Abs upkeep cost
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 348
Likes: 122
From: Wichita
Abs upkeep cost
I'm looking at getting a new 48 special. I have a Road King with abs. The bike is so heavy I feel comfortable with the money I've spent on the ABS system. I'm a little disappointed I can't service it myself and every two years will cost me 150 to 200. I'm struggling with the decision of the cost of the ABS on the Sportster knowing I will have to pay for bleeding every 2 years. With the lighter bike is it just as important, I would like your opinions.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
I don't currently have an ABS bike, but have read, especially in the Touring section, that it is possible to bleed an ABS Harley yourself. I understand that if you flush new fluid through and avoid getting air in the system all should be fine. Obviously I'm not expert on the matter, so I encourage you to investigate further. Your new Sporty will be fine too!
My braking technique is plainly too wimp-like as on only ABS bike I have owned I never managed to activate it. It did however cost me a lot of money on maintenance and spares, because as it never functioned things seized or failed!
My braking technique is plainly too wimp-like as on only ABS bike I have owned I never managed to activate it. It did however cost me a lot of money on maintenance and spares, because as it never functioned things seized or failed!
Honestly, spend $30 on a mightyvac, $9 on a bottle of DOT 4, and it is cake. you don't even have to worry about this new dot 4 they came out with if you do it every 2 years as prescribed.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,212
Likes: 212
OP, you need something like the Twin Scan 4 from Daytona Twin Tec (or similar option if it's available, only a few tools that will work), which allows you to do ABS cycling during bleed operations. Not sure what year your road king is if you can use this for both, but they make modules to accept all the bikes. Not exactly cheap (~$500), but with multiple ABS bikes you can quickly recoup the cost every time you bleed the brakes/change fluid or add new lines, etc.
It has a lot more functions than just ABS bleeding, too.
Last edited by Scuba10jdl; Mar 15, 2018 at 05:07 PM.
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 348
Likes: 122
From: Wichita
ABS is like a seatbelt, you might not use it for 10 years but that one time it could be the most important item you own ,I guess. I've ridden a motorcycle for 40 years and I've never had to skid it a tire. But I have to admit there's a lot more nuts out there with texting and cell phone
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,609
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From: over the mountain
You may have bled some of your breaking system, but you have to have a tool to activate the ABS to get the fluid bleed from it. So you partially Bled your brakes. If this wasn't a problem Harley wouldn't have issued a recall.
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Road Master
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,197
Likes: 1,852
From: England
I guess you were lucky then. The ABS module has valves inside it which, when they operate, open to release the hydraulic pressure on the caliper pistons, they then close again a fraction of a second later giving that on/off pulse braking action.
The problem with trying to bleed an ABS system is there is no way for the home mechanic to cause these valves to open, allowing him/her to bleed the complete brake system, (unlike the dealership who plug the bike in to the workshop computer which tells the ABS module to open them), so you can never be a 100% sure that you have got all the air out of the brake lines.
The problem with trying to bleed an ABS system is there is no way for the home mechanic to cause these valves to open, allowing him/her to bleed the complete brake system, (unlike the dealership who plug the bike in to the workshop computer which tells the ABS module to open them), so you can never be a 100% sure that you have got all the air out of the brake lines.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,609
Likes: 694
From: over the mountain
And as I understand it if the Harley ABS brakes are not bled every two years and you loose the system, you loose all your brakes as well. I'm sure Sucba10jdI can shed some light on this.
Last edited by apache snow; Mar 16, 2018 at 11:40 AM.