Why Would You Want To Take Off The OEM Brakes & Replace Them With Custom Harley-Davidson Brakes?

On any moving vehicle; its brakes are of prime safety importance; but, this is perhaps more so when the vehicle is a motorcycle – particularly if it is a high powered motorcycle like a Harley-Davidson and capable of moving at high speeds. Vehicles with four or more wheels are easier to bring to a straight line stop (no swerving and less skidding) than those with only two wheels.

Stopping a two wheeled (motorcycle) in an emergency can, of its own, be life threatening (let alone the reason for the emergency in the first place). In a car, it is usual to only have one breaking control; the foot brake pedal (the hand brake is an additional control but linked to the same back wheels as the foot pedal); which activates all four wheel brakes; the parking brake on an automatic transmission disengages the transmission and is not a stopping device. Motorcycles on the other hand generally have a foot pedal to activate a brake on the rear wheel and a hand lever (on the handlebars) to activate a separate brake on the front wheel. Too much braking, on only the rear wheel, can cause the wheel to slide sideways and the bike to lean over; even to the extent of causing parts of the bike to make contact with the road; possibly causing the rider to come off the bike. Too much, on the front wheel alone, can cause the rear wheel to rise up in the air and even throw the rider over the top of the handle bars. There can be no doubt that all bike riders must; not only have good brakes on their machines; but, they must also be well trained in using them correctly.

Harley-Davidson have been selling bikes for over a century; so, it is fair to assume that they have built up a strong technical and engineering base and are fitting out their bikes with the best available brakes (no one would buy a new bike from a manufacturer known for their “death traps”). So, if, for reasons of purely visual appeal; you decide to change out the OEM brakes and retrofit Custom Harley Davidson Brakes; it is essential that the custom Harley Davidson brakes that you obtain; are to at least a minimum of the Harley OEM standard beneath their outer skin of fancy chrome or whatever.