My 03 has the chrome controls on it.
It seems the brake master cyl isn't as good as the
2000 was. That lever was right there.
It had a WAY MORE positive feel.
This one, (freshly bled) and new pads is still soft.
The lever mid-way back. It's not as responsive.

I guess can be re- built. It's been this way since day one

Thanks,

 

Just in case there is still some air in there somewhere squeeze the lever pretty hard, zip tie it to the handlebars and let it sit overnight. That'll surely get the air out of there if there is any. I always do that after working on brakes and it works wonders to firm up the lever.

I had to replace my front brake line when I changed the handlebars. No matter how much I bled the lever wouldn't start to grab until about mid way back. I zip tied it, the next morning it was as hard if not better than the day I bought the bike new off the showroom floor.

If the lever feels good in the morning be sure to pull the master cyl. cap and adjust the fluid level as needed.

 

First time I read about this, I smiled to myself and thought, "Yeah, right...."

But it has worked for me a several times... I bleed/flush the brakes well, with a vacuum bleeder, and no matter how long I bleed them or how much new fluid I flush through them, I don't get a really firm front brake lever until I use this trick...

A couple observations...

I've only needed to use this trick on my bikes that use DOT 5 brake fluid, not on the two I've bled/flushed with DOT 4.

I only need to use this trick on DOT 5 brake systems, on the front brakes, where the master cylinder is high above the caliper. For some reason, I've never needed to do this on the rear brakes, where the master is approximately level with, or slightly below, the caliper.... no idea why...

I've read that DOT 5 is not good with ABS because when agitated by the ABS units, it forms/releases micro bubbles that can result in a soft pedal... perhaps that is what's at work when using this trick. Maybe the bleeding releases these micro bubbles and this trick allows them to work out... I don't know, but it has worked for me 3 or 4 times now...

 

I've got non-ABS and DOT 4, I just couldn't get a firm hard brake by bleeding. Zip tie overnight did the trick.

 

Well, so much for my DOT 5 theory..... !!!!

 

My bike goes faster with chrome

 

Thanks for the replies . . .
Sorry for the late response

I'll try that

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Do the zip tie thing before anything else and let us know how it goes!

 

Yep, zip tie trick worked for me this week after my bar install. I bled extensively, cycled the ABS, bled again etc. still had a mushy lever. Zip tie overnight.... firm

 

Good to jnow now it also works with ABS!