The Everything 2018+ Heritage Thread
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 467
Likes: 154
From: New Mexico
Question about bleeding the rear brake on my Heritage Softail Classic 114 with ABS.........I think its standard.
Bought it in Feb of '18 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, (Low Elevation), now at Alamogordo, New Mexico, Elevation 4,600'. 14,000 miles, love the bike. Yesterday riding mostly between 9 and 10,000 ft elevation, noticed that my rear Brake, which I don't use much could be pushed to the floor??????????? WTF........Stopped the bike and checked it over, master brake reservoir full and no leaks anywhere. when I got back down to under 5,000' Elevation the rear brake was working , though mushy??? Got it home and put it on my lift to check over again, everything AOK. Then it hit me, must be an Air Bubble in the line, the lower Air Pressure at higher Elevations expands the size of the Bubble, thus no brake.
Is it hard or tricky to bleed the brake with its ABS system? Any tricks or hints from the Brain Trust here??????
Bought it in Feb of '18 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, (Low Elevation), now at Alamogordo, New Mexico, Elevation 4,600'. 14,000 miles, love the bike. Yesterday riding mostly between 9 and 10,000 ft elevation, noticed that my rear Brake, which I don't use much could be pushed to the floor??????????? WTF........Stopped the bike and checked it over, master brake reservoir full and no leaks anywhere. when I got back down to under 5,000' Elevation the rear brake was working , though mushy??? Got it home and put it on my lift to check over again, everything AOK. Then it hit me, must be an Air Bubble in the line, the lower Air Pressure at higher Elevations expands the size of the Bubble, thus no brake.
Is it hard or tricky to bleed the brake with its ABS system? Any tricks or hints from the Brain Trust here??????
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 952
Likes: 528
From: Richmond TX
Apparently we've got a small space within the ABS control module that will not get bled with a typical manual bleeding operation. The recommendation is to take it to the dealer every two years since they possess an expensive system that cycles the control module such that 'all' old fluid is purged. Sorry for my lack of proper terminology, no doubt somebody really smart will chime in.
At least in theory, you could bleed your brakes, then go out and execute a panic stop to cycle the control module and perhaps the module will only have fresh fluid in it, then do another manual bleed. There are some good threads on this topic, no need to build up the discussion here.
At least in theory, you could bleed your brakes, then go out and execute a panic stop to cycle the control module and perhaps the module will only have fresh fluid in it, then do another manual bleed. There are some good threads on this topic, no need to build up the discussion here.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 10,074
Likes: 5,323
Question about bleeding the rear brake on my Heritage Softail Classic 114 with ABS.........I think its standard.
Bought it in Feb of '18 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, (Low Elevation), now at Alamogordo, New Mexico, Elevation 4,600'. 14,000 miles, love the bike. Yesterday riding mostly between 9 and 10,000 ft elevation, noticed that my rear Brake, which I don't use much could be pushed to the floor??????????? WTF........Stopped the bike and checked it over, master brake reservoir full and no leaks anywhere. when I got back down to under 5,000' Elevation the rear brake was working , though mushy??? Got it home and put it on my lift to check over again, everything AOK. Then it hit me, must be an Air Bubble in the line, the lower Air Pressure at higher Elevations expands the size of the Bubble, thus no brake.
Is it hard or tricky to bleed the brake with its ABS system? Any tricks or hints from the Brain Trust here??????
Bought it in Feb of '18 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, (Low Elevation), now at Alamogordo, New Mexico, Elevation 4,600'. 14,000 miles, love the bike. Yesterday riding mostly between 9 and 10,000 ft elevation, noticed that my rear Brake, which I don't use much could be pushed to the floor??????????? WTF........Stopped the bike and checked it over, master brake reservoir full and no leaks anywhere. when I got back down to under 5,000' Elevation the rear brake was working , though mushy??? Got it home and put it on my lift to check over again, everything AOK. Then it hit me, must be an Air Bubble in the line, the lower Air Pressure at higher Elevations expands the size of the Bubble, thus no brake.
Is it hard or tricky to bleed the brake with its ABS system? Any tricks or hints from the Brain Trust here??????
Tourer
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 289
Likes: 114
From: Sacramento
It's a Nasty Hog set up. Stock exhaust but a side exhaust is recommended.
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