/reflex-defensive-rider-systems.html

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Tomswede said:

Yep, got your lift kit, I'll check out the extended brake arm, thanks

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Tomswede said:

... installing it was a little frustrating as the exhaust pipe is in the way , then there is a little cotterpin on the inside that must be removed to disconnect the arm from the brake module

removing the rubber pad was also a bit of a struggle...

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