Spongy brake handle leads to leaking caliper

[tjy]

I feel like I'm as my new calipers is leaking on the left side now. Is it time to give up?

[Tom]

American suspension used to build a great padlock brake system. Something changed... They are junk. Talk to Stan about doing an external caliper/exposed line set up. Problem solved.

[Buck]

Tom, you have a B-17 front fork legs w/ integrated brakes. Call Stan, tell him that your crap is leaking and that you are going to get it fixed locally. Go to a decent aftermarket Harley shop, tell them that you have an American Suspension B-17 fork, that the brake seals are leaking; have them rebuild the calibers, pay for it and send the bill to Stan. That's what I did this year. If need be get up w/ me and I'll call my wrench and get the part numbers you need. I also have a schematic of the brakes if that will help. I left a copy with my shop and it did make it easier.
Buck

[Tom]

It is a crap shoot... Most times they will leak again. Not much to rebuilding them and Tom`s have been done twice already. Something is amiss in the machining process. I wish I could agree with Buck but at this point I have seen so many failures including brand new bikes I feel it is time to do something different.. It is sad when a new unit is assembled and leaks brake fluid before it hits the ground... Happens a lot and Has been ongoing for a couple years at least.
To me this is a safety issue and should have been dealt with a long time ago.

[Buck]

Tom, I'm certainly not going to disagree with what you have said, maybe I have been one of the lucky ones in that mine has held together for about 1 1/2 years now and is still going strong. Hopefully when I get Susan's trike back there will not be an issue as her fork legs were rechromed and not replaced with new ones. I agree that something ain't right and maybe need to go with exposed calibers as are on most bikes; I like the clean look as they are now but not the problems that are associated with it. Have a good one.
Buck

[tjy]

Buck and Tom, Thanks for your feedback. I value both of your opinion's. At this point I don't care about the "clean" lines, I am tired of trekking back and forth to Miami, so Is Zach who picked it up last month. He said the brakes were spongy when he and kyle were loading it up at the factory?? I imagine they can't/won't repair while during bikeweek. So I'm hoping to get a new front forks with exposed brake lines and calipers shipped here and have a shop do the work here b4 BW.

[Buck]

Keep us all advised as what you do will probably effect a bunch of us and we very well may have to follow your lead with this option.
Buck

[Tom]

Buck... When Susan`s forks went out for rechrome I taped off the calipers and wrote a note on them telling American Suspension to not mess with the brakes. Hopefully they came back that way and will not leak.

[Buck]

Love you long time.....thanks for looking out for her, I'll advise when ever I get out to scenic Ok. and pick it and Steve Barr's trikes up hopefully at the end of this month. It will be a quick trip probably staying in Mia. for one night. Would like to share a meal with you when I do; I'll be in contact.
Buck

[tjy]

I received a nice call from Oklahoma today. it was Laramie, Thanks Buck! I will let you know when they call back with how they are going to fix.

[Harold Blocker]

My 2007 has never leaked, guess I am the lucky one!

[Tom]

None of them did until about the 2011-2012 models. They have gone steadily down hill since then. The Owner of American Suspension (Vince) Lost his wife about that time. Quality has been in the pits since then. Not just brakes either. Chrome and fork oil leaks too.

[Buck]

" Chrome and fork oil leaks too"
I can testify to that, my first fork legs had chrome that was peeling off, the replacements had one leg that developed a seal leak at the top of the triple tree, then the brake seals. Again, maybe I have been lucky but I have had no problems since everything was replaced/fixed. I will get Susan's trike next weekend and the first thing I will check are the front brakes. Hope that I do not have to re-bleed when I get back home. I had to redo mine last year and now they are better than ever. I hope that this issue gets solved for all owner's piece of mind.

[SQ4MN]

I have a 2008 that has never leaked either, its the luck of the draw. I've had my Boss Hoss forks rebuilt at American Suspension, I removed my forks and went there personally and waited till they were done. They also build the forks for Boss Hoss. They did a great job for me. Stan has been dealing with this issue for years, Tommy came all the way to Vegas to fix a similar situation on one of my customers new bike but so far it hasn't leaked again.